Summer of the Midnight Sun (29 page)

“Jacob, I have to have a place to stay.”

“Then pay for it yourself. I’ll talk to the manager.”

“I always intended to pay for the room anyway,” Helaina answered in a rather defensive tone. “I have never asked you to pay for my needs.”

“The
Victoria
is here. I’d just as soon see you book passage and leave. I don’t need your help here.”

“Jacob, you’re being unreasonable,” she protested. “I thought Christians were supposed to be forgiving and not judge without hearing the truth.”

That got under his skin. Jacob turned slowly and narrowed his eyes. “I know the truth. I was in Nome, remember.”

“But you don’t know everything,” Helaina said, her tone pleading. “Look, this is far more important than you know. There are things I cannot tell you.” She gave an exasperated sigh. “I know it looks bad, but in a few days you’ll understand. Just trust me until then. Don’t say anything about this, and I swear I’ll give you a thorough explanation.”

“I don’t want your explanations, and I certainly do not intend to spend any more time with you. My sister may be dead. My friend too. I don’t have any interest in your stories or excuses.”

“You’re such a hypocrite,” she said, putting her hands on her waist. “You are just as unforgiving as I am. But the difference here is that I don’t claim to be a Christian or to value what the Bible says. You do.”

She walked to the other side of the boat and sat down on a crate. Jacob refused to be troubled by her words. He knew she only hoped to rile him into arguing with her. He didn’t understand what she hoped to gain by this, however. It wasn’t like he could do anything about the lies she’d told, other than expose them. What seemed truly changed, however, was that she appeared for once to care what he thought.

As soon as the ship was tied off, Jacob exited without even looking to see what Helaina was doing. Hurrying up the dock, his heart nearly stopped when he found Adrik Ivankov waiting for him with several Tlingit natives.

“Is she dead?” he asked, his heart nearly breaking. His chest tightened and he couldn’t breathe.

Adrik broke into a grin. “Not when I left her at the hotel.”

Jacob closed his eyes and let the truth settle over him. “How . . . where. . . ?”

“We’ve been searching since word came to Ketchikan. These men and others have been helping.” He motioned to the Tlingits. “We went out in a dozen boats and searched the beaches of nearby islands. We found her and Jayce and an elderly woman that they rescued. They were in one of the lifeboats and were trying to find their way to Sitka. Doing pretty well at it too.”

“Jayce and Leah are alive?” Helaina asked, coming to join them.

Adrik looked at her oddly. “Yes, they are. Who are you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

She extended her hand. “Mrs. Helaina Beecham.”

“Adrik Ivankov.” He shook her hand briefly. “The hotel was full, but when they told me Jacob had two rooms registered to his name, I knew he wouldn’t mind our imposition. I’ve put Leah in one room, and Jayce in the other.”

“Where are you staying, Adrik?”

“We have a camp down near the beach,” Adrik told them.

Helaina seemed anxious to get back to the room. “I’d love to see them both, and I know Jacob longs to see for himself that Leah is safe. Let’s go to the hotel.” She pushed past Adrik and made her way up the street.

“Leah told me quite a bit about that one,” Adrik said as he and Jacob followed after.

“She’s up to something, but I really don’t know what it’s all about. I’ve caught her in several lies and had honestly thought she’d changed, but as soon as we got here and the focus was on finding Jayce, she started in again.”

“Why does she want to find Jayce?”

Jacob shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s tried several times to get him to go to Seattle with her. I don’t know what it’s all about, but I’ve had a gut full. I’ve told her to get away from us. Now that we have Leah and Jayce safe, I plan to be rid of her for good.”

“Will you come and stay with us awhile in Ketchikan?”

“Not if we’re going to make it back before we’re frozen out. As it is, we’ll probably have to borrow a dog team and hike out for home once we reach Nome. There’s just no telling. I know we can’t afford to delay.”

“I understand. Sure is good to see you, though.” He put his arm around Jacob’s shoulder.

“You too, Adrik. I wish I could have come and stayed for a visit, but there was too much work to be done this summer.”

The older man scratched his bearded chin. “Just don’t forget that life is about more than work. You need a little rest and fun now and then.” He grinned and slapped Jacob’s back. “Wouldn’t hurt you to find a wife either.”

