A Ruby Glows (Cutter's Creek Book 15) Read online

  “Skunk, git that gal tied back up. What’d you let her loose for?”

  Ruby backed away from him but Boss cocked his pistol and all the fight left her. Skunk took her hands and yanked them roughly behind her back, wrenching her shoulders painfully. He tossed her into the chair, tying the bonds even tighter than he had the first time.

  Boss gathered the wood he’d dropped and stacked it beside the hearth.

  “I went into town this mornin’. That lawyer you said would be there, wasn’t in his office today. I’ll have to wait to see him. In the meantime, guess you get to stay.” It wasn’t just his words that terrified her, it was the dark leer on his face.

  16

  “I think Mrs. Bligh was right. I wouldn’t know where to start.” Beau directed Lily to the sheriff’s office.

  “I’ll go talk to Sheriff Brentwood if you think it’ll help. I don’t know much other than that she didn’t come home.”

  “Are you absolutely sure she didn’t come in late and leave early?” Beau directed their steps to the small brick building in the middle of town.

  “Yes. The room is small and I’m a very light sleeper.” She blushed and glanced at her feet. “I had to be to avoid riling mama.”

  He patted her hand. No one in town had ever truly understood what went on in Lily’s house growing up, but everyone had whispered about her mother, Crazy Candy. Some of the whispers were more cruel than others. In early fall, when her mother had kidnapped James Cahill’s son, everyone began to understand just what poor Lily had been living with her whole life. Since then, her parents had moved outside of town and very few people ever saw them.

  “Thank you.” He stopped and held the door for her, ushering Lily into the small front room of the sheriff’s office.

  The office held a small desk piled high with papers and a hallway that led back to the two cells.

  “Hello?” Beau called, and the walls echoed back at him.

  “Well, I guess that’s why Brentwood isn’t here. He’s in his fifties; guess I’d be at home with my wife if there wasn’t anyone to watch here, either.”

  Lily turned to leave when the door swung open and in sauntered Sheriff Brentwood.

  “Morning. What can I do for you folks?” He pulled out the chair behind his desk and plopped into it, throwing his hat on a stack of papers.

  Beau led Lily to the chair and he remained standing, his feet unable to stand still for long. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that for every minute, Ruby was getting further away. He wove his hands together, flipped them outward, and pressed until all his fingers popped. Lily jumped, flinching at the noise.

  She took a deep breath. “Sheriff, Ruby, the young lady that lives with me, didn’t come home last night. It isn’t like her to just disappear. We spoke to Mrs. Bligh and we think she may have been the last person to see Ruby.”

  Beau stood behind Lily’s chair. “She was with me before she went to the chapel. We were at old Mrs. Cahill’s for pie. Then she left, saying she had to check on Lily.”

  Lily glanced at him over her shoulder and blushed. “James walked me home. It was rather late… Now that you mention it, there was a small group of people in front of the chapel as we were walking. We didn’t pay them much mind. We were talking about our wedding.”

  Sheriff Brentwood leaned forward in his seat. “Did you notice anything?”

  Beau came around and lowered himself into a squat. “Do you remember anything, Lily?”

  She closed her eyes and frowned. “There were three men and one woman. It was too dark to see much of anything. I only knew there was three men because they were in pants. We were on the other side of the street and it was quite dark. I only looked at them for a moment. I’m sorry, that’s all I remember. It might not have been her. I didn’t see a struggle and I can’t imagine she would’ve left with three men willingly.”

  “Unless…” Beau shook the thought from his head. “No, he’s dead.”

  Sheriff Brentwood cleared his throat. “I’ll decide what is and isn’t important. Out with it.”

  Beau rose to his feet and returned to pacing behind Lily. “She said her husband was dead, that he froze, and I guess that holds true because I couldn’t find a trace of him.”

  “But, perhaps this husband is still alive and could be the one who took her?” the sheriff asked, his eyes keen.

  Lily shook her head. “Her husband would’ve made her go back for her gun, it was his. She said that it was the only thing he ever had worth anything. She leaves it under her bed and even takes it outside of town to shoot it once in a while. I peeked under her bed, it’s still there.”

