Bitter Gold Hearts

______XXIV______

Amber let out a squeal that was half pain, half horror. I thought she would faint. But she was made of tougher stuff than I suspected. She hung on to my arm a bit while she stared at Amiranda, then got hold of herself, stepped back, looked at me. "What's going on, Garrett?"

"That's what I found instead of the gold." She stepped over to the corpse.

Bring Mr. Slauce, Garrett. It may be helpful to present him with the same shock. "What about the other one?"

Dispose of him once we are done here. He should have learned his lesson.

"Want to give me a hand, Dean?" I didn't doubt that I could manage Slauce by myself. If nothing else, I could tip him over and roll him. But why strain myself?

We dragged him inside and per instructions set him down facing Amiranda. Amber seemed in control again. She said, "You have some things to tell me." "I'll tell you my story if you'll tell me yours." About then the Dead Man loosed his hold on Courter Slauce. I went to the door to make sure he didn't use it before we were done with him. He shook all over. There wasn't much bluff in him when he looked around. He didn't say anything. That disappointed me. I'd expected some bluster and the invocation of the Stormwarden.

"I want to know some things," I told him. "I think Miss daPena has a few questions, too. It's even possible Miss Crest might want to know why she was killed."

His eyes darted to the corpse. "I don't know nothing about that. Were did that come from? I thought she run off. Domina has been chewing my butt for days because she managed to get out of the house with her stuff. Never mind that I was halfway across town delivering a letter to one of the Baronet's girlfriends when she did it. That wouldn't have done for an excuse anyway, since I couldn't tell her."

He is telling the truth he believes, Garrett.

"Then he wasn't in on it?"

"Not wittingly, though I did not say that, Garrett.

"All right, Slauce. Who kidnapped Junior?"

"What the hell? How should I know? What the hell are you doing sticking your nose in, anyway? You got paid. You're out of it."

"That supposes nobody but Willa Dount would hire me. Slauce, I think you know the answer to the question. Just in case, though, I'll tell you the answer. Nobody kidnapped him. Unless a man can kidnap himself. My main interest, though, is why did Amiranda have to be killed? And who said the word that made it happen?"

Amber opened her mouth. I raised a hand, cautioned her to silence. Slauce didn't need to know her angle.

You are getting ahead of yourself, Garrett. No interrogation or manipulation of this man can be soundly founded—until we have heard everything Miss daPena has to tell us. Have you forgotten what brought her here? Or is her brother's demise too trivial for consideration?

I hadn't forgotten. I was stalling, having to deal with Amber's grief and hysteria and hoping for a breakthrough with Slauce that would give me the answer to my own dilemma. But I wasn't thinking soundly. Not to hear Amber out would be stupid. Since I'm one of the smartest guys around, it wouldn't do for me to tarnish my image by doing something dumb.

"You win, Old Bones. But upon your head be the rainfall."

It was not I who felt compelled to charge off to the rescue.

It is possible, with great concentration, to shut him out—if he has other things on his minds. He always has to have the last word. There are times he has all the disadvantages of a wife, with none of the advantages.

"Amber. You feel up to telling me what you came to tell? All settled down now?"

Slauce started snarling. "Girl, you don't talk to this guy about nothing. You don't do nothing but march yourself straight home."

I scowled at the Dead Man and said, "You had to let him get his second wind."

Amber told Slauce, "Shove your elbow up your nose, Courter. You don't scare me anymore. In a couple of days you and Domina are going to be hanging out in the wind. Aren't you? Maybe you could bull-smoke your way around Karl, but not Karl and Amiranda. And I'm sure not going back there and give you guys a chance to explain to Mother about Karl and Amiranda and me!"

"What kind of crazy talk is that, girl? Your brother killed himself."

"Just like Amiranda ran away. Give me credit for knowing my brother. You're not going to sell me that. My mother isn't going to buy it, either. And I'm not going anywhere near any of you people. Not when two out of the three family heirs suddenly turned up murdered."

"Three out of four," I tossed in, just to see how high the water would splash. "Amiranda was pregnant. Three months. The child would have been male."

That was a surprise to both Amber and Slauce. It silenced them. But if it wakened any suspicions, they concealed them well. I faced the Dead Man, indicated Slauce. "Shut him off, will you? I don't need him shoving his oar in while the lady is talking."

What lady?

Slauce went stiff as a corpse. Timely revelation, Garrett. You have him rattled and reflective. But you may have cost yourself your credibility with the girl. She has begun to suspect that you have not been candid about your own motives.

Yeah.