Page 10 of Love and Order

CHAPTER 10

Once Mrs. Ingram unlocked the door, both Callie and Hattie entered.

“Do you need help up the stairs, Miss Jarrett?” Mrs. Ingram called.

Callie shook her head and started upstairs without a word.

At the top of the steps, she paced down the hall to the second flight, her ear snagging on the whispers of the other women.

“Let her rest, but be sure to check on her, please.”

“Yes, Mama.”

“I’ll be back as soon as the medicine show is over.”

“We’ll be fine.”

Callie climbed the second flight, headed to her room, and locked herself inside. There, she fell across her bed, buried her face in a pillow, and let several convulsive sobs grab her.

She’d found and talked to her brother, but she was no closer to rekindling a relationship than before. In fact, for all she knew, he might disappear, and she’d never see him again.

Lord, what was I to do? Once they were undercover, they weren’t to break cover for any reason.

In some of her Pinkerton training, she’d learned how the first female Pinkerton, Kate Warne, had lived so deeply undercover on one case that, even after solving the robbery and convincing the thief’s wife to reveal where the money was hidden, she had carried on a friendship with the woman for months until they’d naturally drifted apart. The woman never suspected Mrs. Warne was anyone other than a dear friend with her best interest in mind.

Such a life had sounded so opulent and exciting, and she’d loved it. Until today. Today, she’d seen no way to reveal her identity to the brother she’d longed for these last fifteen years.

Would she ever see Rion again?

She sobbed into the pillow, heart shattered. She had no way to find him. Doing so would take more pure, dumb luck—just like this time.

“You want to explain yourself?” Joe glared Rion Braddock’s way.

“Explain what?”

He stabbed a finger toward the black horse. “That’s the animal that scattered our mounts. Kezia coulda been trampled.”

Braddock shook his head fiercely. “I don’t know what you saw, but I was nowhere near these parts the past few days.”

“Where were you?”

“What—you plannin’ to check up on me?” Braddock turned that same smirk on him as he had earlier.

“Gentlemen!” one of the women snapped. “Do you both mind?” She turned to him. “Mr. Nesbitt, we’d like to go home, please.”

Joe scowled Braddock’s way before he finally turned. “All right.”

That sneer tinged Braddock’s voice. “Y’all have a nice day—and please, tell that pretty Miss Jarrett I hope she’s feelin’ better real soon.”

Irritated, he shoved past Braddock. “Let’s go.”

No one spoke as they carried on. Once they made the turn to head toward the boardinghouse, Joe allowed a discreet glance behind them and found Braddock watching their retreat. A chill swept him. The big man eyed them with that smug look. Was it just that Callie had seen him arguing with Garvin near a black horse that made her follow him—or was there more?

As they neared the livery a few blocks from home, Mrs. Ingram exited the boardinghouse’s fenced yard but stopped as the ladies hurried her way.

“What happened?” she asked as they turned into the gate.

“We left when some of the doves from one of the bawdy houses came to partake of the entertainment.”

The old woman’s jaw firmed. “Thank you, Mr. Nesbitt. That was a wise decision.”

Like a mother hen, Mrs. Ingram gathered her chicks inside. Before he followed, Joe took one final glance back and found Braddock on his big black horse, watching from far down the street.

Lord God Almighty, that man’s makin’ me uneasy.