  Beau continued pacing. “No, it couldn’t be. She said he was dead. We looked over by the chapel. We couldn’t find any tracks. It was a muddy mess from the last snow and there are footprints every which way.”

  Sheriff Brentwood stood. “Lily, you go on to work and let Mrs. Bligh know we’ll investigate this. Beau, you wait here until I get a small posse together. We’ll ride out in an hour.”

  An hour later, Beau had saddled his horse and was waiting for Brentwood and his posse by the chapel. He was itching to get a move on.

  Brentwood arrived with five men and reined in next to Beau. “All right men. As I said when I rounded you up, Ruby Gresham is missing. She was last seen by the chapel last night around ten, so they’ve got about twelve hours on us. Judrow, Jefferson, Carlson, you take the west end of town and work your way out. Me, Rockford, and Cahill will take the east.

  They all turned and slowly made their way out of town, their eyes pinned to the ground. Once in a while, Brentwood would stop and ask passersby if they saw anything or knew of any suspicious looking men around town. No one saw or knew anything.

  “Beau, go check that cabin she lived in, just to make sure it wasn’t that husband you mentioned.”

  Beau pulled up on the reins. “But, he’s dead. Ruby took care of his body. It’ll be a waste of my time.”

  “Are you part of my posse or not? I’ve got to make sure we check everything. If it isn’t her husband, it could be someone who knew him. We need to eliminate each lead.” Beau sighed and turned his mount back toward town. It’d take hours to ride back to the cabin which meant he wouldn’t be there when they found Ruby.

  Brentwood hollered over his shoulder, “If you see anything, stay back. Don’t be a hero without someone there to back you up.”

  Beau nodded. Staying hidden, even in plain sight, was a skill he’d honed to perfection. Not that it mattered, Ruby said Arnold was dead, which meant this trip would be a waste of his time.

  ***

  Ruby’s stomach grumbled loudly and Boss sneered at her. “Now, that ain’t even ladylike.”

  She hadn’t eaten supper the night before, since she decided at the last minute not to intrude on Maddie’s Christmas. She’d sat at home reading until Beau had knocked.

  Boss stood up and shoved a piece of jerky in her mouth then returned to his chair. The sound of approaching horses made Boss jump and walk to the window. He held up two fingers.

  “You get her mouth shut, y’hear?” He let the shabby curtain fall back into place.

  Skunk came up behind her with a length of rag and held it over her mouth. She squirmed against him but the more she fought, the tighter he held on. The dry jerky in her mouth worked against her, keeping her from being able to swallow or yell. Boss opened the door a crack to talk to the men outside. Ruby jumped in the chair to make noise, then threw her head back into Skunk’s stomach and twisted to the right, freeing her mouth for a moment. She spit out the remainder of the jerky and screamed.

  The men outside shoved the door open, pushing Boss back into the cabin. Skunk shoved her forward and the chair tipped then fell sideways onto her arm, just missing the hearth. She ignored the pain shooting from her elbow to her shoulder and twisted her head to see Sheriff Brentwood and James Cahill cuffing Skunk and Boss. James walked to her, lifted her chair, then untied her. She mass
aged her wrists and gently touched her tender arm.

  Hot needles shot through her hands as the blood rushed to her fingers. Her arm would be bruised mightily, but it’d be all right.

  “Ruby, do you know where the third man is? We were told three men took you.”

  She shook her head. They weren’t going to hurt her. She was free, but where was Beau?

  “I don’t know. There were three there last night, but I’ve only seen these two.” She rubbed her arm gingerly.

  “We’ll have Dr. Peirce take a gander at you when we get back, if you want. Why don’t you sit here while we finish taking care of these dogs?”

  “James? Where’s Beau? I would’ve thought…” she whispered.

  “He was with us at first, but Brentwood was worried your husband had taken you and sent him to check the old cabin.”

  “But that doesn’t make sense…I told Beau Arnold was dead.”

  James’s eyes crinkled. “Beau told him that, but Brentwood is the boss in a posse and Beau seemed a little unsure.”

