Gabriel's Heart

Chapter Three

Trina came out of the compartment across from Gabriel’s holding the derringer in front of her with both hands, like a dead rat she intended to throw into the garbage. When she saw her father, she dropped the gun and ran into his arms.

“Papa! You killed him!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. She stared at the dead man in horror and shock.

Gabriel knelt beside the body and turned it over. One shot, straight through the heart. The senator hadn’t taken any chances. “Senator, maybe you’d better tell us what happened.”

Others arrived, from both ends of the train. In the midst of the confusion, Gabriel called for quiet.

“Senator?”

“He tried to kill me. But I didn’t shoot him. Wilson did. He was defending me, just as I hired him to do. I took his gun for protection while he followed this scalawag’s sidekick back to the passenger car.”

“I’m just grateful you weren’t injured, Papa.”

“How did he try to kill you, Senator?” Gabriel watched faces in the crowd while he waited for the answer. That twitch again, on a man returning from the passenger car. The bodyguard?

“He tried to push me off the train! I was coming back to find Trina and he was waiting for me between the cars.”

The story didn’t make sense. “How did the two of you get in here, then?”

Trina turned on him. “Mr. Hart, your tone would indicate that you don’t believe what my father just told you.”

“No offense, ma’am. I just—”

“Now, Trina, let the man do his job. Gabriel Hart is one of the finest sheriffs I’ve ever met. No offense taken, Mr. Hart. I managed to get away and ran inside the car. He followed me in. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t listen. He pulled a gun. Wilson, here, came in behind and shot him.”

“I see.” Gabriel looked around. “I think all you folks should get to wherever you’re going. There’s nothing else happening here.”

The crowd thinned out, leaving Gabriel, Trina and her father. Gabriel still didn’t know anything about the bodyguard or the other men who seemed to show up whenever the senator got into a ruckus, but he decided he ought to find out more about them.

“Now what, Sheriff?” Amos wheezed from exertion.

“First of all, I’m not a sheriff anymore. I’m a passenger, same as you. I just don’t want to see anyone else ‘fall’ off this train.”

Senator McCabe’s eyes darted from Gabriel to Trina as he nodded agreement. “Let’s get on to our quarters, Trina. You’ve had quite a scare. For the remainder of this journey, I suggest we spend the majority of our time under lock and key.”

Trina sighed and picked up the derringer from where she’d dropped it. McCabe took it from her and stowed it in his pocket.

“Thank you, Mr. Hart, for your help in convincing my father that he should be more careful.”

The senator frowned. “Trina, you didn’t—”

Gabriel cleared his throat noisily. No use in getting her in Dutch with her father. “Your daughter asked me earlier if I might be on the lookout for your welfare, Senator. She cares for you a great deal.”

“Yes, thank God, she does. I’ve been mother and father to her since she was born. Raised in a house with three older brothers, it’s a miracle she’s turned out to be the lady she is today.”

Flustered, Trina pulled at her father’s arm. “Papa, I should think Mr. Hart has better things to do than listen to our entire life history. Thank you again, Mr. Hart. We shall appreciate your protection for the remainder of our trip.”

She flashed her brown eyes at Gabriel, and he was amused to see her embarrassed to have been discovered in clandestine antics. Her cheeks blazed.

“I’ll be glad to help in any way I can, ma’am.” Now, why in tarnation had he said that? The last thing in the world he wanted was to protect the McCabe family. Damn!

The conductor arrived, huffing and puffing, excited with the news of a killing on his train, and solicited help in taking the body back to the baggage car behind the Pullman. Gabriel saw his chance to escape the scene, and volunteered.

Trina watched him go. She’d never met a man in her life she couldn’t stare down. Until now. A challenge, if ever she’d seen one.

“Now, Papa, you must rest. Let me help you.”

“Dammit, Trina, quit fussin’ over me like I was some doddering old fool! I’m perfectly capable of making it ten feet to my bed.”

Trina’s lower lip quivered. “I just…I’m sorry, Papa, but I…” She managed to squeeze out one tear.

“Now, Trina, darlin’, don’t cry. I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I appreciate your concern for me. I just don’t like bein’ pampered in public, that’s all.”

Trina sniffed and dabbed at her nose with her hankie. “I’m sorry, I forgot. You only like being pampered at home.” She hid a smile behind the hankie.

He gave her a look that silenced her—for the time being, anyway. “Now I’m gonna rest awhile. I suggest you do the same.”

“I shall. Thank you, Papa. Lock your door.”

“I will, I will. You’d think I was ninety years old and feebleminded, instead of being a representative of the great state of Colorado, and the father of this young whippersnapper.”

