The Lawman's Redemption

Will seemed to sense what she was about to say and held up a hand. “I understand perfectly. He’s a good man, your pastor.”

Some of the tension fell off Mary’s shoulders. “He is. He’s done a lot for our family.”

“Once he finds out the kind of man Ben is, he’ll never consent to your marriage.”

Mary swallowed. On one hand, she was counting on it. On the other hand, she had no idea how to let Frank know without letting her own secrets be known.

“You seem like a nice girl. You have a good family. A pastor who is loving and kind. I’m sure whatever you are mixed up in with Ben, if you come clean now, they will support you through it.”

Easy for him to say. He had no idea what she’d done. Moreover, if he knew the kind of man Ben was, he would know that whatever she had done wasn’t anything a person admitted to. So, that left the question of who Will Lawson was and why he was so interested in Ben Perry.

“What’s it to you? You said you came here looking for Ben. Well, you found him. So, go about whatever business it is that you have with him, and leave me out of it.”

Will looked at her with an intensity that made her want to hide like the little ones did when some of the rougher miners came to call on the pastor.

“Ben Perry is a bad man.”

She wished Will could have told her that a year ago. Of course she probably wouldn’t have listened. Ben had preyed on her every vanity. Her every desire to be admired by a handsome gentleman.

“Why do you care what a supposedly bad man is doing with me?”

* * *

Will shouldn’t care. In one respect, Mary was right. It was none of his business if she married Ben or not. And yet, he couldn’t stand idly by as Ben ruined another life.

“You lied to me about severing your connection with him.”

Mary flinched at his words. “I did not. Ben’s visit here tonight surprised me just as much as it did you.”

Actually, Will had noticed that. He’d also noticed how Mary bristled at Ben’s attention and how she’d tried to remove herself from his grasp. But something wasn’t right with the situation. With Mary’s reticence.

“Then why did you announce your engagement?”

“Ben announced our engagement.” Mary’s eyes flashed as she emphasized Ben’s name. Will had to admit, Mary had really pretty eyes. Green with flecks of gold, so deep a man could spend hours mining them and still— What was he doing mooning over her? Hadn’t he learned his lesson?

“Why did you go along with it? Why not tell everyone that you’d broken things off with him?”

“Didn’t you hear me try to explain that it was over?” Mary’s voice was littered with the angst of unshed tears. “But I—” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll figure something out.”

Will took a step closer. “I’ll help you,” he said softly. “Let me help you.”

“If he is such a bad man, why would you involve yourself? Are you the law, with the power to do something about him being a bad man?”

“No.” Will’s gut churned. It was still hard to face the fact that he had no legal authority. But if he could gather enough evidence, he could take it to the authorities, and they could finally put Ben where he belonged.

“Then why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” In so many ways, but most of them were things he couldn’t make Mary understand. Ways he wasn’t sure he understood himself. Ultimately, his gun had been the cause of an innocent man’s death. Whether Will pulled the trigger or not, he bore some responsibility.

It was easier remembering that layer of guilt, and how he needed to bring closure to Eldon Wormer’s family, than it was to look into the eyes of a woman as sweet and innocent as Mary.

Surely she was innocent.

But how was he ever to trust his instincts where women were concerned when he’d been so easily conned by Daisy? Her eyes had appeared innocent as well, and look where that had gotten him. Gut-shot and badgeless.

“In my case,” Mary said, giving him a tiny smile, “the right thing to do is walk away. I didn’t ask for your help. I don’t want your help. And I don’t know anything about Ben that can be helpful to you.”

Her head turned, and Will realized that the pastor was making his way back to them. They wouldn’t be able to talk freely soon.

“You didn’t ask for my help earlier today, either, but I probably saved your life.”

As she turned to speak to the pastor, Will thought he might have heard her say “Perhaps you shouldn’t have bothered,” but he couldn’t be certain.

The one thing he was certain of, however, was that, based on the information he had about Ben’s activities in the area, no matter what level of involvement Mary had with them, she was in for a world of trouble.

How else could he get her to talk? And would it be the truth? He wasn’t sure he was capable of telling the truth from a lie any longer, especially when it came to a pretty woman.

