The Night of the Absentee Agent
Chapter 5
The Plot Thickens
Artie practically sat down on the floor where he stood, such was his surprise. For the moment he couldn't tell if it was a pleasant one or not.
"See, Kate, there was no need to worry. I told you I'd bring him back safe and sound, didn't I?" he heard North say. So her name was Kate.
"I've missed you, Kate," Artie thought he ought to say.
"I should think so; I haven't laid eyes on you for two months." She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "There's something different about you," she said.
"Evidently his memory has turned into a cheese omelette," North supplied.
Artie couldn't help smiling at North's wit. He was the sort of man that Artie could imagine himself being friends with, under different circumstances.
"Cheese omelette?" Kate asked, puzzled.
"It's just one of his jokes," Artie explained. "Don't pay any attention to him. I've just had a blow to the head, that's all, and it's left me with a few holes in my memory." Somehow he didn't feel comfortable lying to this woman but he had to keep up the pretence that he'd been in an accident as it was the only way to explain his lack of knowledge of the situation around him.
"My poor darling," Kate said. Artie smiled at her. Part of him was really enjoying having a ready-made wife. However, it might be a problem keeping her at a distance. There was no way he was going to sleep with another man's wife, let alone his own brother's.
"There's blood on your clothes," she suddenly realised, catching sight of the staining on his waistcoat.
"I was nicked by a bullet, nothing serious," Artie explained. "Which reminds me, I really must take a bath and change into some clean clothes." He picked up the bags he'd brought in with and headed for the door.
"Let me come with you," Kate said, falling in by his side.
"I don't want you seeing my wound," Artie said, not wanting her to for several reasons, foremost of which was that she wasn't his wife and secondly, he didn't actually have any wounds. Thankfully, she nodded and turned away.
ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo
Sitting in the bath, Kate filled Artie's thoughts. He wished he could have a little more time to get to know her better. She was after all his sister-in-law. She must be quite plucky to have married a criminal. He had guessed it wasn't because she was squeamish that she'd agreed not to go with him to tend his wound but because she was sensitive to his wishes when it came to protecting her. But it would be best if he managed to send her away. She'd find out the truth about what had really happened to her husband in due time. The thought of her visiting him in prison somehow upset him. If she was mixed up in the counterfeiting plan she'd end up in prison too. That was too much to contemplate.
He decided to stop thinking about his family and concentrate on his assignment instead. Obviously, because of the way they had left the hospital, he couldn't expect that any agents were keeping tabs on him, so he had no back-up to rely on. He assessed the danger he was in and couldn't say that he felt at all intimidated by Marshall North. He couldn't understand why Adolphus had begged him not to go and warned him of walking into danger.
Once he was clean and fresh and dressed in his new clothing, Artie went back to the room to continue playing his part, making sure to pin a grin on his face before he went through the door.
Kate and North were playing cards but both looked up when he entered.
"There you are at last," North said, throwing down his cards and walking toward Artie. He was smiling as usual. He and Adolphus were two of the most cheerful people he thought he'd ever met. They were plainly very happy with their lifestyle.
"How do I look?" Artie asked.
"Much better." For the first time Artie saw a cloud cover his partner's face. "But I'm worried you're not well enough to carry out our plans," North said. "After all, you have been wounded and you suffered quite a bad blow to the head. Maybe you should recuperate for a while. Perhaps I'm being selfish in dragging you away from your wife."
Artie was taken aback at the sensitivity of the man in front of him. He really seemed to care for Adolphus. He was reminded of his other partner. Maybe West and North weren't that far apart.
"I'm not saying I'm not tempted," Artie said, bowing to his wife, who returned his glance with a saucy look, "but I'm not about to let you handle things on your own. I'm coming with you and that's that, as far as I'm concerned."
North was smiling again. "Well, I thought I ought to give you the choice but I'm really glad you decided to come with me. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it on my own." So saying, he clasped Artie's shoulders and briefly hugged him to him. "You're the brother I wish I'd had," he said, and Artie thought he could detect moisture around his eyes. Before he could be sure, North had turned away and was addressing Kate. "Looks like your loss is my gain," he said.
"Just make sure you take good care of him," she said, hugging North in turn. "Where are you going anyway, is it another job?"
"You could say that," North replied, giving Artie a conspiratorial look. So Kate wasn't mixed up in the counterfeiting plan. Artie was relieved. Hopefully she could be kept out of the whole business.
"You can stay in this room until I send word to you, Kate," North continued. "Sam and I had better leave for New York, if we want to be there before nightfall."
New York, Artie thought. If I get a chance I'll telegraph Washington with the information. Get some back-up out there to meet us.
ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo
During the train journey, it was obvious that North wanted to get something off his chest. He sighed a few times and fidgeted in his seat. At last Artie took the bull by the horns.
"If you have something you want to say to me just spit it out," he said.
"It's about Kate," North began and Artie's heart lurched. Was this going to be bad news for his twin? Was there something between her and North?
"Yes?" he said warily
"I don't mean to interfere but I don't think you treated her very well," North said. "She's a great wife to you and she deserved better than that."
"What?" Artie asked, completely caught off guard.
"She's been so worried about you since we heard about the hold up on the train and you did nothing to reassure her. You wouldn't even let her help you when she offered. I know Kate, she wouldn't press the issue or let you know how much you hurt her. She's always there for you and the least you could have done was have a proper reunion with her. I was waiting for you to tell me to get lost so you two could get down to it but it never even occurred to you, did it?"
"Well, I..."
"You seem to have changed since I first saw you in that hospital bed. You're not more seriously hurt than you're letting on are you?" he suddenly demanded.
"No, I'm fine. Look, this isn't really any of your business," Artie said. He didn't like finding himself in a false position for which he had no plausible explanation.
"Sam, I thought we'd come further than that. You and Kate are like family to me. I hate to see things not right between you."
"Well, I'll make it up to her when we get back, okay." Suddenly an idea occurred to him that would suit his purposes very well. "Tell you what, I'll send her a telegraph when we reach New York, how's that?"
"That's more like it," North said, his grin once more in evidence, as he patted Artie on the back.
ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo
"Where do we go now?" Artie asked North, once they had arrived in New York.
"A little place in Orange County called Cooperstown. There's an old house and a parcel of land just outside town where my father used to breed horses. In fact, I grew up there. That's where we'll find the plates."
Artie was surprised to hear of North's auspicious beginnings and wondered had prompted him to leave home and head west. They hired horses for the last part of their journey to Cooperstown. Artie spotted a telegraph office almost as soon as they got there.
"Will your family be expecting us?" Artie asked.
North laughed. "My mother died when I was a child and my father was killed in a horse-riding accident a few years ago. The house has been empty ever since then."
"I'm sorry," Artie said. "It won't matter then if I go and send that telegram to Kate now then?"
"Not at all, I'll be in the saloon when you're finished."
It didn't take Artie too long to send the telegram to Colonel Richmond and another to Sam's wife. He thought he owed it to her to at least let her know they were all right. He caught up with North in the saloon, nursing a glass of whisky.
"All done?" North asked.
"Yes, thank you. I let Kate know we're all right. I take it she doesn't know what we're doing here."
"No, and she would only worry if she did. Do you want a drink?"
"No thanks, I'd like to get on, if it's all right with you, and do what we came here for."
"Fine, it'll be dark in about an hour or two. I suggest we book a room upstairs and rest for a bit. It could be a long night."
Artie nodded and followed North to the bar where he paid cash for the night and then followed him up the stairs. The room was basic but the double bed was acceptably comfortable. Their journey had been an uneventful one, but also very long one. They removed their boots and gun-belts and collapsed onto the bed, where both of them soon fell into a doze.
ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo
Both men were peckish when they awoke. Luckily Artie had some beef jerky in his saddle bag. They both had some before packing up their horses and heading out to the old North house. Artie was glad that he would soon have his hands on the plates and he could go back to his job with Jim on the Wanderer. But, at the same time, he knew he would be sad to see North arrested. He had come to know and like him over the last couple of days.
North dismounted from his horse quite a way from the house and motioned for Artie to do the same. Artie was confused as to why they couldn't just ride up to the front door. According to North the house had been empty for years. Holding back the need to ask questions, Artie followed North as he sneaked up on one of the downstairs window at the rear of the house and quietly raised the sash. He signalled to Artie to follow him and they both entered what looked like the back parlour. Artie could hear voices coming from somewhere in the house and began to wonder if North had recruited a gang to help him with the counterfeiting.
"They're in the basement," North whispered to him. He crept to the door, opened it a crack, and looked into the corridor outside. The noise of voices became louder. North shut the door again and turned to Artie. "I didn't expect there to be so many people here. Maybe we should leave and wait until they settle down for the night."
Artie, nodded, now completely confused as to what was going on. However, the obvious need for silence kept him from questioning his companion.
The two men went to the window and were about to climb out when a figure appeared in the moonlight, blocking their path.
"Well, well, well Marsh, what a surprise," a voice said.
Artie looked behind him to see if escape through the house would be possible but there was a man standing in the doorway. He turned back in time hear North say, "Sam, allow me to introduce you to my twin brother, Morgan North."
Then someone hit him on the head and he blacked out.
ooooooooooo0ooooooooooo