He locked the door behind him. Trina thought about going to her own compartment, then changed her mind. Something wasn’t right. She could tell by the cold gleam in the ex-sheriffs eyes that he knew something he wasn’t telling. She wanted to know what it was.

She tiptoed to the end of the car and tried to see through the windows of both the Pullman and the baggage car behind. The glare from the snow outside made it impossible. She’d have to make herself known if she were to discover what was happening where they were stowing away the dead body. A shiver reminded her she’d left her cape in her compartment She’d get it, then she’d try to ease into—

The door slammed open, pushing her back against the wall. Tarnation! She’d have to be more careful. Caught spying by the sheriff. Careless, that’s all there was to it. Careless.

“Miss McCabe, was there somethin’ else you needed?”

“Absolutely not, Mr. Hart. I was merely…” Her mind went blank—something that had never happened before. She’d always been able to conjure up believable stories to match whatever situation presented itself. Until now. That same amused expression, which had angered her clear to the bone before, perched on his face again. Why, he actually enjoyed seeing her squirm.

Instead of covering up what she’d been doing, she decided to turn the tables and make him do a little squirming instead. In control of the situation. That’s where she’d always been and where she intended to be now. “What, may I ask, is so amusing?”

Gabriel debated whether to tell her he knew exactly what she’d been doing at that window. If he did, though, she’d be spittin’ mad at him again. But then, if she stayed spittin’ mad, she might leave him alone for the rest of the trip. Just what he wanted. Or was it? He chose the middle path.

“Nothing is amusing, Miss McCabe. I’ve just boxed up a dead man who got shot even though he wasn’t carrying a firearm of any sort, and I’m late for a nap. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He shouldn’t have told her that little piece of news. He shook his head. Damn female. Making him act like somebody else.

“No gun? But my father said—”

“I know what your father said. He lied.”

“Lied! You take that back this instant! My father is not a liar!”

Now he’d done it. He’d have to smooth those fancy feathers again. “I didn’t mean to call your father a liar. I just said he lied. I assume he had good reason.”

That took all the fire out of her next attack. Just when Trina thought she’d taken control, he’d snatched it away again.

“But what possible reason could there be for him to lie about such a thing? Didn’t he know you’d check the body?”

“I’m sure he did.”

Voices again. Gabriel grabbed Trina’s arm, pulled her inside his compartment and closed the door.

“No noise this time, understand?”

“Of course I understand. Do you think I’m—”

He held up his hand in a silent threat to clamp her mouth shut if she didn’t do it on her own.

Trina’s first instinct was to slap his face, but she pressed her lips together instead, hating to admit he was right. They listened to the conversation in the hallway.

“Chet’s gone. Now Lurvy. Watch your back, partner. We could be next.”

“He wouldn’t dare.”

“He’s already dared twice. Let’s get into those trunks before someone else does.” They left without another word.

Trina turned around and drew a long, slow breath. Gabriel was right up against her, not two inches away.

“Those men—”

“Seem to think your father was responsible for pushing that first man off the train.” Which was exactly Gabriel’s conclusion, along with the suspicion that Trina had witnessed the deed.

“But that’s ridiculous.” His breath on her face made her slightly giddy. Along with his eyes, his dark brown, beautiful eyes. And his lips, soft and kissable, surrounded by his beard and mustache, neatly trimmed. “Unless he had a good reason.”

Gabriel knew if he didn’t back off he was going to kiss her, right here and now. A thoroughly improper thing to be thinking about, much less doing. Any minute now, he expected her to bolt. To change the tone of the way things were going. To rail at him to find the culprits who were actually responsible for these killings and do something to exonerate her father. But she didn’t. She didn’t move an inch. If anything, she relaxed a bit toward him, putting herself even closer. The blue feathers on her hat swayed and fluttered.

That damn perfume made his head swim. What was it, anyway? Lilac. Hannah had worn lilac perfume. Hannah…

Gabriel cleared his throat and backed up. Feeling guilty as hell for betraying Hannah’s memory, he took a deep breath and studied the rock formations passing by the window.

“You’d best be gettin’ back to your quarters, ma’am. Be sure you lock the door.”

Trina didn’t know whether to feel angry or disappointed or both. She’d been kissed once or twice in her life. Why, Geoffrey had kissed her just last week when he’d proposed to her for the fifth time. It had not felt exciting in the least. But she ought to be excited, shouldn’t she? The way she felt right now, for instance.