Will returned to the Rafferty Hotel, noting that Ben wasn’t in the saloon or in any of the public areas. He attempted to make discreet inquiries about the man, but no one seemed willing to talk.

When Will finally retired to his room, it was with a heavy heart. Locating Ben had been the easy part. Finding evidence against him—well, that might be as difficult as counting all the silver in this fine country.

Will hadn’t been sleeping long when a scuffle outside the window roused him. He climbed out of bed and peered out the curtains. A group of men were arguing. Will sighed. Last night’s sleep had been interrupted by the same.

But just as he started to let the curtain drop, one of the men turned, his face briefly illuminated by the coming dawn.

Ben.

As quickly as he could, Will dressed and headed out, hoping to catch up with the other man and ascertain his activities. When he exited the hotel, the other men had scattered, but Will caught a glimpse of Ben scurrying down Harrison Avenue.

He quickened his pace as Ben turned down State Street. The most notorious red-light district in the state, if not the country, and Will was going in without a gun or a badge. Fortunately, Ben entered the closest saloon, The Pink Petticoat.

Approaching cautiously, Will looked around to make sure he wasn’t walking into a trap. It was probably safe, given how brazen Ben had been in the other saloon. Ben knew that even if Will wanted to, he couldn’t do anything to stop him. But someday...things would be different.

No one seemed to notice as Will entered the saloon. With dawn upon them, most of the men were too far into their cups or sleeping it off to pay attention. Ben had already found a table and was in deep conversation with the men seated there. Will moved in for a closer look.

“See something that strikes your fancy?” A kitten-soft voice spoke into his ear as a woman wrapped her arms around him.

At first he didn’t recognize the painted features. But something about her seemed familiar. “Daisy?”

The woman jumped at the name, then shook her head. “No, but for the right price, you can call me anything you want.”

Her voice was husky, as if she’d spent too much time in the smoke-filled room. She put her arm around him, turning him toward the stairs.

Will’s face heated, and he pulled away. “Sorry. I think you got the wrong idea. You reminded me of my old friend Daisy. I can see I was mistaken.”

Something flashed across the woman’s face as her woman-of-the-night expression softened.

“It’s not safe to talk here,” the woman whispered harshly. She took his hand, then led him out a side door linking the saloon to another building.

“I think you’ve got me wrong. I just want—”

She turned and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I want the same thing. But if you don’t come with me, we’re both going to be in trouble.”

Clearly this woman knew something about the situation. Was this another one of Ben’s games, designed to keep him from spying on whatever conversation was happening?

At this point, he wasn’t sure who to trust. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask God, but that had never done him much good, either. For all the prayers he’d prayed, his father was dead, his mother was still suffering from consumption, Ben Perry was still on the loose, and Will had lost his badge. No, it was up to Will to make sure things turned out right.

Before he could make up his mind about what to do, the woman had led him into a room and closed the door behind them.

“What’s your name?” he asked. “And what’s this got to do with Daisy?”

Though the lamplight wasn’t as dim as it had been in the saloon, it still wasn’t bright enough to make out more of her features, especially with the curtains drawn tightly closed. Only enough to confirm that while she looked like Daisy, it was only a faint resemblance.

She reached into a drawer and pulled out a handgun, aiming it directly at him.

“I’ll be asking the questions here. Starting with the ones you asked me. Who are you, and what do you know about my sister?”

Sister? At least it explained the resemblance. He took a step toward her. “Lady...”

With practiced movement, she cocked the gun. “Don’t come any closer. Answer my questions, or I’ll shoot.”

Will didn’t move. She held the gun as if she knew what she was doing. Even though he couldn’t see the look in her eyes, he was pretty sure she meant business. “With everyone around? They’d hear the gunshot. You’ll hang for sure.”

“No one’s going to hang a woman for defending herself against a robbery.” She gestured toward a chair in the corner of the room. “Sit. I can put a bullet in your skull faster than you can take a step to disarm me, so don’t even try.”

Cunning, he’d give her that.

“My name is Will Lawson. I knew Daisy back in Century City. We were working together to bring down Ben Perry and his gang, but she betrayed me. The last I saw her, she was riding on the back of Ben’s horse headed out of town.”

