Lindsay Buroker - Peacemaker

At a table in a dimcorner, Cedar sat across from her, fingering the beadwork talismanhe’d found. He hadn’t spoken since he called upon her, and Kaliwondered if he was intrigued by the mystery or disturbed by theslayings. Both perhaps. Or maybe he was reminded of another murderin San Francisco. Her own thoughts had been running about, trippingover each other, since the gambler-if he even was a gambler-left hershop.

“We need to talk,” Kalisaid. “There’s somebody in town who-”

“Kali?” a woman asked froma few feet away. It was Doe-eyed Jane, one of the two sisters whoowned the place. Kali couldn’t remember ever speaking to her otherthan to order meals and wouldn’t have guessed that the woman knewher name. Jane put a hand on Kali’s shoulder and said, “I heardabout what happened to Vixen and the other girls. Land sakes,that’s horrific. Nobody deserves an end like that, heathen ornot.”

Kali supposed that passed for sympathy,insulting or not, so she held back a snort. “Thanks.”

“Is it true that yourpeople’s bear spirits are angry and killing those that abandonedyour ways to come live in the city?”

“Uh.” Just how muchspeculation was rampaging through town about those murders? “Idon’t know,” Kali said.

“You ought to let the girlgo back to her kin, Cedar,” Jane said, and Cedar lifted his gazefrom the talisman for the first time since they had sat down. “Itain’t right to risk her life just so you can get your hammertoeswarmed at night,” Jane finished.

Heat flushed Kali’scheeks. Was that what people thought they were doing in her shop when theywere working on new tools and weapons for Cedar’s bounty-huntingendeavors? Not that she wouldn’t consider other…activities someday,but it flustered her to think of hens gossiping about her sleepingwith someone instead of their usual fare, the fact that she ranaround town in greasy overalls with tools jangling in her pocketsand that she made all manner of strange contraptions in hertinkery.

“I’ll take your adviceunder consideration, ma’am,” Cedar said, a twinkle in his blueeyes.

“We’ll take two meals,”Kali said, hoping to get rid of the woman. She needed to tell Cedarabout Somerset. As soon as Jane was gone, Kali pressed the talismanto the table to capture his attention. “We need totalk.”

The amusement on his face faded. “Are myhammertoes in danger of going cold in the foreseeable future?”

“What? No. I mean, I don’tknow. I haven’t even seen your toes yet.”

“I’ll take it asencouraging that you said yet.”

“It’s hard to yet when you’re notaround,” Kali pointed out, though she was relieved to hear that hewas still interested in the idea.

“True.” Cedar’s shouldersslumped, and he scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “I’ve justbeen hunting all over for Cudgel. Once I get him, then…”

“I know. I understand, butlisten, this is important.” Kali leaned over the table and kept hervoice low so none of the other diners would overhear. “There’s afellow in town who says he recognizes you from a newspaper articledown in San Francisco. Because of a murder you were accused of.”She went on to describe her meetings with the gambler.

Cedar’s eyes sharpened with the intensitythat usually only came out when he was speaking of hunting downCudgel. “Describe this man,” he whispered, gripping the edge of theworn table so hard his knuckles whitened.

“Tall andbroad-shouldered, like you, dark brown hair, clean-shaven.” Kalirealized that was a generic description and closed her eyes topicture the man’s face and see if she could pick out somethingunique. “He has a little scar on the side of his jaw.” She touchedthe spot on her own face. “As if he nicked himself shaving orwas-”

“Cut with a knife,” Cedarsaid grimly. “I gave him that scar when we met last. Got in asquabble down near Skid Road in Seattle. That’s the last spot wherehe caught up with me.”

“It’s not Cudgel, is it?”Kali asked.

“No, it’s AgentLockhart.”

“The Pinkertondetective?”

Cedar nodded. “He’s beenafter me since San Francisco. When he tackled me in Seattle, Ididn’t want to kill him, just get away. Stubborn bastard won’tleave me be though.” Cedar gazed past occupied tables toward thewindows and the rain dribbling from the eaves outside. “I’m notsurprised he found me again, but I’d hoped I’d get Cudgel first. Ican’t leave the Yukon now. Not when…” He met her eyes. “He’s here,Kali. I haven’t seen him yet, but the rumors say he’s here, andhe’s setting up some scheme to get rich- richer -off other people’swork.”

“Could he be responsiblefor these murders?”

“I…don’t see where there’dbe money in it for him, killing innocent girls. He has no troublekilling folks, but he’s not random about it. He does it when peopleget in his way or don’t jump to his fiddle fast enough.” Hegrimaced, thinking of his brother, no doubt. “He’s being carefulthough. He may not know I’m here, but he knows there’s a big bountyon his head, so he’s got the worker ants scurrying about on hisbehalf. But it looks like he left most of his old crew behind. Idon’t recognize anybody.” He clenched his fist. “I need moretime.”

“I wonder why Somerset-er,Lockhart-didn’t shoot you today.” Kali also wondered what hadhappened to the real gambler Preston Somerset. Had Lockhart shothim and taken his gear and identity?

“He’s tried to do thatbefore. I’m not that easy to kill.” Cedar’s lips stretched into ahumorless smile. “Besides, he’s new in town, and he’s undercover.Shooting me in front of two Mounties I’m being social with would behard for him to explain. The Pinkertons don’t have jurisdiction inthe Dominion of Canada. No, Lockhart will want to get me alone totake me out.” He met Kali’s eyes again. “Or he wants to get to methrough you.”

Kali scowled. As she’d suspected, thatscalawag had been chumming up to her for a reason.

“I’m going to have toavoid him somehow and catch Cudgel as soon as I can,” Cedarsaid.

“Have you…” Kali paused,not certain she should put the idea in his head. “Have youconsidered-”

Jane appeared, her arms laden with plates ofrolls and caribou steaks. That forced another long pause while shelaid everything out.

“Have you consideredmaking the detective disappear?” Kali asked when the server left.She never would have thought up such a notion a few months earlier,and it concerned her that it popped so easily into her head now,but she didn’t want to see Cedar get hurt, and that’s what mighthappen if he wouldn’t fight back against the man. “If he’s aloneout here, a thousand miles or more from his nearest office…whowould know what happened if he never returned?”

Cedar sighed. “I figurethat your thinking that way means I’ve been a bad influence on you.I have consideredit. Sometimes it’s so frustrating to be hunted for something youdidn’t do-”

“No need to point that outto me,” Kali said.

“Yes, of course, youknow.” He smiled and took her hand over the table. “I can’t crossthat line. He’s a lawman, not a cutthroat with a bounty on hishead, and…I think he’s got a family back home, a wife and littlegirl.”

Kali hid her relieved exhale. As upset asshe had been when she stumbled across Cedar relieving a ship fullof pirates of their heads…it was his job, and she’d come to acceptthat. He only killed hardened criminals, men and women who werewanted dead by the authorities.

“Maybe I can lead himastray,” Kali said, “or tell him that you didn’t do it. Do you haveany proof that-”

“Kali, I don’t want you-”He stopped himself and took a breath. “I know you can take care ofyourself, but I don’t think you should get into trouble on my behalf. Youhave enough problems of your own. If he believes you’re abettingme, he might have the power to get the law after you too. And…it’llbe dangerous for you if you get caught between us.”