Clementine

Maria said, “That’s it, then.” She looked up at the captain and said it again. “That’s it.”

“That wasn’t part of your initial mission though, was it?” the captain asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Of course it wasn’t. But…but I’m glad I did it, regardless. And besides, my mission for Pinkerton went well enough,” she insisted, stuffing one Colt into her handbag and unfastening the gunbelt form her hips.

Hainey asked, “How do you figure that? You hitched a ride with the crew you were hired to stop, and then you killed the man whose shipment you were supposed to ensure. You wreaked a fair bit of havoc, Belle Boyd.”

Maria didn’t ask how he knew she’d killed Steen.

She only said, “Yes, but technically I was only hired to make sure the shipment arrived at the sanatorium. And I’d like for the record to reflect, the diamond did, in fact, arrive safely at its intended destination.” She did not add that it had a new destination, stashed in her own luggage.

Maria planted her feet and folded her arms, daring anyone to argue with her.

Croggon Beauregard Hainey put his face in his hand, and his body began to quiver as the laugh he meant to hide worked its way up, and out, and into the bridge of the Free Crow. He laughed louder and harder than he’d ever laughed in his life; and before long, Maria Isabella Boyd joined him with a devious smile.

14. TELEGRAM FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

CLEMENTINE SAFELY REACHED DESTINATION AND DELIVERED CARGO TO SANATORIUM STOP FATE OF HAINEY AND CREW UNKNOWN STOP WILL RETURN TO CHICAGO BY TRAIN TOMORROW MORNING AND AWAIT MY NEXT ASSIGNMENT STOP I BELIEVE THIS JOB SUITS ME QUITE WELL AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY STOP