"What is Bertram's last name?" Cale asked her.
"Howard." She said aloud, feeling funny about saying his name when she couldn't recall what he even looked like. It bothered her that she couldn't call his face to mind. It bothered her that she didn't care whether she ever saw him again. Was it guilt or indifference, or some strange revenge?
How could she be engaged to a man that she couldn't even remember?
There were times when she simply wished she could get on with her life and not worry about Bertram or her cousins, but without money that would be difficult, so it was necessary to see if she had any left and collet it. Even if she and Bertram didn't get along.
She fully expected him to go on with his life. He hadn't put it on hold because of her, surely. And she wasn't sure how she felt about him either.
She tried to recall a certain kiss, or even the time Bertram proposed. She couldn't remember. A woman shouldn't forget that day, she told herself to no avail.
When they came to Cable Junction, Cale stopped and they rode into the small town that built itself around the railroad and the large mill there. According to the landmark the railroad had come through only a decade ago.
"If he's a lawyer, why would he take on a menial job?"
Amelia eyed him for a moment. She hadn't once thought about that. Why would he?
Her mind began to wander. "He wasn't a lawyer when I first knew him. He was studying to be. Perhaps he didn't finish his studies. Since we came west, he might have taken on something else. You see, the money stopped when my parents died. He'd have had to get a job of some kind to support himself. Without finishing the bar exam he couldn't practice law. I'm sure the death of my parents and me being captured must have changed a few of his plans. My parents were his only support at the time."
Cale nodded. "That makes sense, then. Alright, let's go see if we can get a line on him."
They walked to the mill where corn was being ground and refined for corn meal.
Amelia stared at the process for a long moment.
Cale asked a man that worked there where the boss was.
"In that office over there." The man answered pointing to the far corner.
"Thanks." Cale nodded.
He took Amelia by the elbow and they knocked on the office door.
A tall thin man answered the door. He bade them come in, and directed them to a couple of worn out chairs in front of an old desk. "The name's Tyros Low, how can I help you?"
"We're looking for a man…." Cale explained.
"Oh, is he wanted for something?" The man almost laughed.
"Not as far as we know. He's Miss Harrison's fiancé."
"Is that a fact," The man seemed to look Amelia over curiously. "Lucky fella, I'd say. Is he lost or something?" The man asked.
Amelia smiled curtly. "No…his name is Bertram. Bertram Howard."
The man's glance turned sour immediately, as though the name were very familiar in an unwelcome way.
"Oh yes Bertram. He was my accountant. He worked here about a year, and then moved on."
"Moved on? Do you know where he was going?"
"Nope…he just up and left as quickly as he came to town, he packed up and left. Didn't let me know or anything. Kind of made me mad how he ran out on me. Took me a couple of months to find someone to replace him. Not many around here are good with figures." The man said. "Nor do they know how to set up a scheduling. And you are his fiancée?"
"That's right." She answered, seeing the man's incredulous look.
"Did he run out on you too?" The man asked looking straight at Amelia as he said it.
"Not exactly." She tried to smile
Cale studied the situation a second. "Anyone here in town that might know something about where we might find him?"
"He frequented the saloon a lot. Someone might know something over there. I didn't like his drinking but he always waited until he got off work to partake, so I couldn't say anything."
"Thanks…" Cale tipped his hat.
"Hope you find him ma'am. And I'd appreciate you telling him I was upset about him running out on me like that. After all, when he first got here, he didn't know a soul in town and I gave him a job just on his knowing his numbers so well." The man said.
"How long ago, did he work for you?"
"Three years ago."
Cale thought about that. It made no sense, he had been in the General Store only a few months ago and left that address to be contacted.
He nodded and pulled Amelia out into the street.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Cale looked at the ground as though he were trying to fit a puzzle together. "He left this place as his address at the General Store only months ago. Why would he do that?"
Amelia studied on it and shook her head. "I don't know either. Unless he didn't want to be contacted…Or he's moving a lot, that could account for it."
"Question is, why is he moving a lot?"
"Yes, that is strange isn't it?" Amelia seemed a bit stunned.
Cale had come to the same conclusion. Bertram didn't want to be found. But why?
Cale was getting a bad feeling about this. There was something all wrong about it. He just couldn't put his finger on it for sure.
"Look, you wait over at the General Store, I'm going into the saloon to see if I can get some information on him."
"Alright, don't be too long, though."
"I won't." Cale muttered almost to himself and headed for the saloon. He didn't want to tell Amelia that something didn't add up, but Cale smelled a rat and he wasn't sure now if he was doing the right thing in taking her to him. Still, it was too late. And if something was wrong, she needed to know about it.
It was noisy inside the saloon. Smoke filled the air, beer, and whiskey mixed to a disgusting smell. It looked as though a bunch of drovers were there fresh off the trail.
He eyed the bartender as he sauntered up to the bar.
"A beer," He said knowing he would have to buy a drink to get information.
The bartender eyed him quickly and smoothed his mustache.
"Ever hear of a man name Bertram?"
The bartender frowned and seemed to study Cale. "I heard of him. Used to be a regular."
"Used to be?" Cale asked innocently.
"Yeah, he left a few years back. Some gal came to town and they left on the stage right after. He didn't pay his bill here. Ran out on Tyros, his boss too. Good riddance I say. Do you know the weasel?"
"Not personally, no. I know of him. Do you know where they were headed?"
"I heard them talking when she came in to fetch him. They were going to San Antonio. She'd bought the tickets and handed them to him when she walked in."
Cale started to leave but turned to the bartender and asked. "What did the girl look like?"
