Someone Like You (Night Riders) (36 page)

Rafe wondered if Henry knew another way down the mountain. His father used to say Henry knew the eastern slopes of the mountains better than anyone in Cíbola.

Rafe decided to follow him. He didn’t think Henry would attempt to get down the mountain without his horse, but he wouldn’t have thought the man wanted him dead, either. Deciding to depend on his pistol rather than his rifle—he could climb a lot faster with two hands—he started after Henry.

One hint that Henry didn’t mean to let himself be caught came when Henry dislodged a rock that sent a small rockslide in Rafe’s direction. None of the rocks was over a foot in diameter, but any one of a dozen could have easily killed Rafe if he hadn’t taken refuge behind a large boulder.

“Broc and Maria both know what you’ve been doing,” Rafe called to Henry. “It’s impossible for you to get away.”

That wasn’t exactly true. If Henry could kill or wound Rafe, he might have time to get down the mountain and out of town before Broc could do anything to stop him. Rafe was certain Fielder had the stolen money stashed away in Sacramento or San Francisco.

“You can’t escape. Broc will be waiting at the foot of the mountain. Maria may have already alerted the sheriff.”

Henry’s only reply was to send another rockslide toward Rafe.

After that Rafe climbed in silence. It wasn’t long before he became aware that working as a cowhand didn’t prepare a man for climbing over boulders. Without gloves, the rough surface of the boulders scraped the skin off his fingers and inflicted dozens of tiny cuts that stung like the devil. Cowboy
boots were about the worst possible choice for rock climbing. The tight pants and shirt that worked so well in the saddle didn’t allow him the freedom of movement he needed.

Pausing to catch his breath, he looked up to see that Henry had changed direction and was headed toward a ledge that ran along both sides of the ridge. He’d forgotten all about any interest Henry had in the cougar in his desire to get away. If he was moving toward that ledge, it was because he believed it offered him a means of escape. Since Henry had stopped trying to kill Rafe with rockslides, he must believe he was nearing his goal. Rafe took another deep breath and started to climb again.

He didn’t know how long he’d been climbing—it couldn’t have been more than five minutes—when he heard a deep-throated snarl. Barely a second later he heard Henry scream.

The next few minutes were destined to remain a horrible memory that would haunt Rafe for years to come. He climbed as quickly as possible toward Henry’s screams, but silence had descended before Rafe reached the ledge. He approached with his gun out, but the cougar must have fled when he heard Rafe coming. The bloody and badly mauled body of Henry Fielder lay on the flat ledge.

Rafe wasn’t sure whether he was relieved to find the man still alive. From the extent of his wounds, it was apparent he wouldn’t live long. It was also apparent that those last moments would be lived in great agony. “Why did you try to kill me? What have I ever done to you?”

“Your father.” Henry’s words were barely audible. Rafe had to kneel down to hear him. “He stole the woman I wanted to marry. She was mine, but he stole her.”

Rafe knew the story of how his parents had met. Henry had introduced them during a festival, but his mother had never said anything about being attracted to Henry. His father had given his business to Henry in appreciation for the introduction, which had resulted in the young couple falling in love and marrying.

“But you weren’t trying to kill my father. You were trying to kill me.”

“You…weren’t supposed to come back. I would have been rich.”

Henry probably had never thought of killing anyone until Rafe’s father had made the will give the lawyer control of the ranch if Rafe didn’t return. Henry had thought Rafe was dead and that he was entitled to Warren’s wealth. Maybe he had been embezzling and didn’t want Rafe to find out. Maybe he just wanted the money and didn’t care what he had to do to get it.

“Were you going to kill Luis, too?” Rafe thought Henry shook his head, but the movement was so slight, it was impossible to be sure.

Rafe wanted to ask Henry if there was anyone he should notify, but he doubted the man had the strength to respond. Rafe couldn’t save him and he couldn’t do anything to ease his suffering. He could only watch as Fielder died.

It didn’t take long.

“He wanted me dead,” Rafe said to the sheriff. “Why should he leave his estate to me?”

“The will stated everything was to go to your mother or her descendants,” the sheriff said. “He made it before you were born. I can’t understand why he didn’t change it.”

