Chapter 3 – A Flock of Doves

"New girl got here today. Wait till you see her. This one'll bring top dollar, that's for sure." Frank poured himself another whiskey as he described Sammi Jo. "Tall, long red hair, built like there ain't no tomorrow. She's worth two or three others, all by herself."

"You sure this one is legitimate?" The voice was low and gravelly, like its owner had smoked too many cigars.

Carson stopped mid-drink. "Whatta's that mean?"

"You remember what happened with Anna Marie." Anna Marie Burton was a twenty-two-year-old brunette with a sweet smile and a face that brought men to their knees. She'd worked at Lil's for three months and seemed a prime prospect to be sent to San Francisco when one other bit of information about her came to light – she was a Pinkerton agent. Anna Marie disappeared late one night, leaving behind a note explaining she was homesick and returning to Montana. Arthur Stansbury never heard from her again.

The bartender finished his drink. "This one ain't no John Law. But I think we better wait a while before we send her to Frisco. Give 'em time to forget about the disappearances. That nosy sister of Betty's got the marshal payin' attention, and if we wanna avoid trouble we gotta make sure he ain't watchin' us no more."

"I agree. The next shipment can wait."

"Good. We'll let her get settled in. Maybe we can send more girls from Fanny Mae's or Letty's. If they've got any worth sending."

"The choices there are thin, at best."

Carson nodded. "I agree. But they're better than nothin', and it'll take the heat off us."

"Agreed. Go make friends with our newest prospect."

Frank set his empty glass on the table. "That will be a pleasure."

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The room was small and plain, but it was clean and private. Ginny was relieved when she discovered that fact; it was always harder to play a role under someone else's direct scrutiny. It didn't take long to get settled – she had minimal belongings to unpack. There was nothing of Ginny Malone's in her bag – everything belonged to Sammi Jo. That was the only way to stay safe, but right now she wished she had some minor belonging of Bret's with her. Something to hold onto for comfort, for reassurance in a moment of doubt. What was she doing here, playing another part, when the man she'd fallen in love with was somewhere between Denver and Texas? Why was she involved in a case she had no desire to be working on?

She shook her head and wondered just what had happened to her; she'd never second-guessed herself before. 'Do your job like you took an oath to do,' she thought to herself. 'And stop acting like a love-sick cow.'

She opened her door and wandered out into the hall; Red was slowly struggling up the stairs. "That was quick," he remarked as he made the landing.

"Easy to unpack when you don't have much," Ginny replied. She'd wondered why he had so much trouble with the stairs, but the reason became evident when he walked. He limped quite badly, and it appeared he'd lost his right leg. "I'm sorry to drag you up here. I didn't know."

Mitchell gave a small smile, trying to put her at ease. "I'm used to it. But it would help if you could knock on all the doors for me."

In less than five minutes the hall was full of ladies of all ages, shapes and sizes. They were laughing and talking, waiting for Red to introduce their newest member. "Ladies, ladies, we have a new employee. Sammi Jo Withers, this is Lilybelle, Bethany, Sierra, Carmen, Beatrice, Suzanne, Sugar and Mae. Billy and Georgia aren't here right now. Everyone, this is Sammi Jo. She starts with us tonight. When Billy gets back she can answer any of your questions. Thank you, ladies, I know you'll make Sammi feel right at home."

Ginny tried to remember everyone. Lilybelle was small and petite, with close-cropped blonde hair. Bethany couldn't have been more than seventeen and was a tall brunette. Sierra and Carmen were the same height and looked like sisters; Sierra had blue eyes and Carmen dark brown. Beatrice appeared to be the oldest of the group, and the largest, with black hair piled high on top of her head. Suzanne had red-gold hair and freckles, Sugar was short and a little on the wide side, and Mae was another blonde with long hair and a turned up nose. Mae was tall and leggy, and a favorite among the cowboys that came to Lil's to drink and gamble. Everyone but Mae gathered around Ginny, grasping her hand, shaking it, all talking at once. Finally, Beatrice shooed them all away and the hall soon cleared. Mae was the last to go.

"Come on, honey, let's go to my room and talk," Beatrice offered, and Ginny gladly accepted. On to the last room on the right, Ginny followed Beatrice in and was surprised by how luxurious it seemed. Silk drapes adorned the window and the bed covering looked like fur. Feather boas and beautiful dresses were hung everywhere, in every color imaginable. It appeared that Beatrice was well taken care of. "Have a seat," the older woman invited, and Ginny found herself on a rose colored boudoir chair.

"Where you from?"

"A little town in California called Devil's Flat, but I just came from Denver. What about you?"

"Oh, honey," Beatrice laughed, "I been here so long I can't remember where I started. You still got family in California?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. Mama and Papa are gone, and I was an only child."

"Well, you got a lotta sisters now, that's for sure. Listen, you need anything, you let me know. I can probably get it for you cheaper than the store – I know everybody in town. And a word to the wise. Don't turn your back on Mae. She's already given you the evil eye."

"I noticed. Was it me in particular or does she glare at everybody like that?"

Another laugh from Beatrice. "Nope. Only the ones that are prettier than her. She's afraid some of her 'admirers' will desert her and she won't make as much money. Everybody else around here's a good soul – they'd give you the clothes off their backs if you needed them. And if you ever got a problem, go straight to Red. He won't tolerate nobody causin' trouble for any of us. Frank Carson's the head bartender, then there's Alfie and Douglas and Will, and Harry works when they need him."

"I met Frank already when I first got here. Seems nice enough."

"He is. He keeps the cowboys in line, that's for sure. Alfie works days with Frank, Douglas and Will work nights with Frank. Yes, Frank works a lot. Red depends on him to take care of everything out front. You got a problem with someone that don't understand 'no' means 'no,' you go to Frank. He'll handle it. Work starts at seven o'clock. We usually close around three in the morning. You got a dress for tonight?"

"I do."

"Please tell me it ain't blue, that's Mae's favorite color and she'd have a fit if you wore it your first night."

Another shake of the head. "No, it's not blue. Anything else?"

Beatrice smiled at her. "Not a thing, darlin'. See you at seven sharp. I'll stop and get you."

"Thanks, Beatrice. I'm looking forward to it."

Ginny left and closed the door softly behind her. 'Dear Lord, what have I gotten into?' she thought, quickly followed by 'I hope Bret's safe.'

At that exact moment, he was. Not that he would stay that way.