“You seem almost asdetermined to find this murderer as you are to deal with Cudgel,”Kali said.
Cedar said nothing.
“Do the girls meansomething to you?” Kali asked. “There’s not even a bounty out forthe murderer yet.”
“I don’t like seeing womenkilled.”
“Just in general-a notionwith which I agree, by the way-or because…? Is itpersonal?”
Cedar gave her a sharp look. “What do youmean?”
“I thought maybe there wassomething similar in these murders to that one in San Francisco.Something that’s haunting you.”
His gaze shifted away, back toward the trailand the top of the ridge. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Kali considered him for along moment. She wantedto pry, she admitted it, but it was for a goodreason. If she got the story out of him, she could fight for him,tell this Pinkerton fellow what really happened the next time hewandered into her shop.
“There,” Cedarwhispered.
With all the trees blocking the view, ittook a moment for Kali to figure out what he was pointing at. Thenshe spotted it, the wood of the airship hull among the greens andbrowns of the forest. From her vantage point, she couldn’t tell ifthey’d crashed or if they’d managed to land it somehow.
Clangs started up, someone hammeringmetal.
“Can they fix that fan outhere?” Cedar whispered.
“Not unless they happen tohave a spare case and assembly. I guess that’s a possibility.They’d know there aren’t any shops that supply airship parts uphere.”
“Are there anywhere?Airships aren’t that common, even down south.”
“I’m ordering my partsfrom a place in San Francisco, and I’ve heard New York has anentire warehouse dedicated to aeronautic supplies.” Kali sighedlongingly, imagining what such a place might look like.
“Is that where you want togo for your honeymoon?” Cedar asked.
Kali twitched an eyebrow.“I haven’t planned that trip yet. Lately, I haven’t even been ableto get a man to come back for a second date, despite whatI thought was anenjoyable evening at the dance hall, even if some stepping on toeswas involved.” She thought he’d enjoyed himself too. He’d laughedand even tried to be witty, in his dry terse way. And she’d made itclear she was available for additional evenings together when hecould break away from bounty hunting. The way he’d massaged hershoulders earlier made her think he still had romantic inklings,but why the scarcity if that was the case?
“Sometimes men get busy,”Cedar said.
“I’ve noticed most peopleare only busy for things they consider an onerous task.”
“Kali, it’s not like that.It’s…” He looked away, not toward the camp or anything dangerous inthe area that could have claimed his focus. Just away.
Kali swallowed. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter.I’m not looking to get married any time soon. I want to see theworld and not be beholden to anyone or have a litter of hungryyoung’uns dangling from my…uhm, self.” Even with the correction,she blushed. She hadn’t known any proper ladies growing up, but shehad a feeling discussing teats with men was probably considereduncouth in most circles.
A hint of a smirk touched Cedar’s lips, buthe didn’t say anything.
Kali cleared her throat and pointed to theairship. “Should we get close or wait until dark to scoutabout?”
Cedar lifted his eyes toward the sky.“That’s hours from now. This is a pesky time of year for stealthilysneaking about.”
“Come in December. You cansneak in the dark twenty-four hours a day then.”
“Yes, I caught the tailend of winter. It’s also hard to be stealthy when your teeth arechattering and your bal-bear cubs are hiding in theirdens.”
“I didn’t realize bearcubs-” Kali snorted at his substitution; that was worse than herfumble, “-played a role in one’s scouting abilities.
“A robust man is a manconfident in his skills.”
Kali grinned. It was a silly conversation,but it reminded her how much she appreciated having him around. Alump formed in her throat, and she swallowed, trying to force itdown. They had more important things to focus on now.
Cedar pointed at a man walking into thewoods and unbuttoning his fly. “I’m going to grab that one forquestioning,” he whispered.
Kali barely managed a quick, “Be careful,”before he slid out and took a circuitous route toward thepirate.
On her knees, Kali braced her Winchester onthe log, found the pirate, and put him in her sights in case hegave Cedar trouble. She tried to keep an eye on the ship and thecamp as well, counting people when they walked into view. The treesmade it hard to get an estimate, but she guessed there were atleast twenty crew members. It would be hard to acquire the ship forherself with that many pirates loitering about.
Though Cedar might prefer night for skulkingabout, he did fine sneaking up on the fellow-indeed, even knowingroughly where he was, Kali had trouble keeping track of him. Astheir target was buttoning his pants, Cedar stepped out from behinda tree and placed a knife blade against the man’s throat. Thepirate’s hand darted for a holster on his belt only to find itempty. Cedar had already removed the pistol. He showed it to thepirate, then stuffed it into his own belt.
Cedar said something to his prisoner, andthey started walking, angling away from the ship and Kali as well.She waited, expecting him to circle about and join her, but hedidn’t. She was about to stand up and find him when a second piratewalked into the woods, a rifle propped against his shoulder. Hefaced her, his gaze skimming the forest. Kali sank lower so onlyher eyes poked above the log.
It was too soon for anyone to miss the manwho had gone to pee, so she guessed this was a guard the captainhad sent out. The pirates had to know that people would come afterthem in droves if word got out that their ship had gone down. Kalidoubted that old man on the river was the first miner they hadrobbed.
A falcon on the hunt screeched overhead. Thedampness of the moss beneath Kali’s knees was starting to seepthrough her overalls. She wondered where Cedar had taken the otherfellow. And why hadn’t he come to get her, so she could listen inand ask questions too?
The guard finally turned his gaze in anotherdirection, and Kali scooted backward, retracing their route to theridge.
A shadow stirred on the periphery of Kali’svision. She jerked the rifle in that direction, her finger ready onthe trigger.
Nobody was there.
A strip of moss dangling from a branchstirred slightly. Her eyes narrowed. She licked her finger andstuck it in the air. If there was a breeze, it was too faint to domuch. Maybe someone had bumped that moss. Cedar? No, he would havehad to cross through her field of vision to get to that side ofher.
Kali continued to back down the trail. Shewatched that piece of the woods for several slow steps, but nothingelse moved. In a nearby tree, a pair of squirrels chattered as theychased each other about. If there had been something dangerous,they would have been hiding.
When Kali reached the ridge, the sound ofvoices drifted to her ear. She picked her way through foliage andaround stumps to find Cedar standing over his captured pirate, thepistol pointed at the man’s head. Cedar looked at her when sheapproached, but his face was hard to read. Kali assumed a peevedexpression to let him know she expected to be involved withimportant things. He gave her a quick nod, but quickly focusedagain on his prisoner.
“Why’d you have this inyour loot room?” Cedar asked, displaying one of the bead-and-hidepatches.
“Never seen it before.”The pirate spat on the ground. “Told you I don’t knownothing.”
Cedar grabbed him by the front of the shirtand jammed the pistol against the man’s throat. “If you don’t knownothing, then there’s no point in me keeping you alive,” hegrowled, voice savage, eyes like ice from the bluest depths of aglacier. The prisoner’s surly demeanor vanished.