the small child whispered. Her voice was shaking. She couldn’t be more than five or six and was obviously terrified.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Justin said.
The woman scowled. “It’s real simple. That whore, Laurie Smith, paid me to take care of her bastard girl here.” The woman poked at the girl. “She’s dead, and the money’s run out. I don’t run no orphanage. I got babes of my own to feed and there ain’t no extra.”
Justin curled his fingers into his palm, just in case his temper got the better of him.
“Madam, I would thank you not to speak like that in front of the child.”
The woman stood up and shrugged. “Say all the fancy talk you want. Like I said, the church lady didn’t want nothin’ to do with the girl. I ain’t gonna keep her. As I sees it, she’s your problem.” The woman moved to the door, opened it and walked away.
Justin stared at the little girl and wondered what he was supposed to do now. She continued to study her worn shoes. Thomas came back into the office after having followed the woman.
“She disappeared,” he said, between breaths. “She must have had a wagon somewhere. I’m sure it won’t take me long to find out where she lives and who she is. I could—”
Justin cut him off with a shake of his head. He crouched in front of the little girl. Long matted black hair hung past her shoulders and shadowed her face. She was as dirty and smelly as the woman had been.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“B-Bonnie.”
“Was that lady your mother?”
“No. My mama’s dead.”
“I’m sorry, Bonnie. Was that lady taking care of you?”
The girl nodded. “Mama couldn’t be with me, so she left me with Mrs. Jarvis. Mrs. Jarvis told me whores go to hell, and that I’m going to hell, too, to be with my mama.” She swallowed. “Is this hell?”
Despite her slumped shoulders and trembling voice, Justin smiled slightly. “Sometimes I think so, honey, but no. This is Landing. Mrs. Jarvis brought you to town.”
Her small, dirty fingers twisted together. He could see several cuts and scrapes that were red and inflamed. He reached his hand toward her. She flinched.
“I just want to look at your pretty face.”
He touched her chin with his forefinger and tilted it upward. When her tear-filled blue eyes met his, he felt as if he’d been kicked by a horse. She had Laurie’s eyes, and her mouth was the same shape. At least he thought it was. It was hard to tell because her lips were swollen and there was the faint shading of a bruise on the side of her face. Someone had slapped her hard.
“Are you gonna take me to hell?”
“No. No one’s going to hell.” Except possibly Mrs. Jarvis if she ever showed her face in town again. Justin stood and glanced at Thomas. “From what the woman said, she took the girl to Colleen and was turned away.”
Thomas looked surprised. “I haven’t heard of a minister’s wife ever doing that.”
“You probably haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Colleen Estes yet. You’ll be less surprised by this when you do.” Justin glanced out the window. It was already getting dark. “Bonnie needs a place to spend the night.”
Thomas looked panicked and started backing up toward the door. “I’m staying at the boardinghouse, Sheriff. There’s eighteen of us to a room. That isn’t a place for a little girl.”
“I know.” Justin tried to think of someone in town who could help. Megan flashed through his mind, but he dismissed her. Someone that respectable wouldn’t want to be tainted by the daughter of a dance-hall girl.
Beside him, Bonnie shivered. As soon as he’d let go of her chin, she’d gone back to staring at her shoes. He touched her shoulder, and was shocked to feel her bones. “Have you eaten today?” he asked.
She shook her head.
He bit back a curse. There was no one he trusted, no one he could turn to. Looks like the responsibility was his, at least for tonight. “Come on, Bonnie. I’ll take you back to my hotel and get you something to eat.” He started toward the door. “Thomas, you wait for Wyatt and find out what he learned. If it’s important, come tell me at the hotel, otherwise it can wait until morning. While you’re here, see if you can find any information on another murder. It happened about four years ago. Another saloon girl. The two cases may be related.”
Thomas raised his eyebrows. “How?”
“I don’t know,” Justin admitted. “It’s just a feeling.” When he reached the door, he realized Bonnie hadn’t moved. The little girl stood where he’d left her. She was still staring at her shoes. “Come on, honey. I’m going to take you home with me. You’ll have something to eat, and maybe a hot bath.”
Slowly, she raised her head toward him. Big blue eyes shone with terror. “It’s going to be all right,” he promised.
She didn’t budge. He thought about picking her up, but that would probably scare her more. Besides, she was filthy. He settled for holding out his hand.
“Is there really food?” she asked.
He nodded.
She took several shuffling steps toward him, then shyly reached for his hand. Her fingers were chilled. He bent over and touched her coat. It was threadbare. How could Laurie have left her daughter with that woman? He cursed silently, figuring he would never get an answer now.
He led Bonnie out of the office and toward the hotel. The three-story building was the largest one in town. It had been built in the last year and contained every modern convenience. When he entered, tugging Bonnie along with him, the desk clerk looked up, then turned bright red, as if he were about to have apoplexy.
“Mr. Kincaid, that child! She’s filthy.”
“I know, Newt.” Justin stopped at the front desk and reached into his vest pocket for several coins. “There’s a room adjoining mine. Is it vacant?”
Newt adjusted his glasses, leaned over the counter and stared down at the child. “Yes, sir, but I don’t think—”
“Good. Send up a maid with hot water for a bath, and deliver two dinners from the dining room.”
“But sir!”
“The key?”
Newt turned around and pulled it out of the box. “Mr. Kincaid, I think I need to discuss this with the manager. You can’t bring a lady in here alone.”
Justin rolled his eyes and took the key. “She’s five years old.”
Bonnie
