15

Ultima cantered the flashy mare Adam had bought her as a birthday gift a few months earlier down the worn road to Virginia City. It had been the day before her birthday and Adam had stepped into the house and bellowed for her to come out. Ultima fumed; she had spoken to him so many times about calling out to her as if she were someone to order about so she had stepped out on the porch, cross and ready to chastise her husband for yelling for her like a barbarian. But Adam had just grinned and then Ultima saw the horse as Old Cletus, smiling, held its reins.

Adam had been pleased to see Ultima so happy with the chestnut mare with the flaxen mane and tail. He had been looking for weeks to find a horse that he hoped she would like yet was easy to manage; Ultima had scant experience riding horses.

"Oh, Adam, she's beautiful!" Ultima stroked the horse's smooth, velvety muzzle as the horse pushed into her cupped palm. "I think she wants a treat."

Adam moved up behind Ultima, wrapped his arms around her waist while Cletus averted his eyes. He was an old man but he still remembered the fire that built inside a man when he was near a beautiful woman, especially one he could have.

Adam leaned down and pressed his lips into Ultima's neck and then whispered next to her ear, "I would like a little treat as well, wife, and now that you have your horse, we can go riding all over the Ponderosa but right now, why don't we go upstairs and you ride me? I'll even let you use a quirt on my withers." And Ultima had feigned offense at the suggestion and then thought better of it and turned in Adam's arms, her face raised to look at him and told him that she would do so if she could wear her spurs. "Oh," Adam had said as he grabbed her firm buttocks in his hands, "I won't need any encouragement." And he had swept her up in his arms and taken her inside and up the stairs to her room where she thanked him for the present.

But now Ultima's thoughts were on finding Adam and Hoss and learning what had happened. She was afraid that it was Adam who had been hurt, perhaps shot and that was why he needed a clean shirt; they were still on uneasy terms with Farley Maxwell but then, perhaps it was Amanda. Ultima's stomach roiled with fear as she followed the road to Virginia City. It wasn't difficult to follow as so many conveyances and riders had traveled that no grass grew but Ultima was still nervous. She spoke to herself and told herself not to be a coward. And then she wished that she had taken a gun, not that she knew how to use one but she could at least wave it around. And Adam's words came back to her from months ago:

"If you don't know how to use a gun, there's no point in having one."

"But, Adam, I should carry a small derringer at least, don't you think? It's small enough to put in my reticule and if I need to frighten someone, I could take it out and point it at them."

"And they would grab it away from you and either shoot you or be so furious, they would slap you about. And men tend to find exertions sexually arousing—I don't want to even imagine what could happen. No gun until you learn to use one. And promise me that you won't go off by yourself and put yourself in danger."

Ultima had sulked but Adam's hands and mouth soon soothed her and Ultima finally said that she would learn how to use a derringer should Adam purchase one. And now she wished that she had the ability as she had kept putting off the shooting lessons.

She pushed the small mare to go faster when she saw a wagon's dust in the distance. "C'mon, girl," Ultima said to her horse and she kicked the animal on. As she closed in on the wagon, she saw Hoss turn around and then he slapped Adam's arm. Adam looked behind him and then stopped the wagon, handing the reins to Hoss, and jumping down. Ultima pulled up her horse.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Adam stood glaring at her with his hands on his hips.

"I was worried. Mrs. Fontaine said that…" Ultima saw the blanket in the back of the buckboard, obviously covering a body, a woman's. She suddenly felt light-headed.

Adam noticed that Ultima blanched—even her lips seemed to lose color and he reached up for her and pulled her down from the saddle. She held onto him.

"It's Amanda, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Yes. We're taking her in to the doc's. Then I have an issue to settle with Farley Maxwell and his men, those cowards who use women to get back at me."

Ultima gripped his arms. "It wasn't Maxwell—at least I…I'm sure who's behind this and I know who had me…" Ultima found that she couldn't say the words. "It was Forsyth."

"Forsyth? How…why didn't you tell me earlier? Ultima, why did you keep it back?"

"I was afraid of what you'd do and what would happen to you? I just…" she began to cry and Adam softened and held her against him as she sobbed. Hoss looked away. "It's my fault. Oh, Adam, what happened to Amanda is my fault—all my fault."

"No, shhh. Come with us into town and tell Sheriff Coffee what happened and how you know it's Forsyth. None of what happened is your fault—none." Adam guided Ultima to the buggy and Hoss helped her up while Adam tied the mare onto the back along with Adam's horse. Then Ultima sat between Hoss and Adam and her husband threw an arm protectively around her shoulders as Hoss drove the buckboard into town and between sobs, Ultima told Adam about the conversation she had had with Forsyth in the churchyard. And Adam felt the hot fury rise inside him and grip his throat. He wanted to kill Forsyth—determined that he would.

The buckboard stopped in front of the Sheriff's office and Adam lifted Ultima down and walked her inside; Hoss continued to Dr. Martin's surgery with Amanda's body.

Roy looked up from his desk and was going to smile in greeting until he saw Ultima's face. He rose and took her from Adam's arms.

"What happened?" Roy asked Adam while he led Ultima to a chair.

"A girl who works…worked for us is dead; she was…." Adam considered what he should reveal in front of Ultima and then said, "Hoss took her to Paul Martin. He'll write up the required cause of death. Ultima informed me that Forsyth is more than likely behind it and that he was behind what happened to her. She's here to tell you—take her statement. I have to…join Hoss."

"Adam," Ultima said, an edge of desperation in her voice, "please don't do anything foolish or illegal…please."

"I won't," he said and leaned down and kissed her.

