The Streel Read online

  After my tears had been spent, I wiped my face and looked again at the

  sorry woman in front of me.

  Her coat was open and she had been stabbed right above the rise of her

  breasts; her low- cut dress had left the spot bare. One of her hands reached toward the knife, as if to pull it out. In the other hand was her beaded purse, looking undisturbed.

  I huddled in the snow and prayed to the Virgin Mary to take Lily’s

  soul. This had indeed been a blighted Christmas season. I had been driven from my job, come to find my brother to tell him of our mother’s death,

  and now I would be the bearer of yet more bad tidings.

  I prayed the way my father had taught me. He would have said, “Trust

  in the One who sees over us, who is bigger than us, then put yourself in His hands. You cannot know what should happen. You can never know.”

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  After that moment of silence, I lifted myself from the snow, shook out

  my skirts, and turned to find Padraic coming up behind me, perhaps to

  help me with the wood. I must have woken him when I left the house. He

  was standing with his boots untied and a blanket around his shoulders.

  His hair stuck up in back. He was smiling to see me and looked like he was happy, much happier than he had looked in his sleep. He walked toward

  me, flapping his blanket like a bird about to take flight.

  “What have you found, Brigid?” he asked.

  I thought to shield him from the sight, to keep him happy for a mo-

  ment longer, then stepped aside.

  “Oh, Padraic,” I said. “Look there.” I pointed down.

  A look of pain and sorrow shot across Padraic’s face. “Lord above,

  she’s finally come to this,” Padraic said and crossed himself.

  “Who could have done this?” I asked.

  Another emotion crossed Padraic’s face, but this time I read fear. “I

  hate to think,” he said. “We might all be blamed.”

  He walked up next to me and wrapped his blanket around the two of

  us. “This is bad, Brigid. Very bad.”

  Then he nudged her arm with his foot. “Lily of the Valley. Her real

  name was Faith, obviously not a name that worked in her profession. She

  was too beautiful to be anything but trouble, and trouble she’s been since the day she arrived in this town.”

  “I guess you didn’t care for her.”

  Looking down, he shook his head. “I really had no feelings about her. I

  barely spoke three sentences to her. She was so busy with all the moneyed men.”

  “But surely you have as much money as Seamus does.”

  “I have that, but not the looks. She fell over head and ears in love with your brother. Lately, he had even been talking of marrying her. She cast a spell on him, sure as the little people. Not that it stopped her from doing her job. Seamus was like to go crazy sometimes, wondering who she was

  with, what man was having his way with her.”

  “What are you talking about? What other men? How could she if she

  loved Seamus?”

  Padraic looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Then he said, “You don’t

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  know, do you? I wondered at you talking so friendly to her last night. What did she tell you she did?”

  “Wel , she told me she’s an entertainer.” By Padraic’s face I knew I had missed something.

  “Don’t you know what that means out here, Brigid? The men only

  need one form of entertainment, and they’ll pay top dol ar for it.”

  I started to comprehend what he was trying to tell me. I had heard of

  such women but had never seen, much less spoken to one. How silly I was

  last night, too exhausted to understand what she had been tel ing me. I

  shook my head, still hoping it was not true.

  In anger, Padraic spit out, “She was a streel. Nothing but a streel, but she had them all in the palm of her hand, all the men.” Padraic shook his head. “Even that fine gentleman, Charlie Hunt.”

  Hearing Charlie’s name tied to Lily’s confirmed my worst feelings

  about him. He had only wanted one thing from me, that which he had

  gotten from this lovely woman. I promised myself I would think of him no more— I would put his fine stature and the warmth that I had seen in his eyes out of my mind.

  Something white and solid hit Padraic in the side of the head. When

  we both turned, I too was hit with a snowball. Billy was standing in the snow in his long johns and boots with a fur cap on his head. He bent and scooped up another handful of snow. Before he had a chance to throw it,

  Padraic stopped him by holding up a hand.

  “Merciful Jaysus, Billy. Can’t you see we have a problem on our hands

  here? Stop your fooling around and tell us what you know.”

  Billy walked up and his face fell as he saw Lily lying in the snow. He

  shivered as he stood staring down at her. “Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph. What has been done?”

  He fell on his knees in front of Lily and touched her as if she might

  move if only shaken slightly. “Oh, my God, Lily, who has done this to you?”

  “Stop your blathering, Billy. I think you see it clear enough. She won’t get up for no amount of wailing from you. What happened after I fell

  asleep last night, Billy? We might be in real trouble here.”

  Billy rubbed his face in his hands and stood again. “Not much. Sea-

  mus was half- seas over with the drink and insisted on walking Lily home.

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  He went out the door but wasn’t gone long. He went upstairs and crawled

  into bed. I heard him although I was nearly asleep. That’s all I know.”

  “Who was still at the party?”

  “Not a soul. They had all gone.”

  “Why did Lily go home?”

  “She said he was too drunk. And she was right. He’s still snoring away.

  He can’t have done this. I tell you he was too drunk to even hold a knife in his hands.”

