I think I have to go to sleep, she told Beulah.
You need to have something to eat, child, Beulah said.
Alex laughed. Beulah, youre a sweetheart, but Im too tired to eat. Im going to go up to bed now, and Ill worry about whats going on in the morning.
Its the devil, Beulah said, nodding sagely.
Alex took Beulahs hands. I saw the devils work when anger and hostility entered the hearts of men and sent them to war. Her eyes grew sad. I guarantee you, God has no part in the carnage of war. Whatever this is, we can fight it, and we will.
Maybe. Now that theyve come, Beulah agreed, then added, But maybe not. This evening they came in a roar of gunfire. But sometimes they come in stealth and quiet, slipping into our lives and our soulslike the devil. Please, Alex, you heard what Cody Fox said to them fancy girls. Its time to be smart and careful.
Alex gave Beulah a hug. Ill be careful, I swear, she promised, and headed for the stairs. Just dragging herself up the steps suddenly seemed like a tremendous effort.
She made it to her room. Her fathers room. No, her room now, as he would have wanted it to be.
One of the girls had laid out her nightdress, and left her a basin of water on the washstand. By rote, she carefully removed and hung her clothing, washed up and slipped on the nightgown. She dipped her hands into the water again to refresh her face, and caught her reflection in the mirror. In the white gown and the lamplight, she appeared gaunt and pale. As if she were some kind of wraith. Despite herself, she found herself thinking of the women in the saloon. Dolly, who was so assured. That new girl, oddly pretty and fresh. She paled in comparison. She winced. How odd! She wasnt accustomed to feeling insecure.
She turned again to her reflection and realized she was comparing herself to others because
Because of Cody Fox.
A flood of red heightened her cheeks as she continued staring into the mirror.
She took her towel and patted her face dry, and turned quickly away from the mirror, feeling ridiculous. The world had gone crazyand she was worried about being noticed by a man. She definitely needed sleep. Ever since Grants death, she hadnt even thought about men except when shed volunteered at the hospital, where theyd simply been sad and scared human beings longing to die with the warmth and comfort of a womans hand clutching their own.
Maybe that was it. It had simply been so long since she had buried her fiancé, so long since she had even thought about appearances, attraction and then a man like Cody Fox came along and suddenly she was seeing herself as a woman again.
Alex let out a sigh of irritation, blew out the lamp and crawled into bed.
Darkness, exhaustion. They would surely allow her to rest.
But she found that her eyes were drawn to the double French doors that led from the master suite to the balcony. The moon wasnt full, but still there was a flood of light falling to earth from the heavens, a yellow glow permeating the world beyond her windows, making its way through the drapes.
Bathed in that glow, shadows moved. They looked like the wings of birds, giant birds dancing in the air beyond the window. She almost thought she could hear the rush of wings, but she knew it was only the sound of the wind as it rushed over the plain.
She forced herself to close her eyes, and at last she slept.
THEY WERE IN THE ACT of burying the decapitated man when the sheriff and his deputy made it back into town at last.
The sheriff, Cole Granger, was a tall, hard-muscled man with sharp blue eyes and hair so dark it had a blue sheen in the moonlight. His deputy, Dave Hinton, was smaller, but he had a solid handshake and steady eyes.
Jim Green explained what had happened when Milo and his band of outlaws had come to town.
These fellows saved us, and thats a fact, he said, then cleared his throat, kicking at the freshly dug mound of earth below his feet. Honest, Cole, we werent being cowardswe just didnt know what to do, you know? Ace Henley got this fellow, though. We dont have a name for him, dont know nothing about him. But weve taken care of himand weve buried him deep.
Damn it, damn it all straight to hell! Granger said, sounding disgusted with himself. I shouldnt have ridden out, and I sure as hell shouldnt have taken Dave with me. He looked Cody and Brendan in the eyes. Thank you. I dont know how the hell you did it, but thank you. Thered been trouble out at John Snows trading postand I had to get out there, see what was going on. But I didnt count on getting back so late.
We hit some trouble on the return, Dave said.
Trouble? What happened? Cody asked.
