Beyond A Dream
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“You’re not going to make me walk again.” The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I’m going home and I’ll be fine, thanks.”
But the woman didn’t look like someone who’d lost a leg. She looked as if she knew how to use it. And why was she here at all? Why were there so many strange people in this town? No one looked happy or healthy. They all seemed to be carrying burdens.
She wanted no part of this place, but there was no way she could leave without the woman’s help. How would she get to San Francisco anyway? What if her horse had been stolen by these people too? It would take weeks for her to reach San Francisco with only one horse. It was foolish anyway. She was a grown woman and should be able to manage such an expedition on her own.
The woman sighed. “We have no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not safe for you alone. You won’t last long out there on your own.”
Why did they need her? Did anyone in the settlement need her? What was so urgent about this journey that she couldn’t stay behind?
The ranch house was coming up fast. There was another horse tied to the fence next to its corral. “You can let me ride that one,” she said, pointing at the white mare.
The woman shook her head. “Don’t know how to train a new horse. We’d never get anywhere on time. Besides, you don’t know which direction we’re heading.”
That was true. The woman hadn’t spoken yet when the house came into view through the trees. There was no horse outside the main house. Was everyone inside? She was afraid to find out.
“Please,” she said, stepping forward, “give me a chance to prove myself. It’s very important to me. It took a lot of work to get where I am and I’m still working hard. Don’t make me leave.”
The woman looked away from her and stared at the ground. “You’re stubborn, like your father. We’ll just have to see what happens.” Then she started walking toward the front door.
Morgan followed. At first, she thought the woman was trying to avoid her, but then she saw the woman’s hand shaking. Morgan tried to imagine what it would be like for her to lose her leg. It must have hurt terribly.
A man opened the door. He looked at her, smiled briefly, and walked to the other side of the room. “This lady needs someone to show her around.”
He turned and gave her a sharp look. For a moment, he didn’t seem real. Was it because of the way his hair had been slicked back so sharply? Or was it the color of his skin? He didn’t look Indian. But wasn’t every black person here part-Indian? If she asked someone, would they know? The man’s eyes were black too. What was his name?
“Who are you?” Morgan held back her question.
The woman said, “She’s looking for her brother and sister. We told the sheriff about it.”
The young man turned to her. “Is that right?”
Morgan nodded. “My mother died and left us here. It’s my duty to go after them.”
“I know,” the young man said.
“You’re going to help me.”
The woman nodded.
“How far is the mine?”
No one answered her.
“You know what happened to my family, don’t you?”
He gave the older woman a brief glance. “Come on, Morgan. Let’s go.”
Morgan started after him. She felt awkward following this man. She didn’t recognize him as any kind of authority figure. He’d never been part of her life. All she cared about was finding her siblings.
Her mind went over the list of possibilities, wondering if her brothers or sisters had been here long enough to learn to speak English, if they even had names. Maybe they hadn’t found the mine yet. What if they didn’t come?
They went down a narrow staircase and entered a large room with walls stacked high with boxes and barrels. They were standing in a storage room, not a public area. There was nothing else in the room except for several long tables, each with a long, rectangular glass case on top. Morgan didn’t see anyone else there.
“Are you the mayor?”
He gave her a puzzled look and shrugged his shoulders. “No.”
“Then what am I doing here?”
The mayor laughed. “You’re here because there’s something you have to do.”
“I’ve done everything to protect my family. Now, you’ll help me or I’ll go after them myself.”
“You can’t do that.” He stepped back against the wall.
“Why not?”
“Because—” The mayor stopped himself. “Just stay away from us and our land. Don’t try to come back again. That’s what all the black families in this territory have to do.”
“There are others?” Morgan asked.
The man gave a bitter smile. “Yes.”
“Where are we?”
“You’re right. It’s not safe for you out there alone.”
Why would anyone say anything to hurt her feelings?
“What are you doing here? Where’s your family?”
“My brother works in town. The rest are here at the mine.”
