"I thought you might like to see the afternoon paper," Soapy said over breakfast just three days after Heyes and Curry left a sealed note for Harry Briscoe at the Waldorf Hotel.
Heyes took the offered paper and read the headline aloud to Kid. "Bannerman Detective Puts the Crimp on Barbary Coast Crimping."
Heyes folded the newspaper and handed it back to Soapy. "We appreciate the help you gave us, Soapy. Harry couldn't have done that without your help."
"According to the article, your Bannerman friend is on his way back to the main office where he is expected to receive a reward as well as a promotion."
"A promotion?" Kid said with some obvious exasperation. "Harry couldn't have managed to get himself crimped, and here he is getting a promotion. Something is wrong with this world, Heyes."
"Speaking of something being wrong, you seem to be managing quite well here in San Francisco, Kid," Soapy said
Kid nodded and sipped his ginger root tea. "Doing well if you don't mind starving in the process," Kid grumbled
"Now Kid, just a couple of more days and they'll start working them foods back in to your diet."
Kid nodded. "None to soon if you ask me."
"Do the two of you have anything planned for today?"
"I thought I'd settle in with that book about herbs and spices," Heyes said.
"What about you, Kid?"
"Well if Heyes is gonna spend the day with his nose in a book, I might just go take a walk."
Heyes looked up from his breakfast. "You think you should do that alone?"
"I haven't had an attack since we got here. I'll be fine," Kid said emphatically.
"Maybe you ought to take the pills with you, just in case."
Kid wanted to protest, but there was logic in Heyes' suggestion so he just gave Heyes a consenting nod.
"How about you, Soapy? Any plans?"
"I am actually having lunch with a lady friend," he said with a smile.
"Still got the old charm, don't you Soapy?" Heyes said with a smile.
Kid got up from the table and held his hand out to Heyes who looked questioningly, then realized what Kid was waiting for and he pulled the bottle from his pocket and handed it to his partner.
"I won't be gone more than a couple of hours," Kid said and slipped the bottle into his vest pocket.
Kid was actually on a mission and he walked out of the house and headed down Hyde Street. Returning to the clothier shop, Kid stepped inside.
"May I help you Sir?"
Kid was relieved to see it was the same gentlemen that was working the day he and Heyes had visited the store several days before.
"I was in here a few days ago with my partner..."
"I remember that, Sir."
Kid smiled. "Yes, I'm sure you do. My partner liked one particular hat."
"The black Bowler, Sir."
"Yes, I believe that was the one. I'd like to buy that."
The gentleman went to the shelf and scanned the black Bowlers until he came to the exact one that had fit Heyes. "I believe this is the hat, Sir."
Kid nodded. "I believe you're right."
"Would there be anything else?"
"No, not at the moment."
The gentlemen walked behind the counter to the register and rang up the hat. "That will be five dollars, Sir."
Kid laid the money on the counter. "I was wondering, could you have it delivered?"
"There is an additional one dollar fee for delivery."
"Fine."
"Of course, Sir. What is the address?"
Kid wrote the address on a piece of paper and the clerk picked it up to place it with the hat.
"This is the correct address, Sir?"
Kid nodded.
"You are...acquainted with Mr. Sullivan?"
"Acquainted? Why we are very good friends. In fact we've been guests of Mr. Sullivan's while we are visiting this fine city."
"There will be no delivery charge, Sir."
"Well, thank you. Can it be delivered this afternoon?"
"Of course, Sir."
"Appreciate that. You have a good day," Kid said and turned and left the store.
When Kid returned to the house, Soapy had already left for his lunch date. Kid walked in to the study where Heyes was sitting comfortably in a chair reading the book about herbs and spices. Kid smiled at the thought of Heyes being concerned enough to broaden his knowledge on the subject. Kid walked over and sat own in the settee, managing to sprawl himself over most of it.
"Good walk?"
"Uh-uh."
"Tired?"
"Nope."
