Eyes of the Cat by Riser Mimi

Author:Riser, Mimi [Riser, Mimi]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-03-15T07:00:00+00:00

“Petunia!”

A shrill whistle brought the black head swinging back to the corral for an instant, and Esmeralda gave a final long whinny. It sounded a little like an apology.

But a lot more like horsey laughter.

Chapter 8

There was no way they could go on to Abilene after that, not dressed as they were. Anyone from the castle who came after them now would be looking for a black clad gunslinger and a Mexican youth. Granted, the tartan shawl would have given Tabitha away in any case, but she had been planning on ditching it before they reached the station. She’d only worn it for the ride there, because spring nights on the high plains could be as cold as the days were hot.

Crowded behind Kathy in the leather armchair known sometimes as a western saddle, she pulled the makeshift serape closer around herself as she considered the “Plan B” they’d chosen. It would delay when she got back to Philadelphia by another week or three, but she could live with that, just so long as she did get back. She could live with quite a bit, she realized, just so long as she could continue living, period. The threat of death had given her a brand new perspective on life.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you. It was only card game gossip, after all. Geordie doesn’t like Alan very much, you know. And he’d been drinking pretty heavily that night. Maybe he made the whole thing up,” Kathy was saying. “Now that I think about it, I don’t recall anyone else mentioning that Alan even had a wife, let alone that he killed her.”

“I have. Alan himself,” Tabitha replied bleakly. “He admitted flat out he was responsible for her death.”

“Maybe he was merely trying to frighten you.”

“If he was, he succeeded.”

“And what I just added to the story has only frightened you more.” Kathy sighed. “It’s an old ailment of mine. Hoof-in-Mouth disease.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s far better that I know exactly what I’m up against,” Tabitha assured her.

It was a relief even, in a ghastly sort of way, because of the surfacing alien part of her that hadn’t really wanted to leave in the first place. It might have subconsciously made her do something stupid. Like allowing herself to be recaptured. But now she knew that was completely out of the question. Going back wouldn’t mean just the loss of her self-respect and independence, everything she valued about her life. It could well mean the loss of her life itself.

What Kathy had just related was that Alan’s wife had been killed because she’d been trying to run away from him. And according to Alan himself, her death had been horrible.

That was the confusing part. Beyond confusing. Almost unbelievable. Tabitha could imagine him killing in self-defense or unthinking rage, as he might have killed Dunstan that night if they hadn’t stopped him. But to do what he said had been done to that woman? It didn’t seem possible. How could

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