mighty sorry they didn’t kill us and will come lookin’ for us,” Daniel explained.
Despite the late afternoon heat, a crowd gathered when word got around that the sheriff and a couple of his deputies were called to the train station. Hannah scanned the locals who circled the railroad men talking with the lawmen. Neither the railroad men nor any of the passengers had any idea who the baby’s mother had been. Hannah hoped that a husband, a grandmother, a sister or someone would be meeting the train and would take the baby. That hope quickly dwindled and died. No one was searching for anyone.
“Come, Hannah. Liam wants us to get a room. Said he’d find us. Said to get you a room, too.” Frank grabbed the baby’s canvas bag and urged Hannah to the door.
“I can’t get a room. I’ve no money.”
“Liam said you’d say that.” Daniel smiled.
“Well, then you understand why I can’t let you ...” Hannah began.
“He also said to ignore your protests and tell you the room is for the baby.” Daniel raised his eyebrows in a tease.
Hannah had to agree. Until they could find someone to take the baby, it would need a roof over its head and food for its belly.
Hannah moved toward the door and looked up at Frank. “Just until we get the baby placed somewhere.”
“Until the baby’s placed,” he agreed.
*****
They’d found a couple of rooms in the Riverside Hotel. Now, hours later, Hannah looked out into the dark, deserted street below. Even the noisy saloons had settled down leaving the night eerily quiet. Every minute she was stuck in this room was giving those murderers and rapists more time to slip away, again. Her anger and sense of injustice had been tried to the point where she’d been tempted to abandon the baby, but one glance at the innocent little orphan dispelled that idea. Also, she needed to wait for Liam to find out if he’d learned anything that would help her search.
Frank and Daniel were in the room next door to Hannah. They had made sure there was plenty of canned milk for the baby and had brought Hannah a supper plate. They hadn’t heard from Liam.
A single knock to her door drew her from the window. “Who’s there?”
“Liam. May I come in?”
She opened the door with a barrage of questions. “Where have you been? What did you find out? Did you find those men? Is the sheriff looking for them? Did you find the horses? Did you find your brothers? Did you find someone to care for the baby? Did you --
“Whoa, now.” Liam gently took her by the shoulders. “Slow down. Don’t know if I can answer all those questions. Don’t know if I can even remember all of them.”
Hannah blushed slightly. “I’m sorry. There are things --
“I know. Things you need to do. Alone.” He moved away from her, glanced down at the baby and took the only chair in the room. He motioned toward the bed. “Sit. I’ll tell you all I know.”
Once Hannah was seated, he began. “Yes, I found Frank and Daniel. I didn’t find the men from the train, but the sheriff has their description and they’re searching for them. I found our horses in a stable. Two men had paid cash for three days keep when they dropped them off. But, they gave no names and no place where they could be reached.”
Hannah shook her head. “We took too long. We should have searched the saloons as soon as the train stopped.”
“Hannah, I’m sure they heard the train coming and skedaddled away before it arrived at the station.”
“Maybe not. Maybe ...”
Liam leaned forward. “What is it? What is driving you?”
His words pricked at Hannah’s festering sores of murder and rape. The silence between them was magnetic. His eyes were drawing her nightmares into the realm of the waking world. Along with the nightmares came the mental and physical bile. She threw her head back and looked up to the ceiling. With a deep breath, the moment passed. She was back in control. She had a date with her husband’s
Despite the late afternoon heat, a crowd gathered when word got around that the sheriff and a couple of his deputies were called to the train station. Hannah scanned the locals who circled the railroad men talking with the lawmen. Neither the railroad men nor any of the passengers had any idea who the baby’s mother had been. Hannah hoped that a husband, a grandmother, a sister or someone would be meeting the train and would take the baby. That hope quickly dwindled and died. No one was searching for anyone.
“Come, Hannah. Liam wants us to get a room. Said he’d find us. Said to get you a room, too.” Frank grabbed the baby’s canvas bag and urged Hannah to the door.
“I can’t get a room. I’ve no money.”
“Liam said you’d say that.” Daniel smiled.
“Well, then you understand why I can’t let you ...” Hannah began.
“He also said to ignore your protests and tell you the room is for the baby.” Daniel raised his eyebrows in a tease.
Hannah had to agree. Until they could find someone to take the baby, it would need a roof over its head and food for its belly.
Hannah moved toward the door and looked up at Frank. “Just until we get the baby placed somewhere.”
“Until the baby’s placed,” he agreed.
*****
They’d found a couple of rooms in the Riverside Hotel. Now, hours later, Hannah looked out into the dark, deserted street below. Even the noisy saloons had settled down leaving the night eerily quiet. Every minute she was stuck in this room was giving those murderers and rapists more time to slip away, again. Her anger and sense of injustice had been tried to the point where she’d been tempted to abandon the baby, but one glance at the innocent little orphan dispelled that idea. Also, she needed to wait for Liam to find out if he’d learned anything that would help her search.
Frank and Daniel were in the room next door to Hannah. They had made sure there was plenty of canned milk for the baby and had brought Hannah a supper plate. They hadn’t heard from Liam.
A single knock to her door drew her from the window. “Who’s there?”
“Liam. May I come in?”
She opened the door with a barrage of questions. “Where have you been? What did you find out? Did you find those men? Is the sheriff looking for them? Did you find the horses? Did you find your brothers? Did you find someone to care for the baby? Did you --
“Whoa, now.” Liam gently took her by the shoulders. “Slow down. Don’t know if I can answer all those questions. Don’t know if I can even remember all of them.”
Hannah blushed slightly. “I’m sorry. There are things --
“I know. Things you need to do. Alone.” He moved away from her, glanced down at the baby and took the only chair in the room. He motioned toward the bed. “Sit. I’ll tell you all I know.”
Once Hannah was seated, he began. “Yes, I found Frank and Daniel. I didn’t find the men from the train, but the sheriff has their description and they’re searching for them. I found our horses in a stable. Two men had paid cash for three days keep when they dropped them off. But, they gave no names and no place where they could be reached.”
Hannah shook her head. “We took too long. We should have searched the saloons as soon as the train stopped.”
“Hannah, I’m sure they heard the train coming and skedaddled away before it arrived at the station.”
“Maybe not. Maybe ...”
Liam leaned forward. “What is it? What is driving you?”
His words pricked at Hannah’s festering sores of murder and rape. The silence between them was magnetic. His eyes were drawing her nightmares into the realm of the waking world. Along with the nightmares came the mental and physical bile. She threw her head back and looked up to the ceiling. With a deep breath, the moment passed. She was back in control. She had a date with her husband’s
Similar Books
