After a stunned silence, Art and Detective Wilcox manhandled Carl back into his cell, and Art locked the door.
When Carl saw Mitch walk in from the back alley, he began screaming at them again, calling down every pox known to man upon their heads.
Ignoring him, the three men conversed.
"So where's this Jasper fellow?" Detective Wilcox asked.
"I sent him home to get some sleep. We should have a little while to come up with a plan," Art replied.
"Why do we need a plan? Just go arrest the cur," Mitch said.
"I want to understand what's going on," said Art.
Detective Wilcox stepped back, crossed his arms, and said, "Tell me everything you know."
Art pulled the picture out of his vest pocket and set it on his desk. "This is what it's all about. This is the photo that got William Drake killed and brought Carl here. He was instructed by his employer to secure the photo then kill Mrs. Drake."
Wilcox picked up the photo to get a closer look. He showed it to Mitch, who let out a low whistle.
Eyes wide, Mitch asked, "Do you have any idea who these people are?"
Art shook his head. "Not a clue. All I know is that someone named Mr. Lynus hired Carl to retrieve this photo from Mrs. Drake. He tried in San Francisco but couldn't get to her because she was under so much police supervision."
"Mr. Lynus is an attorney in the pocket of James Metcalf," Wilcox said. "Metcalf was an integral part of Governor Stoneman's campaign." Tapping the photograph on Art's desk, he said, "This photo here shows James Metcalf meeting with Lee Wong."
"Who's Lee Wong?" asked Art.
"The biggest den operator in San Francisco." Detective Wilcox's words hung in the air.
"Den operator?"
Detective Wilcox sighed, and Mitch answered, "Opium dens are illegal, you're right, but they still exist. The authorities have been trying to shut Wong down for years, but he's slippery, and we've never been able to get enough proof to tie him to the underground dens. We know he runs most of them, but we haven't been able to prove it. And as far as the law is concerned, he's innocent until proven otherwise."
"So this photo…?" Art let the question hang.
"This photo proves one of the Governor's key men is involved with the man who runs most of San Francisco's opium dens," he said, his voice full of rancor. "This photo might answer the questions about how Wong has been able to stay ahead of the police for so many years."
Looking back and forth between the two men, Art asked, "Is Stoneman dirty?"
They both shook their head, but the older man is the one who spoke. "Before he started working with Stoneman, Metcalf was on the City Council. Prior to that, he worked for the District Attorney. His ties to the city go back over a decade. Wong's been operating for about the same length of time. Metcalf attaching himself to Stoneman's coattails was probably the next step in taking Wong's empire statewide."
Picking up the photo and squinting at it, Art said, "This Wong fellow looks as if his name could be Smith. Are you sure it's him?"
Wilcox nodded and said, "That's why he's been able to hide so well. We spent the first five years chasing a ghost while he was hiding in plain sight. His father was as Anglo as you and me, but his mother came over on a boat from China. Wong's not his legal name, but it's the name he's used to run his illegal enterprises."
"Is this photo going to give you enough evidence?" Art asked. "Will Minnie need to come to California to testify?"
Detective Wilcox shook his head. "I'm pretty sure we can make our case without her. We need to keep the lines of communication open in case it becomes necessary, but I think we'll be able to keep her out of the courtroom and, hopefully, out of the papers." Looking around, he added, "Speaking of, I'd like to see her if you don't mind. I owe her an apology or two."
Art said, "Let's get Jasper into custody, and then I'll take you to her."
****
Samuel chose that moment to bring in lunch for Art and the prisoners. Raising an eyebrow and pointing his chin toward Mitch, he asked, "Is that one supposed to be out of his cell?"
"He's in the clear." Then, ignoring the plate Samuel offered him, Art said, "Carl there claims Jasper is his accomplice."
With no more than a slight flicker of the eye, Samuel asked, "You believe him?"
"I don't want to, but he had no reason to lie. Can you keep an eye on him while we go collect my wayward deputy?"
"Let one of these boys watch him," Samuel said, indicating Detective Wilcox and Mitch. "I'm coming with you."
Art examined Samuel, not sure what to make of the whine in his friend's voice.
Samuel gave an exasperated sigh as though Art ought to have known exactly what was on his mind. "I'm wearing the green vest. If there's going to be shooting, I might get some blood on it."
Mitch, who had seen Samuel in the sheriff's office more than once, wasn't fazed. Detective Wilcox, however, stared at Samuel, his eyes wide and more than a little suspicious. Art shook his head. "I'll explain later," he said to the detective as he fought a grin.
****
Having overruled Samuel's request, it was Art and both the Wilcox men approaching Mrs. Ginty's boardinghouse where Deputy Jasper had a room. Mitch escorted the matron and two guests from the downstairs parlor out into the front yard and stayed with them, gun drawn. Wilcox and Art went up the stairs. Mrs. Ginty had given them a key to the deputy's room but had told them she didn't think he was in the boardinghouse at present.
The two men stealthily moved along the corridor outside his room. They arrived at his door, and Art slipped the key into the lock. Silent as could be, he turned it. As soon as the lock clicked, he twisted the knob and swung the door open. Wilcox burst through the entryway with Art on his heels.
"Blast it all! Where is he?" demanded Detective Wilcox. The man didn't curse, but if the look on his face was any indication, it wasn't for lack of wanting.
The room was empty.
Art took a quick look around the room. "It looks as if he packed in a hurry. Where would he go? What's his plan?"
"If he knows you well, then he knows what you value. He'd be going after what matters most to you so he can use it as leverage. Either that or he's making a run for it. Maybe both."
