Wilder Than the Rest: MacLarens of Fire Mountain (18 page)

“Eva, it would be best for you to approach the mayor. You’ve known him and his wife a while. Mention your observations about Traxton and Georgiana and see if he takes the bait.”

Lee had taken off his jacket and rested against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed over his solid chest. Eva remembered when she used to hand him a drink when he got home at night. He’d take a sip then set his drink down and rest his hands on the edge of the desk. She’d unbutton his shirt and feel the heat of him while he relaxed. Even now, she could feel her face flush at the thought.

“Eva, did you hear me?” Lee asked, a slight smile curving his lips as if he knew what she was thinking. And he probably did.

“I, uh, yes, certainly. I’d be happy to meet with the Pounds.” She’d have to confirm what it was she was supposed to meet with them about at a later time.

“All right. The plan was to have Pierce check the mayor’s office downtown. With what he found in the desk, I believe it would be best to have him check out the offices of Grayson & Flannigan instead.”

“I’m going this time, Lee. I won’t be left out again.” Mollie’s voice was steel-edged, her face set.

Lee’s eyes locked with hers. “You weren’t needed tonight, Mollie. I’m sorry if this offended you, but that’s the decision I made. Over time, there will be decisions that you may not agree with and will frustrate you. That’s part of this type of work and you’ll need to learn to handle it.” His voice was equally hard. “Do I make myself clear?”

Pierce looked toward Mollie, his face impassive.

 “Completely.” Mollie hated being called to task in front of others, even though she realized it was her own fault for bringing it up now, with everyone present.

“Good. The search at Grayson & Flannigan is a two-person job. Pierce, you’ll take Mollie. We need a layout and the number of men Jock leaves on guard at night. Chaz, you will handle that in the next two days. Pierce will call the shots once you are on the property, no matter who accompanies him. Understood?”

Everyone nodded.

 “We’ll need at least three days to put everything in place. Plan it for four nights out. Eva and I will do whatever is needed to make sure Jock Flannigan and Georgiana Grayson are out of the office. Any questions?”

When no one responded, Lee continued. “There is something else. President Cleveland is riding the train around the country, building support for his initiatives and meeting with city leaders. San Francisco will be one of his stops. I’d like to have this case closed and all of us out of California by the time he arrives.”

Chapter Sixteen

Fire Mountain

“What’s the message say, Drew?” Tess stood alongside her husband who’d just picked up a note from his boss, Louis Dunnigan. They’d been in town running errands and were just about to head back to the ranch when he remembered the mail.

Drew pursed his lips as he silently read then looked at his pregnant wife. “He wants me to meet him in San Francisco to review some new business transactions he’s considering. Henry Thompson is still back east working on other legal matters and can’t get west for several weeks. Dunnigan has already arranged my travel and hotel. I’ll need to leave tomorrow.”

“Did he say how long you’d be needed?”

“No, but I’d guess a couple of weeks at most. At least it will give me a chance to see Pierce and find out how it’s going.” He folded the paper before sliding it into his shirt pocket.

Drew hated leaving Tess at this point. She was almost six months along, three months from when the newest MacLaren was expected. At least she would have help from the other women if anything happened while he was gone. Drew had been anticipating a request like this from Louis, knowing how many business deals the man liked to have going at one time. He’d hoped it would wait until after the birth, but that wasn’t going to happen.

“Best get back and let everyone know.” Drew slipped Tess’s arm through his, feeling fortunate in so many ways. The ranch was doing well, their first child was on the way, and, along with the horse breeding operations, his legal work for Dunnigan was lucrative and kept him busy. As Aunt Alicia had commented to everyone the other night, the only thing missing was having the last of the MacLarens back home where he belonged, referring to Pierce.

Drew smiled to himself. This would be a good opportunity to make sure his cousin hadn’t gotten himself into too much trouble, and remind him that his family was in Fire Mountain, waiting for his return.

******

San Francisco

Pierce had been restless since the night he’d searched the mayor’s study. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the excitement of his past life—using his skills to do investigative work that often included backstairs access to people’s homes and offices. Sneaking into the mayor’s home, going through the library and study, had provided the thrill he’d been missing the last few months. He’d signed on with Noah because his boss had implied the agency needed the types of skills Pierce possessed. Until now, most of the work had been centered on meeting people, attending social events, poring over bits of government-secured information, and trying to make sense of it all. He was looking forward to checking the offices of Grayson & Flannigan—it may prove to be the last adventure he have for a while.

Mollie had made a second appointment to meet with Jock Flannigan that afternoon regarding a contract to bring items to San Francisco from the East Coast. At Lee’s request, she’d already met with Jock once—a preliminary meeting to see if his company handled the type of shipping she needed. Flannigan had assured Mollie that her request was quite common and scheduled a second meeting.

This time, Pierce would accompany her. He would get a direct look at the waterfront parcel where Grayson & Flannigan had built their office and warehouses, request a tour, ask seemingly harmless questions, and leave with most of the information needed to access the property a couple nights later. Chaz had already done his part, confirming that Flannigan kept two men on watch each night. They’d have to decide how to distract them while Pierce completed his search.

“Are you ready?” Mollie asked as she walked into the library.

Pierce had been moments away from going to find her. She hadn’t invited him to her second meeting with Lloyd Johnson that morning, believing she could get more information out of the man without someone else present.

She’d had her first meeting with the attorney a few days after the Mayor’s Ball. As he’d promised, Lloyd had sent her a lunch invitation. That’s when she’d asked for the introduction to Flannigan.