“I don’t want anything of his,” Rafe said.

“I can understand that, but this inheritance will give you a chance to find out how much money he stole from you and your father. I’ve only had a brief look at his accounts, but there are some substantial amounts in banks in Sacramento and San Francisco. Henry didn’t have a practice that would have given him that kind of income. It’s possible he was embezzling from other clients as well.”

Rafe didn’t want the responsibility of sorting out Henry’s financial dealings. He hadn’t wanted anything to do with
the funeral, either, but when it turned out Henry had no known relatives, he didn’t have a choice. Broc had laughed at the irony.

The sheriff was the only one who knew the real story of what had happened on the mountainside. Everyone else was allowed to believe Roger had died in an unrelated accident. Roger’s family had taken responsibility for his burial.

“You’ll have to look around for another lawyer,” Maria said as she and Rafe left the sheriff’s office. “There aren’t many in Cíbola to choose from.”

He didn’t want to think about that now. He just wanted to go back to the ranch. If Henry had been embezzling from other clients, his several bank accounts would probably take weeks to unravel. “Do you know a lawyer to recommend?”

Maria looked at him in surprise. “You’re asking me?”

“I’ve been gone so long that I don’t remember anybody.”

“My father would never have asked my mother’s opinion in any business matter. I doubt your father would, either.”

“I have three friends with very capable wives who’ve taught me a different way to look at women. You’ve been running a house hold since you were fourteen. In my mind, that qualifies you as a capable person. Now stop acting so surprised and tell me whom you think I should hire.”

“You should ask the sheriff. Or better yet, Miguel. I haven’t spent enough time in town to know people well.”

Rafe thought Maria was probably being modest.

“Well, we’re likely to be in town for another day or two, straightening things out. Is there anyone you want to see? Anything you want to do? Anything you want to buy?”

Maria hooked her arm in his and leaned into him as they walked. “What a generous offer. It could take days just to consider all the options.”

There were many things Rafe liked about Maria, but one was her ability to take him by surprise. He had a feeling that once the serious issues in her life had been dealt with, she
would have a lively sense of humor and would take great pleasure in keeping him guessing. He decided that wouldn’t be so bad.

“I wouldn’t want you to wear yourself out trying to do everything in one day. Make a list. What we can’t do now we can do later.”

Maria pinched his arm. “I don’t want to do anything as much as be with you, but I expect Luis and Broc are getting hungry by now. Why don’t we go by the hotel and take them out to lunch? I know Luis has a list of things he wants to do, and most of them have to do with a horse. I’m not sure I’m going to forgive you for turning my sweet, studious child into a horse-mad boy.”

“Then I’ll have to see about giving you a child more like you. How about a little girl with big brown eyes and a button nose?”

It amused Rafe to see Maria blush at the thought of having his children. He was equally surprised to find it gave him a funny feeling all over. A son or daughter would be his flesh and blood, his responsibility to support, to guide, to love no matter how difficult that might be at times.

“There’s a lot to be worked out before we think about children,” Maria said.

“What?”

They’d entered the hotel and Maria put her finger to her lips to indicate that she didn’t want to talk about such personal matters where strangers could overhear them. But all thoughts of children went out of his head when he opened the door to Maria’s room to find Broc lying on the floor, bound and gagged.

W
here’s Luis?” Maria asked.

“Laveau kidnapped him,” Broc said the moment the gag was out of his mouth.

Maria had never trusted Laveau, but his dislike of children had been displayed so openly and so often, she’d never thought he would kidnap Luis. From what Rafe and Broc had said about him, she should have realized Laveau would have abducted the devil himself for the sake of money. Yet that same thought afforded her slight comfort. Laveau would have no desire to harm the boy. He wanted only the money Rafe would pay to get Luis back.

“How did you end up gagged and lying on the floor?” Rafe asked, starting to untie the ropes that bound Broc’s hands.

“Laveau. And don’t tell me I should have kept an eye on him. That bitch Dolores was in on it. She smothered Luis in so much false affection, I was worried the boy was going to develop a fever. I was trying to get her to leave him alone when Laveau came at me from behind. When I came to, I was like you found me.”

