Her expression didn’tchange, but she weren’t impressed, he could tell. “Why are we goingto Cheyenne?”
“Because weneed to start somewhere, darlin’, and it may as well be Cheyenne.Bad men and those that associate with them like the bigger towns,and it might be we’ll find someone with information and a desire totell it.”
“What is yourplan?”
Folding his arms acrosshis chest, he slouched into the seat, glad his hat hid most of hisgrin. It tickled him something fierce when he finangled someone tohis way of thinking, and in this case, he’d gotten Miss HopeMcElroy to engage. “Now, darlin’, I’m feeling a mite tired and,seeing as you weren’t amenable to conversation, I arranged myselfto rest for a spell.”
A slight tightening abouther mouth was the only indication she might just be a tad annoyed.Of course, he had to push, even though he had what he wanted—herand him conversating and breaking the silence for aspell.
“Yep,” hesaid, settling himself more comfortably and gripping his biceps. “Ireckon I might just settle down for a while.”
“Mr Wade,”she said precisely. “I am paying your salary. Kindly answer myquestion, succinctly and with detail.”
“Which was isit, darlin’? Succinct or detailed? Can’t be both.”
The tiniest of twitchesstarted below her right eye, flirting with that barely-therefreckle. “Mr Wade.”
“Of course,Miss McElroy,” he said, imitating her tone and way of speaking. “Myplan is the same as any other time I’ve tracked a body. Discoverhis movements, where he’s been and where he’s likely to go.Intercept him.” He shrugged. “Same as any other time.”
“Even a manas elusive as Callihan?”
“Even then.Just means it might take a while longer.”
She didn’t lookconvinced. “This seems an incomplete plan. Are yousure—”
“I’ve beendoing this a long time,” he interrupted. “I know what I’mabout.”
That look of doubt wasbeginning to irritate him some. He’d been a marshal since the war,and before that a soldier. He knew this stuff like it was his ownsoul and he never gave up. If he set his mind to finding a body,then he found them and returned them in whatever state the clientwanted. She had no call to be doubtful, especially when she was theone who’d decided to engage his services in the first place. If shehad so many doubts, why even come to him?
A frown still troubledher brow. “How do you propose to find information about Callihan’swhereabouts?”
Irritation solidifiedinto vexation. “Miss McElroy,” he said, biting off eachword.
“Yes, MrWade?”
“You hired meto find your man.”
Her frown deepened.“Yes.”
“Do you trustI have done this before?”
“Yes.”
“Do you trustI know what I’m doing?”
“Yes.”
“Then trust Iknow my mind and I know my way around the finding of a man. Thiswill go a whole lot smoother for both of us if you do.”
Her brow cleared and shebecame again a blank slate.
Leaning back, he tippedhis hat to shield his eyes and crossed his arms afore his chest. Hehad no desire to conversate with her now. Might as well get someshuteye, seeing as Miss Hope McElroy weren’t interested inexpanding their acquaintance, and seemed determined to malign himbesides.
And if it annoyed hersome, he counted that a bonus.
ChapterFour
AMONTH BEFORE HER thirteenth birthday, Hope McElroy had a family anda home. Her brothers worked the cattle with her father, her sistersran the homestead with her mother, she had a dog named Pearl and ahorse named Peat, and she had been happy. Three weeks and six daysbefore her birthday, the Callihan gang had ridden onto her family’sland. On the day she had turned thirteen, she had arrived at heruncle’s townhouse in Sacramento without a family or home and with awicked, angry wound spanning from collarbone to ear.
