onto the alley.
“Hey! What are you…?”
That was as far as the questioning hotel patron got, because without any further hesitation, Matt pushed Paco’s body through the window. It fell with a crash to the alley below. That done, he lowered the window, then, brushing his hands as if having just completed an onerous task, returned to his own room.
“That should take care of it,” Matt said. “Sleep well, everyone.”
Chapter Twenty
Matt was eating breakfast at the Choulic Cafe when a woman came in. Looking around for a moment, she saw Matt and came directly to his table.
“Mr. Cavanaugh?”
This was the same soiled dove that had been in bed with Bates when Matt and Bates had had their encounter. By now, Matt had been in town long enough, and had spent enough time in the saloon, to know her by name.
Matt stood up. “Hello, Jennie,” he said.
“Oh, my,” Jennie said, flustered by that gentlemanly act. “You don’t have to stand for me.”
“You are a woman,” Matt replied. “I treat all women with courtesy.”
“Oh, I, uh—I appreciate it,” Jennie said.
“Have you had your breakfast?”
“I’m not much of a breakfast person,” Jennie replied.
“You could join me for coffee, couldn’t you?”
“I don’t know,” Jennie said, looking around. “Mr. Appleby doesn’t like for people like me—uh, you know, women who are on the line—to come in here.”
“Nonsense, you are my guest,” Matt said. He held a chair out for Jennie, then moved around the table to retake his own seat. He was fully aware of some of the glances he was receiving from many of the other diners, but he paid no attention to them.
“What brings you to my table, Jennie?” Matt asked. “Although I’m enjoying the company, I have the feeling that you didn’t stop by just to be sociable.”
“I hear that you are looking for Moses Schuler,” Jennie said.
“Yes,” Matt said. “Do you know him? You must know him if you know his full name. I don’t believe I’ve mentioned his first name since I arrived in Choulic.”
“Yes, I know him,” Jennie said. “I know him very well.” She paused for a moment. “Moses killed my husband,” she added.
“Your husband?”
Jennie nodded, and Matt saw that her eyes had welled with tears.
“Yes, Mr. Cavanaugh, my husband,” Jennie said. “I wasn’t born a whore.”
“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to imply that you were.”
“I know, I know. I guess, when I think about it, I’m just a little sensitive,” Jennie said. “Carl and I had been married for a little over a year. His parents didn’t approve of the marriage. After all, Carl was an educated man, a mining engineer, and he met me when I was working as a maid for his family. But Carl didn’t care what they thought—he loved me and I loved him, so we were married, and we left Louisville to come out West. Carl had taken a position with the Cross Point Mine.”
“Oh, I see,” Matt said. “Earlier, when you said Schuler killed your husband, you were talking about the cave-in at the Cross Point Mine, weren’t you? The one Schuler caused.”
“Yes,” Jennie said. She looked surprised. “You know about that?”
“I’ve heard about it.”
“It was an accident,” Jennie said. “I don’t really blame Moses, but he blames himself. That’s why he turned into an alcoholic.”
“Did you know Schuler before the accident?”
“I knew him very well. I told you that Carl’s family was opposed to our getting married. But that’s only true about his mother and father. His brother was very supportive—something that Carl and I both appreciated.”
“His brother?
“Yes, Mr. Cavanaugh. Moses Schuler was Carl Schuler’s brother. My brother-in-law,” Jennie said simply.
“I see.”
“No, I’m not sure you do see,” Jennie said. “I do want to help you find him because I believe he is on the path to self-destruction and needs to be stopped. But before I tell you where to look, I need to ask what you are going to do with him when you do find him?”
“If you are worried about that, don’t tell me where he is,” Matt said, his reply surprising Jennie. “Because whatever I do will be between him and me. I don’t want you saddled with any kind of a guilty conscience.”
“I have to know, Mr. Cavanaugh, was he one of the people who robbed the train?”
“Yes.”
“You aren’t the law, and you aren’t a bounty hunter. Why are you after these men?”
