At Harper's Ferry by Paul Westwood
Chapter 23
Jack stretched in his bed, feeling the sore muscles from the long days of riding. From the way the sun streamed in his window, he guessed it was early afternoon. Groaning as he pulled himself from his bed, Jack sat up and rolled himself a cigarette. He took a couple of drags, made a face and then tossed the still lit cigarette out the window. The tobacco tasted sour in his mouth, and he still felt too worn out to care.
“Ezra,” he called out. “Are you awake yet?”
Ezra came in with a yawn. “I’ve been awake for about an hour, I was wondering when you were going to get up.”
“I could sleep another hour or two, but I suppose I’ll have to catch up on my sleep later.”
“I have some hot coffee on the stove.”
Jack stood up and rubbed his grizzled chin. “Coffee sounds good. How did you sleep last night?”
“Good. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the saddle for such a long time. I’m feeling sore and tired, but it sure is good to be home.”
“Yeah,” he replied walking towards the kitchen. “What are you making in here?”
They sat down to a late breakfast, having large slabs of bacon with eggs. The day was gray with a light spring drizzle slowly turning the dirt roads into mud. Through the windows, they could see unhappy looking soldiers tramping through the muck, calling halfheartedly to each other as they passed.
There was a sudden knock at the door. When Jack went to answer it, he was greeted by an exhausted Garrett.
“Henry, it’s good to see you,” Jack said while letting him in.
The captain came in and sniffed the air. “Do you have any extra grub? I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
“Sure, come and sit down with us. There is plenty to go around.”
Jack poured a cup of coffee for Garrett while Ezra fixed a plate of food for him. They all sat at the table and continued to eat with little comment.
After finishing his meal, the captain leaned back in his chair and lit a small cigar. He drank some more coffee before clearing his throat to say, “I appreciate the meal. I was up all night trying to get some more information on Abbott’s murder.”
Ezra pushed his plate away. “Did you get anything out of that clerk?”
Jack lit up a cigarette and sat back in his chair to listen to Garrett’s story.
“We questioned that drunk, though I do admit he was a hard person to get anything from. I guess he was well-paid by Abbott to be discreet. There sure was plenty of bad stuff going on at that place, but after a few hours with my boys, he was willing to tell us everything. You see, Abbott’s butler went out that night. He was often gone and even had his own apartment a few blocks away. We tracked him down and spoke to the old boy. We couldn’t get much out of him either. He was the old-fashioned sort who wasn’t willing to betray the secrets of his master. But we managed to learn enough from the clerk and the butler to piece together what we do know. It turns out that Abbott would have quite a few ladies visit him at night. How much was business and how much was pleasure we will never know. According to the clerk, some of them would be the same girls, but more often than not it was a new girl every time. Last night, after dinner, the clerk saw Abbott come in with a good-looking blonde. She looked to be very upper-class, not the usual type of woman who would visit. That was enough to make the clerk remember her.”
Ezra’s eyes widened as he looked at Jack, and he seemed about to speak to Garrett. Jack shook his head almost imperceptibly, and his partner stopped before saying anything.
Garrett did not appear to notice and continued on. “About thirty minutes later, she came running down the stairs and ran right into the street without a word to the porter. He told us he found it quite funny, thinking the woman was running away in shame. About three hours later, you two showed up and bullied your way into Abbott’s apartment.” He paused and looked back and forth between Ezra and Jack. “I have a pretty good idea that you know who that woman is. Now I want to know right now what you are hiding from me.”
Jack slowly shook his head and said, “Right now, I don’t know anything worth telling.”
Garrett glared at the detective. “We’ve known each other for a long time, Jack; you can go ahead and tell me what you know.”
“If I knew anything for sure, I would tell you. But I am not about to say anything until I have some solid evidence. At least give me that, Henry.”
Garrett stood up and looked directly at Ezra to say, “The problem with your friend here is that he is a sentimental fool. Talk some sense into him for me.”
His partner merely shrugged and poured himself some more coffee.
Jack said impatiently, “I’ll get back with you, Henry. Just give me a little more time. You know you can take me at my word.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Now don’t bother seeing me out, I’ll find my own way.” Garrett roughly pulled on his coat and stamped noisily down the stairs as he left.
“What are you going to do?” Ezra asked.
“I’m going to go see Miss Mulholland.”
“Mulholland?” Ezra said incredulously. “What can she tell you about last night?”
