someone here to see you, someone who says she needs your help”.
Esmeralda got up and opened the door. Jamie stood there and next to him was the small, cloaked, figure of a woman. It was her first client. She motioned the woman in and closed the door.
Devlin absent mindedly shuffled a deck of cards. He and Walking Ghost now back at his railcar sat together in the red velvet parlor next to a cozy, warm stove. It was still spring in the northern Nevada territory and there was a chill in the mountain air.
“I am intrigued that Big Jim Diamond hasn’t contacted me. After that encounter with two of his dogs, Laredo and that carpetbagger Leonard White I would’ve expected for him to at the very least sent one of his hired guns after me by now.”
Walking Ghost chuckled. “Your reputation has sent them hiding like scared women.”
Devlin laughed.
“I hardly think so. That mine holds something beyond the silver and gold that Diamond wants. It’s something ‘ he must not’ possess. You and I are going down there tomorrow and find out what it is.”
Walking Ghost shook his head. “This feels like very bad medicine. I would wish for Spider Woman to be here.”
“It is possible that even she would be terrified by what that that lies at the bottom of that shaft,” Devlin said. “Anderson hung on as long as he could. Maybe his guilt put iron in his spine but even that didn’t last. It’s up to us to find the source then we can let the dynamite do the rest.”
Jamie silently closed the door to Esmeralda’s private quarters.
The petite woman threw back the hood of her cape. Cobalt blue eyes stared out at Esmeralda. There were dark circles under them. They stood out like bruises on her pasty white face. Beads of perspiration dotted her brow.
“What is your name?” Esmeralda inquired.
“Dahlia,” she said.
Her voice sounds high like a child’s, with a piquant face that spells pure mischief, Esmeralda surmised.
“I need your help ma’am, I ain’t got nowhere else to turn.”
Esmeralda looked her over. She took in the skimpy dress, but most of all, the red ribbon tied around her neck.
It will be interesting to hear the girl’s story, the smoke, and the mirrors, she thought .
“And in what way may I assist you, Dahlia.”
Dahlia bent her head down and then looked up at Esmeralda through her lashes. “Why ma’am, I’m a sporting girl, on that I ain’t gonna lie, but I want to leave that behind me an’ turn over a new leaf. “
Esmeralda looked intently at her and read her aura. Images flitted through her mind. “Why come here? I want the truth this time.”
Dahlia pouted. “Well you might a noticed that I’m in a bad way I’ve got a terrible ague, my last genelmn’ clientele, they was pure evil, cursed, what they would say in New Orleans, Vam Peer Ay. They was like to drain me dry. I ran away, there was word on the Coast that you had special powers, healing powers for them that have been cast in the shadows.”
Esmeralda nodded. “Dahlia I can offer you a tincture, one that will not take the place of blood, but will stave off the hunger and the need for it.”
She got up and walked over to a large Oriental chest. Lifting the lid she took out a small purple bottle. “Tell me Dahlia, are there many like you in Virginia City? And if so, there must be many of them, the Vampires?”
A dark cloud passed briefly across Dahlia’s eyes and she hesitated before answering. “I can’t say as I know how many they are but enough to keep us donors busy.”
Esmeralda handed her the bottle.
“Take this, Dahlia. If you need more let me know. I’ll have no sporting girls here but I do have the need of a Faro dealer.”
Dahlia smiled. The diamond tooth in her mouth sparkled in the lamplight.
“Thank ya, ma’am. You won’t be sorry.”
Afterwards, in the early hours before dawn, Esmeralda undressed down to her corset and stockings then lay down on her bed. She was bone tired
Esmeralda got up and opened the door. Jamie stood there and next to him was the small, cloaked, figure of a woman. It was her first client. She motioned the woman in and closed the door.
Devlin absent mindedly shuffled a deck of cards. He and Walking Ghost now back at his railcar sat together in the red velvet parlor next to a cozy, warm stove. It was still spring in the northern Nevada territory and there was a chill in the mountain air.
“I am intrigued that Big Jim Diamond hasn’t contacted me. After that encounter with two of his dogs, Laredo and that carpetbagger Leonard White I would’ve expected for him to at the very least sent one of his hired guns after me by now.”
Walking Ghost chuckled. “Your reputation has sent them hiding like scared women.”
Devlin laughed.
“I hardly think so. That mine holds something beyond the silver and gold that Diamond wants. It’s something ‘ he must not’ possess. You and I are going down there tomorrow and find out what it is.”
Walking Ghost shook his head. “This feels like very bad medicine. I would wish for Spider Woman to be here.”
“It is possible that even she would be terrified by what that that lies at the bottom of that shaft,” Devlin said. “Anderson hung on as long as he could. Maybe his guilt put iron in his spine but even that didn’t last. It’s up to us to find the source then we can let the dynamite do the rest.”
Jamie silently closed the door to Esmeralda’s private quarters.
The petite woman threw back the hood of her cape. Cobalt blue eyes stared out at Esmeralda. There were dark circles under them. They stood out like bruises on her pasty white face. Beads of perspiration dotted her brow.
“What is your name?” Esmeralda inquired.
“Dahlia,” she said.
Her voice sounds high like a child’s, with a piquant face that spells pure mischief, Esmeralda surmised.
“I need your help ma’am, I ain’t got nowhere else to turn.”
Esmeralda looked her over. She took in the skimpy dress, but most of all, the red ribbon tied around her neck.
It will be interesting to hear the girl’s story, the smoke, and the mirrors, she thought .
“And in what way may I assist you, Dahlia.”
Dahlia bent her head down and then looked up at Esmeralda through her lashes. “Why ma’am, I’m a sporting girl, on that I ain’t gonna lie, but I want to leave that behind me an’ turn over a new leaf. “
Esmeralda looked intently at her and read her aura. Images flitted through her mind. “Why come here? I want the truth this time.”
Dahlia pouted. “Well you might a noticed that I’m in a bad way I’ve got a terrible ague, my last genelmn’ clientele, they was pure evil, cursed, what they would say in New Orleans, Vam Peer Ay. They was like to drain me dry. I ran away, there was word on the Coast that you had special powers, healing powers for them that have been cast in the shadows.”
Esmeralda nodded. “Dahlia I can offer you a tincture, one that will not take the place of blood, but will stave off the hunger and the need for it.”
She got up and walked over to a large Oriental chest. Lifting the lid she took out a small purple bottle. “Tell me Dahlia, are there many like you in Virginia City? And if so, there must be many of them, the Vampires?”
A dark cloud passed briefly across Dahlia’s eyes and she hesitated before answering. “I can’t say as I know how many they are but enough to keep us donors busy.”
Esmeralda handed her the bottle.
“Take this, Dahlia. If you need more let me know. I’ll have no sporting girls here but I do have the need of a Faro dealer.”
Dahlia smiled. The diamond tooth in her mouth sparkled in the lamplight.
“Thank ya, ma’am. You won’t be sorry.”
Afterwards, in the early hours before dawn, Esmeralda undressed down to her corset and stockings then lay down on her bed. She was bone tired
Similar Books
