The Vaudeville Star

“A little token for Ford. He’ll know what it means.”

He had told her not to make any sudden movements, and then they were at the train station, where he had already purchased two tickets for Le Havre. Ruby felt her heart sinking inside her breast. He had the tickets already, which meant he had planned it. Planned it in advance.

She tried to reason with him once more. “King, I’m married. I’m sorry, I should have told you long ago that I loved Ford. I’ve always loved him.”

“Yes. You should have. Instead of using me this whole time,” he said coldly.

Ruby shook her head. “I never meant to use you.”

“You did! Don’t lie!”

Ruby tried to remain calm. “What do you want from me?”

King grimaced. “What I’ve always wanted. You as my wife. You by my side. We will rule over that little island called Manhattan.”

“I’ve told you that isn’t possible,” she explained.

“Because of Ford?” he sneered.

“Yes.”

“You wouldn’t be the first widow in the world.” He chuckled softly.

Ruby felt herself grow cold. “King,” she tried to sound sympathetic, “you can’t harm him. I love him.”

Leaning forward, he rested his hand on her knee. Without warning, he pinched her inner thigh, causing her to jerk her knee away. “If you say you love another man one more time, you’ll be very sorry, my dear.”

Ruby sat back in the carriage seat and watched as the countryside flew by. Silence stretched between them. Ruby had been frightened that he would show up and do exactly as he had done. He had taken her away against her will with a knife in his hand.

But she was no longer worried that he would harm her. He wanted her alive and by his side. She knew now that he wanted to harm Ford, but she was confident that Ford could take care of himself. She watched the countryside whiz by and wondered if Ford would be able to track them down. If anyone could, Ford would be able to find them.

It wasn’t hard to track King’s movements. It was almost as if he wanted him to follow them. He had caught a train going to Le Havre, which meant he was planning on leaving France and most likely headed back to New York. Ford fingered the ring in his pocket and sent a telegram to Inspector Thompson informing him that he was on the trail of King Parker.

He had time on his side. Ocean liners did not leave every hour on the hour, and most likely he would be able to catch up with King in Le Havre. He told the concierge to have his trunk sent ahead to Le Havre and caught the next train leaving Paris.

Ruby drifted off to sleep as the train gently swayed. When she woke, it was early evening, and the sky outside was dark. She could no longer see the passing countryside. She looked across from her and saw that King was sleeping. She didn’t even consider trying to break away from him as there was nowhere to go on the train.

“Ah, Ruby,” he said as he shifted himself and stretched. “I was dreaming about you.”

Ruby looked away from him. She didn’t want to engage in conversation. She touched her fingertips to the cool glass window and thought of Ford. Ford would come for her. He would know how to find them. Ford. She trusted him implicitly.

“You know, if she had taken the damned town house and left well enough alone, she would be alive today,” he said, shaking his head.

“What?” Ruby turned her eyes to meet his.

“That bitch. Lourdes. I gave her the town house and let her keep all the gifts I had given her over the years. And I can tell you, they weren’t cheap.”

Ruby met his eyes, but he seemed to be very far away.

“I bought her a diamond necklace at Tiffany & Co. and a fur stole and muff that she had seen a society matron wearing and had to have. Whatever she wanted, I bought her.”

“Because you loved her,” Ruby said softly.

“Love? Ha! I see now it was never love. It was an infatuation. Lust, maybe. Stupid, really. She would never have suited. Even when Caroline died, I couldn’t marry her. It was unthinkable.”

“Why was it unthinkable?” Ruby asked.

“She was not a white woman. Not pure. Not anything society would accept.”