Jacob smiled. “Maybe you could get one of the shamans to make me a potion. My natural charm and good looks don’t seem to be doing the trick.”

“Those only work on Tlingit people—they’re much too powerful for the likes of you.” He winked at Jacob and laughed.

By now they’d reached the hotel. Jacob dashed up the stairs to the rooms he and Helaina had taken. He went to the open door of Helaina’s room. The two women were talking rapidly—both smiling.

“Leah!”

She turned to him and shrugged. “We took the long way home.”

He crossed the distance and embraced her close. “Thank God you’re safe.”

“We were just talking about what happened,” Helaina offered.

“The ship actually blew up.”

Leah and Jacob separated. “I know that,” Jacob retorted.

“You seem to know a lot of things,” Jayce announced from the door. “You all are making quite a ruckus over here. A man can’t even get some much-needed sleep.”

“Jayce, it’s good to see you,” Jacob said, going to his friend.

“I can’t imagine what you must have gone through.”

“It wasn’t easy, but your sister is quite ingenious. She had us eating well and living high off the land. That girl can dig for clams like no one I’ve ever seen, and the crabs she managed to cook for us had legs as big around as a dog’s.”

Leah rolled her eyes. “He exaggerates.”

“Have you been here long?” Jacob asked.

“No,” Adrik replied. “Just got in about thirty minutes prior to you. We got the older woman to the hospital. I hadn’t even had a chance to let the authorities know they were alive.”

“I could do that,” Helaina offered.

Everyone looked at her for a moment, but it was Jacob who replied in a clipped tone. “I’m sure that would be a good idea. You go ahead. We’re going to dinner. I’m starved.”

“Well, you can go to dinner,” Jayce replied. “I was just about to have a bath. Hot water and everything. Then I’m going to sleep in a real bed with real sheets.”

“We are pretty dirty,” Leah said, looking down at her clothes.

“Doesn’t matter,” Jacob replied. “I’m hungry and dirty. I wanna eat first.”

Adrik laughed and headed for the door. “Then it’s my treat. I know just the place. They won’t care how dirty you are, and if you fall asleep in your grub, they’ll just move you out of the way and bring the next person in.”

Jacob let Leah go ahead of him to the door, completely ignoring Helaina. “Sounds perfect.”

“You’re welcome to come too, Mrs. Beecham,” Adrik called.

Helaina seemed to consider it for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I’m not that hungry. You go ahead. It’s only right that you have some time with your family.”

Helaina knew she would have to act fast. Despite being dirty, she slipped into her regular clothes and hurried out of the hotel in search of the local law offices. They seemed to know all about her when she arrived.

“Got a telegram from a man in Washington, D.C. He says you’re helping the Pinkerton Agency to apprehend a dangerous criminal.”

“That’s all true,” Helaina said, nodding. “He was on
Orion’s Belt
when it went down. I feared he might be dead, but he’s returned to Sitka, and I need your help in apprehending him.”

“Well, we can certainly do that,” the man in charge declared. “What do you propose to do with him after we apprehend him?”

“I need to get him to Seattle as soon as possible. I’ll have to book passage on the first available ship.”

“The
Victoria
is here right now,” a redheaded man threw out. He was haphazardly cleaning his pistol, making Helaina more than a little nervous.

“That’s right,” the older man declared. “The
Victoria
is headed to Seattle tonight. In just a couple of hours, in fact.”

“I must be on that ship with Jayce Kincaid,” Helaina said, realizing it would work the best for all parties concerned. If she could get him on that ship and out of town before Jacob and Leah realized what was happening, she could be assured of victory.

“Brett can run you down some tickets. You have the funds?”

Helaina nodded and opened her purse. “I believe this will cover it.” She gave him several large bills. The boy put aside the gun and got to his feet.

“You take this money and get her two tickets. Make sure they don’t put her in the hold. She needs a decent cabin—got it?”

“Sure, Walt. I ain’t stupid.”

“Well, that remains to be seen,” Walt answered. “After you get the tickets, you go to the ship and make sure they don’t pull out early. We’ll be there directly.” The young man ran out the door, whistling all the way.

“Well, little lady, I don’t understand a country that allows its women to be arresting dangerous criminals, but I guess I have no say in the matter.” He took up his hat and motioned her to the door. “After you.”

