The Mistaken Mail Order Bride Page 14

  At least Caroline knew she’d done the recipe right. And now that she knew she could manipulate the recipe, she didn’t feel quite so overwhelmed with the process of learning how to cook.

  Two ladies came running over to them, and Caroline stiffened in the chair. Did Ida say something that upset them? There was no doubt they didn’t look the least bit pleased.

  “Are you the sheriff’s new wife?” one asked Caroline.

  “Yes,” Caroline said, bracing herself for the worst. “May I help you?”

  “We went to the livery stable, but Walt’s taken ill,” the lady replied as she struggled to take a breath. “Walt’s sister said Travis Martin can help. She suggested we go to you since you’re the sheriff’s wife, and the sheriff knows where to find him. Did he tell you where Travis lives?”

  “What do you need Travis for?” Caroline asked.

  “To help your husband with the body,” the other lady said. “There’s been a murder.”

  Caroline couldn’t believe her ears. “A murder?” Surely, she’d heard wrong.

  “Yes. Mrs. Richie is dead,” the lady replied.

  “Mrs. Richie?” This time, it was Phoebe who asked the question. “Carl’s wife?”

  “That’s the only Mrs. Richie around here,” the lady replied.

  Caroline didn’t know anything about Travis, Carl, or Carl’s wife, but it was apparent Phoebe did.

  “I know where Travis Martin lives,” Phoebe said. “Do you have a buggy so Caroline and I can go out to his place?”

  “Yes, I do,” the lady said.

  Caroline set Caleb on his feet and stood up. “What about Abe? This could take a while.”

  “I didn’t think of that,” Phoebe admitted.

  “Tell me where Travis is, and I’ll go to him.” Caroline turned to the ladies. “Where is my husband?”

  “The ravine a mile south of town,” one of the ladies told her.

  “And where is Travis?” Caroline asked Phoebe.

  “Up the road that way. Take a right at the fork in the road and keep going up until you come to the only house up there. He’s terribly shy around women, so you might have to run after him to get him to listen to you.”

  Caroline thought Phoebe was joking, but she didn’t laugh. So maybe she was serious.

  “Oh, I don’t know if I’d go see Travis all by myself,” the lady warned. “He’s a monster of a man.”

  “He’s no such thing,” Phoebe replied. “He’s just shy, that’s all. Abe thinks he’s a good person, and Abe is a good judge of character.”

  “You say what you want, but there are things about him that aren’t quite right,” the other lady said. “We wouldn’t go there without our husbands to protect us.”

  “Speak for yourself,” the lady began with a shiver. “I wouldn’t even go with my husband.”

  Caroline decided she’d listen to Phoebe. “Is there a side saddle at the livery stable?” she asked the ladies.

  “Yes,” the lady replied. Then her eyes grew wide. “Are you really going to go out there?”

  “Alone?” the other lady added, placing her hand over her heart.

  “I’ll be going with Caleb,” Caroline said. “You don’t mind, do you Caleb?”

  The boy shook his head.

  “Oh, you’re a brave one,” the lady replied.

  Phoebe turned to Caroline. “Let’s go to the livery stable and get your husband’s horse. I can put on the side saddle for you.”

  Glad for the help, Caroline quickly put the glasses of lemonade away.

  Chapter Sixteen

  As Caroline led the horse up to Travis’ property, she had to admit the place did seem somewhat spooky. The cottage was hidden by trees, so she could only guess what it looked like. The paint on the building and barn was chipping, and weeds and vines were creeping up along them. It almost seemed as if no one had inhabited the place for years.

  “What do you think, Caleb?” she whispered to the boy on her lap. “Do you trust the person who lives here?” She wasn’t sure if he could get a gut feeling without seeing the person who lived here, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

  The boy scanned the area and then nodded.

  This, coupled with Phoebe’s assurance, helped ease her nerves. She continued leading the horse up the rest of the way. A tall, stocky gentleman came out of the barn, carrying a bucket. She was ready to call out a greeting when her horse neighed.

