The Blackmail
Fifth part of the Kindred Spirits series.
- 1 -'Really, Mrs Costain,' Ezra said in exasperated tones as he fanned out her discarded hand. 'After all my expert tuition, I expect better than that from you. You started with most of a full house.'
The significance of his words eluded her for a moment and then she laughed. 'Ain't you meant to deal yourself the good hands?' She smiled at him fondly, no trace of the former tension remaining between them.
Buck and Chris grinned. It was nearly three months since they helped Mara rescue Alicia. She'd dropped by on her way back from a job, hoping to see Vin but finding he had gone to the Indian reservation with Nathan and Josiah for a couple of days. She had done a poor job of hiding her disappointment and by this, the second evening, her preoccupation with his return was clear to all.
Ezra gathered in his winnings. 'Still, if you feel compelled to contribute to my reserves, who am I to stand in your way?'
Mara drummed her fingers on the table for a while, then said, 'Fancy a ride, Buck?'
Taken by surprise, the tall man looked over the swing doors at the night sky. It was late and the sliver of a new moon barely made an impact on the blackness. Still, he had nothing better lined up and there was little he would not do for their visitor.
'Sure. Hell, you are restless.'
She shrugged. The fact of the matter was that she worked almost incessantly when she was not with Vin. She had started doing that when her life contained few things on which she wanted to dwell and somehow she had never stopped, even though her state of mind was a lot more peaceful now.
They left the saloon and went to pick up their horses from the livery.
Chris watched with amusement. When it came to women, Buck was ordinarily the least trustworthy of their number by a wide margin. Somehow Mara was an exception, not because he found her unattractive but rather because he regarded her as a friend. Chris knew, and knew Vin would know, that the couple would be riding - and nothing more.
Ezra envied the friendship, knowing he had squandered an even deeper bond with Mara. He looked pensive, hesitated but finally spoke in a low voice. 'Mr Wilmington puts me to shame. I shall always regret the incident on the train.'
Chris was surprised by the words. During their acquaintance, he had come to realize the gambler was a better man than he had first thought but their relationship was still uneasy. 'No use dwellin' on it, Ezra. It ain't like we didn't all see where it was goin'. Buck warned me at the outset but I wanted to get the job done. Asked myself more than once how I'da felt about that if she had been dead when we found her.'
'Not nearly as often as I have, I'm sure.' Ezra drained his shot glass and dealt another hand. 'Ah, well, as they say, all's well that ends well. Thank heaven it did.'
Buck and Mara trotted side by side for half a mile. The two pale horses shone in the faint moonlight, both fighting for their heads after two days in the stable. He saw the flash of her teeth as she grinned.
'Race you to Baker Pass?'
By way of an answer, the man urged his horse forward. Both riders pushed their steeds hard, taking the challenge seriously even without the incentive of a wager. She beat him by a dozen lengths, the big gelding's long stride telling on the well-made trail. They surveyed the town far below while the horses caught their breath.
'No female company tonight then, Buck?'
'You're female, ain't you girl?'
'You know what I mean.'
'Kinda quiet lately.'
'You ever think about settlin' down?'
Had one of his six companions asked him, Buck's answer would have been facetious but he never felt the need for that with Mara. 'Now and again.' He recalled an incident from months before. 'Was a young lady who was expectin' a baby - told me it was mine. I'd just come round to thinkin' maybe that wouldn't be so bad when she let on that it was another man's and she was only usin' me to try to make him get jealous and propose.'
Mara considered that for a while. She was quick to anger about men's ill-treatment of women so it was a valuable counterpoint to see how careless a woman could be of a man's feelings.
'How 'bout you?' he threw the question back at her.
'Not till Vin.' She paused, then said, 'An' I'd have to tie him down.'
Buck laughed. It was true that Vin wasn't the settling type; none of them were but he least of all. 'He ain't a one for ownin' land, I'll grant you, but he's as settled on you as a man can be.'
Mara nodded with a sad smile. 'Shame I had to make him prove it, huh?'
Buck reached across to rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'Put it behind you, Mara. He has.' He withdrew the hand and settled his arm comfortably across the pommel of his saddle. 'We are what we are. Some things are real hard for Vin but keepin' his pants on just ain't one of 'em.' He paused before adding, ''Cept when you're around, that is.'
That made Mara laugh heartily. 'Yeah, it sure ain't 'cause he don't know what it's for.' Her pensive mood soon returned. 'Don't know that there's much point a man and woman settlin' down if there ain't gonna be no kids. Ain't that what it's all about in the end?'
He thought for some time before answering, knowing how much the inadequacy troubled Mara. 'Reckon that depends on the man and woman. Seems t'me it wouldn't matter to Vin.' He tapped his chest and continued, 'It's what's in here that counts for him.'
She reluctantly dragged herself out of her reverie. Her voice was flippant when she said, 'Ain't as if I can get that settled anyway. Still a married woman, after all.' In response to an almost imperceptible cue, the gray set off on an arc around the town. Buck followed, noting not for the first time what a superb horsewoman Mara was. The bond between the gelding and herself was clear, he obeying her almost before she instructed him.
- 2 -
Mara was woken from a sound sleep the next morning by a soft tap at her hotel door.
'Yeah.'
'Vin.'
