Chapter Seventeen
Nicole didn’t sleep well, and she would be extremely tired today in her pursuit, but this was something she had to do. Ashton Lee was up to something, and she was going to discover what it was whether she liked the outcome or not.
She tossed and turned in her bed. It took her most of the night to realize that he was purposely trying to get rid of her when he suggested she return home. The other day when they had decided to work together, he’d acted determined to find the real railway robber. He’d acted as if he needed her help. Now, out of the blue, he tells her to leave. After the initial heartbreaking shock of hearing those words from him, she realized what he was trying to accomplish.
And today, she would discover why he was trying to get rid of her.
She was ready when she heard him leave the house. Strange, because this time he was quieter than he’d been the other mornings. Indeed, something was up.
Previously, she had found servants’ clothes and pulled her hair back, stuffing it inside a large man’s cap, so when he left the house, all she had to do was jump out of bed and follow him down the stairs and out to the stable. It surprised her when he didn’t have his driver take him to work. Instead, he saddled a horse and mounted, placing a large handbag on his lap as he rode toward town. Thankfully, she could ride without a saddle, and so it didn’t take her long to find a horse and follow him.
She tried ignoring the ache in her heart knowing that he was purposely keeping something from her. He was being too sneaky for him not to be suspicious. When he arrived at his office building, no lights were on, and no buggies nearby. Within seconds, a light brightened the room to his office, and she saw the outline of his body through the window. Two buildings down, she tied the horse to a post and waited in the shadows, watching his office building closely.
Time seemed to crawl as she waited, and as each minute passed, she wondered if she had been over thinking this whole situation. Perhaps he wasn’t trying to hide anything from her. Could he have left early just because he had a lot of paperwork to do today? After all, he had been at home a little more the past two days than he’d been the whole time she’d been staying there.
As the sun peeked on the horizon announcing a new day, shop owners started opening their stores, and street vendors set up their carts for business. Perhaps she was being ridiculous right now and she should return to Ashton’s house, pack up her things, and leave.
Her heart cracked a little more and her throat tightened with sadness. She hadn’t experienced this feeling much in her life, but it was because she’d made it a rule never to get involved with suspects. Then again, she had already started liking him before he became the main suspect. Life was not fair, and she wanted to scream at the top of her voice and let everyone know how unhappy she was right now.
Dejected, she moved from her hiding spot and walked to the horse. Out of the corner of her eyes, she detected a movement from a window on the side of Ashton’s office building. She quickly ducked behind a barrel placed out in front of a shop. Peeking over the top, she studied the shadows. It appeared someone was climbing out of the window.
Once the man’s feet were on the ground, he carefully closed the window. He glanced up the alley before moving toward the main street. In his hand, he clutched a large handbag.
Nicole hitched a breath. That was the same handbag Ashton had left the house with this morning! Could she have caught the person stealing the queen’s money already?
When the man reached the street and walked into the growing sunlight, the rugged jaw, and the confident swagger let her know this man’s identity. Recognition struck her like a board to the face. What was Ashton doing now? And why, pray tell, was he dressed like he’d been that day she’s seen him on the railway and dressed far different from his upbringing?
Worried thoughts gathered in her head, and she couldn’t make sense of any of them. She followed him down the street and to the depot where he purchased a ticket. Other people came to board the car, so she sneaked between them and up to the counter to purchase her own ticket.
Bitterness coated her mouth and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been wrong all this time and that Ashton really had been robbing the railway. Why else would he be here right now and in disguise?
She stood back and continued to watch him. He appeared as if he didn’t want to be noticed either, because he held a newspaper in front of his face, pretending like he was reading. She didn’t think he was since he never turned a page, nor did he move his head from the one position. But for now, she was grateful he wasn’t watching the crowd as she’d been doing. If so, he might just recognize her after all.
When it was time to board, he was the first one inside the car. Nicole kept several people between them but noticed that he headed toward the last railcar—the baggage car. Coincidence? She didn’t think so. After all, that was where the money would be if the government was sending it to the south. She hadn’t heard that there would be another delivery, unless...
As she sat in the same car as Ashton, but on the other side, she wondered what the odds were that the money being delivered was a secret. That could be the only explanation to why the detectives didn’t know. Did only the other two co-owners know about the delivery?
Her stomach twisted. Something wasn’t right about any of this. She had always trusted her gut feeling, but unfortunately, she couldn’t leave the railway to find the other detectives for assistance. She must know what Ashton was doing, and if he really was the thief.
She crouched lower in her seat, waiting for everyone to board. Finally, the conductor shouted the last call, and within minutes, the whoosh of the train’s steam filled the air as the large machine jerked into action.
Ashton finally folded the newspaper and laid it on the empty chair beside him. He rested his head back against the wall and tipped his hat lower on his face, making it appear as if he were trying to rest.
Obviously, he wasn’t ready to do anything right now, but she couldn’t stop watching him...just in case. Within time, the sway from the car began to lull her into sleep, and since she hadn’t rested much last night, she fought the urge to close her eyes and drift off to dreamland right now.
Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to get some shuteye, especially since Ashton was doing it too. But no matter what happened, she could not fall into a deep sleep. Being a good detective meant staying awake no matter what the cost.
Closing her eyes, she decided just to relax for a few minutes. After all, nothing would happen for an hour at least.
Slowly, she began to relax, and her mind quickly filled with thoughts and dreams about Ashton when they first met, and those first few times they were together. Never had she experienced anything so blissfully exciting. At times, she had been herself and shown him what she was really like. He seemed to have fallen for her just as much as she’d fallen for him.
So then why had life shifted on her, bringing so much heartache? She wanted the chance to change and be the woman he first thought she was. Learning not to lie would be easy because she had never really enjoyed that part of her job, anyway.
But...what if she discovered he was the true thief after all? She wouldn’t be able to handle that much pain in her heart, and she would be so terribly miserable. It would certainly take a long time to get over Ashton Lee when he’d made such a permanent mark on her soul.
When the railway’s speed grew slower, she snapped out of her thoughts. Sleep still hung in her eyes, and she blinked several times to get her bearings. How long had she been asleep? Immediately her gaze flew to Ashton’s seat.
Empty.