The mayor stopped and looked around. “Come on. I’ll take you to their rooms. We’ll get you settled in and then get you some breakfast.”
***
Morgan stayed up late that night, worrying about how she would handle it when her mother died and left her with so much responsibility. The mayor was right. If she left now, her mother’s death would only become another mystery.
She wouldn’t have to face the sheriff or any of those people who thought she was guilty. But what would she tell people about her father? No way could she talk about him without feeling sad. He had been such a good man.
By daylight, she was ready to get away from everything and everyone. She wanted to leave and never look back. The problem was she couldn’t take the ranch’s money, not if she was going to go after her siblings. She’d need more than $500 to pay for supplies and hire someone to ride with her.
With the sun rising over the plains, Morgan walked into town through the main street. When she reached the saloon, she noticed that it wasn’t as packed as it had been the night before. The crowd seemed larger.
It was the noon hour. People were walking in and out of the saloon, but there weren’t many inside. The bartender had a few customers and was talking with them while pouring drinks.
It seemed odd that there weren’t more people there to drink. She remembered the sheriff saying that the gold rush had ended. There were less miners here, and most of them had moved closer to the mines.
The sheriff came out of the office. She recognized him. He was the same man who’d questioned her before.
“I’m looking for the sheriff,” she said.
The sheriff turned. “Over here.”
He must have heard her speaking English.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Yes. You’re the sheriff who visited the ranch and took down my statement.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m here to report someone stole a saddle and two bridles from our ranch.”
“That’s terrible.”
She nodded slowly. “It was a gift for my father.”
“You know someone did it?”
“I think so. Someone in town. I saw them taking the gifts and putting them in their pockets.”
The sheriff frowned. “How did you catch them?”
“I followed them. It was easy. Then I confronted them.”
“And?”
“They ran away.” She hesitated. She had told the sheriff what really happened the night of the fire.
She wondered if she should admit the rest of it or let him make up his own story. “They put the gifts in their pockets and tried to run away. But they tripped and fell. I caught one of the men and pinned him down. I held him while the other man ran away.”
“You caught him?”
“Yes. I knew what he was doing.”
“Did you ask the men what they were doing at your house?”
“I told you. They were stealing. I don’t know what they were doing there. Why would they even bother visiting my family?”
“Are you sure you didn’t do anything wrong?”
Her mouth tightened. “No. I didn’t do anything wrong. I only watched them and tried to stop them. I didn’t have a gun and there were no other witnesses to what happened last night.”
The sheriff looked at her strangely.
“Don’t you believe me?” she asked.
He stared at her for several moments. “I suppose you have every reason to suspect that someone was stealing from your family.”
“Yes.”
“But why are you here?”
“I came to see if you had any more information on the case. I’m also curious to know what you’re doing to solve it. Why isn’t there more activity here?”
“We’re still investigating.”
“So how long will it take?”
“A few days. It might take longer because of the sheriff’s recent illness.”
Morgan nodded. The sheriff’s illness had given her an excuse to visit here again. Now she knew that the mayor was trying to protect her. The only person that mattered to her was her mother.
When she reached her room, she sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the sounds outside. The town seemed strangely quiet. She listened for a time, wondering what was going on. Finally, she heard the sound of someone riding.
It wasn’t the horse galloping through the streets, making its way to the saloon. The man was riding slowly, stopping and starting, as if he knew where he was going.
The rider passed by the saloon and rode past the sheriff’s office. He headed toward the boardinghouse. A moment later he stopped his horse outside Morgan’s door. There was silence, then the man knocked on the window.
Morgan went to the doorway to watch. The man dismounted and handed the reins to the stable boy. Then he walked around and opened the door.
Morgan was surprised when he entered without asking permission. He closed the door behind him.
“You know someone’s been stealing from you, don’t you?” he asked. “Is there anyone else who could be responsible for the theft? Anyone in town?”
She shook her head. “My family lives alone. We have no friends.” She waited for the man to say something. The silence felt awkward. “What are you doing here?” she asked finally.