She threw the covers back and made for the washstand, flustered to be caught unawares after awaiting his return so eagerly. She took a swig from a small bottle of a mint infusion, swilled the fragrant liquid round her mouth and spat into the bucket under the basin. Dragging a comb through her thick black locks with one hand, she filled the basin from a ewer with the other and then hastily washed her face.
'You alone?' she called out.
'Yeah.' There was a note of surprise in his voice, as he wondered who on earth she imagined he'd have brought with him. The door swung open to reveal an empty room, making him uneasy about entering. A hand reached around the door, pulled him in and then closed and locked it behind him.
He smiled when he saw the woman standing as naked as the day she was born, looked at the unmade bed, then tutted and teased, 'Hell, ya'd even give Ezra a run for his money - it's nearly noon.'
She was pleased to hear the easy reference to their friend, confirming the accuracy of Buck's assurance that Vin had put her infidelity behind him. 'Went for a ride with Buck last night. Got back pretty late.'
He took that in his stride as she had known he would, moving forward eagerly to embrace her. 'Good to see y'again. Sorry I wasn't here.'
She laughed. 'Don't expect you to wait around on the off-chance.'
He walked her back to the bed and lightly pushed her onto it. She watched as he stripped, savoring each part of his body as he revealed it. Seeing the calm, reflective mood in which he had returned from his visit to the reservation, she did not demand immediate satisfaction as was often her way when they had been apart. Instead, responding to his needs, she slowly ran her fingers over him and encouraged him to do the same to her. Unfortunately, there was one need of her own that she had not dealt with in her hurry after his knock on the door and she soon realized she was not going to be able to ignore it until after they had made love.
She kissed his ear and said softly, 'Sorry, Vin, but I really gotta pee. You caught me on the hop.'
He held her tighter and replied, 'Don't let me stop ya.' Sensing her shock, he released her and reached for his pants, intending to give her the privacy she sought.
She put out a hand to stop him and examined his face to see if he had meant what he said. Realizing he had no qualms about witnessing her bodily functions, she asked herself why he should when they were so intimate in every other way. She retrieved the pot from under the bed, took it to the far side of the room and squatted.
Vin lay on his side, watching her through half-closed eyes and teasing himself with long, slow strokes. She returned his gaze, seeing not only that he had no qualms but that he was excited by the sight of her emptying her bladder. She smiled, startled but not disturbed by the revelation. Hell, she'd hang naked off a tall building if he wanted her to. When she had finished, she replaced the lid, put the pot tidily under the washstand, and then used the water still in the basin to wash herself.
'Ya're beautiful,' he told her.
She scrutinized herself in the looking-glass, knowing that any beauty was in his eyes but that she was handsome. Her face and hands were weather-beaten but her skin was otherwise flawless. Her figure was too tall and too slim but perfectly proportioned breasts, tipped with small dark nipples, rose firmly from it and shapely hips framed a neat triangle of short dense hair.
When she got back into bed, the tension in every fiber of Vin's body told her that he was close to climax. He kissed, stroked and nuzzled her skin, inch by inch, until she was as aroused as he was. He repeatedly ran his hands and tongue close to her private parts without touching them, his eyes twinkling in amusement as hers begged him to stop teasing. He held himself above her, paused to examine her face, then entered her. They gasped together as he made a single deep, powerful thrust.
It was a minute or two before Mara recovered herself enough to say, 'That was different.'
'Wouldn't wanna bore ya.'
'Never.' She ran a hand through his hair. 'You been gettin' all spiritual up there at the reservation?'
He had indeed spent a good part of the previous day in a purification ritual and was now feeling at peace with the world. 'Always somethin' spiritual 'bout bein' inside ya.' He smiled to see single tears run from the outer corners of her almond-shaped eyes, only to disappear into her glossy hair.
Locked in a loving embrace, they swapped news for an hour or so until Mara's rumbling stomach insisted they seek out some dinner. She paused, her hand on the doorknob, and looked back at him. 'Love you, Vin.'
He slid his arms around her and spoke softly, his stubble tickling her ear. 'Ya too, woman.'
She grinned at the moniker, conscious that she would not have welcomed it from most men but filled with joy at the love with which he infused it.
- 3 -
Late that afternoon, the couple joined Chris, Buck and JD for poker. Ezra was industriously fleecing visitors at another table. Josiah and Nathan were not in evidence, both catching up with things after the trip with Vin.
'Mara. Mara!' Buck waved the deck of cards in the woman's face. 'You playin' or what?'
She snapped back to them momentarily but almost immediately returned her gaze to a man who had just entered the saloon and was now approaching the bar. Her companions evaluated him, seeing more than a passing resemblance to Ezra in both appearance and attire although the visitor was closer to Chris's age.
Recalling Mara and Ezra's liaison, Vin wondered briefly if she was attracted to the man but there was nothing in her posture to suggest that. He could not identify the emotions playing across her face, which was not surprising since they were so numerous and muddled that she could not have described them herself.
The man scanned the saloon, his search ending when his eyes reached Mara. He drained his whiskey, then strolled casually, if not arrogantly, towards them. He swept confidently around their table, laid a hand on Mara's shoulder and kissed her cheek.
'Hello, Mo. A little bird told me I might find you here.'