Heyes closed his book and looked at Kid. "Bored?"
"Kinda."
"Got anything in mind?"
"Thought it might be nice to rent a couple of horses and take a ride into the hills a ways."
Heyes smiled. "You starting to feel hemmed in with the city?"
Kid nodded but didn't reply.
"Okay. Let me go get my boots and we'll go find a livery."
As Heyes started up the stairs the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it, Chester," Heyes called to the Butler.
Answering the door, Heyes was greeted by a man holding a large hat box.
"A delivery for a Joshua Smith."
"That's me, Heyes said and reached in to his pocket for a dollar to tip the man.
"Thank you, Sir," the man said and turned and headed back to his wagon.
Heyes returned to the study with the box.
"I got a package," he told Kid who did not bother looking up.
"What is it?" Kid asked.
Heyes set the box on the table and carefully opened the lid. Kid watched as Heyes smiled and lifted the black Bowler hat from the box and slipped it on his head.
"Kid, you didn't have to do this. I know how much it set you back."
"Well, your suit is bad enough, Heyes, and that old hat doesn't do anything to help it along. Besides, you've been very patient with all this asthma stuff and with my doubts about the amnesty and...well I just want you to know I appreciate it."
Heyes looked at his partner and smiled. "Thank you, Kid."
"Now go get your boots on and lets go for a ride."
0-0-0-0-0-
They spent several hours riding lazily through the hills surrounding the city, admiring the ocean views, exploring the countryside, sometimes talking and sometimes enjoying the silence. It was the kind of day Kid enjoyed the most.
"You're getting tired of the city, aren't you?" Heyes asked.
Kid reached down to pat the horses neck. "They're alright to visit. Wouldn't want to set down roots in one."
"Might only be a couple of more weeks, you know."
Kid nodded. "Don't seem like we've accomplished too much, though. Still don't know the cause, and without that, it can flare up any time."
"But the pills help."
Kid rolled his yeses. "Yeah, the pills help."
They were silent for a few minutes.
"Been given any thought to the amnesty?"
Kid sighed heavily. "Well, we've been here a few weeks and haven't have any trouble so, maybe we don't have to go to Mexico. Maybe there's a place besides San Francisco and Devil's Hole where we can...find some...safe haven."
"Does that mean you want to keep trying for the amnesty?"
"Means I'm willing to keep trying for the amnesty. I don't know if I'm ever going to want to...Do you know what I mean, Heyes? What I'm trying to say?"
Heyes nodded.."I think so. And when we do leave here, Kid. That's what we'll look for... a place that can serve as a... home base for us."
Kid nodded. "That's all I want, Heyes... A home base. A place to come back to, that's safe and comfortable."
Heyes reached in to his pocket and pulled out something that he kept his hand tightly wrapped around. He held his hand out to Kid. "I got something for you, too." he said.
Kid looked at Heyes' closed fist.
"What is it?"
"Hold your hand out."
Kid held out his hand and Heyes dropped the object into Kid's hand.
"A padlock and a key?"
"I figure you're gonna know when you've found that home base. That is the lock and key for it."
Kid smiled as he gazed at the shiny new padlock. "Thanks, Heyes."
0-0-0-0-0-
Two days later they sat in Doctor Ingrahm's office looking over the list of foods.
"We'll reintroduce two foods this week and watch for any reactions. Why don't you choose the two foods, Thaddeus."
"Well, I'm pretty sure it ain't fish and it ain't eggs, and I doubt if it's cow's milk. I hardly ever eat peanuts or tree nuts. Being as we're in San Francisco, why not start with shellfish and wheat I guess."
"Try to eat one or the other every day, but not both on the same day. If you start having any respiratory difficulties, we will likely discover the culprit.." Doctor Ingrahm told him.
"What happens if we don't find a cause?" Kid asked.
"Well, we can continue trying until we do, we would likely start looking at things other than food, things in your particular environment."
"This could take a very long time, couldn't it?"