"Fancy one, she was. Turned everyone's head when she walked in. Clothes alone must have cost a fortune. Pretty blonde. Prettiest gal I'd seen in a long time. And I've seen a few. Don't know what she was doing with a fella like that though."
"What do you mean a fella like that?"
"I mean he's no good. He ran out on a good job, ran out without paying his bills. And it looked to me like the fella was letting the girl pay for everything else."
"Thanks…I appreciate it. And if I see him I'll tell him he owes you."
"Thanks mister." The bartender nodded to him.
"What's your name?"
"Clem, Clem Belton."
Cale tipped his hat and left.
Cale rushed out to find Amelia shopping at the store. He wasn't sure he should mention the lady, but he didn't want to hold out on Amelia. When she saw him coming, she ran to meet him at the door.
"Did you find out anything?"
"Yeah…he was on his way to San Antonio."
"So he went back there…"
"He went with a lady…a pretty blonde haired lady."
"My cousin, of course, that fits."
"Does it?"
Amelia looked down at the floor, but her mind was obviously working all the while.
She looped her arm in Cale's as they walked out of the store. "Bertram came from Virginia with us. He hadn't finished law school yet. But he was sure he could continue as soon as he settled in San Antonio. We were all good friends. Judy was quite taken with him actually. As I remember she accused him of only wanting me for the money…my folks money that is."
Cale wondered how good of friends they were. He also had some suspicions about them but he wasn't ready to accuse anyone. He might be getting ahead of himself. He'd wait until he knew more. He just didn't want a bunch of surprises, or shocks for Amelia to put up with.
"Let's go get something to eat, I'm hungry, and we can figure out what to do from here." Cale encouraged.
"Alright…"
They found a café near the railroad station. Cale ordered them both a steak and as they waited they talked.
"So I guess you were right. We need to head to San Antonio." Cale said, glancing about the place as he spoke.
"It is odd that he would have a job as an accountant though. And in such a strange place. None of it makes much sense to me. What brought him here, I wonder."
Cale had to clue her in on his suspicions. "How close were you to your cousins?"
"Not as much as we should have been, I'm afraid. Why?"
"Why would she be with him?"
"Any number of reasons, I suppose. He always liked her, and she was very beautiful." Amelia shrugged. "Bertram enjoyed escorting pretty ladies about."
"You never minded?"
"No, like I said we were all friends."
Then she began to piece his questions together. "Oh…you think her and him….oh well. It has been four years. They do probably think I'm dead… There's nothing wrong with that Cale."
But Cale thought much more than that. He just couldn't bring himself to lay it out for her yet. He had to know more.
"I don't want to see you hurt from all of this, Amelia." Cale told her.
"Bertram was not the to sort to make a lot of friends. I'm sure he was very close to both of my cousins." Amelia defended.
"Doesn't that bother you…"
Amelia sighed then looked straight at Cale. "I changed a lot too, Cale. I'm not the same woman I was back then. If you could call me a woman back then. I can't expect everything to be the same."
"Well, there's nothing that says they are more than friends…" Cale encouraged.
But Amelia knew what he suspected and she would have time to get used to that idea as they hunted for Bertram.
"I want you to know something. I have no expectations at all, Cale. None. I'm sure at some point he has gone on with his life. And if he chose my cousin, I can understand that, accept it." Amelia admitted. "I mean, it might be shocking to me at first, but I do understand."
"Let's don't jump to too many conclusions yet." Cale told her, "The bartender said a lady came in on the stage, came into the saloon and they talked a while, then left and caught the stage together."
"Perhaps they heard some news about me or something. Maybe that's why he was here in this town, looking for me or something at the time."
"Perhaps." Cale firmed his lips.
"But three years ago, I was still with the Comanche and we were up north at the time. The only reason we came back south was to find the Huaco village and that was two years later."
"Did they travel a lot?" Cale asked.
"Yes, I learned to help take down the Tipis, they were made with buffalo hides and poles, lots of polls, but once you learned to do it, it was relatively a fast thing to get them down." Amelia informed him. "One thing I found unusual about them, they didn't make pottery because they were always moving about. They knew that if they moved they would be broke. Instead they used baskets and leather made bowls and things."
"You learned a lot from them, didn't you?"
"I guess I did. Although when I was with them, I was always trying to figure a way to get away. They would always catch me."
"Is that why they beat you so."
"They beat me when I first came to their camp, the women beat me, walked on me, slapped me, knocked me down. But when I tried to escape, they hurt me bad."
Cale hung his head. No woman should have to endure such agony.
"You know from what I've gathered about Bertram, he might very well have had scouts out looking for you. Traders that often find and return captives for money." Cale told her. "So maybe he was looking for you, all that time."
"I never thought of that. But Bertram had very little money when he came with us. My parents basically supported us all. He was going to school until we left Virginia. He had no money. Where would he get money to pay them?"
"Good question. Unless that's why he was working here. He might have found someone to do the looking and went to work to pay them." Cale muttered as their steaks were placed in front of them.
"This looks great." Amelia smiled. "I'm glad you ordered them, I am very hungry I know what you're thinking Cale, and it doesn't upset me. Look at it this way, it's been four years…that's a long time to be engaged to a girl that has been missing all that time."
"This is a good time to use all your manners, Amelia." Cale pointed out, changing the subject. He pointed to the napkin.
She tensed for a moment, but she saw the light in Cale's eyes and smiled. "You are right."
"Enjoy it, it might be the last good meal we have for a while."
"Oh I don't know. I like rabbit a lot too." She smiled at him.
He looked at her, her smile was contagious.
"I watched you dress that rabbit out, and I never saw anyone do it so fast."
"I had lots of practice…"
"I guess you did."