“Liar!” The woman took a step closer, making a point of getting him in her sight. “Daisy would have never willingly gone with Ben Perry.”

He could hear the doubt in her voice. “Then what are you doing here? It can’t be an accident that you’re in the same saloon.”

The woman loosened her grip on the gun. Not enough for him to feel safe in disarming her, but enough that he knew he could eventually talk her down. Especially if she hated Ben as much as he did.

“I knew Ben and his men back in Denver. Daisy disappeared from the convent school about the same time Ben was forced to leave town due to some unpleasant business. I’m a favorite of one of Ben’s men, and he sometimes tells me things. Just nothing about Daisy. But I know they had to have taken her. They’re working on a big score here in Leadville that’ll keep them here for a while. This may be my only chance to find her.”

Information that matched what Will knew about Ben’s activities shortly before arriving in Century City, including how Daisy had come to be with Ben in the first place.

But it still didn’t answer the question about why Daisy had betrayed him.

While he couldn’t offer the woman any comfort about Daisy’s last known whereabouts, at least he could offer himself as an ally.

And maybe gain an ally for himself. Did the big score she spoke of have anything to do with Mary? Could this be the break he needed to take Ben down once and for all?

“We’re on the same side,” Will told her. “I used to be a deputy in Century City. Daisy had told me that she wanted to get away from Ben. She sent me a note, saying she wanted me to meet her. While I was off trying to save Daisy, Ben and his gang robbed a bank. They fired me when Ben got away. I’m pretty sure the sheriff was on Ben’s payroll, but I can’t prove it.”

“So, what do you want with Daisy?”

Will shook his head. “Nothing. I was here trailing Ben, hoping to see if I could find out anything about his plans. I saw you and thought for a moment you might be Daisy, that’s all.”

“When did you last see her?” Her posture had softened enough that he didn’t think he was in danger of being shot anymore, but as long as she held the gun, he wasn’t taking any chances.

“Why don’t you put the gun down and then we can talk?”

“Fine.” She sat in a chair across from him and set the gun in her lap. “But don’t think I won’t shoot you. You wouldn’t be my first.”

Hard. In all the places where Daisy was soft. Where Mary... Will pushed the thought of the other woman aside. She had no business sneaking into his brain now. Not when he was face-to-face with the reminder of why he wouldn’t even consider getting involved with anyone connected to Ben Perry.

Will cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, are you going to tell me your name?”

From this angle, the light hit her face in such a way that he could see the detail of her features better. In daylight, he’d have never mistaken her for Daisy.

“Melissa. But I’m known as Mad Mel.” She picked up the gun again and studied it. “Came by the name honestly, if you know what I mean.”

Mel looked up at him. “I believe you were telling me about when you last saw my sister.”

Will took a deep breath. If she truly was mad, then she wouldn’t like his side of the story. Especially since she’d already made clear that Daisy would have never gotten involved with Ben.

“Last I saw her, she was getting on the back of a horse with Ben and riding out of Century City.”

A dark look crossed Mel’s face. “He must’ve been forcing her. Why didn’t you stop them?”

“Because I’d just been shot and lay bleeding in the middle of the street.” He declined to add the fact that Daisy was the one who’d shot him—on Ben’s order. Out of habit, he rubbed the still-healing spot that had laid him up for weeks. Sometimes he could feel the bullet still burning a hole in his belly, even though the doc said he’d gotten it all.

“He pulled a gun on her, then?” The tone in Mel’s voice was so hopeful that Will couldn’t let her keep believing a lie. Maybe Daisy had been that person at one point in time, but that wasn’t who she was anymore.

“No. She went willingly. Kissed him passionately before he helped her onto the horse.”

Oddly, that fact didn’t sting the way he’d thought it would. He’d replayed the scene over and over in his mind while recuperating, thinking that she’d have been kinder to him had she just killed him outright. But she hadn’t. She’d shot him and left him in a pool of his own blood, then kissed the man she’d once promised to help him bring down.

“Why would she do that?” Pain slashed across Mel’s face, and Will almost felt bad for telling her the truth.