“Taking a look around.”
She crossed her arms and stared at him. “Why?”
“Just curious.”
“You’re not really the sheriff.”
“No. But I’m working with him.”
Morgan raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t the only person involved in this mess. She wondered how close he and the sheriff were.
“You can tell him you met me,” he said. “I’m working with the sheriff to find out who did this. I’ll give you my card. If you think of anyone you haven’t already talked to, call me.”
Morgan took the card from him. He watched her as he walked out. Morgan sat back on the bed. That wasn’t exactly what she expected to hear. Still, she wanted to keep him talking.
“Do you mind telling me who you are?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” He stopped as if he wasn’t expecting her to question him. His gaze drifted to the door behind her. “I’ll be in town for a few days. I’d like to talk to you again. I’m staying at the boardinghouse, so you can come to my room.”
Morgan stared at him for a moment. He wasn’t a detective, but he was working with the sheriff to solve this case. She hadn’t known that.
“I’ll be back in town tomorrow,” she told him.
“Good. I’ll meet you at the mayor’s house.” He paused and looked at her. “Actually, I’ll be there to see the mayor.”
For the first time, Morgan noticed the man’s attire. He wore a dark brown suit, similar to the others worn by the people of this town.
“Are you from here?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“How did you end up in such a remote place?”
“That’s another story. Why aren’t you at the mayor’s today?”
“I didn’t feel like it. So what kind of story is that? And who are you working for?”
“I’m working for myself. I’m also helping the sheriff and several other people. I don’t want to give away too many details about our investigations.”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m a private eye.”
“A private eye? Who would hire a private eye?”
Morgan hesitated before answering. She had a feeling he wouldn’t believe her anyway. “Some wealthy ranchers and businessmen have their own detectives to protect them.”
He leaned against the wall and smiled. “And you’re one of these detectives? Or maybe you work for the government?”
“I guess I am.”
“What’s your name?” he asked. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you my name.” She stood and started to leave.
“Didn’t you just say you were meeting the mayor?”
Morgan turned around. “Yes, I do have to go now.”
“Then let’s talk again tomorrow.”
***
The next day, Morgan sat on the front porch waiting for the stranger. She was dressed casually, wearing a pair of faded jeans, black boots and a plaid shirt. She had her hair down, which wasn’t her usual style. She wondered why he’d be interested in meeting her again. He hadn’t said anything about their meeting the day before.
It didn’t take long before she saw him riding along the dirt road toward town. It was difficult to miss him. He was dressed much like Tom Lonescu, though he wore a light blue coat.
The stranger stopped his horse next to her. He held his hat in his hand and stared at her.
“Good morning,” she said quietly.
“Have we met somewhere before?” he asked.
She shook her head slowly. “We haven’t met.” She glanced at the man on the other side of the street. “But you look familiar.”
“You’re right. I’m sure I’ve seen you before.”
Morgan watched him get down from his horse. There were no other houses nearby; only the mayor’s modest home and church.
“Would you excuse us?” he said to her. He turned toward the mayor’s house and walked away.
Morgan watched him go. The stranger never looked back at her. She sat in the chair and waited for him to return.
Ten minutes later, he came walking down the street. She got up and followed him. He led her to the mayor’s front porch and sat across from her.
“I’m sorry for taking so long,” he said.
“You didn’t take that long,” she answered. “It’s not like you had to walk far.”
“That’s true. But it’s nice to sit down when I get the chance.” He studied her face. “So what can I do for you?”
“I want to ask you a few more questions about Mr. Lonescu.”
“What else should I tell you?”
“I’m not sure. Are you working with the sheriff?”
He laughed. “No. We haven’t met yet.”
“Are you trying to catch him?”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’m trying to stop him.”
“Does the sheriff know you’re looking for him?”
“Yes.”
“And the mayor knows you’re here?”
“Yes.” He paused. “What kind of man is Mr. Lonescu? What can you tell me about him?”
