Hollywood Perfect Smile
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The first thing that came to her mind when she walked into the waiting room was Hollywood, and it wasn’t because of any movie stars. It reminded her so much of the old-fashioned theaters on the east coast with their high ceilings and gold leaf molding.
The only difference was this theater had no stage or auditorium where performers performed for an audience. Instead, there were rows of chairs facing a small platform with two desks—one in front and one behind the stage.
She hadn’t been here long when a man wearing a suit similar to what she’d seen at the sheriff’s office walked up to her. “I’m looking for my brother.” Her voice sounded higher than normal and she hoped he wouldn’t notice.
“He isn’t working today,” the man said as though he already knew who she was even before she introduced herself. He looked familiar but she couldn’t place his face. She didn’t know why she thought so; they hadn’t spoken since the night she left him standing on the street corner.
Then again, maybe they had. Maybe this was someone from the saloon? Or maybe he owned it? She glanced around and saw several men in suits staring back at her. All of them wore black hats that covered all of their hair except for a thin strip across their forehead.
“What does your brother do?”
“He’s the best dentist in town.” The man paused for a moment to stare at her. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
“Thank you.” Why did people always compliment her about her looks instead of asking questions that might actually tell her something useful? “Do you see your brother often?”
“I don’t get many women coming to visit me.” His tone told her he considered himself very lucky. “But I’ve never seen you before.”
“That’s because we just met,” she lied. “My name is Maggie.”
“Are you visiting your brother, Mr. Smith?” The older man behind the desk called out to him.
A smile spread over his handsome face and he nodded once before turning toward the desk. “Yes, that’s right. Can you tell me where he is?”
The man pointed toward the stage then went back to work typing on his computer keyboard.
“Mr. Smith!” A young woman with a clipboard appeared next to him and placed both hands on his shoulders as she bent down near his ear. “We have a patient waiting for you in the chair.”
Her eyes narrowed and she glared at the man. “I’ll be right there,” the man answered and walked away without another word. The woman followed him like she wanted to say something more but kept quiet.
Maggie took a seat while she waited for Robert to return. She watched him work on some of the other patients. One man was having a filling replaced and another was getting his teeth cleaned. They didn’t seem to mind the presence of the pretty redhead in the room; most likely because they’d known Robert for years.
Robert returned and sat down beside her. “Sorry about that.” He smiled as he handed her a glass of water. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better.” She sipped from the glass. She noticed his hand resting on top of hers as they talked. The contact sent a warm tingle through her. She wondered if he was attracted to her or if he was only being nice. “Did your brother find out anything?”
“Just some more information about my father.” He hesitated for a minute before continuing. “I’m sorry I left you standing outside.”
“No, it was fine.” She tried not to let her disappointment show. “It was very kind of you to walk me home last night.”
“I didn’t want you to get lost.” His dark eyes searched hers. “And I figured it would be safer for you if you stayed close to town.”
“Maybe it would have been,” she whispered. She’d had enough of getting lost. And it wasn’t just getting lost that bothered her; it was losing something valuable and precious. She was still trying to come to grips with the loss and didn’t want to talk about it now. But she didn’t expect him to bring it up either. “Your brother said you were in prison once?”
“Not exactly.” He reached for his cup of coffee. “There was a riot at the jail and I got caught up in it.”
“I’m sorry you—” Her words ended in a gasp when Robert pulled his chair closer to hers and set his hand on her knee. She felt a shiver run through her body at his touch, and the heat that spread through her veins made her feel dizzy. Was it possible that he could make her forget about everything that had happened in the past few days?
“Don’t worry about it.” His voice was low and soft, and he gave her knee a gentle squeeze.
She swallowed hard and forced herself not to pull away from his touch. It had been so long since anyone touched her that she couldn’t remember what it was like before that night in the alley. And she sure as hell didn’t want to remember. No matter how much her body yearned for him, she refused to give in and allow him any part of her heart—or body.
“So why did you go to prison?” She glanced down at their hands resting on her knee. “Were you guilty of something?”
“Actually, no one knows.” He shrugged. “They just thought I was.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “My mother died during childbirth and my father remarried. My new stepmother didn’t like me very much, which isn’t unusual for stepchildren.”
“I’m sorry.” The sympathy in her voice surprised her. “You must have loved your real mother very much.”
“I miss them both,” he said quietly. “If only…” He shook his head.
She watched him for a minute until she finally understood what he was trying to say. There was a sadness in his eyes and a hint of regret. She knew what that meant. He missed his family but he probably hadn’t spoken of his feelings to anyone in years. “Do you ever see your brother?” she asked.
“Sometimes.” He paused and looked toward the door again. “He’s busy working these days.” He turned to Maggie again with a small smile. “But I’ll introduce you if we ever meet again.”