  The gentleman glanced in her direction and bolted for the building, slamming the door behind him.

  She stopped the horse. What had just happened? Did he actually run from her and Caleb?

  “He’s scared of people,” Caleb told her, as if he knew what she was thinking.

  “How do you know that?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I just do.”

  It was the same thing with Ida, Lois, and Phoebe. She got him down from the horse and then slid off the saddle. She tied the reins to the post then took Caleb’s hand and walked to the large building.

  “Mr. Martin,” she called out. “I’m Mrs. Johnson. The sheriff’s wife.”

  She reached the door of the building and waited for him to open it, but nothing happened. She couldn’t even hear a peep from the other side. Well, she couldn’t be surprised. Phoebe did warn her that she might have to chase after Travis.

  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. “Mr. Travis, my husband asked for you. There’s a lady by the name of Mrs. Richie whose been found dead, and he needs your help with the body.”

  This time she heard some shuffling from the other side, and a moment later, reluctant footsteps made their way to the door. When he opened it, she looked up at him, noting he had his hat pulled down to his nose and his head tilted down, making it hard to see his face.

  “Mrs. Richie died?” he asked, his voice lower than she’d expected. But, given his large frame, she supposed his voice fit.

  She cleared her throat and nodded. Then, not sure he could see her when he didn’t seem to be looking directly at her, she added, “Yes. My husband suspects someone killed her.”

  She couldn’t be sure, but she thought his expression grew dark. She gulped and stepped back. Maybe Phoebe didn’t find anything intimidating about him, but she had to admit the ladies were right in being apprehensive about coming out here. The only reason she didn’t bolt for the horse was because Caleb didn’t seem afraid.

  “My husband asked if you would bring your wagon and a blanket,” she continued. “He’s waiting about a mile south of town, and he’s at the ravine. Do you know where the ravine is?”

  “Yes. I’ll be there.” Without another word, he shut the door and marched to the barn.

  Good. Now they were getting somewhere. She led Caleb back to the horse and got on. After Caleb got comfortable on her lap, they waited for Travis to come out of the barn. When he did, he seemed surprised she was still there since he stopped his horses and looked right at her.

  It was then she saw the scars on his face and understood why he tipped his hat so low and hadn’t made eye contact with her.

  He quickly looked away from her and snapped the reins of his horses so they’d go forward.

  In silence, she followed him, figuring it’d make him more comfortable if she gave him adequate space.

  “He’s lonely,” Caleb told her.

  “Are you sure?” It seemed to her that Travis enjoyed the solitude, given that he chose to live far from everyone else.

  “He’s afraid people won’t accept him.”

  Because of the scars. Caleb didn’t have to say it. She knew that was why. And maybe part of it had to do with how tall he was. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall, and he had a husky build. In some ways, he seemed as formidable as Stonewall Jackson had been. Unmovable. Strong. Imposing.

  But Caleb didn’t see those things when he looked at Travis, and that was a curious thing. Caleb, it seemed, had the uncanny ability to see people as they really were instead of the way they presented themselves
to the rest of the world.

  “You have a wonderful gift,” she whispered to Caleb. “I hope you always trust it.”

  ***

  By the time Caroline and Caleb returned to town, a group of people had gathered around the jailhouse. She had thought about following Travis to the ravine, but she’d decided against it when she thought about Caleb. He didn’t need to see a dead body.

  She tightened her arm around his waist, surprised the urge to protect him from the harsher realities of life was so powerful. She might not have given birth to him, but she was beginning to feel like he was her child. And what mother wouldn’t want to protect her child from the worst life had to offer?

  She turned toward the livery stable when a gentleman—Hank, if she remembered right—ran up to her and asked, “Is it true? Was Mrs. Richie found dead in the ravine?”