The excitement of kissing Geoffrey had been entirely one-sided. Trina had considered it dull at best. And tedious. Just what she found attractive about Geoffrey was getting to be harder to identify with each passing day. Geoffrey was sweet enough, but he did everything she told him to do. Staring down Geoffrey was no challenge at all. And he’d certainly never backed away from kissing her when she’d let it be known she was willing to be kissed. Had she ever felt this excited, this eager to be kissed, when Geoffrey was the man just inches away? She couldn’t remember.

Kissing Mr. Hart would no doubt be dull and tedious, in spite of the fact that looking into his eyes caused little tingly things all up and down her spine.

Trina shook herself. A well-bred young lady shouldn’t be thinking such thoughts. Why, it was practically indecent to want to kiss a man before they’d at least talked about engagement. And she had no intention of ever being courted by such a man as Gabriel Hart. Why, what would Aunt Francis and Cousin Bertha say? And Aunt Sophie! She’d never be able to live down such a thing, even if she lived to be sixty-eight. Just because Trina never had a mother to tell her how a lady should behave didn’t mean she hadn’t had plenty of instruction from the other women in the family.

Trina sighed. How dull it was to be proper. How tedious. A thought struck her. Of course. That had to be it.

“Mr. Hart, are you married?”

Such grief appeared in Gabriel’s eyes that she gasped, staggered backward a couple of steps and reached for her throat.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hart. I obviously have overstepped the boundary of good taste by asking such a personal question. I sincerely beg your pardon, sir.”

Gabriel stared out the window. He had to get his emotions—his hatred—under control. Any reminder of Hannah brought it back as if it were yesterday. The grief and the hatred burning in him sometimes threatened to blank out his mind entirely. He couldn’t let it run free. Not until he had Blackburn in front of him, pleading for mercy—which he wouldn’t get. But this woman couldn’t know that.

Gabriel closed his eyes. “It’s nothing you’ve done, Miss McCabe.”

“Are you sure? I—”

“My wife died over a year ago.” The words bit into him like a rattlesnake and refused to let go, pumping venom into him, poisoning his very soul. “Your question was a reminder, that’s all. There’s no harm done.”

How could she have been so thoughtless as to blurt a personal question that way? Trina scolded herself soundly, wishing she’d had the good sense to keep her thoughts and curiosity to herself.

“I’m dreadfully sorry.”

“Yes, ma’am. Now, if you’ll pardon me…”

In spite of what he’d just said, she knew she’d let her headstrong tendencies get out of hand again. She owed him another apology.

“Of course, Mr. Hart. I apologize again for my…thoughtless question. I…I’ll speak with you again later…about my father.”

Gabriel nodded but didn’t look at her. He had to push the venom away so he could be in control again.

Hesitating in the corridor, Trina berated herself for hurting him so terribly. He must have loved his wife dearly for her death to still be such a dagger in his heart. She wondered how Mrs. Hart had died, but knew she could never ask. It wasn’t any of her business, anyway. He’d said it was over a year ago. By now he should have accepted her death and decided to get on with his life, shouldn’t he?

Trina slapped her cheeks, punishing herself for being so nosy. Shame on her! What must she be thinking to want to pry into this man’s life and affairs? She had to forget the incident and hope he would do the same. If she never mentioned it again, perhaps he’d forgive her impertinence.

She knew she should go straight to her compartment, lock the door and stay there until the train arrived in Silver Falls tomorrow. But something niggled at her like a bird trying to pluck a stubborn worm from a hole in a tree trunk. She had to see for herself why her father had lied. Seeing his bodyguard push that man off the train while her father watched had almost made her heart stop beating. He’d supposedly killed that second man because he was threatening to kill her father—and that couldn’t have been true, since the man had not been carrying a gun. None of it made any sense.

Trina eased out the back door of the Pullman, shivered over to the baggage car and went inside, then stopped for a minute to let her eyes adjust to the darkness.

The car was piled haphazardly with boxes, traveling bags and trunks of all sizes and descriptions. There seemed to be no pattern to the jumble at all. Luckily, each parcel dangled a label with the owner’s name and destination. On the left was a platform. Anything previously there had been moved to make room for the unexpected baggage now occupying the space.

There he lay. Deader than a doornail. Trina shivered, but not from the cold. If she were to inspect the body, looking for a gun, she’d have to touch—

The door slammed back with a loud thud. “Are you lost, Miss McCabe?”

Trina jumped about a mile and let out a yelp.

The conductor latched the door and shook his head at her. “This is the baggage car, ma’am. I don’t believe whatever you’re lookin’ for will be in here, unless you mean to get into one of those trunks you brought on board.”