  Ruby shook her head, anger blinding her. “He’s always going to worry Arnold’s out there. Isn’t my word good enough? If it isn’t, then maybe he isn’t good enough for me.” She stomped outside for some air.

  Ruby paced in front of the cabin.

  He doesn’t trust my word. I told him Arnold was dead, why doesn’t he believe me?

  She’d worn a clear path in the snow and mud when Brentwood and James came out of the cabin with Skunk and Boss. Sheriff Brentwood put them in the back of the buckboard Ruby assumed the men used to transport her to the cabin. Then he helped her into the front seat. He tied his horse to the side and climbed up next to her.

  Sheriff Brentwood didn’t say much on the trip back to town, which suited her just fine. She didn’t have much to say to anyone. A bath and something to eat would go a long way toward scraping the last twelve hours from her memory. Though she knew it was silly and she was happy just to have been found, Beau’s lack of faith in her had shaken her deeper than she thought it could.

  After a long ride, they arrived in Cutter’s Creek. Ruby didn’t wait for the Sheriff to help her down.

  “Sheriff Brentwood, if you don’t mind. I’d like to go—” She fingered her snarled and grimy hair, “make myself right again, and get some rest. Can I come to the office tomorrow to give you my statement?”

  Brentwood nodded. “Yes, ma’am. You do that. We caught them with you red-handed, so I don’t mind locking them up without getting anything signed. You just stop by tomorrow.”

  She returned his nod and strode up the boardwalk toward Mrs. Cahill’s. Each stair up to her apartment seemed to drain her. By the time Ruby reached the top, she could hardly move. There was no room in the small space to take a bath and not enough privacy for one, anyway. She heated some of the water from the bucket Lily had drawn that morning and used it to scrub her face and hands. It occurred to her to go to the inn and pay for a bath, but then she’d have to leave her apartment.

  She changed into her nightgown, got into her bed, and curled under the covers. That’s when she realized she was shaking, and not from the cold.

  She’d been so close to dying, so close to something more horrible than she could imagine. She might not have made it home to her warm bed again. Would anyone have noticed? She wasn’t sure who asked the sheriff to find her, but she couldn’t believe it was Beau.

  She’d no sooner got comfortable than Lily burst into the room and ran for her, throwing her arms around Ruby’s shoulders.

  “You’re home! They found you!”

  Ruby scooted out of reach and Lily sat on her bed.

  “It was you, wasn’t it, who told the sheriff I was missing?” The room felt terribly cold and Ruby yanked her blanket up around her. Lily stood and got her thick wool shawl from where it hung on her headboard. She wrapped it around Ruby’s shoulders. “I was the one who went to find Beau, yes. It was Mrs. Bligh who suggested we go to the sheriff, though, if we hadn’t found anything, I’d intended to go to him, anyway.”

  “I figured as much. Did Beau seem worried?” She tried to catch Lily’s eye, but Lily rarely sat still. She was now flitting over to the potbellied stove to fill it with wood.

  “Of course he did. He was worried sick about you.”

  “So worried sick that he left the search party to go off on his own.” She knew it was childish to pout, especially when he couldn’t defend his actions, but a little sulking felt good.

  “Ruby, he turned as white as a sheet when I said you were missing. I only knew you were back because James found me at the chapel and told me. Oh!” She clapped her hands to her cheeks. “You must be starving! Let me run down to the inn and get you a hot meal. I’ll be right back.” She thrust her arms back into her coat sleeves and left the room in a rush.

  Ruby’s belly gave a rumble and she frowned, tucking herself back into the covers. The little stove glowed red from across the room, but Ruby shivered despite the sheen of sweat across her brow. She fluffed her bit of pillow and rested her head on it, closing her eyes.

  A while later, something stirred her from her almost-slumber. She heard laughing and recognized it immediately as Arnold’s. Clutching the covers, she pulled the coverlet over her head. The laughing continued, louder.

  “Go away. You’re dead and I don’t believe in spooks. Leave me alone.” She pressed her hands to her ears.

  The voice cackled louder. “I told you I’d get you, girl. I knew one day you’d let your guard down and put that gun away. I had to bide my time, but I got ‘cha.”