  “I believe what you’re tel ing me and I believe that Seamus is no killer no matter how much or how little drink he’s had in him,” said Padraic, “but I’m afraid, since he was the last person to be seen with her, it’s going to look like he killed Lily.”

  We all three stared down at the red flower darkening in the snow.

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  W e decided not to move her. I didn’t like the idea of leaving her

  lying in the snow. But in fact and all, it was probably the best

  thing to do for her. In the snow and cold, she would keep.

  Billy was for covering her up and leaving her until the spring thaw.

  Paddy seemed to consider it as a possibility. I was appalled. “Have you no sense of decency?”

  Paddy turned dark and said, “You don’t know this place yet, Brigid.

  There is not much decency to be found.”

  Before I could argue further, the choice was taken out of our hands. A

  tall, thin man passing by on the street looked over and saw what was spread out at our feet. His hand flew to his mouth and his feet carried him away.

  “That stupid idiot. Calls himself the Professor. He has no more school-

  ing under his belt than I,” Paddy said disparagingly. “He’s run off to tell the whole town. All we can do is prepare for it.”

  “Shouldn’t we go and fetch the sheriff?” I asked.

  “The sheriff is worse than the idiot. He’s got a mean streak in him a

  mile wide and he hates your brother with a passion. He’s lost his britches to him more than once at faro. Last time he swore he’d run Seamus out

  of town.”

  �
�Speaking of which, we have to wake Seamus,” I said as we walked in

  the door.

  We all trod silently up the stairs. I didn’t know what the two other

  men were thinking, but for myself I felt sorely shaken, having just seen someone I knew who had died by the hands of another. The world seemed

  more dangerous, more impermanent. As it had that day on the ship.

  However, what had happened on the ship was in the nature of an ac-

  cident, certainly self- defense. Many were the nights I had lain in bed and 55

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  prayed for our souls. I told myself there had been no other choice— it was him against us— but in my heart I couldn’t help but wonder.

  Padraic pushed open the door of the back bedroom and we stared at

  my brother. Seamus looked as if he had tried to swim across the ocean in his bed. His pillow was on the floor, his blankets were twisted willy- nilly around him, and his arms were flung over his head. From his open mouth

  came snorts and snuffles. But for all that, he looked like an innocent, free of any wrongdoing. I knew Seamus would not wake easily.

  Padraic was his match, though. He stepped forward and lifted the

  edge of the mattress up high and dumped Seamus on the floor.

  Seamus’s eyes flew open and he looked as startled as a fish thrown out

  of water. “What do you want with me?”

  Padraic stood over him. “I want you to wake up and talk. I want you to

  tell us what the hell happened with Lily last night?”

  Seamus rubbed his eyes and held his head. Then he sat up and laughed.

  “I can’t quite remember everything, but I can tell you this. She said yes!”

  “Praise be to God, what did she say yes about, I’m afraid to ask?”

  Seamus grabbed the side of the bed and pulled himself up. Even

  though he was pale, he was smiling. “I asked her to marry me and she said she would. She promised she would. She took the ring I had made for her.

  Remember that large nugget I found two weeks ago? The jeweler made it

  into a gold band for me. She slipped it on her finger and said yes she would be my wife.”

  Then Padraic col apsed down on the bed next to Seamus and held him

  around the shoulders. “I have bad news. About Lily.”

  Seamus’s face got hard. “Lily, my own?”

  Padraic continued, “I’m sorry to be tel ing you this, but she’s dead.

  Someone has stabbed your fiancée and left her for dead in our yard.”

  “No.” The word came out of him like a snake out of a deep, dark hole.

  “Not my Lily.”

  “You need to think who could have done this, my good lad, because

  the sheriff will be wanting to pin the deed on you. You and he have never seen eye to eye. I’m afraid for you.”

  Seamus stood up and pulled his pants up as he did. “I’ll kill whoever

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  did this. Lily was my own. My love.” He moved toward the door, but Paddy stood in his way.

  “Hold yourself, Seamus. There’s no good rushing to see her. First

  we must talk. The sheriff will be here soon enough. What happened last

  night? Tell us now.”

  At Paddy’s words, Seamus sank to the floor, the air let out of him. He

  crumpled into himself and rubbed his face with his hands.

  “Come on now, Seamus. You need to tell us.”

  Seamus turned his face up and it was wet. “And surely it is my fault.

  Why didn’t I see her safely home? All I remember is slipping the ring on her finger. I walked her home. I think I did. Billy, what did I do?”

  “You left with her, but you weren’t gone long. I would say you were

  back within five minutes. Not nearly long enough to have walked her all

  the way back to the Gem. Surely she wasn’t working last night at all, was she?”

  “No, and if I had my way she’d never work again.” Seamus’s shoulders

  shook again. “But then what does it matter. She’ll never do anything again.

  My poor, dear Lily.”

  “You weren’t mad at her, were you, Seamus?” I asked.