“But we’ll need more men. This is a dangerous, crafty, deceptive criminal. He’s killed two men and wounded a third.”

“Lady, I can handle him. Don’t worry your pretty head about it.” He reached to the wall and grabbed up some handcuffs and leg irons.

“But—”

He frowned at her, and for a moment Helaina was worried he’d changed his mind about helping her. Finally he asked, “Are we going or not?”

She nodded. “Very well. But I warned you.”

Helaina felt as if her heart might pound right out of her chest. The end of her long ordeal was in sight. She would soon have Jayce Kincaid captured and on his way to Seattle. Then she could go home.

But even as she made her way to the hotel, there was a sense of unrest in her soul. Jacob despised her, and she longed to set the record straight with him. She wanted very much for him to know the truth, especially since he accused her so often of keeping it from him. Maybe she would write him a letter once she was back home.

“He’s in the room at the top of the stairs,” Helaina explained. “After we apprehend him, I’ll need to gather my things. I don’t have very much, so it will only take a minute.”

“I can handle it,” the man replied. He had a determined look on his face as he shifted the irons to his left hand and pulled out a revolver with his right hand.

He motioned Helaina to stand back as they reached the last step. He went to the door and knocked loudly, then stepped to the side. For a moment Helaina froze in place, then quickly jumped to the opposite side of the door. When no one came to answer the knock, she feared Jayce might have changed his mind and left for dinner.

The man knocked again, this time harder. There was some sort of reply from inside, but Helaina couldn’t really tell what the muffled words were. She stiffened, pulling herself back against the wall.

“What’s the matter, Jacob, forget your key?” Jayce asked as he opened the door. He yawned, then startled to realize there was a gun in his face. His eyes widened as Walt pushed the revolver closer.

“Now you raise those hands nice and easy, mister.”

“What’s this about? Are you robbing me, ’cause if you are, you’re out of luck. I have nothing. I was one of those folks who was on
Orion’s Belt
when it went down.”

“I know who you are, Mr. Kincaid. Now don’t cause me any trouble. I’m the law in this town, and I don’t take well to folks who cause trouble.”

Helaina stepped out as he managed to handcuff Jayce. She saw the look of surprise change to confusion as Jayce’s eyes narrowed.

“What is this about, Helaina?”

“I’m working for the Pinkerton Agency in Washington, D.C., Mr. Kincaid. You might remember a little scuffle you had with my brother on the back of a B&O Railroad car. You threw him off.”

“You’ve got the wrong man.” Jayce looked to the man who was even now checking his pockets for weapons. “She’s got the wrong person.”

“I have evidence that suggests otherwise,” Helaina said, trying hard not to remember her own concerns about this case. Stanley was firm on what was to be done, so she pulled out the drawing of Jayce and unfolded it for him to see. “I was told to apprehend a man named Jayce Kincaid, who also fit this description.”

“Looks just like you, mister,” Walt declared.

“I’m telling you it isn’t me,” Jayce protested, trying to twist away from Walt. The older man held him fast.

Helaina put the picture back into her pocket. “You are under arrest for the death of two men, also agents, as well as for multiple theft and assault charges.”

Jayce shook his head. “I’ve never even been to Washington,

D.C. I’m telling you this is wrong. I’m not the man you’re looking for.”

“That’s what they all say,” the officer declared. He snapped the leg irons into place and straightened. “Come along, Mr. Kincaid. You have a ship waiting for you.”

“I can’t just leave without saying something to Jacob and Leah.” He looked to Helaina for help. “Please, you know what I’m saying. I have to talk to them.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice nothing more than a whisper. “We have to go.”

“You’d best collect your things, Mrs. Beecham.”

Helaina couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all suddenly very wrong. “Yes, I’ll go right now.”

She hurried to the room next door and pulled the key from her purse. It was difficult to see in the darkened room. She went to the chair where she’d left her smallest traveling bag containing her personal items as well as her only other traveling outfit. Taking this up, she thought about her Eskimo clothes and decided against taking them. She’d have no need of them at home.

She rejoined the men and followed them down the stairs. Jayce protested every step of the way, alternating between pleading for Helaina’s mercy and arguing his innocence.