"It could. Hopefully it won't."
"I'm just not sure how much more time I'm willing to put in to this," Kid said.
"I understand your frustration Mr. Jones. I wish there was a faster, more accurate way to determine the cause."
"Well, I know you're doing all you can. I know it ain't your fault if nothing turns up."
"While I don't wish an asthma attack on anyone, I do hope we find an answer for you quickly. You've still not had any attacks?"
"Not since I started drinking that ginger tea."
"Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones, Mr. Jones. Maybe the tea will keep things under control for you."
Walking back to Soapy's, they stopped in the neighborhood grocery for more ginger root.
"Well, shall we carry on the tradition?" Kid asked as he paid for the ginger root.
"What tradition?"
"A beer, Heyes."
Heyes smiled. "I do like that tradition, Kid."
They walked into a neighborhood bar and ordered beers.
"You know, I still can't get over Harry getting a promotion for something that Soapy's friends actually accomplished.
Heyes smiled. "Well if we're lucky, he'll get promoted to a desk job and we won't ever risk running into him again," Heyes said with a laugh.
"Harry in a desk job telling other people what to do"
"It is hard to be... Kid?" Heyes asked when he saw Kid with his elbows leaning against the bar, sucking in air that whistled with every breath.
"You got the pills with you?"
Kid nodded as he focused on breathing.
"Where?"
'Ppp...pock...et"
Heyes reached into Kid's vest pocket and puled out the bottle of pills. He pulled a pill from the bottle and held it out to Kid who was obviously struggling to breathe.
"Stand up straight," Heyes ordered and, when Kid didn't move, Heyes pulled him upright. Heyes then shoved the pill under Kid's tongue.
"Everything alright?" the bartender asked. "What wrong with him?"
"Just having some trouble breathing. He'll be alright in a minute."
The breathing did begin to ease but this time it did not fully resolve and the whistling, though less pronounced, did persist.
Just then Heyes spied the bowl of peanuts on the bar not far from Kid's elbow.
"Get those peanuts away from him!" Heyes shouted to the bartender who quickly grabbed the bowl and moved it to the far end of the bar.
Heyes watch his partner with great trepidation and breathed a sigh of relief when Kid's breathing slowly began to return to normal.
"It's the peanuts," Heyes told him.
"I didn't eat any," Kid replied, still panting but without any whistling.
"I don't think you have to. I think you must be so allergic to them that just being that close to em triggers you into an asthma attack."
Kid looked at Heyes and slowly a very relieved smile crossed his face. "Well, I can stay away from peanuts."
"Let's go back an see if Dr. Ingraham has time to talk to us. Otherwise it's gonna be a week before we can tell him."
Kid nodded and they headed out of the saloon and back to the hospital.
Heyes explained to the receptionist why they were there and she told him the doctor was in with another patient but would see them when he was finished. They waited for nearly an hour before Dr. Ingrahm appeared and led them back into his office where both Heyes and Kid told him what had just happened.
"It certainly sounds like you may have found the answer. I still want you to just add shellfish and wheat to your diet this week. When you come back next week, I'll have a list of foods that use peanuts or peanut oil in their ingredients. In the meantime, try to stay away from anything containing peanuts or peanut oil."
"Can an allergy just spring up like that?" Kid asked. "I've eaten peanuts before without have any problems."
"It is not common, but allergies can spring up like that. You were lucky to have discovered the allergy before something far worse happened. Now you should be able to minimize the occurrence of such attacks."
They walked out of the doctor's office feeling far more optimistic than either had felt in a very long time.
"Let's take the trolley back to Soapy's," Kid suggested.
"You in a hurry to get back?"
"I want to get back before dinner gets started. I think we should take Soapy out to supper. You know, thank him for all he's done."
"Got anyplace in mind?"
"Well, I'm supposed to start eating shellfish, so the Wharf sounds like as good a place as any."
"That sounds like a fine idea."