Mollie and Johnson had agreed on a second meeting that day. For her, the purpose was to attempt to learn more about Jock before she and Pierce met with the man. Mollie knew Lloyd was attracted to her, yet he’d kept the conversation focused on the potential of securing the MacLaren legal business and providing her with insights on San Francisco society. The information she’d gotten from the attorney had been valuable, indicating that Flannigan was considered to be honorable and an astute businessman. She had left their meeting feeling as if pursuing more information on Jock was a waste of everyone’s time.

Pierce pulled out his pocket watch. Somehow, he’d lost an hour in his mental ramblings before Mollie had arrived. “Ready.”

Their driver took them down the steep hill to the sprawling dock area on the bay. The Grayson & Flannigan offices were located at the shipping docks of Buena Vista Cove, a rough area that abutted a seedy neighborhood locals referred to as the Barbary Coast. Within its boundaries were concert saloons, dance halls, variety shows, and brothels. Jock had insisted on providing a carriage to and from his office the last time Mollie had met with him, as the area wasn’t safe for women traveling alone.

“Mr. and Mrs. MacLaren, it’s a pleasure to see you both again.” Jock opened the door that lead through a rustic but clean front office large enough for two desks, then through another door to his office which looked out onto the water. It was not built to take advantage of the majestic bay, but to keep watch on the workers as they loaded and unloaded cargo.

“Can I get you anything? Coffee?” He looked at Pierce. “Or perhaps whiskey?”

“Nothing for me, Mr. Flannigan,” Mollie replied and set her reticule on her lap.

“Please, call me Jock.” He sat behind his desk in an old but sturdy wooden chair and leaned forward, his brawny forearms folded on the desk. “Have you prepared the list of items you need shipped out?”

Jock was a tall man, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. He wore his shirtsleeves rolled up, exposing thick arms dusted with burnished red hair. He wore his hair pulled back in a queue that fell several inches down his back and was the same color as the hair on his arms. Mollie felt now, as she had each time she’d meet him, that his almost translucent amber eyes bore into her, as if attempting to discover long buried secrets. It wasn’t a comfortable sensation.

Mollie opened her small purse and handed him the listing of items. “It is several rooms of furniture. I realize this is not your normal load, so there is no hurry for it to arrive in San Francisco.”

Pierce listened to the conversation between Mollie and Jock while noting the size of the room, windows, exits, furniture, and where documents such as they sought might be hidden. There were a couple of file cabinets, a wooden cabinet, plus two wooden chests along one wall. The back wall included three windows overlooking the docks and one exit door. The only other door led into the front office. A large bookcase holding various knickknacks, souvenirs, and a variety of books filled the shelves. Pierce guessed they were from the various travels of the two sea captains. He stood and walked over to one group of brass lanterns, compasses, and other small items typically found aboard ships.

“Quite a collection, Jock,” he commented and picked up a particularly nice brass compass. “Looks as if you’ve been collecting for years.”

Flannigan watched Pierce scan the room and wondered at his interest in the insignificant items on the shelves. “Yes, Walter and I used to collect many items on our trips. I don’t keep much of it now.”

Jock picked up the listing Mollie had given him, looked it over, then set the paper down. “Seems very complete. It will need to be packed and at the docks once I have a timeline prepared.” He glanced at Pierce once more then his eyes shifted back to Mollie. “You’re right that it is not my normal cargo, but I do occasionally handle personal items for friends and business associates. Of course, your other option is to have everything shipped by train. It will most likely cost less and arrive sooner.”

“Yes, we’ve considered it, but I’m not as comfortable with that solution as having someone I’ve met personally handle my valuables. You understand, of course.”

“Certainly. As long as you don’t need the items within a couple of months, our services should suit you just fine.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a standard contract, handing it to Mollie. “Why don’t you and Mr. MacLaren read this over and let me know if you have questions. The items will be added to a separate document and attached once you’ve agreed to the terms and paid the deposit.”

“I’ll take care of this over the next few days.” Pierce took the document from Mollie, folded it, and placed it in the inside pocket of his vest. “I wonder if you might have time to give us a tour?”

“Be glad to. Just give me a few minutes.” Jock pushed from his chair and left the office. They could hear him calling someone’s name. A muffled conversation could be heard through the closed office door before he returned.

“If you’re ready?” He walked to the back door and motioned them through toward the yard beyond.

It was several acres, with three warehouses and two loading docks. Another building held several horses, tack, feed, and two carriages. They walked inside each of the three large storage buildings, Pierce missing nothing and noting that whatever items they sought would most likely be found in the private office. Jock circled them around until they wound up in the front of the main building.

“Quite an impressive operation. Have you had it a long time?” Pierce asked.

“The company has been in operation for many years, but under a different name. The original owners had government contracts for delivering mail by steamship into San Francisco. They expanded into trans-Pacific shipping between Hong Kong and here, carrying various items of trade. Afterward, they had lucrative contracts for bringing in railroad workers from Asia, mainly Chinese, but some Japanese also. Walter and I bought out the original owners a few years ago, continuing much of the same routes with the addition of more shipments between Canada and the United States.”

“Do you use the same ships as the previous owners?”

“Yes, and added others. We had quite an aggressive plan to expand, one that I’m still deciding how to pursue.” Jock looked back at the docks as if remembering something then shifted his attention back to Mollie and Pierce. “Let me know when you want to meet again.”

He watched as their carriage pulled away and wondered at their real purpose for securing his services. Perhaps he’d just grown suspicious of everyone, an outcome of working with Georgiana after Walter’s death. She was bright and greedy. Jock sensed she’d gotten involved in activities that could prove harmful to the business. Her vocal dislike of the president and his policies could do nothing except harm his reputation if taken to an extreme. Right now, he had his hands full running the shipping operation and keeping watch on her. Sorting through his questions about the MacLarens would have to wait.