She nodded. She wouldn’t have expected Robert to ask her out again, especially after what he’d learned about her. But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy talking to him. She liked his honesty and easy manner, and the way he listened attentively to whatever she said.
Maybe he was just being polite; maybe there was nothing between them. But if she were honest with herself, she’d admit that she hoped there was. She wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him, to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to learn all the things he had to teach her.
She wanted to share every day with him and laugh over the simple pleasures life offered. And she wanted to love someone and feel accepted by him in spite of her past. She might never have the chance to do those things but she’d settle for a friendship at least.
As she walked back to the boardinghouse, she kept thinking about the future. What would happen tomorrow or next week? Or even next year? She’d heard plenty of stories about people who changed their names and moved towns.
Some became wealthy while others sank deeper into poverty. She couldn’t help wondering where she’d end up and what she’d have to do in order to stay alive. But she also realized that she couldn’t spend her time worrying about the unknown.
She had to face the fact that she was in Montana, far from home and without any family or friends, and she’d have to figure out some way to survive. That was what she was good at; that was what she’d always done. So she’d just have to keep doing it.
***
“It’s a shame about Miss Mary.” Robert sat across the table from Maggie in the dining room of the boardinghouse. She glanced at the clock above the mantel. It was almost eleven o’clock. If he left soon, he should have enough daylight left to ride home and get his horse. But instead of leaving right away, he leaned forward and picked up his coffee cup. “How are you feeling today?”
“A little better than yesterday.” She took a sip of her own coffee and waited for him to speak, but he remained quiet for several minutes. Then he cleared his throat and said, “You can tell me now if there is anything you want to talk about.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Talk about what?”
“Anything.” His tone was serious. “Maybe I can offer some advice.”
She laughed softly and shook her head. “No offense, Mr. Davenport, but I don’t think you’ve had any experience in the romance department. Besides, you’re only here because I told you to come.”
He grinned, then reached over and squeezed her knee for a moment. “You’re too smart for your own good.” He set his coffee cup back on the table and stood up. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you alone.”
“Where are you going?”
“To check on my horses.” He paused for a moment to look at her, and she could see the question in his eyes. “I hope you feel better soon.”
“Me too.” She smiled at him as he started to walk away. As he got to the door, he turned around and added, “Good night,” and stepped outside into the cool air.
Maggie watched him go, and when she saw him mount his horse and ride down the street, she felt relieved. She wasn’t sure how he’d react to what she had to say but she’d been afraid he might decide to call the marshal himself and report her.
After he was gone, she thought about his words about Mary. “It’s a shame about Miss Mary.” She frowned. She didn’t know why he’d said that and didn’t really care. What mattered most was finding out who killed her.
***
The morning was cold and clear. The sky was blue and cloudless, and the sun warmed Maggie’s face as she walked along the sidewalk in front of the boardinghouse. Her stomach rumbled at the smell of frying bacon coming from the kitchen of one of the houses on the other side of the street.
She wished she were eating breakfast instead of waiting in the dining room for someone to show up. A couple of men entered the diner and stopped behind her, so she turned around and looked at them curiously.
They seemed to be staring at her rather intently but they quickly walked inside, leaving her alone. She turned around and continued walking until she came to a vacant lot. There, she pulled her hat off and placed it on the ground beside her.
She didn’t want to be seen leaving the boardinghouse. So she climbed onto a stone wall that ran around the empty lot and sat down. From this vantage point, she could see the street that led to the boardinghouse. At the same time, she could avoid being spotted by anyone who happened to drive past.
She took out her notebook and wrote, “I can’t believe you left.”
Then she stared at the blank page for a long time before she folded it and stuffed it back into her pocket. After a few moments, she got up and went to the end of the wall. She looked through the glass window in the door to the dining room and saw that the place was full of people.
She sighed loudly and walked away from the building, climbing up onto another wall where she could watch for anyone approaching. But after a while, she grew bored with sitting quietly and returned to the boardinghouse.
When Maggie entered the dining room, she found Robert seated at the table nearest the door. She couldn’t help smiling as she walked toward him. But she noticed immediately that something was wrong. She knew instantly that he hadn’t ridden over to the ranch house to ask permission to marry her.
His expression was solemn and serious, and she wondered if he was thinking about his father. He didn’t even glance at her as she approached the table. Instead, he kept looking down at his lap and didn’t bother to stand up to greet her. “You look like you’re having a bad day.”
He nodded, not saying a word.
“What’s wrong? Did you find out who killed Mary?”
He shook his head and looked up at her. “It’s worse than that.”
“Worse?” She tried to sound calm and collected, but she didn’t quite manage it.
