Yes, ma’am,” he said, smiling. “I understand wedding plans are afoot. What I wonder is whether you’re in on them.”
“In on them?” the older woman asked. “I fail to understand how I could be ‘in on’ anything to which I have neither been invited nor properly informed.” She shot Flora a look. “And a brief declaration is not my idea of being properly informed.”
Flora rose to stand between her grandmother and the Pinkerton agent. Unfortunately, she failed to remember that she’d brought the handcuff out of hiding in hopes that he would remove it. Now Grandmama stared at the silver cuff, her face decidedly pale and her eyes wide.
“My dear, please do enlighten me. Why are you wearing…” She shook her head and lifted a gloved hand to point toward her granddaughter’s wrist. “That thing,” she finally managed.
“That,” Flora said as if it were a Tiffany bracelet, “belongs to Mr. McMinn. It’s a rather funny story how it all happened.”
“Do tell,” Grandmama said as she moved past them to take her favorite spot on the settee nearest the window.
Flora followed, her heart racing. “Actually, I need a moment with Mr. McMinn in private, and then we will be happy to explain.”
Somehow, though Grandmama was seated and they were both standing, the family matriarch managed to look down her nose at them. “I shall await your return. And in the interim, Flora, would you please send one of the maids back in? I feel the need for tea and perhaps an herbal compress. They are probably skulking about in the hall trying to listen in on our conversation anyway.”
“Yes, of course,” she said as she motioned for Mr. McMinn to follow her.
True to her grandmother’s assumptions, both maids were waiting nearby. After Flora informed them of Grandmama’s orders, she waited until they disappeared into the elevator before returning her attention—and her wrath—on Lucas McMinn.
“Honestly. I thought I had seen the worst of your….your…” Description escaped her, so she settled for clenching her fists and sending a quick prayer for calm upward.
“My charm?” he offered.
“Under no circumstances would that question ever be answered in the affirmative,” she snapped. “But never so much as today. Do you have any idea the trouble you’ve just caused?”
“Trouble?” He shook his head. “Me?”
Flora stalked off in the opposite direction of the elevators, and with each step tried to think of what to say. Of how to squeeze out of the tight space she’d wiggled into. Then it came to her.
“All right, Mr. McMinn,” she said as she turned and closed the distance between them. “You and I are about to strike a bargain.” She reached out to press her index finger into his shoulder. “And when that bargain is struck, you will remove the handcuff from my wrist and you will follow me back into the suite and nod when I indicate you should do so. Other than that, you will remain silent. Is that clear?”
Mr. McMinn’s laughter echoed down the hallway. “Nicely put, and I do admire a woman with spunk.” He paused as if to attempt to cease his chuckling. “However, I cannot think of a single reason to agree to this plan of yours.”
“I can.”
One dark brow rose. “I’m listening.”
“You somehow learned of my plans for tomorrow morning—”
“Your wedding plans. And yes, that’s true.” The lawman lifted a dark brow. “Don’t ask how.”
She waved away his response. “I no longer care how you’ve learned about our marriage. What I do care about is getting out of this mess. And that means soothing things over with my grandmother.”
“How?”
“She knows the generalities of my wedding arrangements but not the details. With my grandmother, it’s wise not to underestimate her ability to wreak havoc over anyone’s best laid plans. If she knew where and when I am to be married, I have no doubt that at the least she would show up to watch. At worse…” She paused to shudder. “In either case, you and I must be careful.”
“You and I?” He shook his head. “Since when are we a team?”
“Since you clamped this thing on my wrist and refused to remove it! And since you intruded into my plans with your badge and gun and intention to arrest my fiancé.”
After a brief pause to tamp down her irritation again, Flora continued. “Each of us has something we’re looking to achieve. I’m simply saying that without cooperation, neither of us will get what we want.”
He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “Go on.”
“You want to find Will Tucker.” Flora paused. “Did you find any leads on where he might have gone?”
