The deputy stopped Zeke mid-rant to shoo people away. “Okay, show’s over folks. Move along.”
Zeke stood and brushed the dirt from his clothes. “Since you’re not takin’ this seriously, I demand to speak to Sheriff Eccleston about your brother’s continued threats when I was merely havin’ a conversation with his friend, Dinah, in order to help her.”
“She’s more than my goddamned friend, and you know it,” Silas spat.
“And yet…I still don’t see her wearing your ring.”
Deputy McKay held up his hand to quell any further outbursts. “If you can find him in this crowd, West, you’re more than welcome to speak with him,” Jonas said evenly. Then he pointed to an object on the ground behind him. “Just make sure you tell him why that knife was necessary when you had a ‘conversation’ with Miss Thompson.”
Zeke glanced over his shoulder at the knife. “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about, Deputy. That’s not my knife.”
“My mistake.” Jonas crouched down and picked it up. He didn’t bother examining it; he just pushed the switchblade closed and dropped it into his pocket. “Shame that someone lost such a nice piece. I’ll keep it in the deputy’s office in case the owner comes lookin’ for it.”
God, she loved this man.
“I believe the sheriff is officiating the three-legged race. Best be getting over there if you wanna have a word with him before it starts.” Then he turned his back on Zeke, making sure he understood that Deputy McKay wasn’t afraid of him.
Zeke slunk off. Alone. It appeared even his brother had abandoned him.
Silas started to speak but Jonas held up his hand. “You’ve said enough, doncha think? Head on home. I’m right behind you.”
“We have to make a stop first.”
“Fine. But I’m gonna make sure that ‘stop’ is in the opposite direction from the one Zeke West went.”
Silas took Dinah’s hand and they walked away toward the horse paddock.
Then Jonas stepped in front of Ruby. “You okay?”
“Not really. I’m scared for her. Something isn’t right with him. This is beyond card games, and land rivalries and missed courting opportunities.”
“I know. But the hell of it is…I don’t know what to do about it.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Tell me what West said.”
Ruby made a show of examining her parasol. “As West pointed out, the word of a whore isn’t worth anything, so I’ll save my breath.”
“That ain’t fair.”
“No, it’s not.” She looked at him. “I can’t do this anymore, Deputy.”
Those eyes darkened with an emotion she’d never seen before. “Do what?”
Watch you hurting. Pretend I don’t care about you deeply. Hide from you that I love you like I never imagined I could love another living soul.
But she couldn’t tell him that. Not here. Maybe not ever.
Brusquely, she said, “You know exactly what.”
“Christ, Ruby. What am I supposed to say?”
“Nothing. We’re both very good at doing that.” She popped open her parasol and turned to walk away.
And Jonas let her.
Ruby’s tears had dried by the time she’d cleared the end of the racetrack. It startled her to see Gigi from the Beulah Brothel approaching her. She offered Gigi a genuine smile. “It appears they’ll even let old whores like us celebrate with the decent folk today.”
But Gigi wasn’t smiling. She seemed out of breath, as if she’d been running. “I didn’t come here to celebrate. I came here to find you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Madam Marie. She’s been sick but she took a serious turn for the worse yesterday. I got a telegram today because they sent one to you yesterday, but no one would deliver it you.”
Not the first time that’d happened.
Gigi took a breath. “Marie’s girls are catfighting and the whole house is in chaos. Dorothy fears that if things aren’t sorted quickly, the Lawrence County Sheriff will seize the chance to close Madam Marie’s down after she’s dead, since it’s the last workin’ whorehouse in Deadwood.”
“What am I supposed to do about that from here?”
“That’s the thing; Marie has requested we both come to Deadwood to restore order to the house, pick her successor and stay for her funeral.”
Dammit. Going to Deadwood and handling this would take more than just a day or two.
“She’s going to die, Ruby. This is the last thing she’s askin’ of us. We owe her.”
Ruby knew Gigi was right. “It’ll be at least tomorrow before I can get transportation—”
“You don’t understand.” Gigi grasped Ruby’s hands. “Marie sent her carriage for us. It’s waitin’ on the opposite side of the tracks.”