Chapter 5
"If you're missing Casey like you said you are, this is the place to be." Buck swung his arm in an arc. "I present to you–"
"Eve's Emporium – A Garden of Delights for Ladies," JD read aloud. "Another place like the Peony Palace?"
"No-oo," Buck drew the word out, feeling he was displaying infinite patience. "Emporium. It's a store, JD, and I heard good things about this place. They've got every kind of thing you could imagine to buy for a lady."
"Oh. Sure. Emporium, a store."
Buck looked down at JD with concern, but laid a hand on his shoulder and guided him through the stained-glass-windowed door. "Let's have us a look."
Inside, they both stopped and stared about in amazement. Neither of them had ever set foot in a store so grand, so elegant. Before them stretched rows of glass display cases, each attended to by an attractive, tastefully dressed young lady. Along the store walls, bowers of potted plants hung from golden chains. The high ceiling, painted with a scene of the Garden of Eden, was adorned with a huge chandelier. Everywhere there were mirrors, reflecting light from lamps and tall windows.
An older woman approached, and the men tore their eyes from the remarkable scene as she spoke. "Gentlemen?"
"Ma'am," Buck answered for the both of them. "This is quite a place."
"Indeed," she said with a knowing smile. "As manager here, I am at your service. Most of our customers are women, but men do come also, to purchase items for their wife or a lady love. Please enjoy browsing, and let me know if I can be of assistance." At their nods, she motioned for them to proceed on their own.
Still wide-eyed, JD and Buck advanced deeper into the store. The cases and shelving were filled with beautiful things: exquisite jewelry, porcelain figurines, silk flower arrangements. Stunning glassware and faceted perfume bottles sparkled like gems. Well-dressed women ranged among the vast array of wares, examining and remarking over hats, handbags, parasols, and the like. Buck was mesmerized by racks of ladies garments and silk unmentionables. His intent was to find a gift for Miss Peony, so the two men drifted apart.
For a while, an assortment of music boxes and mechanical toys held JD's attention, then he wandered aimlessly, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of merchandise. He was supposed to be picking out a gift for Casey, but felt distracted, like there was more he should remember about the previous night, and he wondered. According to Buck, he'd been drugged by that fortune teller. Why was it taking so long to wear off? He was standing next to a staircase, almost in a daze, when Buck, bearing a basket piled with sweet smelling sachets, found him. "One for each of the ladies," he explained. "And–" He plucked the largest box of candy from a nearby shelf. "Guess I'm set. You?"
Blearily, JD shook his head.
Buck chalked the kid's inertia up to lingering effects of the drug, and tried to tease him out of it. "Come on, JD, if you can't find something for a girl in here, there's no hope for you." He held up the heart shaped box. "Candy?"
"I just –" JD rubbed the back of his neck and looked around. A sign beside the stairs caught his eye: Second Floor, Ladies Tea Saloon. Blankly, he stared at it, then said in a low voice, "I already got her something. Last night."
That was odd, but Buck kept up the jovial act. "Well, why didn't you say so? What is it?"
JD frowned. "I don't know."
-o-
Like any city, the air of Denver carried a mixture of smells. On their way to deliver the sachets, Buck and JD passed shops emitting aromas of baked food, leather, tobacco, meats and fish, all mingled with the pervasive odor of horse manure in the streets. There was also the ever-present scent of smoke from coal and wood burning stoves. But as they neared the Peony Palace, Buck lifted his face and sniffed. An odor of smoke hung in the air, stronger than what should be expected. A few steps farther, and it was even more definite. "Something's on fire," he said, and the men quickened their steps. As soon as they saw the Palace and the crowd of people, they started to run.
Frantically, Buck scanned the house for flames and saw none. Whatever had happened, the fire must be out, because only a light haze and the stink lingered, and the people gathered across the street did not act particularly anxious. They were more occupied with rubbernecking at the working girls who had assembled on the side lawn, most of them fully dressed but some wrapped in dressing gowns, a few of them crying. Buck counted the women and stormed angrily toward the crowd, waving his arms. "Break it up, go on, what are you gawking at?" He and JD shooed at the people till they dispersed, then ran across the street to find a wan faced Miss Peony. Buck had never seen her so colorless, without face paint, her graying blond hair unadorned, limp and drooping. He grasped her hands. "What happened? Who's missing? Some of the girls – "
Peony's voice quivered. "Glory and Calla took Marigold to a doctor. They have to keep her away – somewhere with fresh air." She glanced toward the house. "The place reeks of smoke. We can't be open for business."
"Of course you can't." Draping an arm over her shoulders, Buck led her to a nearby bench. "You all need some time. What happened? What can we do to help?"
"It started an hour ago. The third floor filled with smoke," she said. "Glory smelled it first. She banged on everyone's doors yelling, but when she slapped Marigold's door, it flew open and the smoke poured out. It was coming from a pile of blankets on the floor. Smoldering. Thank the Lord, there were no flames. It seems the fire smothered itself in the blankets." Tears sprang into Peony's eyes. She dabbed at them with a crumpled handkerchief. "It was started on purpose, Buck."
"What? Why do you think so? Could have been a stray match, or cigar– "
"No. The blankets were pushed under the bed. It looked –" Peony bit back a sob. "– It looked like the mattress was meant to catch fire." She took some deep breaths and went on. "Marigold was on the bed, with a rag smelling of ether beside her. The girls were able to rouse her, but she was coughing something terrible."
"Ether," Buck said with confusion. "Who would do such a thing?"
"I can't imagine. Everyone loves Marigold. All the fellas. And the girls mostly all get along. Glory said she'd seen a woman she didn't know in the hall earlier. She just assumed someone invited her, but it turned out no one had." Peony gasped a little, holding back another sob. "Oh, we've never had trouble of this kind."
Buck patted her hand. "Chris was with Marigold last night. I'll ask him if anything seemed off, like maybe she'd quarreled with someone."
"She wouldn't have shown it. Not to a customer."
"It won't hurt to ask." Buck was suddenly all business. "I'll talk to Glory – have her describe this woman. We have to get to the bottom of this."
"Buck." It was JD, holding out a package. "You dropped this."
The sachets. "Oh." It felt a bit awkward to be delivering such trifles, given the near tragedy, but Buck took the parcel from JD and placed it in Peony's lap. "It's a gift, ma'am, for you and all the ladies."
Sadly, she plucked at the paper wrapping. "What is it?"
"Open it." Buck smiled encouragement.
Peony made a small rip in the paper, and a flowery scent rose up. Her eyes opened wide. Quickly she tore the paper a little more, saw the tumble of silk sachets packed inside, and lifted the whole package to her face, breathing in the fragrance. "Oh, Buck," she sighed. "They smell so good. Something to lift our spirits." She stood up, beckoning, calling out. "Ladies, come over. Buck's brought us just what we need."