  “Oh, well…” Was it appropriate for her to answer the question without Eric there? He was the one investigating the matter, after all.

  “I just got through saying it was Mrs. Richie, Hank,” the lady who’d come to ask Caroline to get Travis said, hot on his heels.

  The rest of the group quickly followed her as he turned back to Caroline and said, “Maude’s right. She did say it. I was just making sure it’s true. The last time a woman spread lies around here, she ended up in jail for a night.”

  Caroline’s face warmed. Did the town blame Ida’s arrest on her?

  “Maybe we should leave this to my husband,” Caroline said. “I only know what Maude and her friend told me. I went to get Travis so he could help my husband. They should be here soon to answer your questions.”

  Another man, probably middle-aged, asked her, “You went to get Travis all by yourself?”

  Maude let out an exasperated sigh and threw her hands up in the air. “I already told you that, Jerry.”

  “But Travis eats animals raw with his bare hands,” Jerry said. “It’s not safe for anyone to go up there without a gun. You could have been killed.”

  “Travis is a nice gentleman,” Caroline replied. “As soon as he heard my husband needed him, he left to help him.”

  “Didn’t you see anything suspicious while you were there?” Jerry insisted. “Like some bones in the yard? Or animal parts strewn about?”

  Oh! He was teasing her. Caroline laughed. “You ought to stop such talk. What if you give someone nightmares?” Then, at once, she thought of Caleb and sobered. “Also, there’s a child present. It wouldn’t do to talk in such a way around him.”

  “Someone needs to warn you about him,” another gentleman from the crowd called out. “That way you’ll keep that poor, innocent child away from that place.”

  “Right,” a lady agreed from the crowd. “No one’s seen what Travis looks like and lived. They say he keeps his face covered at all times.”

  “It’s because he’s a monster,” Hank told Caroline.

  Caroline frowned as her gaze swept across the group. “I don’t understand any of you. If you truly believed that, then why didn’t you run and hide when he came through here?”

  “We turned our backs to him,” Hank replied. “If you don’t look at him, he can’t hurt you.”

  “I’ve never heard anything so silly in all my life.” Truly, this was the strangest bit of nonsense she’d ever heard. “I was there when the Union soldiers came to invade my home, and I can tell you that not looking at them wasn’t going to stop them from hurting me. If Travis wanted to hurt you, he would have done it.”

  “Travis isn’t like other men,” the lady said. “He isn’t human born.”

  “Of course, he is,” Caroline replied. “He’s a human being, just like everyone here.”

  “Then why haven’t we ever seen his parents?” Hank asked.

  Caroline blinked. Never before had she heard such a ridiculous question. “I don’t know. I’m new to this town. I barely know any of you.” Before they could say anything, she added, “And even though I don’t know your backgrounds, I am well aware every one of you has human parents. You all came from a lady and a gentleman.”

  An old lady came up to her. “That’s the way of it for most, but no one here has ever seen his parents. One day, he was here. It’s as if he appeared out of nowhere, and it happened a year after the strange gypsy passed through this town. She said she heard tales from the Indians that spirits abound in these parts. Some are good, and some are bad. But all can connect with humans. I think one of the bad spirits conceived him with a human parent. That’s why he has the appearance of a monster. Why, I’ve heard it said he’s missing a nose. Another said he has three eyes. That’s why he hides his face.”

  To Caroline’s surprise, a few people around the old lady murmured their agreement. “That’s absurd. I saw his face myself, and he looks normal. Why, look at Caleb. He’s a young boy, and he wasn’t afraid of him. You’re spreading lies about him like you did about me, and that’s not fair. The least you can do is get to know people before you pass judgment on them. Quite frankly, after talking to everyone in this group, I don’t blame Travis at all for keeping to himself.”

  Everyone grew silent, and Caroline, in her naivety, was beginning to believe they were finally listening to reason. But then Hank said, “Travis has bewitched you,” and everyone was talking at once, as if they were in a panic.