  I don’t believe in spooks. I don’t believe in spooks. Lord, he’s dead, make him go away!

  “You leave me be, Arnold! You can’t hurt me no more!”

  The door swung open and Lily ran in. “Ruby? You’re yelling so loud I can hear you outside. What’s wrong?”

  Lily pulled the covers back and Ruby hid her face from the light.

  “Oh, you poor thing.” She helped Ruby sit up. “You were gone all night. Do you want to talk about what happened?” Lily balanced a tray with a steaming bowl of soup on Ruby’s lap.

  “No, I surely don’t.” Ruby picked up her spoon but her hand shook and she dropped it back on the tray with a clatter. The scent of carrots, onions, chicken, and broth wafted to her nose and she inhaled deeply.

  “I saw Beau while I was getting your soup. I let him know you’d been found. He asked to see you, but I told him you weren’t up to a visit right now.”

  Ruby held out her arms and flinched at her plain nightgown, and nodded. “That’s true.”

  “He seemed so worried. I don’t think he was thinking straight and he looked pretty gruff.”

  “You got all that from looking at him?” Ruby managed to spoon a little into her mouth and the flavor burst on her tongue, spreading its warmth through her head. The ghostly laughter she’d not been able to shake finally died away.

  “I spoke to him briefly. When I told him you’d been found, he said, ‘no thanks to my help’. He was pretty sulky about it.”

  Ruby spooned more soup into her mouth to avoid answering right away, savoring every drop. Lily laid her hand on Ruby’s arm.

  “I think he’d hoped he’d be the one to rescue you, but he had to go because the sheriff told him to. He was thinking out loud at the sheriff’s office and mentioned your husband. I guess the sheriff couldn’t let that lead die.”

  Ruby let the spoon clang into the ceramic bowl. “Even if Arnold was alive, I’d never, ever go back to him.”

  “Beau didn’t know that and neither did the sheriff. You haven’t talked to anyone about your life before Cutter’s Creek, so how can you expect us to just understand?”

  “Beau doesn’t know because he didn’t want to. He wouldn’t let me finish telling him when I was trying to be honest with him. When he found out I’d been married, he told me he didn’t want to know any more.”

  Lily squeezed her arm and Ruby yanked it away. “Is it so wrong that jus
t once I wanted a man to think highly of me? To think of me as a treasure, instead of just…”

  Lily knelt on the floor by the bed. “Ruby. He does. I’ve known Beau all my life. He was with me all through school, and I don’t think I heard him say more than a smattering of words all those years. He talks to you even more than he used to talk to Penny. He seeks out your company. I know you don’t want to, but please, give him another chance.”

  Ruby handed Lily the tray. “He has to trust me.”

  “What’re you going to do?” Lily pushed away from the bed and stood.

  “I don’t know, yet. But I’ve only got until the weather warms up.”

  “You’re right about that. He’ll duck out as soon as he’s able, especially now that May is back to care for their father.”

  A small part of Ruby wanted to just give up; Beau didn’t trust her and maybe never would. But then, the feisty part of her took her by the shoulders and shook her. He’d been disappointed he hadn’t found her himself, perhaps as disappointed as she’d been when she realized he hadn’t been one of the men there to rescue her. That was something she could cling to.

  17

  “Are you just going to walk a hole in the floor or are you going to go over there and ask what needs to be asked?” May thrust her wooden spoon at him.

  He danced out of the way just as she tried to whack him with it. “It isn’t right for a man to go to a woman’s apartment when she might be alone, especially when she doesn’t want to see him,” he mumbled.

  “Fine.” She whipped her apron up over her head. “I have no such issue.” She handed him the spoon. “Don’t let it burn.” She whisked past him and grabbed her coat.

  “Wait!” he called. “If you’ll be there then it isn’t a problem if I am.”

  May laughed and grabbed a thick towel, pulling the soup off the stove and leaving it on the hearth. “All right. Let’s go over and see how Ruby’s doing.”

  He flung on his coat and tried to keep up with May. “Why are you in such a hurry to see her?”