She turned her face from him sharply, slapped his hand away and snapped, 'Don't call me that.'
Her friends watched curiously, mystified by the man's familiar manner and her obvious loathing of it. They had heard both her brother, Clay, and David Brier use the pet name without incurring the anger she displayed so clearly now.
'Dear me, I had hoped for a warmer welcome after so long.'
She got abruptly to her feet, scattering cards and cash across the table. Her voice was a barely audible growl. 'Go fuck yourself.'
'If it's all the same, I'd sooner fuck you,' he told her coolly.
That was about as far as Vin planned to let things go. He stood and gave the man a hard stare. 'Why don't ya just back off, Mister?'
The man already knew about Mara's seven friends in this town and her involvement with one. He now appraised his rival. Knowing he was not a match for any of them with a gun, he had no intention of taking them on. However, also knowing that they were responsible for law in the town and that his plans were within that law, he expected they would find themselves powerless to intervene.
He held up his hands in symbolic surrender. 'This doesn't concern you gentlemen. I'm seeking only a quiet word with my wife.' In the ensuing silence, he introduced himself. 'John Costain, at your service.'
One glance at Mara told Vin that the man was indeed her absent husband.
Without looking at the visitor, she muttered, 'I ain't your wife. Not in any way that matters.'
'Now that's where I must beg to differ, although I would prefer to discuss the point in more comfort.'
'I ain't goin' nowhere with you.'
'Not even just over here?' He indicated an adjacent table.
She reluctantly took a seat. Vin dropped heavily back onto his own, watching with the others as Costain settled himself opposite his wife, beckoned Inez over and ordered a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.
'I ain't drinkin' with you,' Mara informed him.
'Suit yourself. I must say I'm somewhat surprised by your rough and ready persona, not to mention the company you're keeping, given the business success I know you are currently enjoying.'
Mara looked across at him sharply, as the reason for his reappearance began to insinuate itself into her consciousness. 'That's got nothin' to do with you.'
'Think back, sweetest. Do the words with all my worldly goods I thee endow ring any bells?'
She leaned forward fiercely. 'Far as I recall, they came somewhere after in sickness and in health and forsakin' all other. An' it was you sayin' 'em.'
'Touché. However, it's a peculiarity of our legal system that one is enforceable by law, while the others are not, and that your obligations to me are so much more binding than mine to you. I have recourse against you for your infidelities but sadly any misdemeanors on my part do not entitle you, as a woman, to similar recompense. As it happens, I have no interest in pursuing such a course.'
She glared at him. 'You ain't gettin' a cent outta me.'
Ezra had observed the situation from his own poker game and now joined his friends at the table nearby. In response to his raised eyebrows, Buck muttered an account of what had transpired up to that point. They settled back to monitor Mara's plight, already aware that the help they could offer might be limited.
'Now there you are definitely mistaken.' Costain took a neatly folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket and passed it to Mara. 'Purely by way of an experiment, I visited your bank. After showing documentary proof of my identity and our marriage, the manager was very helpful in releasing your funds. Of course, I realize this is petty cash as far as you are concerned. My investigations suggest your assets exceed three thousand dollars.'
Her friends started at the figure, having had no idea that she was so well fixed. She stared at him, amazed. 'Hell, John. You're even more of a shit than I remembered.'
'And I regret to say that you have an infinitely fouler mouth than I remembered.'
She sat back, her expression unfathomable. 'So what happened to the lovely Lydia?'
Surprised by the question, Costain realized that he knew far more about his wife's activities than she did about his own. 'Oh, that was a short-lived arrangement. I found fatherhood to be greatly overrated: tedious, repetitive, unsavory. You are fortunate to be able to enjoy your fun without any messy consequences.'
'You bastard.'
'Surely not still harboring a grudge about that? Your failure to give birth effectively was hardly my fault.'
She glowered, bitterly resentful but seeing no point in rehashing old quarrels.
'Look, it's really very simple, Mo.' He relished seeing how much his use of her childhood name incensed her. 'Legally, you are my wife - however you view that state of affairs. The law says everything you own is mine. I am merely collecting my rightful entitlement.'
She swallowed slowly. 'I worked my butt off for that money, nigh on every day, most of ten years, so as I never had to depend on no man ever again. You think I'm just gonna hand it over, then work another ten years and wait for you to come by to collect the next installment? I'd rather shoot you and hang.'
He pondered her words, seeing that the closing sentiment was far more than an idle threat. 'Well, there's always room for negotiation. I would be willing to divorce you, surrendering my rights to any future earnings.'
'You got no right to anythin',' she snarled but her expression betrayed that she was interested in the idea of a divorce. 'Maybe I should divorce you.'
'You could try. However, I'm afraid you will discover that the law was written by men for men. It won't help your case that you are even now embroiled in an adulterous affair.'
'You'd hang all that out to dry in court?'
'If you force me to but think hard before you do. You know how cagey the government and insurance companies are: it wouldn't be so hard for me to blacken the name you've made for yourself. Give me what's mine by right and I'll divorce you quietly, citing the fact that you can't have children. No blame, no unpleasantness.'
'No unpleasantness?' she echoed faintly. 'What the blazes do you call this?'