“I don’t know,” he simply said. “I honestly don’t.”

Mel must’ve believed him, because she stood, then put the gun back in the drawer she’d taken it from. “Daisy always said she hated him.”

“She’d told me the same thing.” And if he hadn’t been shot, then seen her kissing Ben, he’d have still believed it.

Silence filled the room, and he looked around. The room was just as nice as what he’d been given at Rafferty’s hotel, only made a little more like home with some personal items strewn about. Mel was clearly not some throwaway woman of the night.

Will walked to the bureau and picked up a framed portrait of two young girls. “This the two of you when you were younger?”

Mel stood and joined him, taking the frame out of his hands. “Before our father died, yes.”

It was easy enough to piece together the rest of the story on his own. Without anyone to care for them, Mel had adopted the world’s oldest profession to provide for her younger sister. He looked at her, wishing he could do something about the tears in her eyes or the way she gripped the frame tightly.

“I did everything to give her a good life.” Mel returned his look with a mournful expression that made his gut wound ache even more. “Why would she take up with Ben Perry?”

Will would like to ask that question himself. Why would she take up with Ben Perry? Not just of Daisy, but of Mary, a sweet woman who spent her time working with a preacher and feeding down-and-out miners. How could such goodness be attracted to such evil?

“I wish I knew,” he said softly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you better news of your sister. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”

Then he turned toward Mel. “I still plan on taking down Ben Perry. I’d be obliged if you’d keep an ear out for me.”

“We’ll see.” The hard expression had returned to her face. Mel wasn’t likely to do anything that would jeopardize her chances of finding her sister. For Mel’s sake, Will hoped Daisy wanted to be found.

He gave her a nod, then turned toward the door.

“Not that way,” Mel said, pointing to another door. “We’re not supposed to bring men into the boardinghouse, so I need to take you back through the saloon. Alma will be furious if she finds out I had you in here.”

“Alma?”

“She owns the place. Thinks that if she gives us women of the night a good home we’ll eventually see the light and repent of our sins. Alma means well, even if it’ll never get her anywhere.”

Mel’s frank assessment made Will sadder for Alma than he would have thought. The realities of the lives of women like Mel were not that they changed.

Yet he couldn’t forget the wistful look in Mel’s eyes as she talked about wanting a better life for Daisy. He had wanted a better life for Daisy. Stupidly, Will had thought he’d be able to provide it for her.

Perhaps he and Mel weren’t so different after all.

A lightness he hadn’t known since the shooting filled his heart. Yes, he’d loved Daisy, but for the first time it hit him that maybe it wasn’t the romantic kind of love he wanted in a wife. Maybe it was the sister kind of love. Sure, he’d kissed Daisy, but most of them had been on the forehead. The couple of times he’d tried to kiss her on the lips, she’d turned her head, and he’d gotten her cheek instead. He’d already known that he was over her, but now maybe he could accept that he’d never truly loved her at all.

A knock sounded at the door. “Mel?” The whispered voice was urgent.

“It’s okay, you can come in,” Mel called back. She glanced at Will. “Get behind the changing screen.”

He moved quickly, positioning himself to be out of view but able to see what was happening through a crack in the side. The woman who entered looked even younger than Daisy and was sporting a bleeding lip and what would probably be a bruised cheek in the morning.

“What happened?” Mel rushed to the woman and escorted her to one of the chairs.

“Ben said I sassed him, so he had Big Jim hit me.” Tears filled the girl’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to sass him, I promise. Ben said that I’d be all his last night, but he just got here, and the sun’s almost up. When I asked him about it, he told Big Jim to take care of me.”

The girl’s words brought a new fire to the hole in Will’s gut. What kind of man asked another man to do his dirty work like that? Bad enough that he’d wanted to strike a woman, worse that he’d made someone else do it.

The woman’s sobs strengthened Will’s resolve. Someone had to take down Ben Perry. Not only were the banks not safe, but countless women were in danger, as well. It was as if Ben made them impervious to his misdeeds. To what a foul person he was.

Once again, his thoughts drifted to Mary Stone. Everything about her spoke of a kind and decent woman. But somehow, Ben had managed to trick her into thinking that...