“Trunks? I didn’t bring any trunks. You must have me confused—”

“Two of ‘em. Heavy. I figured they was chock-full of your fancy clothes and doodads. Your father saw to the loading hisself.”

“My father? Are you sure?”

“Yes, ma’am. Now, if you’ll tell me what you’re lookin’ for, maybe I can help you find it.”

“Nothing. I’m…lost…just as you said. I guess I got turned around and went out the back door instead of the front. I’ll go back to my quarters now. Thank you kindly.”

The conductor shook his head again and watched her go, muttering under his breath about foolish females.

Trina went straight to Gabriel’s door and knocked lightly.

Gabriel came, hesitated when he saw it was her, then opened the door. “Miss McCabe—”

“Shh! I have to talk to you. It’s important.” She pushed past him.

There didn’t seem to be any escaping this woman. He closed the door and waited.

“Mr. Hart, I have just learned something extraordinary.”

“I see.” Gabriel was back on an even keel. He didn’t want to lose the edge again, but if anyone could make him do it, it was Trina McCabe. “Who?”

Trina stopped. “I beg your pardon?”

Was she slow or stupid or something? “Who told you whatever it is you’re so all-fired excited about?”

“No one. The conductor. You did!”

Gabriel didn’t like the sound of this. “Miss McCabe…”

“Let me start again. May I sit down?”

Gabriel threw up his hands. “Sure! Why not? Mi casa es su casa.”

Trina stopped halfway down and stood again. “What was that? Spanish?”

“Never mind. Just get it said.”

“Back in the baggage car just now—”

“What were you doing back there?”

“Looking at the dead body.”

“You enjoy looking at dead bodies, do you?”

“Of course not. I just wanted to see if he had a gun.”

“I told you he didn’t.”

“I wanted to see for myself.”

“Humph.” Gabriel didn’t cotton to being doubted.

“Anyway, the conductor startled me. He thought I was looking for one of the trunks I brought on board the train.”

“How long are you plannin’ to be in Silver Falls, Miss McCabe?”

“Two days. Why?”

“Just wonderin’ why you’d bring trunks for such a short stay.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?”

“Bring any trunks.”

“Wait a minute. You just said—”

“The conductor thought they were my trunks, but they weren’t.”

Gabriel sighed. She was determined to make him pull the story out of her word by word. “Whose were they?”

“My father’s.”

Gabriel’s head started to hurt. “Is there a point to any of this?”

“I was getting to the point when you interrupted.”

“Pardon me, ma’am, for interrupting.”

“You’re pardoned.”

“Can we get on with this little recital?” He rubbed his forehead tiredly.

“Certainly.” If he wanted her to hurry, why was he asking so many questions? It must be the nature of an ex-sheriff. “It seems that my father brought two heavy trunks on board the train in Denver. I wasn’t aware of it until now.”

“So?”

“So I don’t know what’s in those trunks. What could it be? My father’s bodyguard pushed a man off the train, then killed a man who was trying to shoot my father, only the man had no gun, and…and…Mr. Hart, I’m so confused, I don’t know what to think next!”

“You and me both, ma’am.” He’d been right about her seeing something earlier. But it brought him no satisfaction to have figured it out. Gabriel just wanted to be alone. Trina was giving him the granddaddy of all headaches and he needed a drink and some shut-eye to get rid of it. “I’ll think about it for a while and let you know later what I decide, all right? You really must go to your quarters now. I think part of your confusion is due to lack of rest.”

Trina could see the pain in his eyes when he reached to massage his temples. She stifled the impulse to massage them for him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hart. I’ve caused you more distress than I have a right to. I won’t bother you again, I promise.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He opened the door for her and smiled thinly when she walked past him. He waited until she entered her compartment and clicked the lock into place before he closed his door and lay down on the bed.

Distractions. He had to rid himself of distractions and get back to the task at hand, which was to find Blackburn and kill him. Nothing else could hold any importance for him.

In his mind he saw Trina’s face, shining with excitement Her lower lip, stuck out in a pout. The dismay and regret he’d seen in her eyes when she’d asked if he was married. He’d never seen a woman with as many different faces as she had.

Damnedest woman he’d ever met.

Hannah had been as predictable as night and day. Not Trina McCabe. Guessing which face she’d show him next was like trying to guess when it would rain in Texas. Or when it would quit.

He rubbed his temples and tried to blank his mind of anything except his primary thought—kill Blackburn.

He’d forgotten to have that drink.

Gabriel got up, grabbed his coat and headed for the dining car. The scent of lilac perfume lingered on the collar of his coat where it had touched her face and neck. A hollow feeling opened up in the pit of his stomach.