'I call it business, Mo. All I want is the money. What's that compared with your freedom?' Costain leaned back in his chair. 'I suggest you obtain legal advice. Understand how limited your rights are before you make any rash decisions. Consider too the awkward position in which my murder would place your friends, paid as they are to uphold the law in this town.'
There was a long pause as she mulled over his words. 'I'll think about it. Now leave me alone.'
He took his leave with a flourish to her and a nod to her friends. She sat dejectedly for a while before rejoining them.
'Sorry 'bout that,' she said miserably. 'Had no idea he was in the territory.'
Buck pushed a whiskey towards her. 'Jesus, Mara. What the hell made you marry him?'
Even in her current low spirits, she managed a smile for her friend. 'Beggars belief, don't it? But you got no idea how charmin' he can be when it suits him.' Her smile broadened as she shifted her gaze to Ezra. 'I told you once that I ain't stupid. Reckon you know better now.'
Vin leaned across and kissed her affectionately. He rarely did so in front of the others and she welcomed his support. He held her hand, thought through the conversation they had witnessed, then asked softly, 'Ya gonna pay him off?'
She shook her head slowly. 'Don't know. I'll check every word the lyin' son-of-a-bitch said first.' She looked sadly at him. 'It ain't the money, Vin. You needed it, I'd give it to you tomorrow. But he dumped me when… when… why should he get a dime out of me now? I wasn't kiddin' about killin' him.'
'I know,' he said soothingly. 'But don't.'
'Would you hang me?'
He laughed. 'No, but someone would.' His expression grew serious again. 'Think about it. Even with all that's gone on, ya'd still be killin' an innocent man for money. I ain't never done that.' He looked round the others. 'Don't reckon any of us have. Don't see ya livin' with it.'
She nodded, hastily wiping a tear from her cheek. 'Well, if I ain't gonna shoot him, I better think of a way to outsmart him. I'll wire David to check out how I stand. Ezra, you got the time, I'd appreciate your help too.'
'Of course, Mrs Costain, anything at all.' Ezra looked apprehensively at Vin as he made the offer but saw that the other man would accept help from anyone for the woman he loved.
Mara twisted her hands wretchedly and apologized again. 'I shoulda sorted it before. I looked into it once but it's like he said, real hard for a woman to divorce a man. Lawyer reckoned it was better to let sleepin' dogs lie.'
JD spoke up for the first time. 'But, Ezra, I thought your Ma said she'd been married five times.'
The gambler shuffled the deck in his hands with a sardonic smile. 'So she has, son. But after a few months of living with my Mother, if the gentlemen survive the strain, they are only too happy to provide a divorce on favorable terms. Mrs Costain is correct in that it is virtually impossible for a woman to obtain a divorce if her husband contests it.' He looked at Mara regretfully, 'And I'm afraid your husband is correct in that your relationship with Mr Tanner would be most injurious to your case.'
'Maybe I will give you the money,' Mara said to Vin quietly.
'Could I look after it?' Vin asked Ezra.
'You might get away with it for cash but any transfers of land, stocks and bonds would probably be overturned, postdating Mr Costain's declaration of his interest as they would. As Mrs Costain's property is legally her husband's, she would not have the right to make such transfers.' Ezra set the deck of cards down before addressing Mara, 'If you have conducted your affairs under false pretences as a widow, the situation could become very complicated indeed.'
'I was only eighteen when I married him,' she mused sadly. 'Don't pay to make mistakes in this life, does it?'
'There may be another avenue,' Ezra posited thoughtfully.
'I'm all ears,' Mara replied, intrigued.
'Perhaps there is something in Mr Costain's background that could provide us with leverage to make him withdraw, or at least moderate, his demands.'
'Wouldn't that be blackmail?' Chris inquired with a grim smile.
'I prefer to think of it as an incentive,' Ezra told him, 'But I believe the legal term may be blackmail. Do you know of anything that might achieve that, Mrs Costain?'
Mara pondered his question through two shots of whiskey. 'No offence, Ezra, but he's in much the same line as you were. He don't have a good name to blacken and I doubt there's anyone close to him to disillusion. He's a lyin', thievin' sack of dirt but I don't see how we can use that.'
Ezra adopted a wounded air. 'I hope your comparison between the gentleman and myself did not extend beyond our area of professional expertise.'
Her smile was warm. 'Course not. But you gotta admit it ain't easy to blackmail a conman.'
Ezra conceded that with a tilt of an eyebrow. 'Obviously, it is not essential that any such allegation be true. Merely convincing.'
Vin spoke in a low voice. 'Ya could get more personal.' When she frowned her lack of understanding, he leaned over to whisper a single word in her ear. 'David.'
She laughed in spite of herself. 'You got an evil streak, Tanner. He'd probably leave the country if people thought that about him.' The other men wore baffled expressions but Mara shook her head, unwilling even to broach the subject knowing how fast they could make connections. 'I'd need to think on it. Could get him lynched.'
Vin shrugged, clearly not giving a damn if the man's life was ended so long as it wasn't Mara who ended it.
She added, 'Could get someone else lynched.'
He nodded his acceptance of that concern.
Mara left to compose a detailed wire to David, explaining the situation and asking him to verify the assertions that her husband had made so convincingly.