Detective Wilcox couldn't have known what those words would do to him. Running full-tilt, Art left the room, tore down the stairs, and slammed out through the front door. He heard Wilcox yell, "Everything's fine! You can go back in!" to Mrs. Ginty and her startled guests. Art didn't look back, but he was sure Wilcox and Mitch had to be on his heels.
When he got to the Smith house, he burst in through the front door. "Minnie! Minnie!" He went from room to room with his gun drawn.
Art could hear the other two men behind him. He was sure he heard Wilcox mutter something about him getting them all killed with his carelessness, but he didn't stop. He needed to find Minnie.
A search of the entire house yielded nothing. Art slammed his fist down on the kitchen counter and yelled, "Where is she?"
The trio heard a sound coming from the root cellar. Art had his share of memories from that room. It had been years, but the images were still vivid in his mind. He'd been charged with protecting Minnie and two other women. They'd all been ordered to the cellar where they'd be safest from gunfire. That's where he'd first learned Minnie wasn't partial to small enclosed spaces. The darkness had caused her to panic. As Art stared at the door, he remembered that it could only be secured from the outside – the side they were on. If Minnie was stuck in there, it was against her will.
They exchanged looks. "It's either a trap, or she's secured and can't get to the door," Art told the men. There would be no easy way to enter the cellar without getting in the line of fire if there was someone in there with a gun trained on the door. Art closed his eyes for a brief moment. Please God, keep us all safe.
Then he stepped to the door and unlatched it. He pushed the door open, gun pointed straight ahead. Knowing he would have to go in blindly because of the darkness, he stepped into the cellar. Wilcox and Mitch were behind him.
When the light reached the interior of the cellar, he saw Mrs. Smith tied to a chair and gagged. Art would never be able to forget the look of terror on her face as she saw three men approaching with guns all aimed at her. She couldn't possibly see their faces, backlit as they were. Before Art could reassure her, the mayor's wife fainted. The sheriff holstered his gun. "It's Minnie's mom. Get her untied and upstairs. I'll fetch the doctor and her husband."
"I can do that," said Mitch. "I followed the mayor long enough to know where to find him and the doctor. You stay with Mrs. Smith and find out what happened." Art stared at him for a moment before nodding his consent, then bent over Mrs. Smith to remove the gag. Meanwhile, Detective Wilcox withdrew a knife from his ankle sheath and began cutting away at the binds holding Mrs. Smith to the chair.
****
Doc Billingsly waved smelling salts in front of Mrs. Smith, and she came to with a start. "Minnie," she groaned, putting a hand to her head. "Where's Minnie?"
The doctor did a quick examination of her and then stepped away so she could be questioned. "I'll check her more thoroughly later," he said. "Right now this is more important."
"Mrs. Smith." Urgency rang in Art's voice. "Where's Minnie?"
"That deputy of yours came and said she was needed at the sheriff's office," she answered.
The mayor, kneeling beside his wife and holding her hand, gave new meaning to the word ashen.
Mrs. Smith continued, "Everything was fine until he tried to take her out the kitchen door instead of the front door. I think she got suspicious. She started asking him strange questions. None of them made any sense to me. He got angry then, and hit her on the head with the butt of his pistol. Before I could even scream, he was coming at me as well."
Looking up at Art, she said, "That's all I remember until I heard you yelling Minnie's name. I tried to scream, but I was gagged. Then I saw people coming at me with guns, and that's it," she shrugged, "until I woke up in here."
Art said, "I need you to tell me everything Deputy Jasper said while he was here. Recall every word you can."
"He told us you'd sent him to escort Minnie to the sheriff's office, that something urgent had come up, and you needed her. When he tried to lead her out the kitchen door, he said it was because there might be another person following her. She started asking him questions. How long had he been in Larkspur? How long had he worked for you? I-I told her not to be silly and to go with the man. It-it's my fault she was taken by that awful man."
Minnie's mother looked at him, and Art could see the anguish brimming in her eyes. He had to get Minnie back. Not just for Minnie's sake, and not for his own selfish reasons, either. Art needed to do it for the Smiths. They'd only just gotten their daughter back. Losing her again wasn't an option, not for any of them.
"This isn't your fault, Mrs. Smith," Art told her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Jasper had us all fooled." She finally looked him in the eye, and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We're going to find her."
Art stood and turned to leave. He faced the two men from California. "Gentlemen, I hope you're ready to saddle up and ride with me. It would appear I have no deputy at present."
****
"Is he going to want to kill her, or is he going to try to take her back to California so he can cash in?" asked Mitch when they arrived back at the sheriff's station where Art began divvying up his stash of weapons among the three of them. There was no time to wait for a posse.
"Killing her accomplishes nothing," Art said. "His life here is ruined either way, but if he kills her, he's got a bounty on his head and nothing to show for it. My guess is he's going to try to take her back to California to Carl's boss and see if he can collect some sort of fee for delivering her." Looking up, Art said, "At least I hope that's his plan. Nothing else makes sense. Otherwise, he would have left town, not bothering with Minnie at all."
Detective Wilcox watched the sheriff closely. "Unless it's personal? Would he have a reason to want to hurt you or the mayor?"
Art shook his head and said, "I can't think of one. This town has been nothing but good to him as far as I know."
Samuel fetched Mitch's horse from the livery, and the three men mounted up and rode south, Jasper's most likely direction. Most people heading to California would take the stage down to Promontory Point and then a train west. They had no way of knowing whether or not that was the fugitive's plan, but it was as good a place as any to start looking for a trail.