Chapter 16 – Captain Malone

Dinner at the Cattlemen's Club was both a delight and an ordeal. Ginny hadn't had a steak in so long she'd almost forgotten what they tasted like; and then there was the matter of Frank. It was easier to be bright and pleasant before she knew he was one of the partners in the kidnapping scheme, and the idea that this 'slave trader' had fallen for her made him even more unappetizing. She'd played roles before that were distasteful, but this one was doubly so.

Frank made another attempt to kiss her when they returned to Lil's, and she saw no way around it. The man knew how to kiss . . . but that didn't make this one any more appealing. She struggled to suppress a shudder. "Sammi Jo . . . there's somethin' I've wanted to ask you."

Ginny pushed herself into being polite and friendly. "What's that, Frank?"

"You have anybody special in your life?"

"There was once," she answered wistfully, then forced herself into a lie. "Not anymore."

"You got room for someone new?"

"Are you askin' for yourself?" Ginny, of course, already knew what Frank had in mind. But she had to lead him down the road she wanted him to travel, and she did just that.

"Yes, ma'am. You mean . . . you mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me, too, Frank." She tried to gaze romantically into his eyes; all she could think of were the missing girls. Still, she made Carson believe her.

"We can take this as slow as you want, Sammi. As long as I know you care for me." It sounded like Frank wanted to be sure where he stood with the redhead before he sent Mae off to wherever the women were sent off to.

"I do, Frank. I care a great deal."

"Can I call you my girl?" Frank was hopeful, she could hear it in his voice. She took the bit in her mouth and ran with it.

"Only if I can call you my man." He kissed her again and made her stomach turn over. "I have to go get changed, Frank. I'll be back down in a few minutes." She hurried inside and up the steps to her room, fighting to keep her dinner where it belonged. Within two or three minutes she lost the fight, and spent the next ten minutes with the chamber pot. She washed her face in the bowl of water kept on her dresser and felt better, even if she had just vomited up her dinner. 'Better get this over with fast, Malone,' she thought to herself. She wound her hair up on top of her head and changed from the long black dress into something more appropriate for the saloon, then locked her door and went down the hall to Mae's room.

"You need anything?" she asked once inside the room. Mae looked brighter than she had earlier in the day.

"A brand new life," Mae suggested, and Ginny nodded.

"You may have one of those quicker than you think."

"You know who killed Grant?" There was a hopeful note in Mae's voice.

"I think so. Make sure you stay put tonight, no matter who comes knockin' at your door. With any luck you'll be outta here tomorrow."

"Your lips to God's ears. And Sammi, thanks again."

Ginny squeezed her hand. "You're welcome."

Almost an hour later Ginny was downstairs, smiling at Frank when necessary and trying to keep track of him and Bea at all times. Around nine o'clock Tom Springer came in and let it be known he was looking for Sammi Jo so he could check on Mae. He got a shot of whiskey and a cup of coffee from Will and found an empty table. Within a few minutes Ginny was able to break away from the banker she was listening to and join the marshal at his table. He pushed the coffee over to her. "How's Mae doin'?"

"Better than I expected," Ginny told him. "I told her she'd be out of there soon."

"You found out something," he stated, and she nodded.

"I found out a lot of somethings," and she relayed as much of this morning's conversation to him as she could remember. When she was finished, he sat back staring at her.

"Frank and Beatrice, huh? That's a hell of a pair. What's the next step?"

Ginny almost laughed. "Proof. Can you meet me behind the livery at eleven o'clock? We can be at Frank's cabin before they get there."

"I can. But how are you gonna get out? Won't Frank be watchin' you?"

"Probably, but I've got a key to the back door. I'm gonna make him think Mae's sick and I have to stay up there with her. I'll just have to take my chances. You better go, marshal."

Loud enough that he could be heard, Springer got up and told her, "Sorry to hear that Mae don't feel well. Thanks for the report and the help, Sammi Jo. I'll be by in the mornin' to check again."

"You're welcome, marshal. I'll see you then."

Ginny left the table as Springer went out the batwing doors. She headed upstairs, ostensibly to check on Mae, and came back in just a few minutes with bad news. "She's sick, Frank, and runnin' a fever. I'm gonna go upstairs in a while and stay with her. Will you be goin' home soon?"

"By midnight, honey. You take care of yourself, alright? I'll see you in the mornin'."

