“We can check the other armories,” Vanderslice was saying. “This fellow might be wrong. If it’s an investigation, maybe it’s a secret.”
A cab pulled up and Fletcher opened the door. “You can go to the other armories if you want,” Thornton told the other two men. “But I know who’s behind this and that’s where I’m going.” He climbed into the cab and Fletcher followed. He told the driver where to go, and the cab lurched away from the curb, leaving Bates and Vanderslice behind.
? ? ?
“What did he mean that he knows who’s behind this?” David asked as the cab pulled away.
Gideon knew only too well, but he said, “Why don’t you visit the other armories, just to be sure? I’ve got to . . . I’ve got to go.” He looked around frantically, but saw no cabs, so he started walking without even waiting for David’s reply. Dodging the other pedestrians, he worked his way through the crowded sidewalks. The winter sun had already disappeared behind the tall buildings, and everyone was heading home for dinner. Traffic was jammed at each intersection, and he darted between the vehicles with no regard for his own safety.
All he could think about was Elizabeth alone at his house with no idea that she was in danger. Because surely that’s who Thornton blamed for all of this. Rightly so, if Gideon had put all the pieces together correctly, but that didn’t mean Thornton had the right to revenge. Or maybe it did, but Gideon wasn’t going to allow it, not if he could beat him there.
He had a good chance, too, since the cab would be slowed by the traffic, but Gideon could dart right through, ignoring blaring horns and screeching tires and shouted curses. After what seemed an eternity of racing through the darkening streets and pushing past countless strangers, he reached his own street, panting and holding the stitch in his side, but refusing to slow his pace. As he’d hoped, the cab was just pulling away from the curb in front of his house. No sign of Fletcher, so he must have gone inside with Thornton. Where was the other one? What was his name? Lester, yes. Elizabeth said Thornton had one of his men watching her all the time, but he saw no sign of Lester, either. Had he gone in with them, too? How on earth would he protect her from all three of them?
He was running when he reached the stoop and had to grab hold of the railing to swing around and up the steps. The front door stood open, and inside Thornton was shouting. Gideon took the steps two at a time and launched himself down the hall and into the parlor, where Elizabeth faced Thornton.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she was saying.
“Leave her alone,” Gideon said.
“Stay out of this, Bates,” Thornton said, nodding to his men, who were both there, as Gideon had feared.
Before he could think, they’d grabbed him, each holding an arm in a vicelike grip. He struggled, but they held him fast. He was no match for them physically, but if he couldn’t beat them with brawn, he’d have to use his wits. “She didn’t have anything to do with this.”
Thornton turned to him with interest. “And why would you say that unless you already knew why I suspected her?”
“Because she told me everything about how she knows you and how you threatened her.”
“Gideon, don’t!” Elizabeth cried. “Just leave. He won’t dare hurt me.”
“Won’t I?” Thornton asked with a smile that turned Gideon’s blood to ice. “And now that you mention it, I think it will be even better if Bates is here to watch. Make sure he doesn’t get loose, boys.”
Frantic, Gideon tore one arm free from his captor and would have lunged at Thornton but his other captor punched him in the stomach, driving the breath from his lungs and sending him to his knees, nauseated and gasping. As he fought for breath, he heard a new voice and thought he must surely be hallucinating.
“What’s going on here?” Anna Vanderslice said in a commanding tone he’d never heard her use before. She’d waltzed into the room like some kind of snow queen wearing a fur-trimmed coat and a white fur hat with her hands tucked into a matching muff. “Have you gotten yourself into even more trouble, Elizabeth?”
“Anna, this doesn’t concern you. Get out of here!” Elizabeth cried. “And please, go find a policeman!”
“Yes, Miss Vanderslice,” Thornton said. “Get out of here now, but don’t bother with a policeman.”
Anna glared at Thornton as if he were a bug she’d found floating in her soup. “Are you here to get your revenge on Elizabeth? Oh yes, she told me all about it, back when she thought we were friends, but now . . . Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Thornton, but I have a prior claim on her. She’s a lying, scheming harlot, and she’s betrayed me for the last time.” Anna slipped her left hand out of her muff and pointed the muff on her right hand at Elizabeth.
The muff exploded.
The noise was impossibly loud, and for a few seconds they were all too stunned to move. But Elizabeth had clapped her hands to her chest, and blood began to ooze from between her fingers. She made a small cry of distress and sank to her knees as Anna began to scream.
“What have I done!” she cried, demanding it over and over of every person in the room. “What have I done!”
Gideon staggered to his feet, forgotten by his captors, who were still too stunned to take any action at all. Thornton gaped at Elizabeth, who cried out again as blood dribbled from her mouth.
Anna was still screaming, begging Thornton to help her now, but he could only stare at Elizabeth as she toppled over onto her side.
“Boss,” Fletcher said, “we need to get out of here.”
Gideon sucked in as much air as he could and lurched to Anna. When she turned to him, he grabbed the muff and jerked it off her hand. A pistol fell to the floor.
“Yeah, the coppers will be here, and you don’t want them pinning this on you,” Lester said. They grabbed Thornton and started dragging him from the room. He didn’t resist. He still couldn’t seem to tear his gaze from Elizabeth, who lay deathly still as blood flowed from her mouth and slowly stained her shirtwaist.
“I didn’t mean to kill her, Gideon!” Anna cried.
Was she insane? He didn’t know and he didn’t care and he couldn’t deal with her now anyway.
He snatched up the pistol and stuffed it into his pocket as he sucked in another ragged breath and threw himself to his knees beside Elizabeth.
Anna was screaming again, begging Thornton to help her, which sent him and his men scrambling out even faster.
Gideon’s heart had stopped. He knew he was going to die, because no one could feel pain like this and survive. He reached out to her, longing with everything in him to save her and knowing of nothing that would help. A doctor? A hospital? Nothing could save her from a wound like that.
Was she still breathing? “Elizabeth?” he whispered.