That what? Was it really his job to save Mary from Ben? He’d tried with Daisy. If he’d just done his job and followed the evidence and arrested Ben, he’d have never been shot. Never let Ben get away. But no, he’d thought Daisy had needed rescuing.

He glanced back over at the woman Mel consoled. She was putting some kind of poultice on the woman’s injuries.

“Thank you, Mel. I just hope it doesn’t show too badly so Ben doesn’t send me away. I’m sure if I tell him I’m sorry, things will be fine.”

Will looked away, but not before catching the warning look on Mel’s face.

No, he wouldn’t be saving anyone. At least not here. But if someone didn’t do something about Ben Perry, and get him in jail where he belonged, there’d be more women like Daisy, like this woman before him and, God help him, like Mary Stone, who’d fall victim.

He’d just have to find a way to do it and not let himself get entangled with Mary. No matter how often her image popped into his thoughts.

Chapter Four

This time, when Mary went on her errands, she brought Polly with her. Rose still wasn’t speaking to her, but perhaps that was for the best. Mary wasn’t sure she had any energy left to defend her position while keeping her secrets.

“Can we finally talk about Ben?” Polly’s eyes glimmered in the early-morning sunlight, perfectly matching the blue sprigged muslin dress she wore.

Mary let out a long sigh, wishing she felt half the energy her friend appeared to have as she swung the basket of goods Maddie had given them to deliver.

“Ben was a youthful—” well, there was only way to put it “—indiscretion.” Trite as it sounded, it was the only fair way to describe things without revealing the whole truth.

“I thought I loved him, but once I found out his true character, I knew he wasn’t the man for me.” Mary looked at her friend, hoping to convey the full depth of her lack of feelings for Ben. “But he doesn’t seem to understand that.”

They passed by a pawnshop, and Mary couldn’t help but notice a brooch displayed in the window. Not her aunt’s, but enough to remind her of Ben’s threats. How was she going to fully extricate herself without being implicated in Ben’s evildoings?

“Could you have played a role in the change of Ben’s character?” Polly gave her a long look. “He said he’s going to church now. Maybe he realized the failings you pointed out and decided to improve upon them. He sounded quite earnest.”

Mary stopped. Stared at her friend for a moment. “Have you gone mad?”

“What?” Polly’s eye held the twinkle Mary knew and loved. “He is rather fine-looking. And unlike most of the men in this town, he’s got nice manners. He seems to be everything a man ought to be.”

That was precisely the problem...he seemed to be a lot of things. The trouble was, he was none of them.

“And to think just yesterday, you were telling me how all men were less useful than the sludge that comes from the smelters.”

Polly sighed. “True. I’m sure your Ben is just as useless despite being so handsome to behold. Still, a girl can always dream that there’s happiness to be found for someone, at least.”

“A man’s looks can be deceiving, surely you know that.”

The darkness Mary had come to recognize being part of Polly returned to her face, and Mary regretted teasing Polly about hating men. The man who’d recently broken Polly’s heart had supposedly been very handsome. Mary hadn’t meant to rub salt in Polly’s wounds.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“

“Leave it. You don’t want to talk about Ben, I don’t want to talk about the past.”

Polly adjusted the basket she’d been carrying. “Let’s hurry and deliver these baked goods to Miss Betty’s, then meet up with the other girls from church for the picnic. It’ll be good for you to get to know them, and it’d be a far sight better than sitting around the house with Rose still sore at you.”

Mary’s own basket was starting to get heavy, and she’d appreciate finishing the task, as well. Even though she understood Frank’s mission was about helping the less fortunate in Leadville, Mary still didn’t always understand why it had to be those women. It didn’t matter how many times Frank told the story of the sinful woman and how no one cast a stone at her, she still didn’t feel comfortable entering dens of sin.

Were it not for Miss Betty’s kindness, though, who knew what would have happened to Nugget, Mary’s youngest sister. Most notorious women would not have cared for the child of one of their deceased workers, but Miss Betty had taken care of Nugget until their brother Joseph came to town. Surely she could muster some grace for the sinner who saved her sister.