  “Never at all. She had just said she would be my wife. Why would I be

  mad at her?” He looked me straight in the eyes. “Why would I want to kill her? I loved her and that’s all I know.”

  I didn’t remember seeing a ring when I had looked at Lily’s hands. “I

  saw no ring.”

  Padraic stepped in. “Forget about the ring.” He turned to Seamus.

  “First and foremost, you need to clear out of here for a while. I do not trust the sheriff to see that justice is done. Let’s not give him a chance. I want you to pack up and ride out of here. Get dressed. Billy, run and get him a horse.”

  I packed up some food for Seamus: cold venison, part of a loaf of bread.

  My hands shook as I worked. My brother running off to avoid being charged with murder.

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  I heard Seamus clomp down the stairs and then out the front door.

  From the side window where I was working, I could see him in the snow.

  He stood tall and looked down at Lily and then fell to his knees and took her in his arms. His head bent into her neck as if he could hide there. After a few moments, he stood and came back into the house.

  I touched his face and made him look at me. “Seamus, I’m forever

  sorry for you.”

  His face broke and tears swam in his eyes. “Nothing works out, Brigid,

  no matter how hard we try. Leaving our family, coming here. In the end,

  what we love is taken from us.”

  I did not try to tell him differently. I was all too aware that I was losing my own brother again, after only a few hours together.

  Instead I looked him over to be sure he was ready for his trip. He was

  dressed for the trail: high leather boots with his wool pants tucked into them, a layering of shirts, a vest, a buckskin jacket, and a scarf at his throat. A felt hat was pulled down to his ears and he carried leather mittens in his hands.

  Right before he left he told me, “You’ll be fine, Brigid. These two will look after you. I’d trust them with my life.”

  “Yes. You won’t be gone long?” I was shamed to hear my voice break.

  Tears pushed behind my eyes but I blinked them back.

  “When this matter is settled, I’ll be back. Padraic knows how to send

  word.”

  “Wel , that’s fine then.”

  He took a bag from his pocket and handed it to me. “Some gold for

  your needs. Buy yourself some things with it. We will be getting much

  more when we settle the claim with the Hunts.”

  “When will that be?” I asked.

  “Charlie was supposed to be back any day.” Then he reached into his

  jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. “And I am giving you my share of the claim. I think it can be worked a while longer yet to good avail. Billy’s against, but I’d argue that there’s gold to be had yet. I trust you to guard my interest.”

  I looked down at the table.

  “You help Padraic. You’ve got a good head, Brigid.” Seamus rubbed

  the back of my neck.

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  Banging sounded at the front door. Billy ran in from the back and Padraic told Seamus and Billy to leave. He spit out, “The sheriff’s here with Professor Pete and Al Swearingen, the owner of the theater where Lily worked.

  They’ve got guns.”

  Padraic turned to me. “Brigid, you need to go and stall them. Tell them

  Seamus has gone off to the claim. That will keep them busy for a while.”

  As I heard Seamus go out the back, I walked slo
wly, taking my time.

  I knew they could see me through the window in the door so they would

  stay put. I looked in the mirror by the door and tidied my hair. Then I

  pulled open the door and stepped out on the front steps.

  “Oh, Sheriff,” I said, grabbing his arm with the rifle in it. “I’m so thankful you’re here. Look what I’ve just found.” I pointed off to the side yard. I could see more footprints in the snow. They had already walked out that

  way. I wasn’t tel ing them anything they didn’t know. “Lily, and she’s been murdered.”

  The three men grunted and tried to push past me, but I held my place.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Brigid Reardon. I just arrived in town last night. I’m Seamus Reardon’s sister.”

  The tall man with a badge swept off his hat and said, “Howdy, ma’am.

  I’m Sheriff John Manning.” I looked him up and down. He stood tall in his boots, a thick dark beard covered much of his face, and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Not an ugly man, but very coarse. He looked like he had earned the right to be sheriff the hard way, by fighting for it.

  Al Swearingen said, “We have it on good authority that Seamus was

  the last person seen with her. Nel ie said she left Lily at the house, and Seamus said he’d bring her back to the theater. And now he’s gone and

  murdered her in cold blood.”

  “Who saw her with Seamus?”

  “A man that works for Charlie Hunt. He was on his way home when

  he saw the two of them. He said they were wrestling, but he thought it was all in fun until he heard about the kil ing.”

  “Where’s Seamus?” the sheriff asked and looked past me into the house.

  I had to do something to give Seamus more time to get away. Putting

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  a hand to my forehead, I swooned. Sheriff Manning wrapped a tight arm

  around my waist.

  Professor Pete looked like he wanted to shake me. He bent close to me

  and shouted, “Miss Reardon, this is serious business. You need to tell us where your brother is.”

  “Seamus has been gone since early morning. He went off to check the

  claim. He doesn’t even know about Lily. I found her body after he left,

  when I went out to get wood for the fire.”

  As they turned to go, I stalled them a little longer. I grabbed the sheriff’s arm and pleaded, “Let me go with you and tell him. Lily’s death will break his heart. They were to be married.”