“Exactly.” He was examining the book as if fascinated by it. “There’ll be no problems, will there?”
“None.” She hesitated. “Except that this time, I’ll be making the delivery.”
LeGault put the book back on the shelf. “It’s not what I was looking for after all,” he said loudly. “Good day to you, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and left the store.
Blair waited for as long as she dared, then left behind him. Since it seemed that anything that one of the Chandler twins did was news, she could almost feel the eyes of the people in the bookstore watching her as she left. Taking her time to pull her gloves on securely, she could see, out of the corner of her eye, LeGault heading east on Second Street toward Parkers’ Ladies Wear. Blair went north, behind the Denver Hotel, across Lead, behind the Raskin Building and came out again on Second—away from the prying eyes of the customers of Mr. Pendergast’s bookstore.
LeGault was sauntering down the street, cane over his arm, looking for all the world like a man window-shopping without a care in the world. Blair crossed the street and went to look in the window of the Parker store.
She didn’t feel that she had time for small talk with the man. “I know all about everything.”
“I thought you did, or I wouldn’t have mentioned it to you in the first place.” He was looking straight ahead into the window. “But it’s not a place for a woman.”
“I don’t imagine it’s a place for a man, either.”
He looked at her. “Imagine? I thought you knew.”
“I do. I also know that this is the last time my husband will be doing this. He hasn’t recovered from his wounds last time, and so I must take his place. After that, you’ll have to do what you must by yourself. Neither of us will be involved again.”
He seemed to be thinking about her words. “All right then. Thursday night at ten. Meet us at the usual place.”
He started to turn away.
“Where should I leave my carriage? I don’t want it recognized.”
He turned back. “I’m beginning to doubt the wisdom of this. Are you sure you can handle this? That you know what’s involved?”
Blair thought it was better to keep her mouth shut, so she just nodded.
“We’ll need your carriage, so park it behind the Aztec Saloon on Bell Lane. Wait there, and someone will meet you and give you the trunk. Don’t fail me. If you don’t show up, it’ll be your husband that catches it.”
“I understand,” she whispered.
For the two days until Thursday, Blair was utterly stupid. She couldn’t seem to remember anything, do whatever she was supposed to do, or think of anything besides what she was to do on Thursday night. On that night, she would find out what it was that her husband was doing in secret. She’d told Nina that she didn’t care if he were a criminal or not, that she loved him just the same. But soon the moment of truth would come. She was sure that Lee was involved in something illegal, and now she was going to participate in order to keep Lee out of it. She was hoping that what she did would make him stop whatever he was doing.
On Thursday night, she dressed in her medical uniform. Lee was called to the hospital to sew up three gunslingers who had shot it out near the New Mexico border, so Blair was alone. She was frightened and nervous as she went down the stairs to the stable where her carriage awaited her.
Only once before had she been to the part of town where she was to wait for LeGault, and that was the night she’d been with Lee when he ran to save the prostitute who’d tried to commit suicide. Ignoring catcalls at the sight of a woman alone in this area, she pulled in behind the Aztec Saloon and waited.
Kane Taggert woke slowly, feeling that something was wrong
but not knowing what it was. The bed was vibrating and he was cold. Startled, he turned to Houston. She was shivering violently, and although she was huddled under covers, she was very cold to touch. He gathered her in his arms and, to his consternation, she still seemed to be sleeping.
“Houston, honey,” he said with gentleness but some urgency. “Wake up.”
The moment Houston woke, she began to shiver even more as Kane held her.
“My sister is in danger. My sister is in danger,” she repeated. “My sister—.”
“All right,” Kane said, getting out of bed. “You just stay here, I’ll call her house and see what’s goin’ on.”
Kane took the stairs down two at a time and ran into the library. There was no answer to the ringing at the Westfield house. The operator said she thought Leander’d been called to the hospital, that there’d been a shooting in the country and he was needed. Kane put a call through to the hospital. The nurse who answered was reluctant to summon Leander to the telephone.
“I don’t care what he’s doin’, it ain’t as important as this. Tell him his wife’s life is in danger.”
Leander was on the phone in under a minute. “Where’s Blair?”
“I don’t know. Houston’s upstairs shiverin’ so bad she’s about to break the bed and she’s colder’n a corpse. She keeps sayin’ Blair’s in danger. I don’t know nothin’ else, but I thought you should know. She wasn’t like this when Blair was taken by that Frenchwoman, so maybe she’s really in danger this time.”