Page 61 of Fairest of Heart

“Who’s your friend, Burl?” The older of the two ladies, most likely the mother of the younger one, adjusted her target from the general store to take aim at Titus. She dragged the blushing young woman with her down to the street and would have planted herself in the men’s path if Morris hadn’t suddenly lengthened his stride just enough to sidestep the ambush.

“Sorry, Geraldine. Ranger Kingsley and I are in the middle of an investigation. Introductions will have to wait.”

“A Ranger, you say?” The woman was starting to run short on breath in her effort to match their quickening pace. “My Delphinia has always wanted to meet a real Texas Ranger. Haven’t you, dear?”

“Mama, please.” The poor girl’s face turned tomato red as she tripped along beside her overzealous parent.

Taking pity on the young lady, Titus tugged on the brim of his hat, though he didn’t slow his stride. “Nice to meet you, Miss Delphinia.”

A smile touched her face and gratitude lit her eyes. “You too, Ranger Kingsley.”

Titus nodded, then turned his attention back to business. Thankfully, business took them into a saloon at the corner, a place the ladies would not be likely to follow. Morris held the door open for Titus, strategically positioning himself to guard his back.

Titus grinned. He was really starting to like ol’ Burl. They slipped inside, leaving the petticoat brigade to find alternative entertainment.

“We don’t open till noon.” A man stepped out of a side room that looked to be an office and meandered through the dim interior, weaving through tables that had chairs stacked on top of them.

“We ain’t here for a drink, Gordon,” Morris said as he moved away from the closed door. “We need to talk to St. Helen. He around?”

Gordon eyed the sheriff warily. “He in some kind of trouble?”

“Nope. Just want to ask him some questions about the night we had that big shindig for them playactors from Chicago.”

“Ah.” Gordon’s face smoothed. “He’s in the back washin’ glasses. I’ll fetch him.”

Morris dipped his chin. “Appreciate it.”

Once the owner disappeared, Morris walked up to the bar and ran his hands over the polished wood. Titus joined him.

“St. Helen ain’t too fond of lawmen,” the sheriff murmured. “Probably runnin’ from something in his past. Long as he don’t stir up trouble in the here and now, I’m good with lettin’ sleepin’ dogs lie.” He swiveled his face to meet Titus’s gaze. “Best to keep a light hand on the reins, though, if ya don’t want him to balk.”

Titus nodded. “Understood.”

A minute later, a slender, dark-haired man walked through the doorway behind the counter and approached the sheriff with caution. His gaze darted nervously to Titus before settling on the man he knew.

“Sheriff.” He dipped his chin respectfully toward Morris. “Mr. Gordon said you wanted to see me?” The man spoke with cultured tones. No dropped syllables or slang. Every word contained crisp edges and a full-bodied tone.

“Thanks for sparin’ us a few minutes, John. This shouldn’t take long.” Morris gestured to Titus. “This here is Titus Kingsley. He’s with the Rangers. He’s working a case and needs to know what you saw the night all them actors closed up shop. You were servin’ drinks that night, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

Titus leaned an elbow on the bar and kept his stance as well as his tone casual. “Did you happen to see Ambrose Clayton that evening?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Was he with anyone?”

A small smile slipped onto St. Helen’s face, softening his sober mien. “The fair Ophelia.”

Titus frowned. That wasn’t the name he expected to hear. “Was she one of the actresses from the troupe?” He’d hoped to tie Narcissa to Clayton.

“Indeed. The leading lady.” St. Helen’s grin widened. “She will ever be Ophelia to me as she and I shared a few lines from Hamlet together, but the rest of the world knows her as Madame LaBelle.”

That’s more like it.

“Do you recall if Clayton and Madame LaBelle left the party together?”

St. Helen’s grin turned rakish. “They made a point not to leave together. Though Madame conveniently developed a headache a few minutes after Mr. Clayton departed. If I were to guess, I’d say the two found a more private place to celebrate closing night. I overheard Madame issue an invitation for such a rendezvous, but the two moved off to a corner away from my hearing before the gentleman replied.”