Mace heard the spring wagon pull up and stop in front of the livery. He put down his hammer and walked out into the road.
“Hello, Paisley,” Ruth said from the seat.
“Hi, Ruth, what brings you over here?”
“I think the horse may have picked up a pebble.” She pointed to the front of the animal. “Right side. She seems to favor it.”
He noticed she hadn’t looked at him while she spoke. “Let me help you down and I’ll take a look. Won’t take a minute.” He reached up to her, grasping her arm as she placed her foot on the single step. As she came down she cringed and he heard her groan. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I can be such a clumsy oaf.”
“No, it’s not you. I fell and bruised my arm. It’s not that bad.” She stared at the ground.
He waited for her to look up. Then he gasped. “And bruised your neck at the same time? How did you get that terrible mark on your neck?” He stared at the blue-purple blotch.
Ruth’s hand went to her throat and when she tried to push the collar higher, she winced.
“How, Ruth?” Mace wanted to reach over and move her collar.
“I . . . I fell.”
Two horsemen rode by, tipped their hats and greeted them both.
“Let’s get out of the street.” Mace took her elbow and guided her toward the livery. She resisted only for a moment, and then walked into the building.
“Who did this?” Mace demanded.
“Please, Paisley, it will only make matters worse if you interfere. I don’t want you to get involved.”
“Ruth. We’ve been good friends for years. I can see there’s nothing wrong with the mare just by the way she’s standing. You need help, and I’m glad you came here. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s David.”
“How in hell can that be? What’s Matt know about it? Sorry for swearing but, good Lord, Ruth, how can Matt let this happen?”
“He doesn’t know.” Suddenly Ruth turned for the door. “I must go. I wasn’t thinking when I came here.”
Mace grabbed her forearm. “Does Ana know? Or Paul?”
“Please, this was a mistake. Don’t say anything. Please, I’m begging you.”
The pain in her eyes both infuriated and crushed Mace. “Ruth, I’ve got to do something. I can’t stand by and let you get hurt like this.”
“If you think anything of me, let this go. I’ll get through it. You’ll only make it worse. I shouldn’t have come. I don’t know what I was thinking. Promise me, Paisley. Don’t say anything. Not now. Promise?”
“Damn it, Ruth.” Mace faced her, his heavy fists clenched, and slowly shook his head back and forth like an agitated bull. “Damn it.”
“Thank you. Don’t worry, I’ll be all right.” She reached out and touched his hand. “Thank you for being my friend.” She turned and walked out to her wagon.
He helped her into the seat and she tongue-clicked the horse into motion. He watched until she turned the corner, heading west. Reentering the livery, he picked up his hammer and swung it with all his might, shattering the oak planking of the bench top. Trembling with rage, he stared at the damage, imagining.
Now what the hell do I do? That little son of a bitch is abusing his mother, and that worthless bastard Matt is so . . . so, gawdammit. She came here for help, anybody can see that. Does she want me to break my promise?
“Damn it to hell!” Mace sat down on a bench and held his head.
Paul and John had been at Luger’s for over fifteen minutes before Mace arrived for their daily noon get-together. Instead of going to the bar to get a sandwich as he usually did, he came directly to the table.
“I’ve got a real problem, guys.” Mace looked completely lost.
“I can see that,” Paul said, “You look like a whipped pup.”
“Can I get you a beer, Mace?” Fred called from behind the bar.
“Not just yet.” Mace dragged back a chair and sagged into it. He put his elbows on the table and rested his cheeks on his knuckles.
“Well, you came in, so you’re obviously ready to share what it is that’s bothering you,” John said.
“Hard one. A woman came by the livery yesterday afternoon and it was plain that someone had knocked her around a bit. Of course, I couldn’t see a lot, but when I helped her down from the wagon, my hand on her arm hurt her enough to make her wince. And even though she tried to keep her collar high, I could see her neck was bruised real bad. Made me sick to see it.”
“Well, who was it?” Paul asked.
“That’s the hard part. She begged me not to say anything, and I more or less promised. Damn it. I can’t get those black marks on her neck out of my mind.”
“It’s Ruth, isn’t it?” Paul said.
Mace couldn’t keep the surprised look off his face. “I can’t say, Paul, I promised.”
“You don’t have to. I’ve been wondering if something was going on there for a couple or three months now. Ruth, Ana, and Irene Kingsley have been getting together at least once a week for a long time, and about a month ago, Ana mentioned that Ruth had been missing a lot. She has only seen her about three times since summer set in. I put it down to Matt being on an ornery streak, but the longer it went, the more I wondered. You just confirmed my fears. Looks like I’d better pay Matt a personal visit.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. I ain’t said it was Matt.” Mace’s mouth clicked shut. He pursed his lips and shook his head in resignation. “Shit . . . it’s David.”
“David!” Paul studied Mace’s face intently. “David?”
“That’s what she said. She also said Matt doesn’t know. I can’t hardly believe that. I mean, they’re husband and wife, for hell sakes.”
“Well, we have a mess here. I can’t stand around and let her get beat up, and I can’t go barging into another man’s home, even if he is my brother. I need to talk to Ana about this. I can understand your problem, Mace, I really can.”
“I can see this is a family matter, Paul, but I feel compelled to say something,” John said. “I’m not even sure I should have been privy to any of this, but now that I am . . . well, I have to say what I think.”
“It’s not my family either, John,” Mace said. “But I’m in it up to my teeth. I have a lot of faith in your judgment. You seem to be able to see some things that others completely ignore . . . deliberate or otherwise.”
“I agree with him,” Paul said. “Tell us what you think.”
“I realize a man’s supposed to handle his own family affairs, but that same man owes his family fair treatment. If David, a minor, is abusing his mother, Matt has a duty, both legal and moral, to do something about it. If Matt, however, is the perpetrator, then civil law comes into play. Wife or not, a man cannot batter a woman with impunity. The problem confronting you is how to abide by Ruth’s wishes that Mace stay out of it.”
“Perpetrator?” Mace said, “I gather that means he’s doing it?”
“I’m sorry. Sometimes the books come out without me thinking. But you got the gist of it. Anyway, how do we convey our suspicions to Matt without letting on that Ruth told you? And what if it is David, and Matt doesn’t know? I say that, even though I agree with Mace, it’s hard to believe.”
“I think I can work out a way to get the point across to Matt. Ana and I will pay a visit soon. Matt and I usually find ourselves alone when we do and I’ll think of something. David is another matter. Maybe my talk with Matt will get passed on. We’ll just have to hope and watch.”
“Got to do something,” Mace said. “I’m not sure I can see another bruise like that and not do something about it.” Dogged determination etched his face.
Ana lay on her side in bed, facing Paul. “There are some things about Ruth and Matt that you don’t know,” she said quietly. “Some time back she told me they were having problems. Not beatings or anything like that, just problems. The kind that might make it possible that Matt would not see bruises on Ruth.”
“Do you mean they’re not sharing a bed?”
“They don’t even share a bedroom.”
“Why?” Paul plainly could not imagine such a thing.
“I promised I wouldn’t discuss it. Enough to know that what she said could be true. Matt may not know David is hurting her.” Saying it made tears sting her eyes.
“Well, I’m going to do something about it. I will not have her getting beat up.”
“Of course, but let me talk to her first. I think we should go see them this Saturday. I’ll find out what’s going on, and then we’ll decide what to do.” She reached out and placed her hand on his face. “Hold me, Paul. I need you to hold me tight.”