The next morning, Isaac and Pearl were at the hospital bright and early. They were excited to learn that Addie had regained consciousness and had even had some broth and juice. A nurse accompanied them to the private room Addie had been given. The doctor wanted to ensure she would have not only quiet and rest but also safety. Isaac told the nurse he would pay any amount of money to see Addie receive the best care possible. She looked at him oddly, then just nodded and continued leading the way to Addie’s room.
When they arrived, Isaac couldn’t help pushing ahead. Hewent into the room without thinking of whether or not she might be sleeping. She wasn’t.
Addie half sat, half reclined in the iron bed. Her head was wrapped in white bandages, and there were stitches in cuts above her eyebrow and lower jaw. Her face was terribly bruised. Isaac grimaced.
“Surely it isn’t that bad,” Addie managed to say from swollen lips.
“You’re still beautiful, if that’s what you’re asking.” Isaac drew nearer to the bed, noting that her arm was cast in plaster. “Oh, my sweet Addie.”
“How are you feeling?” Pearl asked, coming up to the bedside.
“Terrible. My head and arm hurt. My back and neck and ... well, everything hurts,” Addie admitted.
A knock sounded behind them, and two uniformed policemen entered the room with a man in a suit following close behind.
“Miss Bryant?” the suited man asked.
“Yes,” Addie murmured.
“We need to talk to you about what happened. The expo authorities are quite insistent that we get to the bottom of this situation. They are concerned that guests of the expo may be at risk.”
“Well, how good of them to worry about others,” Isaac said, his sarcasm thick. “Never mind that Addie nearly died. What about us being concerned for her first and foremost?”
The man looked at him. “Are you family?”
“She’s soon to be my wife,” Isaac replied without hesitation.
“Well, I am here to find out what happened and hopefully capture her assailant.”
“Her assailants are her brothers. Isn’t that right, Addie?”
Her eyes widened a bit. “Yes, how did you know?”
“It’s not important. I only just found out. I wish you would have told me so I could keep you safe.”
“Where are your brothers now, Miss Bryant?”
“I’m not sure. They were staying at my house. When folks came to check on me, they insisted we hide. I suppose there might have been times we were away from the cottage when folks came. Hiram kept insisting I go with him and Shep rather than wait at the house while they went for liquor or other supplies.” She reached for a nearby glass of water, but Isaac got it first and helped her to take a few sips.
“What happened to cause this?”
“I wouldn’t give them what they wanted.”
The suited man frowned. “And what was that?”
“My gold-nugget necklace.”
“You have a gold-nugget necklace?”
Addie nodded and eased her head back against the pillow. “I was given the necklace when I lived in Dawson City. I brought it with me when I left and have it hidden away. My brother Hiram wanted it so he could sell it and leave Seattle. He intended for me to go with them. I said no.”
“I see.” The man wrote down notes in a little leatherbound journal. “And so he beat you?”
“Beat me, bound me, put a rope around my neck, and tried to choke me. At one point he took a belt to me. Most of it was done by Hiram, but Shep kicked me several times when I was on the ground.”
“Can you describe your brothers for me?”
Isaac listened as Addie gave a detailed account of Hiram and then Shep. He worried about how taxing this interrogationmust be for her. Still, he wanted the police to immediately find and arrest the two ruthless men.