“That’s what I’m about to find out,” the detective replied with a smile.
Jack stretched in his bed, feeling the sore muscles from the long days of riding. From the way the sun streamed in his window, he guessed it was early afternoon. Groaning as he pulled himself from his bed, Jack sat up and rolled himself a cigarette. He took a couple of drags, made a face and then tossed the still lit cigarette out the window. The tobacco tasted sour in his mouth, and he still felt too worn out to care.
“Ezra,” he called out. “Are you awake yet?”
Ezra came in with a yawn. “I’ve been awake for about an hour, I was wondering when you were going to get up.”
“I could sleep another hour or two, but I suppose I’ll have to catch up on my sleep later.”
“I have some hot coffee on the stove.”
Jack stood up and rubbed his grizzled chin. “Coffee sounds good. How did you sleep last night?”
“Good. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the saddle for such a long time. I’m feeling sore and tired, but it sure is good to be home.”
“Yeah,” he replied walking towards the kitchen. “What are you making in here?”
They sat down to a late breakfast, having large slabs of bacon with eggs. The day was gray with a light spring drizzle slowly turning the dirt roads into mud. Through the windows, they could see unhappy looking soldiers tramping through the muck, calling halfheartedly to each other as they passed.
There was a sudden knock at the door. When Jack went to answer it, he was greeted by an exhausted Garrett.
“Henry, it’s good to see you,” Jack said while letting him in.
The captain came in and sniffed the air. “Do you have any extra grub? I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
“Sure, come and sit down with us. There is plenty to go around.”
Jack poured a cup of coffee for Garrett while Ezra fixed a plate of food for him. They all sat at the table and continued to eat with little comment.
After finishing his meal, the captain leaned back in his chair and lit a small cigar. He drank some more coffee before clearing his throat to say, “I appreciate the meal. I was up all night trying to get some more information on Abbott’s murder.”
Ezra pushed his plate away. “Did you get anything out of that clerk?”
Jack lit up a cigarette and sat back in his chair to listen to Garrett’s story.
“We questioned that drunk, though I do admit he was a hard person to get anything from. I guess he was well-paid by Abbott to be discreet. There sure was plenty of bad stuff going on at that place, but after a few hours with my boys, he was willing to tell us everything. You see, Abbott’s butler went out that night. He was often gone and even had his own apartment a few blocks away. We tracked him down and spoke to the old boy. We couldn’t get much out of him either. He was the old-fashioned sort who wasn’t willing to betray the secrets of his master. But we managed to learn enough from the clerk and the butler to piece together what we do know. It turns out that Abbott would have quite a few ladies visit him at night. How much was business and how much was pleasure we will never know. According to the clerk, some of them would be the same girls, but more often than not it was a new girl every time. Last night, after dinner, the clerk saw Abbott come in with a good-looking blonde. She looked to be very upper-class, not the usual type of woman who would visit. That was enough to make the clerk remember her.”
Ezra’s eyes widened as he looked at Jack, and he seemed about to speak to Garrett. Jack shook his head almost imperceptibly, and his partner stopped before saying anything.
Garrett did not appear to notice and continued on. “About thirty minutes later, she came running down the stairs and ran right into the street without a word to the porter. He told us he found it quite funny, thinking the woman was running away in shame. About three hours later, you two showed up and bullied your way into Abbott’s apartment.” He paused and looked back and forth between Ezra and Jack. “I have a pretty good idea that you know who that woman is. Now I want to know right now what you are hiding from me.”
Jack slowly shook his head and said, “Right now, I don’t know anything worth telling.”
Garrett glared at the detective. “We’ve known each other for a long time, Jack; you can go ahead and tell me what you know.”
“If I knew anything for sure, I would tell you. But I am not about to say anything until I have some solid evidence. At least give me that, Henry.”
Garrett stood up and looked directly at Ezra to say, “The problem with your friend here is that he is a sentimental fool. Talk some sense into him for me.”
His partner merely shrugged and poured himself some more coffee.
Jack said impatiently, “I’ll get back with you, Henry. Just give me a little more time. You know you can take me at my word.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Now don’t bother seeing me out, I’ll find my own way.” Garrett roughly pulled on his coat and stamped noisily down the stairs as he left.
“What are you going to do?” Ezra asked.
“I’m going to go see Miss Mulholland.”
“Mulholland?” Ezra said incredulously. “What can she tell you about last night?”
“That’s what I’m about to find out,” the detective replied with a smile.