Darnedest thing, Cole said, shaking his head. We were coming through a patch of brush and trees about five miles from here when the horses just went crazy. Go figure. Weve both been riding since before we could walk, and first we lose Daves horse, and hes running around like a headless chicken till I can catch him and start to get him settled. Next thing you know, my Titan is rearing and snorting, and starting Daves horse going again. There was something out there, but damned if I know what. Wolves, coyotes, something. All I know is, Ive never seen horses acting up so badly. Cole stopped speaking and looked Cody in the eye again. Everyone is saying the devil is loose in these parts. I dont know what the devil is, but theres sure as hell something going on. Something that lets Milo and his crew annihilate whole towns. I figured theyd be coming for us sooner or later. Its just sooner than I expected. He looked from Cody to Brendan, and back to Cody. How the hell did you stop him?
I know Milos type, Cody said. I know how to make him believe that hell lose his own life if he doesnt listen to me. I know this kind of enemy.
We finished decapitating the dead man, Jim Green put in nervously.
Cole set a hand on Jim Greens shoulder. If you feel it was necessary, Jim, then thats fine.
Absolutely right, Dave agreed, shaking his head strenuously. Cody and Brendan exchanged a look. It was obvious that Dave thought the very devil was walking the streets.
Cole Granger was a harder man altogether, and his attitude said hed seen his share of vicious men. He clearly still believed that he was dealing with something real and tangible.
With everything going on out here, Cody said, havent you gotten any help from the army or the U.S. Marshals?
Cole Granger shook his head. If wed ever suspected we could all be wiped out this way, we might have gotten together and mustered up a militia. As to government help Texas is part of the Confederacy, and the Confederacy has lost too many men to have any left to send out here. Our only help might come from Chief Tall Feather and the Apaches, and maybe some of his Comanche friends. At least we dont have problems with the Indians out here. They live their lives, we live ours, and we trade. They say an evil spirit has come to earth and possessed the souls of men. I dont know what it is, only that Im not running and I will see these killers stopped.
Howd you know about the trouble out here? Dave asked suddenly.
I have family out hereor I did, Brendan said, correcting himself. And Codys folks lived in these parts. His father died out here.
Cody shrugged.
My mother went homeback to New Orleansbefore I was born. But the important thing is that were here to help you fight. Tomorrow, as a matter of fact, if it sits well with you, Sheriff, Im going to go out and meet that Indian chief. You say his name is Tall Feather?
Thats right. Hes a good man, even though the Apache are a warrior clan. Tall Feather sees the way the world is going. He says the Spirit Fathers have told him that the white man will not go away, that he will come in greater numbers. If you cant fight them, in his opinion, you should study them and figure out how to use them. Go ahead and talk to himhell tell you whats been going on.
What did you find out at the trading post? Cody asked Cole, changing the subject.
Cole shook his head. Two of John Snows children have gone missing, both of them beautiful young girls. But I couldnt find a trail, not a drop of blood, not a broken branch. Its as if the girls wandered into another dimension.
Ill try to get out that way, too, Cody said. So where do Milo and his band hole up during the daylight hours?
No one knows, Dave said.
Brigsby, Im thinking, Cole said. But I havent had a chance to get back out there to check. We had a gunslinger go through here a few weeks back, and he thought he was tougher than solid stone. He went out to Brigsby. We found what was left of his body on the ground out by where the horses went crazy on Dave and me.
We need to get out there as soon as we can manage it, Cody said. Id like to be sure what were up against. Men like Milo they can deceive, build traps. We need to find out everything we can if were going to fight them. Anyway, Sheriff, what you and your deputy here need to be doing is warning your townsfolk not to open their doors to strangersand especially not even to be on the streets at night. I tried to tell the girls at the saloon that it was important to be cautious, but that may have been a lost cause. Thing is Cody broke off, hesitating. The thing was, Cole Granger was going to have to accept some of the truth of the matteror else the sheriff would be running him out of town before he could count to three.
Inviting folks in just leads to danger, Cody finished lamely. This place needs to be locked up tight at night. Well talk more in the morning, if thats all right with you, Sheriff. I think were all worn to the bone right now.