- 4 -
Two days later, an equally detailed wire came from David, confirming that Mara's rights were almost non-existent. She sat in the saloon with all seven of her friends and summarized the contents of the telegram. She read the final portion in full:
CONCUR ON INCENTIVE STOP NEED SOMETHING STRONG STOP THINK ON VINS IDEA STOP YOU KNOW HOW MOST MEN FEEL ABOUT IT STOP GET BACK TO ME IF YOU NEED HELP FINDING SOMEONE STOP
Chris looked at the woman appraisingly, wondering what they were talking about and why she had been willing to discuss Vin's suggestion with David but not them. He pondered what he knew of the two men, seeing little in common between them.
Mara looked at Vin and raised her eyebrows. She was not sure of their friends' reactions to the area into which they would be straying or whether he could predict them with certainty. He considered for some time before giving a slight nod. She leaned forward, keeping her voice low even though the saloon was noisy and they were tucked in a corner at some distance from the nearest table.
'Like I said, it ain't so easy to pressure a man like John. He knows we ain't gonna kill him over money so threats're out. Maybe we could get proof of something he's done that'd put him in jail or get him killed but it'd take time I ain't got - no telling how much of my money he'da got by then. What Vin's suggesting is… personal. But again, there ain't no one to care about an indiscretion. It'd have to be somethin' he can't live with people knowin'.' Having laid the groundwork, she took a deep breath. 'We're talkin' about a scandal with a man.'
It was perhaps half a minute before five of the men round the table caught up, leaving JD the only one confused. Chris quickly made the connections Mara had anticipated and raised an eyebrow. 'Brier that way?'
Mara held his eye for several seconds before nodding slowly. She had never exposed David so utterly before, Vin being one of only three people with whom she had ever been open about it. She knew from the telegram that he was willing to take the chance on her behalf and she hoped that, even if the revelation was unwelcome, it would mean only another town for him to add to the list of places he avoided for one reason or another.
Ezra shuffled the ubiquitous deck of cards uneasily, finally looking up at the couple. 'I must say you have exceeded my expectations. If we pursue that route, the trick will be in containing the situation. Your concerns about lynchings are well founded.'
'Wouldn't need to be common knowledge,' Mara replied. 'Set it up so he thinks he did somethin', I guarantee he won't hang around long enough for folk to find out. He ain't a liberal like Vin.' She looked around them again. 'Question is, how do you fellas stand on somethin' like this? I ain't bringin' no one in to get hurt.'
Chris and Buck exchanged hard looks and shrugged. There was nothing they had not seen on their forays into the seedier side of life. Buck said only, 'Ain't nothin' t'me so long as they stay away from me. That man's askin' to be taken down a peg.'
Nathan looked at his hands. 'I got more of a problem with the blackmail than the other. But seein' as I can't come up with a better idea, I'm in.'
Josiah nodded at the healer's words. 'Same here.'
Ezra smiled. 'Far be it for me to judge my fellow man. I found Mr Brier very civil and his personal affairs are of no consequence to me. I hardly need add that I am somewhat less sensitive to the moral implications of our plan than these two gentlemen.'
'Hardly,' Vin said, the slightest smile indicating that there was no malice in the remark. 'Ya followin' us, JD?'
The youngster was clearly embarrassed by the turn their plans had taken. He nodded uncomfortably. 'If you mean what I think you mean.'
Vin laughed. ''Fraid so. Happens more'an ya might think.'
JD shook his head slowly, struggling with the unfamiliar notion. Even as he grappled with the idea of the thing, he realized that he did not understand how on earth his friends were planning to use it. 'But you're not sayin' your husband is like that?' he asked Mara. She shook her head. 'So how you gonna set him up?'
She smiled. 'He won't know it is a man till it's too late.' She looked across at Ezra. 'We'll need someone we can control to discover them.'
He considered that for some time. 'Ordinarily, I would seek to recompense the hotel proprietor but, as you have implied, reactions to situations such as this can be difficult to manage. We might utilize one of the rooms upstairs here but I anticipate problems with Inez's religious convictions should we try to involve her.' He smiled as a plan formed in his mind. 'However, my Mother is one person for whom I can guarantee a dollar holds more interest than a point of principle. Now if she were to discover the impropriety occurring…'
- 5 -
They spent the next day refining their plans. Mara wired David again, with a euphemistic request for a boy of the type that could convincingly pass for a woman and yet be willing to take the initiative with a customer who would be very much the worse for wear. She had escalated her ambitions for the plan, aiming now to deceive her husband completely and compromise him totally. If he willingly bedded the boy, she expected the error to induce a level of self-doubt and self-loathing that would haunt his thoughts for some time beyond the immediate requirement.
Ezra wired his Mother, who was fortuitously still in the area after leaving Four Corners two weeks earlier. She had since been enjoying the more lavish facilities of Landon but was so thrilled by the news of her son's return to her chosen profession that she immediately caught the same day's stage out of town.
John Costain tried daily to press Mara for a decision but she stalled, telling him in some depth about the measures she was taking to check out his, and her own, rights. He had expected no less, having discovered the thoroughness which with she advanced her clients' causes, and resigned himself to spending a week or two in Four Corners. He deemed that a small sacrifice for the dividends he expected the investment to yield.