Morgan hesitated. She knew what he needed to find out and was going to tell him. She wanted him to help her. That wasn’t her main concern. She had something to hide and didn’t want anyone to figure it out.
“Where’s the mayor?” she asked. “I need to speak with him.”
“Why don’t you join us at the table.”
It took a moment for her to notice that the man had brought her lunch and was sitting across from her at the big table in the kitchen. She thanked the stranger and joined them.
“So, what can I do for you?” the mayor asked.
“Well, I thought it would be better if I spoke with both of you together.”
“Is there anything wrong?” the mayor asked. “If there is, please, just tell me.”
“Actually, there is. I received information that the mayor has been involved in some shady business dealings.”
“What kind of business dealings?”
“I can’t go into details. I’m not sure how much the sheriff already knows. But I don’t like the way this town’s being run, especially with all the suspicious activities lately. I thought it might be helpful to have an outsider look into things. You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about crime and corruption. So I’d like to hire you for the time being.”
“You want to put me on the payroll?”
“Of course.”
“I’ve already given you my word that I wouldn’t harm any of your men. And I plan to honor that promise.”
“How much will it cost to put you on the payroll?” the mayor asked.
“I don’t have any money. But I need the job.”
“All right.”
The mayor reached inside his pocket and handed her a check.
“Thank you,” she said as she accepted the check.
The mayor looked at Morgan. “Did you get all of the necessary information from the witness?”
“I did. He told me about the two murders. But there’s something else that concerns me.”
“What is it?”
“I learned that Mr. Lonescu had some kind of relationship with someone living in this house.”
“Who?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
“Do you mean the house behind us?” The mayor glanced at his house. “The mayor’s house?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “Why is that?”
“Well, it’s none of my concern, but you’d probably have more luck asking him yourself than talking to us,” he said. “He doesn’t stay long at the hotel—he leaves early and comes back late at night. But he does eat here occasionally.”
“When is the next time he’s coming here?”
“I’ll see what I can do. Why don’t you come back tomorrow?”
“Thank you.”
The stranger gave her a ride back to the hotel. They sat in the buggy for a while in silence. There was no one else around except for a single riderless horse on the street. She glanced at the mayor’s residence. A light shined through a window. “What do you think he’ll say?” she asked as she pointed at the house.
“I don’t know. It was the mayor’s idea to ask you. You could always walk up there and try it out, see if you can get a response.”
“What did you say his name was?”
“Mr. Lonescu?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“He’s the mayor’s friend.” He hesitated. “But they’re more like business partners.”
“Business partners?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Can I use your telephone?” she asked. “I need to make a call.”
“Sure.” He pulled back onto the street. “What will you say?”
“It’s important. I need to talk to Mr. Lonescu.”
“Don’t bother,” he replied. “Mr. Lonescu is never here. I can’t imagine the mayor is much different.”
“I’ll just try it out.”
She dialed the number and waited. No answer. She tried again. Still no answer. Then she remembered she’d forgotten to tell the operator to tell Mr. Lonescu that she was calling. She hung up.
“I need to call back,” she told him.
“I don’t know why you don’t just leave now. This whole place is a trap.”
“It’s nothing like that.”
Morgan walked down the sidewalk, toward the mayor’s home. The only thing that separated her from the house was the wooden fence and a chain-link gate. As she approached the gate, she noticed that it was open wide and she saw the man inside his house.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Mr. Lonescu. My name is Morgan.”
“You know Mr. Lonescu?”
“Yes. I’m looking for information on the murder. Have you seen him this afternoon?”
“What kind of information?”
“A murder. Two of them, actually.”
The man seemed surprised by her reply. “There are no murderers in our town,” he muttered with a scowl.
“I’m talking about two murders that took place here.”
“I didn’t hear anything about them!”
“Someone killed two people.”
“I’m sorry, miss. That’s none of my concern. It’s not even true. There’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“Then where are they?” She walked up to the man. “Where did they die?”
