“The money they offered as a bribe. Yes, that makes sense.”
Call said, “I made that claim to Carter. He didn’t bite.”
“Well, we know he murdered Pye,” said Berry. “Miss Desiree turned on him. The sheriff’s second mistake where she was concerned was not giving her what she felt she was owed. She would have been on a stage to Denver if he had. Instead, she couldn’t wait to tell us what she knew.”
“Are you going to arrest her?” asked Call.
Rooster added, “Seems a shame, if you care a lick for my opinion.”
“She’s culpable,” said Berry. “She was an accomplice. She admitted that she helped Josey Pye by cutting strips the size of legal tender from the newspaper.”
“You heard her say that?” Call asked Laurel.
She nodded. “You were right about her part in this.” Laurel looked at Berry, her eyes pleading. “She did it for love. Doesn’t that matter?”
Call pressed his knuckles to his mouth and coughed to smother his laugh.She did it for love.Of all the things Laurel might have said in defense of Desiree, to Call’s mind, that was the least predictable. From Berry’s slightly openmouthed expression, the Pinkerton detective shared his opinion.
“I doubt it will matter to Mr. Stonechurch,” Berry said dryly, “but I’ll be sure to ask him.”
Laurel was not amused. “You’re going to recover the money from the Hammersmiths, aren’t you?”
Berry cocked an eyebrow and looked at Call. “Am I? As I understand it, that’s why Mr. Stonechurch hired you.”
“A little help wouldn’t come amiss.”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say.” He turned to Laurel. “Yes, we’re going to recover the payroll, or what’s left of it.”
“I’ll make up the difference,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“No. I want to. The robbery happened at my station. I know I wasn’t the cause of it, but I want to do something anyway.”
“Perhaps I haven’t been clear,” said Berry. “The government hired me to make a recommendation, and I’m recommending that the railroad use the Cabin Creek Trail. Tracks will be laid down past Morrison Station. I’ll be sending a surveyor to look over the land you showed me today, but I saw enough to believe it will prove satisfactory. There’s nothing you need to do to improve your standing with Washington or the railroad. The contract will be yours.”
Call watched Laurel’s chin come up in a way that was at once familiar and splendidly unwavering. He smiled, waiting.
She said, “What I offered has nothing at all to do with improving my standing with the railroad. I have to live with myself, Mr. Berry, and this is where I stand.”
42
Laurel tugged on the strap of her camisole, which had slipped over her shoulder. The sun was warm on the back of her neck. She stood above the blue-green water’s edge wriggling her bare toes as she anticipated the leap she was about to make. It was the hand pressed to the base of her spine that decided her. She made a shallow dive into the pool, turned over, and surfaced on her back. She blinked water out of her eyes and grinned up at Call, who was still standing on the lip of the same rock that she had just abandoned. “C’mon in. I dare you.”
“There used to be a body in there, Laurel.”
“You are unexpectedly squeamish about some things.”
“And I make no apology for it.”
Laurel’s grin disappeared and she said earnestly, “I should hope not. It’s easily one of your most oddly appealing qualities.”
Call chuckled and tightened the string on his drawers. “All right. I’m coming in.” He jumped, drawing his knees up to his chest so he displaced as much water as possible and rocked Laurel’s peaceful sculling. He came up sputtering and still managed to catch her by the ankle before she drifted away.
“You have me,” she said. “Now what are you going to do?”
Call turned on his side and swam to the rocky wall, where he knew he could find the ledge. He pulled Laurelalong with him and only released her ankle when she remained in easy reach.
Laurel dropped to vertical and began treading lazily. She dipped her head to clear strands of hair that had fallen across her cheeks. Her heavy braid slipped over her shoulder and floated behind her. “This is nice, isn’t it? I’m glad you’re back.”