Chris and Buck watched with amusement as Costain entertained his fourth woman in as many evenings. One potential problem with their plan was the possibility that he would be indifferent to temptation but that now seemed unlikely. By the time their preparations were complete, he would already have had the pleasure from most of the women in Four Corners willing to extend it. It should be a simple matter for a newcomer to seduce him, provided that David delivered sufficiently attractive bait.
Buck was thinking about that when he asked his friend an uncharacteristically frank question. 'You ever been fooled by one of these fellas?'
Coming out of the blue as it did, the question would probably have thrown Chris had he not been thinking along similar lines. 'No. You?'
Buck shook his head. 'Not exactly. Saw it happen once though. Not sure I would have spotted it if it had been me. Was a time I wouldn'ta believed a man could make a mistake like that.'
Chris grinned. 'Was a time I wouldn'ta believed we'd be caught up in somethin' like this.'
The frown left Buck's face to be replaced by a broad smile. 'Nigh on every time we see Mara, we get caught up in some mess or another. Never a dull moment. I'd feel the same though - why should that sack of dirt walk away with what she's worked so hard for?'
'Oh, I don't think he'll be walkin' away with much.' Chris's tone revealed the quiet optimism he felt in their ability to take John Costain down several pegs.
- 6 -
Wednesday's stagecoach was heavily loaded. Discreet pairs of eyes watched from points around Main Street as its passengers disembarked. Two men stepped down first, unremarkable members of the commercial traveling fraternity who stopped to help their fellow travelers from the carriage. Both of the woman they assisted were exquisitely attired. The older one was instantly recognizable as Maude Standish - Ezra's mother. The younger was tall and slender, with cascades of mahogany ringlets and sparkling eyes of an identical hue.
Seeing the women heading for the hotel, four of the watchers began to drift circuitously in the same direction. Ten minutes later, Vin, Chris, Buck and Ezra waited with Mara in her room.
'You sure it's the one?' Buck asked. 'Didn't look like a man t'me.'
Ezra looked up from polishing his pocketwatch with a smile. 'Isn't that the point?'
Their speculations were cut short by a soft knock at the door. Mara answered it cautiously, not opening the door far enough to reveal that she had company. The slender woman stood on the threshold.
'I'm calling at the invitation of a Mr Alexander.'
Mara smiled and stood back, understanding the oblique reference to the personal life of the Macedonian king.
The visitor entered the room, eyed the four men in it uncertainly and then glanced back at Mara. 'I was quite clear to the gentleman. No groups. No violence.'
Mara struggled to suppress a laugh. 'These men are friends of mine.'
Vin and Ezra shared Mara's amusement. Chris and Buck remained impassive. All four examined the person in front of them closely, finally admitting that they would never have seen through the guise. All they saw and heard was an attractive, and quite refined, young woman. David had come through and then some.
The visitor appraised Mara carefully. 'I'm doing this because I am indebted to the gentleman. You couldn't pay me enough to take a chance like this with people I don't know.'
Mara nodded. 'Can't promise there won't be no trouble but it won't come from none of us. Was the job explained to you?'
'Yes, although the gentleman was uncertain how far you wanted the pretence to go.'
Mara raised an eyebrow.
The visitor smiled. 'Do you want this man buggered or do you want him to think he's been buggered?'
Mara met Vin's eye, gave a cruel smirk and said, 'Let's go the whole hog, shall we? I wouldn't like him to have any doubts later.'
'Very well. I shall need assistance to get clear afterwards.'
Mara nodded again. 'That'll be taken care of.'
'Tonight then?'
'Tonight. How much?'
'One hundred if it goes smoothly. Two if he beats me. Five if he scars me.'
'Okay.'
After their visitor had left, Buck gave a soft whistle. 'Gives me somethin' to think on. I'd never have guessed.'
'Best watch yaself in future, Bucklin,' Vin teased.
Ezra looked at Mara. 'Do you think your husband will take the bait?'
She shrugged. 'Ain't sure I ever knew what he wanted. Certainly don't now.'
Chris got lazily to his feet and straightened his hat. 'From what Buck and me've seen, he ain't too choosy. That one's better lookin' than the one he was with last night.'
Buck laughed, 'Molly'd be real hurt to hear that.'
'I'll get my Mother,' Ezra volunteered. He and Maude returned within a few minutes. Her eyes widened as he explained the con they intended to perpetrate, implying that the whole thing would be a deception and omitting the assault Mara had selected for her husband.
Maude had not met Mara before and now examined her closely. 'Hell hath no fury?' she inquired, not knowing the background to the venture.
'Just business. He wants to take what's mine - I need some leverage.'
Maude inclined her head. 'Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you. So you want me to intrude on this liaison and threaten to make it public? Then succumb to pressure from you gentl'men not to do so?'
The conspirators nodded their affirmation. 'How much?' Mara asked.
Maude evaluated her carefully, wondering how much she could get for her co-operation. She looked to her son for a hint but he refused to play her game. 'A hundred.'
'Forty.'
'Eighty.'
'Fifty.'
'Sixty.'
'Okay.'
With a request that they keep her appraised of progress over the coming hours, Maude returned to her room. Ezra smiled at Mara.
'Selective bargaining?'
'Know which job I'd rather be doin'.'
'Quite so.'