“In a nearby town.”
“Why aren’t you telling me everything? What about the murders?”
“They died elsewhere.”
“I’m not a detective yet. You’re wasting my time.”
“If you want to talk to someone who’s part of the investigation, you should ask the sheriff.” He pointed across the street to a small building. “That’s the office.”
She stepped closer to the man. “How did they die?”
“What do you care?”
“I think there’s a connection between their deaths and mine.”
“What’s your name?”
“Morgan.”
“I’ve never heard of you before,” he said as he looked at her. “But maybe I’ve heard of your family—”
“My family?”
“The ones who were killed.”
Her mind went blank. The mayor had mentioned that both families died in a fire. “Did it happen here?”
“No, it happened somewhere else.”
“Then you don’t know about it?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“I want to know what I should do. I want to go to the sheriff.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“What am I supposed to do then?”
“Just forget about it. You shouldn’t be involved in any of this.”
“You’re right. I’ll just turn around and go back to Chicago.”
“I don’t think you should go back.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Just let it go.”
“Will I meet you again?”
“You won’t, but I can give you some business cards. Maybe you could get a message to the sheriff.”
“I think I’ll call the police instead.” Morgan started walking back to the hotel. On her way there, a sudden thought occurred to her. “Do you have any children?”
“Children?”
“Any kids?”
“I don’t have any kids,” he snapped.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said.
“Are you sure you’re going to call the police?”
“Of course, I’m sure.”
“Well, I hope you do. We don’t want murderers in our town.”
As Morgan continued to walk to the hotel, thoughts of Tom and Milly ran through her head. She had seen them in the church. What if they were the ones murdered? What if she could find out more about the two murders and somehow connect them to the deaths of the O’Connors? Could it be possible that two strangers came into town and were murdered?
She had no idea what to expect or how she would start.
She sat in a booth, staring out at the street. After a few moments, she placed her order. The waitress brought her food. The aroma of roast beef and gravy filled her nose. She didn’t realize that she was hungry until now. When the meal arrived, she ate slowly.
On her first day in town, she hadn’t been able to do much. She’d only met two people so far: the mayor and the sheriff. But she would have to get to know them better.
“What are you thinking about over there?”
Morgan turned toward the voice. It belonged to a woman. She was pretty, but her face held an air of authority. Her hair wasn’t red, but orange with streaks of copper. She wore a light brown dress.
“Oh, I was just thinking about my family and wondering what to do next.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your family,” the woman said. Then she looked at her watch. “I’m afraid I need to go inside soon.”
“Yes, but I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me? For what?”
“For inviting us to the dinner dance tonight.”
“I don’t remember doing that.”
“You did, and we accepted. We couldn’t refuse such generosity. If it’s at all possible—”
“It’s not,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
The woman gave her a sad look. “Please enjoy your evening. It’s on me.”
“Thank you.”
“Excuse me?” The waitress walked up to the booth. “Can I take your order? You were just here. Can I bring you another drink?”
“Yes, please.” Morgan waved to get the woman’s attention. “There was a woman who invited us to the dance.”
“Yes?”
“She’s a good friend of yours. Her name is Mina.”
“Oh yes. I remember her.” The woman smiled. “She’s a dear and always makes my job easier.”
“I hope so too.”
“I’m glad to see you’re getting along well here in my hometown. I don’t think anyone could get along better than you have already.”
“Really? Thank you.”
“If you need anything, ask anyone for me. Just tell them you’re calling Mina. They’ll help you out.”
“I will,” Morgan said.
As the waitress left, the woman’s attention returned to her. “Don’t worry about the murderer. No one in town knows anything, and that’s the truth. Just let the sheriff handle it and move forward.”
“That’s all I can do.”
“I wish I could say more, but it’s really none of my business.”
“Why don’t you come to dinner tonight, and maybe we can talk more then? I’d like that very much.”
“I would too. I’m looking forward to meeting you.”
The End