Good night, then, Cole said, and Cody and Brendan started out of the graveyard. Hey, Cole said, calling them back. Where are you staying?
Miss Alex is back in town. Theyre over at the boardinghouse, Dave said.
Right. Alex is home, Cole said thoughtfully. Good night, then. And thank you for your help this evening. I offer you a true welcome to Victory.
Cody waved a hand in acknowledgment, wondering at the sheriffs tone when hed mentioned Alexs name. Was something going on there? Long-ago lovers? She had gone back East to marry, so the story went. But now that she was back in town, maybe things would be rekindled out here. Why not? The sheriff seemed like a good man, young, good-looking. And Alexandra Gordon was beautiful. More than that. She was a fighter. There was a life inside her that was like a shimmering flame, beckoning everyone to her.
Even him.
He tamped down the thought. Hed decided long ago that his life was meant to be a solitary one.
You think the boardinghouse is safe? Brendan asked as they walked together along the street.
Cody shook his head. Its a boardinghouse. Its business is opening its door to strangers.
Someone in there knows something, though. There are crosses all over the place, garlic festooned around the window.
Doesnt matter. Milo has already been in there, Cody said.
Maybe we need more crosses, Brendan suggested.
What we need is to kill Milo, Cody said, and kept walking.
Brendan looked after him. Right. And then pierce his heart, chop off his head and burn the body to ash.
AS THE TWO OF THEM walked back to the boardinghouse, Cody thought back to how he and Brendan had met. It had started with the murderer Aldridge had needed his help in stopping. He could still remember bending over the first two bodies.
The first of the two latest victims was lying on his back, a look of abject terror on his face. His wife was in worse condition. Her tormentor must have played with her first, because her eyes were closed, as if she had clenched them hard against the sight of her impending death.
Both bodies bore stab marks about the chest and abdomen, but neither was lying in the expected pool of blood, and both were curiously white.
It beats everything Ive seen, Aldridge said quietly, watching as Cody moved the womans hair aside to reveal the marks hed been sure he would find. Cody hesitated, wondering just how much of the truth Aldridge might be able to accept.
The evidence was actually encouraging, at least as far as putting an end to the killing spree went. He was pretty sure he was looking at a rogue killer, someone who was trying to blend in with the population of the city. The stab marks had been made to fool whoever found the bodies, and it was only luckgood for Aldridge, maybe not so good for Cody himselfthat someone had connected these killings to the case Cody had put an end to.
Cody looked up at Aldridge. Ill go after your killer, sir, but its unlikely Ill be able to bring him in for trial. This person will fight to the death.
Aldridge stared at him. You do what you have to do. I need you to catch this man.
I cant be held to any curfew.
Youll have free rein, Aldridge promised.
That night, Cody prowled the streets.
He tried the bars first, but found nothing unusual. Then, as he walked along Dauphine Street, he noticed a gate standing ajar. Curious, he pushed the gate open and stepped into a dark courtyard.
He scanned the courtyard quickly, then winced, seeing what looked like a pile of clothing off to one side. He hurried over and found the body of a young woman, still warm to the touch, but dead.
Quite, quite dead.
Still warm, he thought. Which meant the killer might still be near.
He heard piano music and a songstress at work coming from one of the nearby restaurants, so he walked over to see what he might find.
He stood by the bar and sipped bourbon as he looked around the room. Several soldiers were at a table close to the piano, where they watched a dark-haired and quite beautiful woman as she played and sang, all the while flirting openly with them.
As he watched, the songstress rose, whispered in the ear of one of the men, then left him sitting and staring hungrily after her as she walked toward the back and the alley Cody knew ran behind the building.
As subtly as he could, he followed.
He had to stop the death toll. Now.
She was waiting, leaning against the wall, a wicked smile upon her face as she waited with supreme anticipation. He stared at her for a moment, realizing with a sick feeling that she wasnt the intended victim at all.
Excuse me? she said, surprised when she saw Cody, and not the young man with whom shed been flirting.
Good evening, he said.
She smiled and shivered, though it was far from cold. Lovely night, actually. Im Vivien La Rue. How do you do?