“Thank you,” Julia responded, looking directly in West eyes. “I hope you remember that next time.”
“If I don’t, I think you’ll be sure to remind me.”
Julia thought for a moment and said, “You’re right. I will remind you. Mister Gordon said we were partners, and once this assignment is over, I may be assigned cases on my own or with another partner. We’re not going to work together forever. I think we can both survive this training case.”
“Did you forget we’re married?”
Julia closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, how can I forget that? It’s the only part of this partnership that made me think twice about joining the Pinkertons, but I’m going to do my best to be a good wife and partner. You deserve my respect for both, too, just like I expect yours.”
West smiled again. “You’re going to be a good wife?”
“Yes,” Julia snapped. “Within reason. Don’t get any ideas, Mister Lange. This marriage is on paper only. A marriage of convenience and necessity. Remember what Mister Gordon explained.”
“You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“Oh yes, I can, and don’t forget I’m armed.”
Chapter 5
As the train began moving after filling with water at the tiny village stop, the conductor hurried up to West with a piece of paper in his hand. “This arrived at the telegraph office for you just before the train was about to leave,” the conductor explained.
West thanked him and took the offered telegram and scanned it.
“This case keeps getting more and more interesting,” West explained. “From what information the sheriff in New Mexico has gathered, our suspect is female.”
“We’re chasing a woman?” Julia asked, surprise crossing her face.
“Appears so,” West answered and held up the yellow telegram in his hand.
He continued, “What we know is she was born Kate Marie Schuman. Hated her mother for whatever reason, no one seems to know. Mother’s name is Marie, and Kate legally changed her name to toss away any connection to her mother, asking to become Kate Schuman Mulligan.”
“Mulligan?” Julia asked.
West shrugged. “Somewhere along the way, she either married some man named Mulligan or latched onto the name for more anonymity.”
“Interesting,” Julia mused, shaking her head. “If she hates her mother, it could be the catalyst for her wanting the treasure to best her but murder? If this is true, she killed the priest in New Mexico and attacked Father Dominic.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time a woman killed for money, love, or hate. A more detailed report should be waiting for us by the time we reach the train station,” West explained. “They’re sending additional information via telegraph and a written report that may not arrive for a few days depending on the mail.”
Julia bit her lower lip and scrunched her forehead in thought before saying, “I understand how a child-parent relationship can become tense or even brutal, but I can’t imagine hurting my mother the way it seems Kate has hurt hers. My world fell apart when I lost my mother, and if I could have her back, I’d never do anything to hurt her.” Julia turned her head to look out the train window, not wanting West to see the tears form in her eyes.
West shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say. “The world is full of people, and each one is different. Some have no empathy and were born cruel. I’ve seen men that I would swear had no soul, and if they did, they’d sold it to Hell long ago.”
Julia nodded her agreement. “It’s just hard to imagine that we’re chasing a female murderer and not just reading about it in a book or newspaper. I suppose it’s not out of the question to suspect a female, but I always thought they preferred poison. She hit the priest over the head.”
“You were sheltered in that convent too long,” West insisted. “The world can be an ugly place.”
“It can also be and usually is a beautiful place. You need to look past your negativity,” Julia retorted.
“Usually, if you’re not in our line of work. I’ve seen more negativity and crime than I care to remember,” West admitted.
Julia leaned closer and put her hand on West’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you were only looking for the bad in everything. I know you’ve seen much more than I have, and we have different perspectives.”
West looked into Julia’s large brown eyes and felt drawn to her as if he were drowning and didn’t care. He quickly shook off the feeling and answered, “It’s good that we see things differently. It makes us good partners when we can share different opinions and look at all the possibilities.”
West pulled back away from Julia, fighting his desire to reach out, pull her close, and kiss her.
When the brakes screeched, and the train began to slow, West said, “Are you ready to continue this investigation on a stagecoach and then horseback? I never did ask if you could ride. Did they allow you to ride horses in the convent?”
Frustration flashed in Julia’s eyes. “Is there something about me that bothers you? Every time you ask me something about my life or what knowledge I have or don’t have, you refer to the convent. I spent two years there. Two. Not my entire life. It was a time of reflection and healing. I grew up on a farm. Of course, I can ride a horse.”
“I’m sorry again. I don’t know how to explain this without sounding condescending, but you look delicate. I don’t know how to say it better. I’m afraid that you will go into a situation where you won’t be strong enough to fight your way out.”
Julia blew out a breath. “If it will ease your mind some, I can tell you that after my father died, my brother and I did most of the farm work.