- 7 -
The Four Corners saloon was busy that evening, not least with the strategic presence of all the town's unofficial lawmen. They did not expect to be needed now that the groundwork had been done but prudence demanded that they be available. If events did not run to plan, the con had the potential to get very ugly indeed.
Vin and Mara were at a table by themselves, she seeming to make steady progress down a bottle of whiskey while he appeared to comfort her.
Chris propped up the bar alone, fondling a shot glass but drinking little. He had chosen a position from which he could monitor Costain, now engaged in a poker game with some of Guy Royal's hands on a night out.
Buck was with Cora Brown, taking the opportunity to put some more time into penetrating her defenses. He anticipated it would be at least another month before his regular attentions paid off but one of the reasons he was rarely without female company was his ability to combine long-term strategic campaigns with shorter-term tactical actions.
Ezra was once more parting visitors from their cash, this time the two traveling salesman from the stagecoach. They were slow to recognize his skills and lost steadily.
Josiah, Nathan and JD played a quieter hand of poker, betting lightly. They were preoccupied with the plan for the night, all uncomfortable with the dubious morality of the bizarre setup. None knew the extent of Costain's impending humiliation, believing like Maude that the incident was to be faked.
The entrance of the third of the stage's passengers turned heads. He had changed into an elaborately draped dress in ruby silk, with a lace décolletage. His graceful movement made him appear to float. By the time he reached the bar, there were few men who had not noticed him. He joined Chris casually, waiting for the man to offer a drink.
Chris monitored the saloon guardedly in his peripheral vision, measuring his response to avoid deterring Costain but ready to obstruct attentions from other sources. He grudgingly filled a glass from his own bottle and pushed it towards the boy, letting his bearing declare that he was doing a favor.
The visitor turned to face the room and examined its patrons. His name was Thomas Fisher and the task in hand was way outside his normal remit. Although he provided personal services for payment, it was through a discreet chain of recommendation that guaranteed wealthy, kindly patrons. This job was far more dangerous and he had indeed undertaken it only as a favor to David.
Thomas soon located Costain, easily recognizable from the description he'd been given. The man was good-looking, well groomed and tastefully dressed. The boy was not interested in those facts per se but the encounter would be less objectionable than if his mark had been filthy or diseased.
Costain watched the woman approach the leader of Mara's group of friends. He had seen the fair man brooding around the saloon every evening, usually alone, sometimes with the tallest man in the bunch, never showing any interest in female company. Costain himself was not a womanizer: his predatory behavior since arriving in Four Corners owed more to irritation at the mutual devotion he observed between Mara and Vin than it did to lust. Still, the latest arrival was appealing and entertainment was limited in the small town. Finally, he folded, got to his feet and approached Thomas.
'Good evening, Miss. Perhaps I might take you away from all this?' He waved a dismissive hand in Chris's direction and inclined his head towards Inez, offering to buy the drinks if his company was welcome.
Thomas smiled, a beautiful beam that revealed perfect white teeth. 'Thank you, Mr-?'
'Costain, John Costain.' The man kissed the boy's hand and raised his eyebrows inquiringly.
'Lizzy Burnett.'
There was cautious relief around the room as Costain escorted Thomas to a table on the raised area at the back of the saloon. The covert surveillance continued as the couple made a start on the bottle of brandy Costain had ordered. To begin with, Thomas drank with his mark, feigning inexperience and imbibing less than a third of what the man downed. As he saw the older man grow careless, the boy drank less and plied him with more.
It was about half an hour before Costain excused himself and weaved out of the rear entrance of the saloon. Thomas checked the brandy bottle and noted that it contained only three or four more glasses. He subtly took a folded paper from a pocket in his skirts and emptied the powder it contained into the bottle. A few minutes later, Costain returned, somewhat revitalized by the clear night air but still very much under the influence.
Thomas moved fluently into the final stage of his seduction, allowing his mark to help himself to drinks and concentrating on providing sparkling, flattering company. That was his specialty, what he did night after night, and he excelled at it. Costain had long passed the stage of finding Lizzy Burnett attractive - she was now irresistible. He leaned to whisper in the boy's ear.
'Why don't we go somewhere more private?'
Thomas giggled. 'Oh, my, yes. I have a room at the hotel. Would that be all right?'
'That would be perfec-t.' Costain held his liquor well but the over-deliberation with which he annunciated the end of his last word betrayed the difficulty he was experiencing. Whether the cause was three-quarters of a bottle of brandy or the sleeping powder Nathan had provided was debatable.
Thomas took Costain's arm, pretending intoxication himself but supporting and guiding him to the hotel. The stairs were a challenge but finally he helped Costain onto the bed and locked the door. Leaning against the wood for a moment, he studied the man he was about to compromise and watched him lose consciousness. Unlike many of his peers, Thomas shared his customers' inclination and did not relish what he was about to do to a man who did not. Neither, however, did he doubt David's word that Costain deserved this and more.
The boy returned to the man's side, stripped him methodically and then undressed himself. He pulled up the covers and slipped into bed. It was the work of moments to do as he had agreed, careful to be rough enough and messy enough to ensure the man knew precisely what had happened. He settled to wait for the morning, knowing that Maude would be listening for her cue in the next room, ready to disturb them just as Costain regained consciousness, whenever that might be.