  “Could it be true?” one lady asked another.

  “It’s not possible for someone to bewitch someone else, is it?” another lady asked.

  “It does seem unbelievable, but what if it’s true?” a man asked.

  Caroline gave up. There was no speaking reason to a group of people who seemed to entertain superstitious notions some gypsy told them long ago. She led the horse around them and continued on her way to the livery stable.

  ***

  “So you agree that Lydia was murdered?” Eric asked Travis as they inspected her body at the bottom of the ravine.

  “You said you found her right here?” Travis gestured to her body.

  “Yes. I haven’t moved her except to turn her over.”

  He glanced up at the top of the ravine. “There’s no doubt about it. Someone pushed her. And if I’m guessing right, they were either on a horse or in a wagon when it happened.”

  “I saw a hint of wagon tracks on the road up there, and the tracks were heading out of town.”

  “Then I’d say she was in a wagon, and whoever was with her pushed her off.”

  That’s what Eric had been thinking, too, but it was good to get a second opinion. It made the chances he was right even better. “Well, let’s get her loaded into the wagon and take her to the doctor. He might find something we’re missing. You bring the blanket?”

  Travis nodded and went to get it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was with tired steps that Eric lumbered down to the stream on Carl Richie’s land. Carl had his back to him, and he was panning for gold. Eric heard the area had gold and silver, but up to now, he hadn’t heard of anyone who actually got anything. The boom seemed to be long over. But from time to time, someone would still make an attempt to find something.

  Eric had to bite his tongue so he wouldn’t tell Carl he was wasting his time. He didn’t come here to lecture Carl about fruitless pursuits. His mission was that of a grim nature.

  “Carl,” Eric called out as he came up to the stream.

  Carl jumped and spilled some water out of his pan. “I think I saw some gold flakes in that one, Eric.” He slammed the pan on the ground and put his head in his hands. “I can’t get out of here unless I have money.”

  “You have bigger problems to deal with right now.”

  “What problems?” Carl asked.

  “Your wife is dead.”

  Carl looked up from his hands, his eyes wide in shock. “What?”

  “Maude and Gretchen found her lying in the ravine a mile south of town.” Eric studied Carl’s reaction but found nothing in his expression that would indicate he’d already known this.


  “She was dead in the ravine?” His voice was incredulous, further indicating his innocence.

  “She hasn’t been dead for long,” Eric said. “The doctor’s taking a look at her now and seeing if there’s anything more we can learn about the situation, but at the moment, I’d say the murder occurred late last night.” He paused then asked, “When did you last see your wife?”

  Carl jumped to his feet. “Do you think I killed her?”

  “I’m not saying that. Right now, I’m not saying anyone killed her. My job is to ask questions and narrow down who might have done it.”

  “And I’m one of the suspects?”

  “At the moment, everyone’s a suspect.”

  “Except for you.”

  Eric resisted the urge to laugh. “The last time I saw your wife was at the jailhouse when she asked me to arrest you for trying to get her into your bed. After that, I went home, had dinner, and spent the rest of the night with my wife. The murder happened late last night, probably around eleven or midnight. Maybe even one. The doctor will have a better idea of the exact time of death. But I didn’t leave the house until this morning after breakfast, and that was around eight. There’s no way I could have done it.”

  “Well, I didn’t do it. I was asleep last night.”

  “I didn’t say you did it, Carl. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on. I want to start with you since you’re her husband. Since Lydia asked me to arrest you, it’s obvious you two were fighting.”

  Carl rolled his eyes. “When are we not fighting? I’ve been married to her for seven years, Eric. If I wanted to kill her, I would have done it already.”

  Eric was ready to remind him he’d already said, multiple times, that he wasn’t accusing him of murder, but then he relented. Carl was in shock. He was bound to think the worst.

  “I saw her at about four,” Eric said. “Were you both in town, or was she by herself?”

  “She was by herself. I didn’t go with her.”