Reaper's Fee

TWENTY-NINE

Ocean, California

Three weeks later

Mail was delivered to the Tin Pan Restaurant same as always. It arrived at the usual time, dropped off by the owner of the cigar shop across the street.

“Here you go,” the cigar shop owner said. “Looks like there’s some excitement for ya.”

Catherine smiled and took the small bunch of letters. The man from the cigar shop always expected excitement when Catherine got a letter that wasn’t from someone in her family or a notice from a distributor. When Catherine spotted the familiar, florid handwriting on the envelope, she nearly dropped over.

Since he wrote out most of his own burial notices and funeral invitations, Nick’s handwriting was very distinct. She’d been sick with worry over the last few weeks, and she hadn’t expected to hear from him in this manner. After pouring herself a glass of water, she sat at a table in the back of her place and carefully opened the envelope. She read the letter slowly, savoring each word, but also dreading the next.

My Dearest Catherine,

First and foremost, I must insist that you do not worry about my safety or well-being. I have done what I set out to do and made certain that my friend can rest easy once again. I have, however, run into some trouble which finds me in a jail cell in a town called Hackett until I can be transferred to a larger prison. I am to be tried, although I do not know when. If you must know the particulars, you may request them from the Shannon County courthouse. I do not know my docket number, but it should be filed under P for Nicolai Petkus.

Catherine felt a coldness in her face. When she reached up to pat her cheek, her hand came away sweaty. A few drinks of water helped and she felt the liquid run through her system to chill her all the way down to her core. The name in the letter had struck her as odd, but only for a moment. Catherine recalled Nick telling her about someone in his family by the name of Petkus. Although there was some comfort to be had in that, it wasn’t enough to keep her hands from shaking as she held the letter and read on.

I know you are upset, but please do not cry. You know how much I hate it when you cry. Unfortunately, this has been a long time coming. Honestly, I am glad it is finally here. In all my years, I have never spent more than four nights in a jail cell. My father would tell me that I deserve to serve my time. He would tell me that I have earned it. Perhaps he is right.

I have tried to put a great many things behind me, but that doesn’t mean I have paid what is due. Plenty of folks who mourn for someone they have lost just need to do something, some little thing, to set things straight in their own heads. For me, this is it. I deserve to cool my heels in a jail cell and let the cards fall where they may. The only reason I have taken the shortcut that you know I have taken is because I wish to see you again.

Catherine took a few more sips of water. Her nerves had calmed down a bit, but they still threatened to overwhelm her. Despite that, she couldn’t help but smile at Nick’s way of putting things in his letter. His little shortcut was most definitely giving the law that false name. He was right about one thing, though. If they knew who was truly in their custody, those lawmen would have dumped Nick into a cell and thrown away the key.

Either that, or they would have taken him out and…

Her next breath caught in her throat as Catherine knocked that thought straight out of her mind. Whatever Nick had done in his youth, she knew he’d been paying for it in his own way for plenty of years. Considering what he’d done to step in for her or plenty of other folks, she figured he’d already paid his debt. In Nick’s mind, however, she knew that probably wasn’t enough.

He never talked about it too much, but she could always see the haunted distraction in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking at him. Catherine knew he still thought back to his wilder days as if the sting of gunpowder was still in his nose and all that blood was still on his hands.

To comfort herself, she continued reading. Every curve of every letter on that page put the sound of Nick’s voice firmly in her thoughts.

I will try to write you as much as I can, but I don’t know how reliable these deputies will be in mailing my letters. Just know I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone and I will do whatever is necessary to see you again. For now, though, please do not try to find me. I am putting my younger self to rest and that is not a man you would care to meet. Also, seeing you on the other side of these bars would only make me want to tear them from the ground before it is truly time for me to leave.

I told you not to cry and I mean it. You are a strong woman, Catherine, and will only grow stronger in my absence. When I return, we can start a new life together. I only apologize for not being able to start it sooner. Do not worry about me. I have been in much worse places than a cage.

Just so you know, I am content to stay here. They are transferring me to another jail, where I believe some old acquaintances of mine are residing. There are some things I’d like to straighten out with them as well.

If I do not return, do not be angry or sorrowful. I will have lived on my own terms and done my best to square away all of my debts. You will find some money stashed in my workshop. There isn’t much, but it should be enough to get you anywhere you want to go. In the event such unfortunate events come to pass, keep that smile on your face because that is what I will want to see when I look in on you again.

This had to happen sooner or later, Catherine. Better now and on my own terms than later, when I wasn’t prepared for it. Once this debt is paid, I can live the rest of my years content in the knowledge that I owe nothing to anybody.

Catherine smirked at that. She could practically hear Nick telling her that he could walk away from any jail cell as if the door were unlocked. In the past, it might have made her uneasy to know that it could be true. Now, it brought her some comfort. Not a lot, but some was better than none.

My trial is impending, but nobody seems to be in much of a rush. Things got messy here, leaving nobody but myself and the law to straighten things out. This is a first for me, so I have no predictions as to the outcome. I do not trust the law that has imprisoned me, but I owe a debt that is being paid in their currency. Things could have been a lot worse, but Barrett kept that noose from tightening around my neck. When I return, I will explain what that means to you over coffee and a big breakfast. Right now, I need to finish writing before the deputy leaves to send the day’s mail.

I love you Catherine. I always have and I always will.

Yours,

Nicolai

PS—I told you not to cry

Catherine wiped the tears from her face and looked around as if someone nearby was actually going to scold her. She folded the letter and tucked it away in her skirt pocket.

“Was that from Nick?” one of the girls who waited tables asked.

“Yes.”

Wiping off the table next to Catherine’s, the server nodded. “I could spot that fancy handwriting anywhere. Is he coming home soon?”

“No,” Catherine replied. “Not for a while.”

Nick stretched out on his cot, which required him to dangle one leg over the side. The ceiling of his cell wasn’t much higher than the top of his head when he was standing, and it was built at a slope toward a window that wasn’t much larger than a slice of toast.

The cot made his back ache. The food sat in a warm lump at the bottom of his belly. He desperately missed Catherine and would kill to ride Kazys for miles at a full gallop. But all of that would have to wait.

For now, Nick was home.