It was a long slow night for them all, waiting to see whether events followed the timing planned for them. It was vital that Maude witness the liaison and convince Costain of her independence: it didn't matter if it was a set-up if a decent citizen declared the evidence of her own eyes. Perhaps it would not matter if it was a set-up anyway: the act had undeniably taken place, with or without his co-operation.
It was just past eight o'clock when John Costain began to stir. Thomas gave the prearranged triple tap on the dividing wall to Maude's room. When she returned the signal, the boy unlocked the door, returned to bed and embraced the man.
Moments later, Maude rapped sharply on the door. 'Lizzy! Lizzy! Are you still in bed, young lady? I thought we were having breakfast.'
Thomas snapped to as if startled from his slumbers. Costain was still half asleep but slowly surfacing. He ran a hand over his forehead, groaned at his aching head, then sat up. Thomas sat beside him, giving the man a chance to take in his lack of breasts.
'Lizzy!' Maude persisted.
'Oh, Jesus,' Thomas said in the voice nature had given him, leaping out of bed and hopelessly trying to locate the clothes he had in fact packed during the night.
Costain gazed open-mouthed at the boy's slim body. He hardly dared consider the idea that was fermenting in his head. As he regained full consciousness, he became aware that his head was not the only thing hurting. Just as he began to join the dots, Maude opened the door.
'Lizzy. Are you…' her voice trailed off as she looked first at Thomas and then at Costain. 'Oh, my God,' she said hoarsely. 'Oh, my God. Oh, my GOD!' She did a remarkable impersonation of escalating hysteria that brought Ezra, Mara and Vin running. She gabbled incoherently at them, pointing a wavering finger at Thomas.
They did not bother to act for Costain's behalf, knowing he would know exactly who was responsible for his humiliation. Instead, Ezra concentrated on steering Maude back to her room in a fashion that supported her role as outraged bystander, stranger to the town. Vin watched Costain contemptuously, while Thomas dressed quickly in a simple blouse and skirt. He braided his hair hastily and pulled his suitcase from the wardrobe. Mara smiled and handed him two fifty dollar bills. He opened the window, stepped onto the sill and was gone. Josiah and Nathan waited below with a third horse, ready to take him to join a stage at the next swing station.
Chris and Buck sauntered in seconds later.
Costain remained in bed, trying to piece together what had happened. His memory of the preceding evening broke down somewhere between leaving the saloon and reaching the hotel. He had pleasant memories of kissing the woman he believed to be Lizzy Burnett and painful reminders of doing far more with the boy who had just left. He turned a murderous glare on Mara.
'You dreamed this up, didn't you? You filthy whore.'
'You backed me into a corner, John.' Her voice was more refined than usual, not the cut-glass tones she had used in the Regency Hotel but the soft, educated accent with which she had grown up.
'Do you really think you'll get away with it?'
'Do you really want to go public with it? Of course, you have a witness next door. We planned to pay her off once you saw things my way but…'
He scowled at her.
She sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a stab of pity when she saw him wince at the movement of the mattress. 'I couldn't let you take me down again, John. It took too long for me to come back from it last time.' She looked sadly at him, genuinely wishing he had not forced her hand. 'I will do one thing for you.'
He did not answer.
'I'll pay you five hundred dollars to divorce me. All you have to do is send me the papers.'
'As if you'd pay me then. Why would I trust you?
'Because I give you my word and, unlike yours, it's worth something. Five hundred dollars, John. Think about it. But right now, we'd like you to leave town. You'd be well advised to do so anyway. Should this incident become public knowledge, even these men may not be able to protect you.'
It didn't take John Costain long to see the wisdom of his wife's words. He dressed in a fog of anger and shame. They followed him to his room and supervised his hurried packing. When he was ready, he examined the woman who had defeated him, seeing in her no trace of the girl he had used and discarded so long before.
'You've changed, Mo. You were such a sweet thing back then.'
'You made me what I am, John.' She recalled a quotation. 'I beheld the wretch - the miserable monster whom I had created.'
He raised an eyebrow.
'Frankenstein. But I'm not miserable any more… thanks to Vin… these friends… and others.' She took a step closer. 'You can post the papers to my office. Just tell me where to send the money. I don't ever want to set eyes on you again. Is that clear enough for you?'
He nodded, put on his hat and headed for the stairs.
Vin stepped into his path, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. 'Ya guessed right when ya figured we wouldn't kill ya over money. But y'ever lay a hand on her, I'll find ya. Ya got my word on that.'
Costain nodded again. He had no intention of incurring the man's wrath. He'd find easier pickings elsewhere.
Mara, Vin, Chris and Buck followed him to the livery, waited while he saddled his horse and then watched him ride out of town. She was surprised to feel no sense of triumph. She had loved the man once and felt only sorrow that he should have made her so bitter that she would do what she just had.
Ezra joined them just as Costain disappeared from view. He led the way into the saloon, bought a bottle of whiskey and ushered them to a table.
'Thanks, fellas.' Mara sipped her drink thoughtfully. 'Can't say what it means t'have friends like you.'
They knew there was no need for a reply and Buck lightened the tone. 'So, you could be a free woman soon.'
She nodded, then looked at Vin with a warm smile. She was less free now than she'd been in a good many years. But why would a woman want freedom when she could have Vin Tanner instead?
END