The lunch was more sumptuous than most dinners. Clint wondered where this band of ex-Confederates got their supplies from.
Gemma did most of the talking, and most of it was about a reborn Confederacy. It sounded like she was espousing her husband’s dream, but from the look on her face she believed every word of it.
“Back when there was a Confederacy,” she said, “we lived in a beautiful house in Virginia. We had servants, slaves, friends … we had a life. Good wine, good food, elegant clothes … and then the Union came. They burned it all, while Samuel was away at the war. They came and burned us out. So you see, they owe us. The owe me!” Her eyes blazed.
“So for those reasons you steal President Lincoln’s body,” Clint said.
“Wyatt came to Samuel with the idea. My husband went for it. He said the money would go into our war chest.” She looked at Captain Gately. “Captain, why don’t you taker Mr. Roper out for some air. Right out back.”
“I got men out front, ma’am—”
“Out back will be fine.” She obviously wanted to talk to Clint alone.
Roper looked at Clint, who nodded. The Captain and Roper both got up and went out the back door.
“Simon,” Gemma said, “give us a few minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Take the Colonel some food.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Simon made a tray up and left the kitchen with it.
Gemma reached across the table and put her hand on Clint’s arm.
“After this payment we’ll have a half a million in our war chest,” she said. “Samuel thinks that will buy back the Confederacy.”
“And you don’t?”
“The South is dead,” she said. “It was dead the minute Lee surrendered. Men like my husband have been fooling themselves for years.”
“But not you, huh?”
“No, not me,” she said.
“So that money’s yours?” he asked. “How you going to get it away from the Captain and his men?”
“The Captain is a young man who has never been to war,” she said. “He can be bought.”
“With money?”
She smiled. “And other things.”
“Ah. You think he’ll go for that?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not quite past my prime yet. Maybe he will. Or maybe I’ll need some help.”
“From me?”
“Half a million dollars, Clint,” she said. “Think about it. We were good together in Springfield.”
“That was one night, Gemma.”
“We could be good again.”
He slid his arm away from her touch.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I’m here to do a job. You see, my side won the war. We’re still around.”
She drew her hand back and sneered. “Bluebellies. How do I know you weren’t there the day they burned me out?”
“You don’t,” he said. “I don’t. If I was there we were both pretty young.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I still remember it very well.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“How many plantations did you burn, Clint, that you don’t remember, anymore?”
“That wasn’t my job,” he said. “But this is. Have your young Captain take me to Lincoln’s body.”
She sat back in her chair and composed herself. Through the window on the door Clint could see Roper and Gately standing outside. They were not talking. In fact, they weren’t even looking at each other.
“Tomorrow,” she said, finally. “Take the night. Sleep on my offer.”
“I don’t think so, Gemma,” Clint said. “I don’t think I want to sleep in this town. Take us to the body and we’ll get you the money and be on our way.”
“Get me half the money,” she said, “and I’ll show you where the body is.”
Clint looked out the window, again. Suddenly, there were three more grey uniforms back there, and they were all pointing guns at Roper who, in turn, was pointing his gun at Gately.
“We’ll keep your friend here until you get back.”
Clint drew his gun and pointed it at Gemma, who reared back, looking surprised.
“Roper and I will go and get half the money and come back,” he said. “Have the Captain bring him back in here.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll kill you right, now, Gemma.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said. “How would you get the body back, then?”
He cocked the hammer on his gun and said, “That’s not something you’re going to have to worry about.”