"Adam," Roy said. "If what your wife has to tell me gives me due cause to arrest Forsyth, I will. Don't you take the law into your own hands."

"I know, Roy. I know." And Adam strode out and headed resolutely to the Palace Hotel.

"What room is Mr. Forsyth in?" Adam asked Tom, the desk clerk. Adam leaned casually on the counter top; he didn't want to give Tom any reason to hie it down the street to fetch Roy Coffee.

"239 but he's got a woman with him, if you know what I mean? I told him that he should go to them not bring them here, that this was a hotel, not a whorehouse, but he slapped a $20.00 bill on the counter and then took her upstairs with him. I mean a whore belongs in a brothel, not in one of our rooms but I'm just the desk clerk and I couldn't drag the sheriff into the mess because Roy or Clem would just say that it ain't against the law for people to have guests in their rooms. But I hate having to change the sheets afterwards."

Adam smiled benignly at Tom's despair, thanked him and climbed the stairs. He reached room 239 and knocked.

"Go away," a man's voice called out.

Adam pounded on the door and Forsyth's voice boomed, "Get the fuck away!"

Adam stood back and then kicked the door and it swung inward, hanging on one hinge. The woman in the bed pulled the sheet up and screamed. Forsyth jumped out of the bed but before he could reach his derringer on the bureau, Adam swung out a leg and tripped Forsyth who went down, grasping for the brass foot board to stop himself, but too late. He rolled over on his back and Adam kicked him in his ribs. Forsyth grimaced and curled up in pain and to protect himself.

The woman cringed in the bed. Being a whore and working in a brothel, she was familiar with violence only the violence was usually directed at her but this man who she recognized as Adam Cartwright seemed to have no interest in her—barely glanced at her so she sat as quietly as she could and made herself as small as possible.

Adam pulled his gun. "Get up," he told Forsyth.

Forsyth made it up to his feet, still holding onto his side. "I'm up. What the fuck do you want?"

"We're going to the sheriff's." Adam motioned with the pistol's barrel toward the door. "Get going."

Forsyth reached for his pants but Adam stopped him.

"No goddamn clothes—just go."

"What the hell do you mean, no clothes?" Forsyth stood and stared.

"I mean what I said—no fuckin' clothes—not even your hat. You're going to walk bare-assed down the middle of Main Street all the way to Roy Coffee's office and if you stop or falter, I'll shove my boot up your ass so far you'll be able to lick the sole. Now go." Adam gave Forsyth a shove and he walked into the hall only to run into Tom, the desk clerk who had finally summoned the courage to see what the noise was.

"Oh, hell," he said when he saw a naked Forsyth on the landing and Adam behind him, his gun drawn.

Adam just nodded at Tom who gaped open-mouthed and stepped aside so that the two men could walk down the stairs and then out the front of the hotel, Adam smiled and tipped his hat at the women who stared open-mouthed at the naked man being paraded down the center of Virginia City. Forsyth tried to cover his genitals but Adam would shove him over into the dirt and manure that hadn't yet been raked up and Forsyth would have to struggle to regain his feet. The men on horseback pulled their horse over and the boys in the city ran beside Forsyth, laughing and hooting and the dogs also joined in the commotion, barking and following the group that was collecting around the two. Men came out from the saloons while the woman turned their heads and pulled their small children away but the men hooted and hollered and then one threw a dirt clod at Forsyth; it broke apart when it hit the side of his face.

Adam was a bit surprised that there was so much open hostility toward Forsyth but apparently Forsyth had treated the people and workers in town with disdain, lording his wealth and position over them as he had done with Tom at the hotel. Now was their time to see Forsyth brought down and so another man picked up a horse dropping and threw it at Forsyth. The people laughed and then the boys who had been running alongside, laughing and hooting, joined in and also picked up more droppings and threw them. Forsyth had to hold up his hands to protect his face and that left him exposed to view.

In front of the Sheriff's Office, Adam grabbed Forsyth by the scruff of his neck and steered him toward the door.

"You takin' him to the Sheriff?" one of the boys gleefully asked.

"Sure am," Adam said and pushed Forsyth up the step and into the office. Ultima gasped at seeing Forsyth naked and turned her head. "I took it upon myself, Roy, to bring in the suspect." He gave Forsyth one last shove and then kicked the door shut behind him with his foot.

"Damn, he smells like horse shit," Roy said.

"Well, seeing how he is a pile of shit himself, I can understand. Caught him in the act of consorting with a whore as well. I'm afraid that she'll probably help herself to all his cash in the room so he may not even be able to make bail. That should give you enough time to search out and file more charges beyond assault and conspiracy."

"I want a lawyer!' Forsyth demanded, covering himself with his hands.

"Time enough for that," Roy said as he pushed Forsyth into the back and opened a cell door. "For the moment, you're a guest of the city. Now cover yourself with that blanket." Roy turned the key and Adam slid his gun back into the holster. He walked out from the back and Ultima sat, looking amazed at what had just occurred.

Ultima rose and threw herself into Adam's arms. "You didn't kill him. Oh, Adam, I was so afraid you would." He held her to him and kissed her dark hair.

"It was tempting," Adam said, "but I figured that I'd have him suffer, be humiliated so I pushed him down the middle of the street as naked as the day he was born, all the way from the hotel to here. Only thinking of you kept me from kicking his face in and enjoying seeing him drown in his own blood. Woman, I think you civilized me." He lifted her face and kissed her and then looked over his shoulder at a loud thud.

The door had flown open and hit the wall and Hoss stood there looking perplexed. "What the hell's been goin' on?"