23.

The Santa Fe dropped the four cars off on a siding. Gabriel unloaded the buggy and a team. He hitched them up and immediately took Edie to the Ambassador Hotel.

Edie asked, “What do you mean you do not have a Sue Summers registered here?”

“I’m sorry, Miss, but we do not have a Miss Summers registered,” the clerk responded.

“That is Mrs. Summers, not Miss, and she would have registered here four weeks ago.”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but there is no one by that name in the hotel,” the clerk said shaking his head.

Edie knew she was four weeks late arriving in El Paso due to the events in Lordsburg. She should have sent a wire, but thought Sue would not move or leave the hotel, until she arrived.

As a safe guard, Edie sent at wire to her folks back home.

How long has Sue been gone STOP

Advise STOP

In El Paso STOP

Sue not here STOP

The return wire said,

Sue left four weeks ago STOP

To stay at Ambassador STOP

Edie held the wire and trembled from head to foot. She hurried back to the hotel and confronted the clerk again.

“Here is a wire from home. It says she was going to stay here. Where is she?”

The clerk could see the panic in Edie’s eyes.

“Ma’am, let me get the manager. Perhaps he knows something about your sister, because we here at the desk do not know.”

The manager escorted Edie to a private office and held a chair for her.

“Ma’am, I believe your sister was here. She registered as Mrs. Summers. The clerks were not aware of her first name, Sue.”

“Then where is she?”

“After three weeks she moved out. She said she needed to find cheaper accommodations until you arrived.”

“Do you have any idea where she moved?”

“No I don’t. I felt she was frightened, here in El Paso.”

Edie shook her head. “Where in the world could she have gone? She should have left an address where I could find her.”

The manager was gentle and considerate, but could not help Edie. “I am sorry, Ma’am. I wish I could be of more assistance.”

Edie thanked the manager and returned to the railcars. “Gabriel, tomorrow I will start a hotel by hotel search and find where Sue was staying.”

“Lordy, Miss Edie, do you know how many hotels are in El Paso?”

“Too many, but we must do something, Gabriel.”

The next day there was an article in the paper of a woman found dead in the basement of a derelict hotel. The woman had been dead for several days. From the description, Edie cringed.

The news was paralyzing to Edie. She rushed to the undertaker’s and almost fainted when she identified her sister’s body. For the first time in years, Edie broke down and cried.

Suddenly, through her tears she asked, “Where there children with her?”

The kind undertaker said, “No.”

For two weeks she and Gabriel made the rounds of the hotels, but with no success. After those two weeks, Gabriel suggested, “Miss Edie, this might sound foolish, but you are about to explode. You are tighter than a banjo string. Why don’t you go down and play some cards for a night or so? Take you mind off this situation. You need to do something that will let you let off some steam.”

At first Edie declined, but in a few nights, she was sitting at one of the gaming room tables. Her mind was not completely off the situation of her sister, but she was enjoying the game and some relief from the strain of worrying.

During the second week of Edie playing cards, a loud bully, a half breed Indian entered the gaming room.

He boasted, “I am Tata. I can out wrestle any man in the room. I am a better shot that any man around. I am the best card player in the house.”

Everyone cringed from the presences of the loud obnoxious man. He stomped about shouting and slapping his leg with a long horse quirt. He consumed whiskey by the bottle and cursed everyone who came too close. The customers in the gaming room soon cleared out leaving Edie at the table and Gabriel sitting in his customary corner.

Tata, dragging his spurs, stalked into the room. He threw back his head and laughed, “All of the little mice have run away, all but this fine feathered lady.” He was looking at Edie with greedy eyes. “How come you don’t run like the rest of them?”

Edie only shuffled the cards, but she did not answer.

“Ah! So you are afraid to talk? I will teach you to talk and maybe some other things.”

Gabriel rose from his chair and walked to the table.

Tata looked Gabriel over and asked, “Is this your man?”

