Laura paced in front of the fireplace and looked again at the clock. She had to speak to him. She had to have answers. This was a matter of greatest importance. Will had a right to know how the necklace had gotten into Granite Evans’s hands.
And Laura had a right to know why her father had lied.
17
At four minutes after ten, the front door opened, and Laura’s father stepped inside. Laura had dozed off on the settee and jumped up with a start.
“Father, is that you?” she called.
He looked around the corner into the front room. “Good grief, Laura. What are doing up at this hour?”
“I needed to speak to you. I tried to find you earlier, but it didn’t work out.” She came forward, tightening the sash of her robe. “I must speak to you. It’s of the utmost importance.”
“All right, but I’m quite exhausted. It’s been a very busy and disappointing day, and if this could just wait for morning—”
“No!” She tried to calm her voice, knowing she sounded close to hysterics. “I’m sorry. I know that you’re disappointed in not receiving the appointment, but this is something else entirely. Something that isn’t going to be pleasant for either of us, but it must be done.”
He frowned. Laura could see that he had no idea what shewanted to say. She stepped back. “Please sit down for just a few minutes. It won’t take long.”
“Very well. I must admit you have my curiosity piqued.”
Laura reclaimed her seat on the settee. “I have a couple of very important questions to ask you.”
“In regard to what?” Her father sat and stifled a yawn.
“My birthday gift.” She waited to see if there might be some response, but when none came, she hurried to continue. “I was wearing the necklace when I stopped by to bring Will some cookies the other night, and he happened to see it. Father ... the necklace belonged to his sister. The one who was killed in January with his mother.”
Her father’s face remained blank. Why didn’t he say something? He didn’t even try to deny it.
“I, uh, I know you said you had it made for me. I suppose you said that to make me feel special.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he fixed her with a look, but he remained silent. Laura found his behavior most disturbing. She couldn’t figure out why he didn’t at least acknowledge that he had lied about having it made for her.
Laura looked away, feeling a bit unnerved at his stern expression. “Will had it engraved for his sister for her birthday last summer. She must have been wearing it when the stagecoach was attacked.”
She finally looked back at him. “Father, we need to know where you got it. Who did you buy it from? It’s important that we know so that Will can speak to them and find out where they got it.”
For several long moments, Laura wasn’t at all certain her father would answer her questions. Finally, he stretched and yawned.
“I got it off a man who was just passing through. I don’tknow his name or where he was headed after he left Cheyenne. He said he’d gotten it in a trade, and since he knew my store sold fancy trinkets to women, he thought maybe I would buy it from him. I felt sorry for him and wanted to help him out. I could see the piece was quality and bought it.”
“So you have no idea where we could find this man and question him?”
“What is with thewe? Seems to me this is Mr. Porter’s business, not yours.”
His comment irritated her. “I took care of Will, and I care about what happens to him now. He was so shocked by the appearance of the necklace. If you had seen him, you would feel equally a part of the search. You should anyway. Will’s family was killed and finding the man who sold you the necklace might help us find those responsible.”
Her father shook his head and shrugged. “But I don’t know who the man was. He was just someone passing through. Had a horse and his gear and not much more. He offered to sell me the necklace and some other things.”
“But don’t you see, those other things might have also belonged to Will’s mother and sister or others from the stage. We must find him.” Laura knew she had started to raise her voice, and she drew a deep breath to calm herself. “You should speak to the sheriff and perhaps the commander at Fort Russell.”
“I will if it helps to calm you down. Honestly, Laura, I don’t know why you’re so worked up about this.”
His demeanor frustrated her, and Laura couldn’t keep quiet. “The entire situation disturbs me. Not only because the necklace belonged to Will’s sister and was obviously taken from her during the attack on the stagecoach, but because you lied to me.”
She hesitated for only a moment. She hadn’t planned to make a big deal about the lie, but now she felt as if she had to in order to make her father see how desperately important the matter was to her.
“You told me you’d had that necklace made for me. That you’d had it engraved with Scripture, knowing I would like it. Instead, I find out it’s the property of a dead woman.”