“Much worse.”
She sat down across from him and waited for him to continue.
“There was evidence at the scene that Mary may have been murdered more than once.”
Her brow furrowed. “More than one time?”
“Yes.”
“Was it a man or woman?”
“A woman,” he said simply. “And she has a history of mental illness.”
Maggie gasped and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table. “Did you tell the sheriff?”
“I did.”
“Why would you do such a thing?”
He shrugged and looked out the window. “Because I think she deserves justice.”
“Justice?” She frowned and put her hand on top of his. “That’s not justice,” she argued. “Someone should be held responsible for killing her.”
“But you don’t know if she was actually killed.”
“Of course I know she was killed!” She pulled her hand away from his and folded her arms across her chest. “If someone had killed her, there wouldn’t have been any evidence.”
“No one knows who killed her, Maggie.” His voice sounded sad, and she realized he must be feeling guilty. “I only found out about it yesterday. And I only told the marshal because it seems obvious to me that she was murdered.”
“How do you figure that?”
He hesitated for a moment before answering. “When I asked Mary about her brother, she refused to talk about it, even when I threatened to turn her over to the marshals.”
“So what does that mean?” She didn’t understand. “Could it be that her brother committed the murder?”
“That is certainly possible, but no one can say for sure. It’s just a theory,” he said. Then after a pause, he added, “Or maybe it means nothing at all.”
“Maybe it means nothing at all,” she agreed. But she wasn’t convinced. She felt certain that her friend had been murdered, and she wanted someone to be brought to justice for it.
Robert seemed to sense her concern. “Don’t worry about me,” he assured her. “The sheriff will find out who killed her.”
She nodded and looked down at their hands. She was grateful that he didn’t try to kiss her again; he probably thought she’d rebuffed him last night, so he didn’t try today. Instead, he reached over and squeezed her hand. After a few seconds, she glanced up and saw that he was staring out the window. She turned back around and studied him closely. “Is everything okay?”
He smiled and gave her a quick squeeze. “I’m fine now.”
She nodded and sat quietly for a while before she spoke again. “Tell me about this mystery woman. What’s her name?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to tell you her name until we have reason to believe that she killed Mary.”
“Oh.”
“It doesn’t seem right that some unknown woman should get all the attention.”
“But it could still be her.”
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
She didn’t answer, and after another minute, he broke the silence.
“Do you remember how much money you gave Mary last year?” he asked.
“Yes.” She remembered vividly. “She was in dire need of financial help, and I decided to give her a small loan so she could buy a few things.”
He frowned for a second before speaking again. “Well, that woman was Mary’s sister.”
She stared at him, surprised by his words, then turned toward the window. She didn’t know why Mary had kept her relationship with her sister secret, but she couldn’t imagine any good reason. In fact, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. The woman was a thief and a con artist. If anyone deserved to be punished for killing Mary, it was her. “Why didn’t you tell the marshal this right away?” she finally demanded.
“Because I don’t want to accuse an innocent person without proof.”
“You were willing to accuse me of murder.”
“That wasn’t my fault.” He looked hurt as he answered, and she regretted bringing it up. “I never said you killed Mary,” he added quickly.
“Then what happened with her?”
“After the marshals arrived at the ranch house, they took us into custody and questioned us separately.” He paused for a moment and then continued. “They asked me if I knew the whereabouts of Mary’s sister.”
“What did you tell them?”
“Nothing. That was the first time I heard the rumor.”
“But you must have suspected something,” she argued.
He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Actually, I didn’t suspect anything,” he admitted. “Until the marshals showed up at our door.”
“What do you mean?”
“I assumed that Mary had mentioned her sister when she asked me to take care of her affairs, and I hadn’t known about it until the marshals appeared. But I had no idea Mary’s sister was a criminal.”
She nodded in understanding. “And you were afraid to tell the marshals because you might have implicated yourself.”
“Something like that.”
“So now what?” She turned back to look at him, but she didn’t feel reassured.
He stood up and stretched his arms above his head, causing the shirt he wore to slip off his shoulder. She caught sight of a large, dark tattoo on the left side of his chest, and for a moment she was too mesmerized to speak. “I’m going to go check on our horses,” he told her. “Are you hungry?”
“I am, but I think I’ll wait until later.”
As he started out of the room, she called after him, “Wait!”
He turned around. “What?”
“Wouldn’t you rather ride back to town with me?” she asked. “Just in case the marshal shows up.”
For a moment he hesitated, then shook his head. “I don’t think that would be wise.”
“Why? It’s safer than riding alone.”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“Because if someone else has seen you or recognizes your face, the marshals will want to question you instead of me.”
“Oh.” She realized that he was right. “Okay, I understand.”
The End