Edie knew what he meant, but she did not take the bait. “No, he is a friend and my bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard? Why, I can tear him limb from limb,” Tata boasted, but he made no move toward Edie or any threatening action toward Gabriel. .

“I doubt it, but I have a better way for you to prove your manhood.”

“What is that, Lady?”

“I will play you some poker.”

“Me play poker, with you, a woman?”

She asked, “You afraid?”

“Of you? Not in a million years.” He kicked a couple of empty chairs out of the way and sat down. “Deal, Miss Fancy Dresser. I will teach you some of the finer points about poker and then perhaps you will let me teach you some other things.”

Edie did not flinch from his ugly innuendos. “Some other time, perhaps, but for now, let’s play poker.”

“Shuffle and deal,” he laughed, pulling a large roll of bills from his pocket and tossing them on the table. “You play for money or those chips?”

“Either way,” she said as she started dealing.

She was surprised. Tata was a fair poker player, but certainly not in her league. They played for the rest of the evening without a clear cut winner.

“I will be back tomorrow night and play you some more. I find you interesting.” The black haired Indian strutted out of the room.

For two more nights they played. It became apparent that Edie was toying with the loud mouthed braggart. Edie slowly won all of Tata’s money. With each passing hour, he became more infuriated.

He slammed his cards on the table, drank more whiskey and fumed as she outplayed him, bluffed and planned her moves.

It was growing late that last night and Tata was almost out of money. Edie was tired of the cat and mouse game and she upped the bet.

Tata stormed, “You can see I don’t have that much money. You are trying to drive me from the game.”

Edie meet his black cold eyes. She did not blink or flinch from his triad. Gaze?

“Look buster, bet or fold.”

Tata sat for several minutes staring at Edie. She knew he was thinking of killing her. There was one thing Tata did not know. Edie’s derringer was out and pointed at his stomach.

Suddenly Tata laughed, “I have something that is valuable enough to cover the bet.” He drew a gold locket from his shirt pocket and tossed it on the table. “This is worth a lot more than what I need to cover the bet.”

While he was speaking, Edie returned her derringer to her garter and drew out her thirty-two.

Tata was full of himself and was boasting that he would run her out of the game. He was looking down at the locket, when Edie placed her elbow on the table. She was holding the thirty-two and it was cocked.

When Tata looked up, he was staring at the open end of the pistol. It was not over two feet from his face. He swallowed, and then he looked up at Edie. Never in his life had he seen such hatred, anger and icy eyes.

For the first time in his life, he knew fear.

He asked, with a shaky voice, “Hey, Lady, what are you doing?”

Edie reached across the table and picked up the golden locket. She held it in her left hand while she continued to aim the pistol between Tata’s eyes.

“Gabriel, get the owner of the gaming room.” In moments the man walked into the room.

“Sir, would you would come look at this locket,” Edie said, but her eyes never left Tata’s.

She tripped the latch on the side of the locket and the cover snapped open. Her eyes penetrated Tata’s.

“Sir, if you would, is there a picture in the locket?”

The man answered, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“There is a woman sitting in a chair?” The barrel did not waver.

He smiled and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“The woman is holding a small girl?” She asked as she saw sweat break out on Tata’s forehead.

He nodded, as he said, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“There is an older girl standing on her right?” Her gaze became more ferocious.

He replied, “This is most amazing, but Yes, Ma’am.”

“There is a third child, a girl, leaning on her mother’s shoulder?” Tata could hardly draw a breath, he was so frightened.

The gaming room owner said, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Sir, how do you suppose I know so much about this locket?” Tata’s eyes grew round with fear.

He asked as an answer, “You have seen it before, perhaps?”

“Correct, and do you have any idea where I might have seen it?” The air in the room was charged with electricity.

With sudden realization, the gaming room owner understood the situation. “Your sister,” he said. “The one you have been searching for.”

Edie leaned a little closer to Tata. “Tata, that was my sister!” As she spoke she pulled the trigger on the pistol. At that range, the bullet tore the entire top off Tata’s head.

The last thought to cross Tata’s mind was fear.