“That’s fine with me,” Diana said. “Is Governor Ganzel inside?”
“He is.”
“Then let’s go join him!” Diana said, bounding up the steps to the coach’s platform.
“The governor isn’t going to be pleased about having her in his coach,” Billy said, leaning close to Longarm’s ear. “He isn’t even happy about you using his coach.”
“Tough shit,” Longarm said, cold, wet, and feeling used. “He can call the whole thing off anytime and I won’t complain.”
“The governor and Commissioner Hall aren’t close friends, but they stick together, and that could cost me my job,” Billy said. “So, unless you want a new boss, you might just try to bury your sentiments.”
“All right,” Longarm said grudgingly, “I’ll behave.”
“Thanks.”
The inside of the special coach was plush, with lots of deep-blue velvet curtains and upholstery, brass, and mahogany. Longarm had been inside it only once, and then for just a moment as he’d delivered a message to the governor. But this was altogether different.
“Wow!” Diana squealed as she bounded inside and out of the rain. “What a place!”
The governor as well as three of his aides and Commissioner Hall were huddled together over drinks and conversation. Diana’s entry made them forget whatever they were plotting. The governor was a well-known womanizer in his own right, and now he sprang to his feet, staring at Diana, who managed to look appetizing despite the fact that her wet hair was plastered around her face and her eye makeup had run down her cheeks.
“Well … hello,” the governor said, reaching for a drink. “No one told me you were coming!”
“Life is full of surprises,” Diana said before she smiled and added, “And you are far more handsome than I had been led to believe, Governor.”
Governor Ganzel seemed to almost slump with relief, and he grinned stiffly. Commissioner Hall rolled his eyes upward, and Billy Vail looked as if he were going to be ill as Diana waltzed forward and took the governor’s hand, saying, “I’ve always been such an admirer. I feel as if we’ve known each other … somewhere, somehow.”
“Really?” Ganzel gulped. “I don’t think that’s possible. Unless we met on the street just in passing.”
“That must be it,” Diana said, gazing past the men to admire the plush interior of this special railroad coach. “And it’s going to be such a pleasure to ride up to Cheyenne in your personal coach, Governor.”
“Now, wait a minute!” Commissioner Hall said, coming to his feet. “This is a federal investigation, and we can’t allow civilians to be involved. It could be dangerous.”
“Oh,” Diana said, “I’m very much aware of that, Commissioner. But, you see, Nathan Cox was once an actor. I’m sure that your background search revealed that, didn’t it?”
“Uh … no,” the commissioner stuttered. “I wasn’t aware that he was an actor.”
“A very good one,” Diana assured them. “So, you can well expect that he will have dramatically changed his appearance. I believe you’d have an impossible time identifying Nathan without me. You see, he may change the way he looks, but he couldn’t change his voice or the way he moves. I’d notice those things instantly. That’s why I’m sure you understand why it’s imperative that I accompany Deputy Marshal Long to Cheyenne.”
Diana looked to the governor, who was pouring himself a stiff drink. “Don’t you agree, Governor?”
“Oh, yes!” Ganzel said, tossing whiskey down his gullet. “By all means, go to Cheyenne.”
“I shall,” Diana said. “And what about you, Governor? Are you coming to Cheyenne with us?”
“I can’t. Affairs of state, you understand.”
“Of course.”
“I should go,” Commissioner Hall said. “We’ve people in Cheyenne already and-“
“Malcomb,” the governor said, “I’m sure that we both have pressing matters to attend to right here in Denver, and our engineer says the locomotive has a head of steam and this train is ready to roll north.”
“But-“
“Malcomb,” the governor said, an edge creeping into his voice. “Why don’t we just let these people be on their way. I’m sure that Deputy Marshal Long has everything in control. Isn’t that right?”
“Sure,” Longarm said, totally baffled by what had happened between the governor and Diana Frank yet delighted that the brass was remaining in Cheyenne. “Everything is under control.”
“Excellent!” the governor said, tossing down his drink and rushing for the door.
Commissioner Hall was furious and Billy Vail was just as mystified as Longarm about what had transpired between the governor and the lady. The mystery, however, was solved the moment the train started to roll.
Longarm removed his dripping overcoat and headed for the bar. He was cold and confused.
“You’re probably wondering what happened between me and the governor,” Diana said as she watched him pour three fingers of expensive Kentucky bourbon.
“Yeah, I am,” Longarm replied, taking a gulp and savoring the warm, delicious flow of liquor so much, he smacked his lips. “I expected a real dogfight about your coming on this trip.”
“I suppose I should have explained a few things before we arrived, but we were in such a rush.”
“You have a lot of explaining to do, Diana. You see, neither the governor nor the commissioner were very happy when I talked them into paying you fifteen thousand dollars.”
“Well,” Diana said, “as you might have guessed, the governor and I are old friends.”
“Is that a fact?”
Diana went over to the well-stocked bar and examined its contents. “Oh, yes,” she said, “I’ve even been in this coach a few times. Nothing has changed but the faces. The governor still insists on the best liquor money can buy, thanks to the generosity of his political supporters.”
“Why don’t you just quit dancing with me and spell it out plain,” Longarm suggested.
“All right, Marshal. I’ve not only met Governor Ganzel, but I’ve also spent some intimate hours with him on this coach.”
Longarm just shook his head. “The governor is married now. I can’t imagine that he would have agreed to work with you given this background.”
“He knew me as Miss Diana Frost,” she explained, pouring a crystal tumbler full of brandy and then sinking down on one of the blue velvet couches.
“Is that right?”
“Yes. Richard wasn’t married then. He was between his third and fourth wives, if memory serves me correctly.”
“I’m sure that it does.”
“Anyway, we sort of got well acquainted rather quickly. The governor acts dignified, but he’s really a cold-hearted lout. When someone told him that my past could hurt his future, he turned his back on me like I had a plague. I managed to extort a thousand dollars from him, enough to keep me going for a year. The man squealed like a pig and even threatened my life. That’s the main reason I changed my name.”
Longarm frowned. “Why don’t you look for someone with a good and honest heart?”
Diana took a drink, closing her eyes and brushing back her wet, storm-tossed hair. “Good question, and one I’ve asked myself about a million times.”
“And no answer?”
“Oh, yes, I know the answer, but I don’t want to accept it. The fact is, Marshal, that I’m a fool and hopelessly attracted to rich and powerful men. And if they can’t be either of those things, they have to be real handsome. I just can’t settle for the solid farmer, the butcher, or the baker. They bore me to tears. I’d just cheat on them the way Richard has cheated on all his wives.”
Longarm didn’t understand. Diana Frank seemed intent on destroying herself, even when she understood her weakness and therefore her cure.
“I know,” she said. “I’m pathetic.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Well, no matter.” She drank a little more quickly. “Anyway, I’ll bet you haven’t a boring bone in your whole big body, Marshal Long.”