“No,” he said with obvious reluctance.
“Then it’s possible he may have checked out of the room he registered under his own name and into one under an assumed name. Or he might have had more than one room all along.”
“It’s possible,” he admitted.
“If I do not arrive at the appointed place on time, we will never know if he is still in Eureka Springs or not.” She held up the hand from which the cuff dangled. “And if I am wearing this when I step off the elevator tomorrow morning, my fiancé may be a little suspicious, don’t you think?”
She could tell Mr. McMinn hated to admit that she’d made her case. Still, she couldn’t resist one last jab. “Though if you truly believe I am complicit in Mr. Tucker’s alleged crimes, I demand you place this other cuff back on my wrist and take me down to the Eureka Springs jail immediately.”
That got his attention. His brows rose, though he said nothing.
“Either you and I form a team to prove Will Tucker’s innocence—”
“Or guilt,” he interjected.
She glared at him. “Either we form a team to find Mr. Tucker or you turn me over to the authorities to be judged fairly. I am certainly not finding any fairness in your judgment of me at the moment, sir.”
Apparently her comment hit its mark, for he appeared to be considering her statement with some care. Finally, he nodded. “Agreed. I’ll take off the cuff, but you are still legally in my personal custody, do you understand?”
“Whatever does that mean?”
“It means you acknowledge you have been informed of the fact you’re wanted in connection with an open investigation into the criminal activities of Will Tucker. However, because you are agreeing to help me with this case of your own free will—”
Flora’s chuckle of derision earned her a frown from him. She returned it with her best smile.
“As I was saying, because you have agreed to help me with this case, you are considered to be remanded into my custody until such time as I return you to the sheriff in Eureka Springs for justice to be served in your portion of this case.” He paused to allow his gaze to sweep the length of her. “Of course, if your help is valuable enough and it is proven that you had no knowledge of Mr. Tucker’s criminal activities—”
“Or the lack thereof.”
The lawman shook his head. “Or the lack thereof,” he grudgingly added. “Then you will be released from my personal custody and the warrant for your arrest will be dismissed.”
Flora grinned. “Because I’m confident of my fiancé and his innocence, I gladly accept your terms for personal companionship, Mr. McMinn.”
“Custody,” he snapped. “Personal custody.”
“Yes, whatever.” She once again thrust her arm in his direction. “Now, the handcuff, please?”
He reached into his pocket and retrieved the key. His eyes met hers briefly before he cradled her hand in his. His palm was warm, his fingers wrapping around her wrist as he made quick work of releasing her.
When the cuff slid away, Flora smiled. “Thank you,” she said as she once again met his eyes. “I know you will understand that as a lawman, there are things that cannot be public knowledge. Just know that when all the facts come out, I am confident Will Tucker will be found innocent.”
His expression softened unexpectedly. “I know you believe that, Miss Brimm.”
“But you’re not willing to accept it as a possibility?”
He ducked his head. “No, I’m not.”
“Care to tell me why you’re so certain of this?”
Mr. McMinn squared his shoulders as he tucked the handcuffs back into place in his pocket. “Like you said, there are things that can’t be public knowledge. I would put how I know this man is guilty in that category.”
Flora bit back the remainder of her response as the elevator door slid open. One of the maids stepped out bearing a tea tray. The other hurried to catch up, the herbal compress wrapped in a steaming towel cradled in her arms. While their faces showed interest, they looked away as they slipped into the suite.
After the door had closed behind them, Flora said, “About my grandmother—”
“Let me handle her. Old ladies love me.”
Flora laughed. “Well, there’s your first mistake. My grandmother has yet to realize she’s an old lady. She still thinks she wields all the power in the Brimm family. And if you ask my father, she’s right.”
He adjusted his lapels and had the audacity to wink. “All the better. Now, are you coming? Or do you plan to wait out here in the hall while I turn on the McMinn charm?”
