CHAPTER 14

“THAT could be a … costly decision…”

“Then it will cost me. I’m willing to bear that cost. But look at me, Alex. I received a suspension and the threat of firing from your father, and what do I do? Like a fool I scramble and try to make up for lost time, worrying and struggling as if I were some newly hired neophyte artist who would go under if not for my precious job … bah! No disrespect meant to your father, Alex, but I’m not dependent upon the Illustrated American. If your father chooses to let me go because I opt to follow the strongest lead I’ve yet found regarding what happened to my wife, well, then let him fire me.”

Gunnison, having already pondered Kenton’s lack of dependence upon the Illustrated American, could not argue with his point.

“I’m going to devote myself to finding the truth about Victoria … and, if she proves to be alive, to finding her. Yes, I’m scared by the prospect of finding her, as I admitted, but a man must do what he must. I owe it to myself and to her to discover the truth.”

Gunnison made himself ask the question: “Even if you find that she has been alive all this time, and stayed away from you by her own choice?”

Kenton looked as if he’d been kicked, but only for a moment. “Yes,” he said quietly. “In fact, I’m expecting to find that to be the case, if she’s alive. Because why else would she not have returned to me?”

“The Deception novel presents a kidnapping scenario,” Gunnison said. “And the female character being spirited far away. If something like that happened to Victoria—”

“Even so, Victoria would have found a way back,” Kenton said. “She was a strong and self-reliant woman. If she lived, but didn’t return to me, it could only be because she chose not to, or is in such a terrible condition that she couldn’t. Even then, though, I think she would have found a way to get word to me of where she was.”

“It may not be possible to find out the answers to these questions, Kenton.”

“It’s my hope that the novel will provide the clues I need. And don’t look at me that way, Alex. I know it’s a long shot at best. But at the moment it’s my only shot.”

Gunnison nodded. “I understand. But regarding the professional side of this … will you allow me to make a suggestion?”

“Go ahead.”

“Don’t throw aside your job and your good standing with my father. You have some jealous competitors, and they would make hay with that, if it got out—and it would. Let’s try to preserve the situation and still concentrate on this quest.” Gunnison noticed only after he’d finished the sentence that he’d spoken in the plural—himself and Kenton working cooperatively.

“I can’t do two things at once.” Kenton waved at the heaps of drawings. “You can see that I’ve tried to make up for my failures. All I did was generate more failures. My talents are failing me, Alex. I’m too overwhelmed by this business about Victoria to concentrate on my work.” He paused, then said, “You know, sometimes I’ve found myself thinking it would have been easier if there never had been any question about whether she was alive or dead. If the matter could have been so clear-cut that there was no question she was gone, then my life ever since would have been easier in some ways.”

“Yes, but you would have had no hope of seeing her again, and I know how important that hope has been to you.”

Kenton said nothing for a few moments. He’d revealed more of his inner self just now than he typically did, and Gunnison could see him beginning to reflexively pull back. Kenton cleared his throat and shifted the subject back to Gunnison’s earlier statement.

“So how do you propose we salvage my professional standing with your father?”

“I propose that we work together on these drawings. Let me help you, Kenton. I’ve learned over the years to imitate your style fairly well. I’m not as good, of course, but I can handle the basics. You do the main portions of the drawings, then let me do the finishing work. Under your supervision, and following your direction and style. Together you and I can get these drawings finished in a couple of days, and get them to the Illustrated American. You can have full credit for them; that’s not important to me in this situation. You’ll recover the ground you’ve lost and regain your good standing. Then, you and I can both take some time away from the job. We can both use the break. And you can devote the time to exploring these new leads regarding Victoria.”

“And you?”

Gunnison wanted to say that he’d spend the time with his wife—maybe concentrating on trying to start the family he wanted. But he knew it wouldn’t be. The decision had seemed to make itself for him. “I’ll help you, Kenton. We’ll figure this thing out together.”

Kenton thought it over, then shook his head. “Alex, I can’t ask you to devote your time to what is essentially my own cause. It wouldn’t be fair to you, and could get you in hot water with your own father. And I can’t ask you to do work on my behalf that you won’t get proper credit for. Besides, does this work really matter? I can find plenty of opportunities other than the Illustrated American.”

“Certainly you can. But that’s been true for years, and you’ve stayed on with the Illustrated American anyway. Why? Because you’re loyal. You don’t work for the Illustrated American—you are the Illustrated American. You could walk away from it, but you don’t want to. If you’d been willing to walk away, you wouldn’t have rented this room and put in all the time you have trying to make up for your inadequate work.”

Kenton didn’t argue.

“Let’s do this together, Kenton. Let’s take on these drawings and work as a team, and get this out of the way.”

Kenton smiled, very slightly, and reached out to grasp Gunnison’s shoulder a moment. “Thank you,” he said. “You’re a fine partner, Alex. Loyal to me when I don’t deserve it.”

Amen to that, Gunnison thought. I don’t know why I do it. So much for all my notions back in Leadville of walking away from you once and for all.

“Come on,” said Gunnison. “We’ve got some work to get out of the way. How’s the hangover coming?

“Improving.

“You can work?

“I can work.”

*   *   *

As they labored, they talked.

Gunnison was honest with Kenton about his lack of optimism about the seeming leads in The Grand Deception actually having much real value. Regardless, he was ready to pursue them, and would treat them as potential clues, no matter how unlikely.

“It seems to me, Kenton, that we’re at something of a loss until we see more of that novel. And with the thing scheduled to be published over the course of a year or more, that’s not a good situation for us.”

Kenton, frowning over his drawing pad, shook his head. “No, it’s not, and I don’t intend to tolerate it. I want to see that manuscript in its entirety as soon as possible.”

“Ah, but will you be allowed to do so? Don’t such magazines usually have policies against allowing advance outside reading of their serial novels?”

“They do. Darian already informed me.”

“Can he do anything to skirt the rules a bit in your case?”

“He could if he were the editor handling The Grand Deception. But he’s not, and the editor who is, is staunchly refusing to let anyone see the novel as a whole in advance. He told Darian that those were the terms under which the novel was purchased from the author, who is remaining strictly anonymous. Darian hasn’t even been able to catch a glimpse of the contract to learn the author’s real name.”

“Then there’s nothing to do but wait the novel out.”

“Of course there is. It’s called breaking and entering.”

Gunnison gaped. “What?”

“I’m going to see that manuscript, Alex. Whatever it takes. And I’m not waiting a blasted year to do it.”

“Surely you don’t actually intend to break into the building!”

“If it is the only way—”

“You can’t be serious! Listen, Kenton, I said I’d help you, but if you think I’m going to—”

Kenton waved him off. “Alex, don’t attach such importance to everything I say. Do I look like somebody who would actually break into a building?”

“With you, I never know. Let me talk to Darian again, Kenton. Maybe I can persuade him to work a little harder on convincing the other editor to not be so persnickety.”

Kenton shrugged. “If you insist. But if he fails, I’m not overly concerned. I’ll talk to this editor myself, if I need to. I can be a persuasive man when I have to be.”

Gunnison smiled slightly. He’d just heard in Kenton’s last sentence a flicker of the self-confident Brady Kenton he knew so well.