“You reallyarelike that crazy lady because, after she took us to task over the birds, she had the sweet audacity to tell us she and a man she called the captain needed a ride back to the mainland ’cuz they’d been marooned on her island for months.”
Annaliese’s heart took that moment to skip a beat. “This woman said she’d been marooned?”
“Sure did, and also said something about a crew staging a mutiny.” He nodded to Howard. “Me and Howard decided she was actually a pirate on account of that flintlock she was carrying, so we said nothin’ doing to her request for a ride ’cuz we decided her story about being marooned was just a ploy she’d cooked up to relieve us of our boat.”
“What happened after you told her you wouldn’t take her to the mainland?” Annaliese asked.
“The captain fellow, he was an older gent but you could tell he was a force to be reckoned with, pulled out a flintlock of his own and turned it our way. He told us we were going to give him and Otter a ride whether we wanted to or not.”
Annaliese’s heart skipped another beat. “Might this captain have called the woman Ottilie instead of Otter?”
“Hard to say as the woman had gotten distracted with our crate of birds and the captain told her to pay attention, thenthey started bickering like them old couples you see bickering all the time. While they was doing that, me and Howard ran to our dinghy, pushed it through the water, and bolted out of there.”
“You left them behind?”
“Did you not hear the part about both of them threatenin’ to shoot us?” Howard asked.
“I did, but you said they were old. Who leaves old people behind on a deserted island?”
“It wasn’t deserted. They was on it, and I didn’t say they was ancient-like. I said they acted like an old couple, although the captain bloke was older,” Charlie admitted.
“Dare I hope,” Annaliese began through teeth that had taken to clenching, “that either of you remember where this island was?”
“I know the general vicinity, although...” Calculation settled in Charlie’s eyes. “Information like that comes with a price.”
“I would expect nothing less, but...”
Anything else Annaliese had been about to say got lost when shouts rang out from a saloon that was a hundred yards away from them, and a saloon that Seth and Flick were standing beside, having stopped their donkeys by a hitching post where men normally lingered about, any man who might have been doing that now in the process of scrambling away from the saloon.
“If you could maybe wait for me somewhere by that saloon,” Annaliese began after Seth gestured for her to join him and she returned her attention to Charlie, “we can continue this conversation about what that information—and all your birds—will cost me.”
“I sure enough can do that,” Charlie said with a nod right as additional shouts reached her ears.
Returning the nod, Annaliese kneed Saucy into motion, jumping off the donkey’s back once she was within feet of the saloon. Before she was able to join Seth and Flick, though, shewas forced to take a rapid step to the right after a man almost plowed her over.
“Best be hightailin’ it away from here, darlin’,” the man called as he continued running past her. “There’s a skunk on the loose in there, and given the smell, it’s in a temper.” With that, the man bolted straight down the road.
“I think we’ve found my sister,” Seth called, attracting her attention. “Might be a good idea for you, Mother, and Harriet to stay out here.” With that, Seth withdrew his pistol, and with Flick by his side, shoved his way into a saloon where everyone else was trying to shove their way out, and disappeared from sight.
“Does he honestly believe we’re simply going to stand here and wait while he and Flick try to save the day?” Louisa asked as she pulled the gun torch from her pocket as Harriet scrambled up to join them.
Considering Harriet was smiling a little too widely, it was obvious the monkey had been helping herself to the belongings of fleeing men, who probably hadn’t noticed a monkey picking their pockets. Given the circumstances, though, Annaliese didn’t have time to frisk her monkey and return the items, something she’d have to address after finding Norma Jean.
“I say we help save the day,” Annaliese said before she pulled out her pistol and ran up the two steps that led to the saloon, her path in no way impeded since it seemed most of the patrons were now gasping and retching in front of the saloon.
Drawing in a deep breath before bracing herself against the smell of skunk, she picked up the hem of her skirt and dashed through the front door, skidding to a halt at the sight that met her eyes.
Seth and Flick were slowly advancing on Paulie, who was currently shielding his head as Norma Jean walloped him with a reticule that looked large enough to stow a cat in, while a lady Annaliese assumed was Miranda, the former mermaidlady, tried to free herself from a rope that was tied around her wrist and tethered to Paulie.
Annaliese’s gaze darted around the room, her attention lingering on some broken glass underneath a chair, the type of glass she’d seen broken at the academy, which suggested Norma Jean had made use of at least one skunk deterrent.
Before she had an opportunity to look for additional broken glass, though, a roar of rage erupted out of Paulie’s mouth as he lifted his head and then flung out one of his massive arms, which sent Norma Jean flying sideways into the bar before crumpling to the ground.
Seth was in motion a second later, lowering his head as he barreled into Paulie’s solid-looking chest, which caused the man to tumble backward, taking Miranda with him as he hit the wooden planks of the floor.
Nineteen
Seth ignored the pounding in his head that was a direct result of Paulie’s hard-as-steel chest and rolled to his back, pushing himself up and preparing for another attack. He stilled when he realized that Paulie was already on his feet, his beefy arm wrapped around Miranda’s throat.