“I wouldn’t think of missing the McMinn charm, sir. I don’t believe I’ve seen any of it yet.” She reached for the doorknob only to have the door fly open. Both maids went scurrying. “As I said,” Flora continued, “After you.”
Lucas crossed the room. “Now, where were we?” he said with his most charming tone.
When the matriarch of the Brimm clan gave him a look as though she smelled something unpleasant, he backed off to settle in a chair a safe distance away. All the better to assess the situation, he told himself.
“You’re the fellow in need of a box lunch.” Her gaze traveled the length of him. “Though on closer inspection you look nicely fed to me. And somewhat familiar, actually.”
“No, ma’am. I’m afraid that was just a misunderstanding. You see, I’m a—”
“So,” Millicent Brimm interrupted before taking a sip of tea from a flower-covered teacup. “You are the candidate with terms.”
Lucas frowned. “Candidate with terms?”
Flora waved away the question, though her expression told Lucas she knew exactly what her grandmother was talking about. “He’s in law enforcement, Grandmama. I’m merely helping him with a case.”
“Not your candidate?”
“No,” was Flora’s brief response.
Mrs. Brimm returned the cup to the tray and rested her hand in her lap. For a moment, the old woman appeared to be engaged in a staring match with her granddaughter. Then she gave up and shrugged. “Suit yourself, but I know there’s more to this than either of you are admitting.”
“That’s true, ma’am. I believe I’m safe in telling you more about the case we’re working on. You see, your granddaughter is helping me catch a thief.”
“Is she now?” Mrs. Brimm gave him a look that would have terrified a lesser man. “And why is it that a man of your stature and obvious physical prowess would have need of someone such as my granddaughter to complete his duties?”
“I…” He thought a moment. “You see…” No, he couldn’t let her know too much or he would be giving information out that was best not shared.
“Exactly. You do not.” She turned her attention on her granddaughter, giving Lucas a chance to once again draw an unhurried breath. “Were you two conspiring to fool an old lady? Did you not recall that I myself caught you and this man in conversation out on the grounds when you were pretending to paint?”
“Believe what you wish, Grandmama,” Flora said, her tone even despite the crimson climbing into her cheeks.
“I shall. Now as for you.” She returned her attention to Lucas. “What did you say your name was?”
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. The last time he’d been questioned under such terms, he’d been on the witness stand in a particularly nasty political corruption trial. That defense attorney had nothing on Millicent Brimm.
“McMinn, ma’am. Lucas McMinn.”
“Pinkerton agent Lucas McMinn,” Flora added.
“Pinkerton agent Lucas McMinn,” Mrs. Brimm echoed. “How nice. We’ll have a lawman in the family. We’ve had our share of lawyers but never a lawman.”
“Grandmama, I believe you need to use your hearing device. You seem to be missing the point. We are not—”
“I am missing nothing, Flora Brimm. I see what’s going on here, even if you two don’t think I do. Now, is there or is there not going to be a wedding?”
Flora opened her mouth. Whether it was to answer her grandmother or just in surprise, Lucas couldn’t say. Apparently, neither could Miss Brimm.
“Yes, ma’am,” he supplied. “A wedding is scheduled for tomorrow morning.” As soon as the words were out, he wondered how she’d gotten the information out of him.
“What time?”
Rather than respond, he turned to Miss Brimm, who was regarding him with an I-can’t-believe-you-said-that glare. Of course, he ignored her. Or at least he hoped he gave her a reasonable impression of being ignored.
“Nine,” Flora said under her breath.
Mrs. Brimm offered a satisfied nod. “There now. A wedding at nine tomorrow. Doesn’t it feel good to get the truth out?” She reached for her teacup and once more took a sip.
Lucas braved a sideways look at Flora, who appeared to have given up any effort of polite conversation. Rather, she was studying the trim on her sleeve with far too much interest to actually be seeing buttons and lace.
He rose. “Well, now that we have that handled, maybe I ought to leave you two ladies to—”
“Sit.”