Ginny leaned over the bar and kissed Frank on the cheek. "I'll be here," she told him, and ran for the stairs. She went straight to Mae's room and stayed until a few minutes before eleven o'clock. "Remember, don't let anybody come in. You're supposed to be sick and running a fever. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Good luck," Mae told her, and Ginny hurried back to her room and changed clothes. She snuck back down the staircase and got to the liquor supply room before anyone saw her; then straight to the livery where she found her horse saddled and ready to go, courtesy of Tom Springer.

"Follow me," she told him, and headed south towards Frank's cabin. Thirty minutes later they'd hidden their horses and were entrenched at the back of the structure. "Now we wait," and it wasn't long before they heard horses approaching. Soon the sound of Frank's voice reached them.

"You look like you're in a better mood than this morning."

Ginny and Tom could hear Bea's voice but couldn't make out the words. From their hiding place at the rear of the little house, they watched the front door open; first Frank, then Beatrice entered. Frank lit a lamp, and Bea sat down in the nearest chair. It was a minute or two before anything was said.

"I heard from Sebastian today. He wants to know when we're sending Mae out to him. He's already got a place lined up for her."

"No reason we can't get her out of the saloon tomorrow. That means she'll be on her way to Frisco the next day."

"Good. He's most anxious to send her to the Frisco Belle." So that's where Mae was going – the most exclusive brothel in San Francisco. No doubt the missing women had all gone to one parlor house or another.

"My, my, my – deluxe accommodations for our Mae. She ought to turn a pretty penny there." Frank laughed a bit, an evil sound. Ginny couldn't believe this man actually had feelings of any kind – much less feelings for her. "So we are agreed that Sammi Jo stays right here with me."

Beatrice nodded. "As long as you can get Mae out of Lil's. Let's hear this grand plan you've got."

"Liquor delivery comes tomorrow. All I have to do is get Mae into the storage room and Charlie, the delivery driver, will help me get her out. He's done jobs for us before."

"Just how are you gonna get her out of her room?"

"That's the easy part. Red keeps the girl's room keys and the liquor key on the same ring. He'll give 'em to me in the mornin' so I'll be ready when Charlie gets there with the delivery."

"And what if Miss-Nosy-Redhead gets in the way?"

"She won't," Frank replied. "She's helpin' Red pick out new drapes and rugs for the front of the saloon down at the supply house. She'll be gone all mornin'."

"Good work, partner. How'd you swing that?"

A chuckle from the bartender. "I didn't. Red asked her all by himself."

"I think Red's got a crush on Sammi Jo." Bea giggled.

"Let him. She's mine."

"Wrong," Ginny whispered.

"So what time is Charlie deliverin' the liquor?"

"Right after ten o'clock. Just about the time that Red and Sammi go to the supply house."

"Good. Mae'll be long gone by the time they get back."

"Beatrice . . . "

"Yes, Frank?"

"Bout time for you to find somebody else."

"Why is that, Mr. Carson? You ain't serious about settlin' down with the redhead, are you? And leave me to get a new partner?" The words were teasing, the tone was not.

"I am serious. I told you a long time ago if I ever found the right woman . . . "

"How do you know she's the right one?"

"I know."

"You gonna give me some time before you buy that horse ranch?"

"You bet. Sammi Jo ain't quite ready just yet."

Ginny pulled the marshal away from the window and deeper into the trees. "You heard enough?"

Springer nodded. "I sure have. You know we gotta catch Frank in the act tomorrow, don't you?"

"That won't be a problem. I'll have to tell Red what's goin' on. I can leave with him in the morning and circle back around. Meet me outside the storage room at ten-fifteen. And make sure you've got men in the back alley, in case we run into trouble." She paused before continuing. "You know what the Frisco Belle is?"

"A high-class whorehouse?"

The Pinkerton agent nodded. "They're slave traders. They kidnap innocent victims and ship them off to a life of forced prostitution. They've gotta be stopped."

"They will be. I never woulda believed it if I hadn't heard it for myself." They began to make their way towards the horses. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Who are you, really?"

Ginny had to suppress a laugh. "That's a fair question, Springer. I'm Captain Ginny Malone of Pinkerton."

The marshal stuck out his hand and they shook. "Glad to meet you, Malone."

"You, too, marshal."

Morning couldn't come soon enough.