“I can see how that would be the case. I was shocked by what I heard.”
“About what, Etta?”
“The necklace that your father gave you for your birthday. It’s part of what I heard your father talking about.”
“What did he say? Who did he talk to?”
“First, he talked to Will. He sent for him, and Will came to the house while you were visiting. Your father told him that you revealed the necklace belonged to his dead sister. It seems a drifter had sold him the necklace.”
“Yes, that’s right. He told me that as well.”
“He promised Will he’d speak to the sheriff about it, and then Will left.” Etta stared at the dying fire and said nothing for a long moment.
Laura was just about to ask her why that should have distressed her enough to resign her position when Etta began again.
“After Will left, I went about my business, but then a little while later, I saw someone slip into your father’s office. I knew it wasn’t anyone I had let into the house, and Curtis and Rosey were in the kitchen helping Mrs. Murphy polish the silver, and Mr. Grayson had just left to ready the landau for your father. That meant someone had come into the house without the usual formalities. I figured it might be your father’s man. A real bad character named Gus Snyder. Although you didn’t hear his name from me.”
“I think I know the man you’re talking about.”
“I went to the closed door of your father’s study and heard the two men talking. I ... I ...”
“It’s all right, Etta. Tell me what you heard. I’ll believe you.”
“Your father ... he talked ... to the man about the stagecoach attack. He told the man to take the stuff they’d taken off those people and get it to Chicago so that no one would know they had it. He wanted him to sell it.” Once she started talking, Etta didn’t seem able to stop.
“The man said he’d get his cousin to help. He would send her on the train tonight. Your father told him he could keepthe money, but just make sure no one knew about the stuff. And it seems there were more things from other ... jobs.” She buried her face in her hands as tears came. “Oh, Miss Laura, I’m so sorry.”
A tight band formed around Laura’s chest, making it impossible to draw a breath. She struggled for a moment and sat up a little straighter. It didn’t help much, but she managed to gasp in air.
“So they ransacked the dead after the Indians attacked and killed them?”
“Your father said the money box was what they were really after.”
“I suppose Indians wouldn’t have even known about the money box.” Laura was feeling sicker by the minute. Had her father’s men stood by watching when the Indians attacked and killed those poor people? Had they done nothing to help because they wanted to rob the stage?
“And that’s not all,” Etta said, raising her eyes to meet Laura’s. “Your father said he’s going to kill the governor.”
19
In the days that followed, Laura wrestled with what to do. Should she go to the town marshal and tell them what she knew? Get her father in trouble for what might have been nothing more than him spouting off as he’d done so many times before? As time passed, Laura was more and more certain that her father wasn’t going to commit murder. After all, she’d heard him say outrageous things herself, and he never meant it. At least he said he didn’t.
But there was the matter of theft. If her father’s men had truly taken the bank box and things belonging to the stagecoach travelers, what kind of legal ramifications would they face? Could she stand to be the one who sent Father to jail? What if Etta had misunderstood?
Laura could hardly bear to look her father in the eye. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice or care. He told her more than once that he had a great deal of business to take care of but offered no other explanation. Laura couldn’t help but wonder at the kind of business he’d gotten himself involved in. Frankly, she was glad he was gone and that she didn’t need to make small talk with him. Everything hadchanged for her regarding the man she had once all but worshipped as a hero.
There was word around town that he was quite busy with the mayor and city council as they prepared for the new governor’s arrival in Cheyenne. Laura wondered if her father was truly planning the poor man’s death.
Finally, she knew she couldn’t just keep this to herself. She didn’t know exactly what to do but figured that Will would know. She hated to get him involved, but reminded herself he was already plenty involved. And as much as she didn’t like the idea of telling him about her father’s men ransacking the stagecoach, she felt she must. If Will ended up hating her because of it, then Laura would just have to face that when it came.
She waited until Thursday evening, knowing her father had plans that would keep him out late. The boardinghouse was only a few blocks away, so she decided to walk. She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell Will about all that had happened, but she took the necklace with her and hoped that by giving it back to him, he would see she was on his side.
Although the air was a bit chilly, some of the other boarders were smoking at one end of the porch and laughing about something when Laura arrived. She asked about Will, and they told her he was at home.
“He’s locked up in his room, as he is most evenings,” one of the men told her.
Mr. Cooper agreed to see if Will would receive her while Laura waited in the foyer. It wasn’t long before Will came downstairs.
“I need to talk to you.” She hoped she wouldn’t have to say anything more until they could be alone. “Could we maybe take a walk?”
