“There’s one more thing,” he said. “If I locate your brother, he’s not going to know me, and he probably won’t listen to me, even if I tell him that you sent me to find him. Is there anything he’d know, something I could tell him or some object he’d recognize, so he’d be more likely to believe me?”
Nancy frowned in thought for a moment, then reached behind her neck. Frank realized after a second that she was unfastening the clasp of a necklace. She took it off, pulling a small locket out from under her dress. As she pressed the necklace and locket into his palm, he felt the warmth that the metal had taken on from being nestled next to her skin.
“Ben gave me that,” she said. “His picture is in it. If…if there’s anything left of the person he used to be, he’ll recognize it.”
Frank nodded as he tucked the chain and locket into his shirt pocket. “That sounds like just what I need.”
He opened the door of the sitting room and looked out into the foyer. It was empty at the moment. As he started toward the library, the butler stepped into the hall at the far end. Dennis raised white eyebrows in surprise.
“I came back to talk to Mr. Chamberlain,” Frank said. He glanced toward the sitting room door, which was still open a crack. Nancy smiled gratefully at him through the gap.
“I’ll see if he’s willing to speak to you again, sir,” Dennis said. He knocked quietly on one of the library doors, then went in. A moment later, he reappeared. “Please come in, Mr. Morgan.”
Frank was glad that Chamberlain had agreed to see him again. They hadn’t left things on a very cordial basis.
Chamberlain was behind the big desk in the library. “What is it, Morgan?” he snapped.
Frank didn’t beat around the bush. “I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “I’ll take the job.”
Chamberlain’s rather bushy eyebrows lowered in a frown. “You’ll find the Terror and kill it?”
Frank didn’t like to lie, but he had made a promise to Nancy Chamberlain. He thought about the lines of worry he had seen etched on her pretty face, then said, “That’s right.”
Chamberlain leaned back in his chair. “May I ask what prompted this reversal?”
“I decided it was more important that you lift the bounty and get all those trigger-happy fools out of the woods.”
“And I suppose the ten thousand dollars had nothing to do with it?”
Frank shrugged. Let the old buzzard think whatever he wanted to.
Chamberlain stood up and came around the desk. “I’m surprised by this, Morgan, and I don’t mind admitting it. I thought you were too stiff-necked to admit that you were wrong. But I’m glad you changed your mind. I’ll put out the word about the bounty being lifted immediately, but it may take some time for it to reach everyone who’s looking for the Terror.”
“Make it as fast as you can,” Frank said.
“Of course.” Chamberlain stuck out his hand. “We have a deal.”
Frank shook with the timber baron and said, “We have a deal.”
He hoped it was one that would bring an end to the bloodshed in the redwoods.
Chapter 7
Chamberlain offered him a drink to seal the bargain, but Frank refused as politely as possible. He wasn’t much of a drinker to start with, preferring a good cup of coffee instead, and he wanted to get started on this job as soon as possible.
“Send a man into Eureka to spread the word about lifting the bounty,” Frank suggested. “If you’ve put up reward posters, have him take them down.”
Chamberlain frowned, clearly not liking it that Frank was giving him orders. But he said, “Very well. I’ll take care of it this afternoon.”
Frank nodded and turned toward the door.
Behind him, Chamberlain said, “Bring me his head, Morgan. Bring me the damn creature’s head.”
Frank didn’t say anything, didn’t turn. He just stood there for a second, jaw clenched, before he went out and closed the library door behind him.
Chamberlain didn’t know what he was asking for. All he knew was that something was killing his men and threatening his business. At least, that was all he would admit, even to himself. No wonder he felt the way he did.
Dennis was waiting in the corridor. He followed Frank all the way to the front door of the bizarre redwood mansion this time. The two horses and Dog were right where Frank had left them. Dog probably hadn’t moved since he sat down. His tail thumped against the ground, though, when Frank stepped out of the house and started down the steps from the porch.
The gunman called Rockwell lounged nearby on a wrought-iron bench that didn’t look the least bit comfortable. A quirly dangled from his lips. He took it out, stood up, and sauntered over while Frank was untying his horses’ reins.
“You were in there quite a while,” he commented. “Strike a deal with the old man?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. I’m going to hunt down the Terror, and Chamberlain’s going to call off the bounty.”