“Why did you let them in?” Rafe asked.

“Dolores.” Broc rubbed his wrists to restore the circulation while Rafe worked to remove the rope tying his feet. “As much as I dislike her, Luis still loves her. Laveau was acting so cool and aloof, like he couldn’t wait to be gone, I didn’t pay him any attention. I know. I should never turn my back on that man, but Dolores got me off balance.”

“Do you have any idea where they went?”

“None whatsoever.” Broc kicked aside the loosened ropes
and rose to unsteady feet. “They couldn’t have left long ago. If we hurry, we should be able to find which road they took and maybe catch up with them before Laveau stashes the boy where we’ll never find him.”

“How did he know you were going to be alone with Luis?” Rafe asked. “Maria and I haven’t been gone more than a couple of hours.”

“I think he has spies everywhere.”

“Do you mean he pays people to watch what we do?” It had never occurred to Maria to look over her shoulder.

“Not with money,” Broc said as they hurried out of the hotel and toward the nearest livery stable. “He smiles and simpers and looks so damned superior that when he turns his fake charm on people, they can’t stop themselves from telling him anything he wants to know.”

When they reached the livery stable, Rafe ordered one of the stable boys to saddle his and Broc’s horses.

“Mine, too,” Maria said.

“Stay here,” Rafe said. “Laveau is dangerous.”

“Either I go with you or I follow after you’ve gone,” Maria said. “Which do you want it to be?”

“Neither,” Rafe snapped, “but I don’t have time to argue. Wait here. Broc and I will see if we can find anyone who rented horses or a buggy to Laveau. I just hope we can find someone who saw him leave town.”

“Everybody knows him,” Broc said. “He’s made sure of that.”

Maria was worried about Luis. How was a child supposed to get over his mother’s helping a man he distrusted kidnap him? How could she explain Dolores’s actions in a way that wouldn’t leave a permanent scar on the boy’s heart?

Maria felt guilty about the many times she’d explained away something Dolores had said or done to hurt or disappoint Luis. She’d always finished by assuring him his mother loved him and would never do anything to hurt him. Now she wondered if it might not have been better if she’d let
Luis see his mother as she really was. But how could she have done that when she herself had refused to see her sister for the selfish, manipulative woman she was?

Maria held herself almost as much to blame for Dolores’s behavior as Dolores herself. Her loyalty, love, and continual forgiveness had enabled Dolores to indulge the worst attributes of her character. Maria’s deep love for Luis had prompted her to keep the truth from him. A reluctance to tamper with a marriage that wasn’t her own had kept her from asking Warren to take a stronger hand with his wife.

It was too late to be sorry now. All she could do was try to comfort Luis when Rafe found him. She never once allowed herself to think they might not find him. That possibility was too horrible to contemplate.

She was relieved when she saw Rafe coming toward her. “What did you find out?”

“Dolores picked up a buggy at the livery stable across town. Laveau was carrying Luis in his arms. The stable boy had no idea where they might have gone.”

“Do you think Laveau would hurt Luis?”

“No. I’m sure his only interest in Luis is the ransom he’s going to demand.”

Maria didn’t like the tightness around Rafe’s mouth. He was trying to reassure her, but he didn’t put much faith in Laveau having enough human decency not to hurt a child. She could only hope Dolores would see to it that nothing happened to her son. Despite her flaws, Maria couldn’t bring herself to believe Dolores would knowingly let anyone hurt Luis.

Dolores must have believed Laveau was helping her gain possession of her son, that Laveau would marry her, and they would all live happily together. Maria knew her sister would do a lot to regain the lifestyle she had had when Warren was alive.

She was relieved when she saw Broc round the corner of the stable at a run.

“I know which road they took,” he shouted. “They can’t be very far ahead.”

In a matter of moments they were mounted and on their way out of town. Maria had always wanted to ride slowly, but today she kept urging her mount forward despite Rafe’s warning that it was necessary to conserve energy.

“If you drive him too hard now, he’ll be exhausted after a few miles and we’ll have to leave you behind.”