Millicent Brimm’s demand had Lucas back in his chair before he realized he’d complied. “Yes, ma’am,” he added before he could stop himself.
“Flora, dear,” she said sharply, “are you certain of this marriage?”
She glanced over at Lucas and then back at her grandmother. “Yes, I’m certain.”
“And the agreement?” her grandmother asked. “Is it a sound one with airtight terms and no room for unfortunate surprises?”
Flora avoided her grandmother’s steady gaze as she nodded. From where Lucas sat, he could see the difference in how the old lady looked at her granddaughter and how she regarded the rest of the world. He would stake good money on the fact that no matter what Flora Brimm thought, the Brimm matriarch believed Flora could do no wrong.
“And you used a good attorney?”
When Flora told her the man’s name, the old lady’s iron-gray brows rose, though the name meant nothing to Lucas. “Well done. Using the family attorney would have been an awful risk. I’m very glad you picked one of the young men I’ve chosen to assist with their political aspirations instead.” She paused. “One wonders, however, if the gentleman in question was led to believe I am in agreement with this endeavor.”
Her granddaughter’s smile was faint and fleeting. “He might have been under that assumption.”
Another nod. “Very well done indeed.” Mrs. Brimm paused to allow her regal gaze to sweep over Lucas before returning her attention to Flora. “Fetch it.”
“It?” Flora looked to Lucas. He shrugged.
“The papers our mutual friend drew up. I’ll need a look at them.”
“But they’re legal gibberish, Grandmama. I can’t see why you would—”
“Fetch them now, please. As to the fact you cannot imagine I would want to see them? Darling, didn’t your grandfather ever tell you who used to write all his legal briefs for him?” She turned her attention to Lucas. “Until the late Judge Brimm was elected to political office, that is. Once he attained that sort of status, he had no need of lawyering anymore. I’m sure you understand.”
“Well, sure. A man has better things to do than lawyering when he’s elected to office.” He was jabbering. Talking like a fool. Lucas closed his lips and did his best to stop himself from saying anything else that would make him sound any more like an idiot.
Why in the world did this woman cause him to feel like a boy headed for the woodshed every time she looked at him?
Miss Brimm returned, papers in hand, to offer him an I-told-you-so look. She handed the document over to her grandmother and returned to her seat.
“You understand you’re not just joining forces with this woman, do you not, Pinkerton McMinn?”
“I believe I was the one who explained the terms to her,” Lucas said as he marveled at the woman’s ability to change the subject so swiftly.
“Did you now?” She studied him intently. “And you’re willing to complete all the terms? All of them?”
“Grandmama, please. He isn’t the candidate, so if you’re trying to be funny, you’re not.”
“Funny?” Mrs. Brimm gave Lucas an inquiring look. “Were you amused by my question?”
He looked to Flora, who cheeks were now flaming red. What in the world was wrong with her? They were still talking about the personal custody agreement he’d struck with her, weren’t they? The one where Will Tucker got caught.
Or were they?
“Actually, I’m confused,” he finally said.
Silence fell as Mrs. Brimm began to read. Lucas glanced over at Flora, who appeared nervous as she watched her grandmother. The clatter of hoofbeats outside drew Lucas’s attention, and he rose to walk to the window.
The railroad transport had rolled into place in front of the hotel again, its occupants spilling out to wait for the driver to remove their luggage. He watched the process, a smooth transition from emptying out the transport to readying it for the next trip, with detached interest until he spied a man conversing with the driver. Lucas leaned a little further out the window to catch a better look at the fellow.
Will Tucker.
If it wasn’t him, the man was his twin. And if Lucas hurried, he just might catch him before the transport left.
“Miss Brimm, ring the front desk and tell the clerk I want him to hold the depot transport until I can get down there and inspect the passenger list.”
Thankfully, she rose to carry out the request without questioning him as to why.
Lucas rushed from the room. “Carry on without me, ladies,” he called just before the door shut behind him.
He had no doubt they would.