She laughed. "But it's not fair. I have nothing on."

He kissed her hand. "I agree it's not fair, and believe me I'm fully aware you have nothing on." He ran his hand along the curves of her side stopping to grip one hip.

Fisting his other hand into the curls of her hair, he pulled her head back. "You have no idea how perfect you are." He kissed his way down to her breasts. "I'll never again look at you clothed without seeing you like this."

Rainey hardly noticed the room slip into darkness as she drifted on wave after wave of pleasure. She knew there was more to lovemaking, much more, but she felt she might go mad if he went further. She'd simply float off the edge of passion and shatter into a million tiny drops of paradise.

They lay together for a long while. His hands slowly circled over her body, exploring, getting to know every curve, learning how she liked to be touched. She wanted to tell him that he could have her if he wanted. Hadn't she already made it plain that she wanted him? But she didn't talk, for she knew if they did, they'd only argue. For now maybe it was enough for both of them to hold each other. She'd start believing in marriage when he started believing in love.

The opening of a door sounded from floors below.

Travis brushed his fingers across her mouth and pointed at her clothes. She stood, fumbling in the shadows, and dressed. He shifted and lit a candle without making a sound. She could still see passion in his eyes, and when his gaze moved down her dress, she knew what he was thinking.

Silently she packed her few things and followed him down the stairs.

Mrs. Vivian sat on the last step of the stairs in the foyer when they reached the bottom. Rainey expected the woman to yell at her for having a man upstairs, but she stared at them with glazed eyes.

Travis touched her shoulder. "Are you all right, ma'am?"

She looked up. "I'm finished. I'm bankrupt. No one will ever rent from me again."

"Folks have short memories," Travis said. "They'll forget in time."

Rainey wasn't so sure. They were still talking about the French girl from years ago. "The women will come back." She tried to sound hopeful. "You can cover the outlaw's bloodstain with a rug and his death will become part of the legend of this place."

Mrs. Vivian shook her heard. "I tried to keep it going. I tried everything. But now I'm finished. When my husband comes back, he'll blame me for not keeping the house."

Travis shrugged at Rainey, but tried again. "Rainey's right, a rug would cover it up."

Mrs. Vivian looked at them with vacant eyes. "And who will cover the woman's body on my back porch," she asked as if they had the answer. "Who will wash up her blood?"

CHAPTER 31

Travis helped Rainey get Mrs. Vivian into her room. The scarecrow of a woman seemed nervous that they were in her private quarters. Travis figured it was because she had enough furniture for five rooms crammed into the space. She'd even suspended drapes in places where there were no windows to give the look of tiny rooms within the area. He felt like if he breathed he'd knock something over. He stopped about three feet inside and watched the landlord crumble into a chair by the window.

"Lock the door when I leave," Travis whispered to Rainey. "Will you be all right in here?"

"I'll be fine." Rainey didn't look too sure.

He turned at the door and took one last glance at the woman he knew very well by touch. Rainey looked so beautiful when she was trying to be brave, he thought.

"I'll not open the door until I hear your voice on the other side," she whispered, and he fought the urge to return for just one last kiss before the world stepped between them.

Travis looked over at Mrs. Vivian and decided he had the easier job of going to look for a body. Rainey had to deal with her.

He stepped to the front porch and yelled at the first rider passing to go to the Ranger station and tell anyone there that McMurray needed assistance at Askew House. The young kid of about fifteen galloped away, excited to help.

Then, Travis walked through the kitchen to the back door forcing his mind to not allow his body to react to whatever he might find. Something had frightened Mrs. Vivian into hysteria and she didn't seem the type to rattle easily.

The kitchen was a mess with laundry and dishes piled around.

He stood in the shadows by the back door for a few minutes waiting to see if anyone or anything moved in the alley. But all was still. He lit one of the kitchen lamps and placed it in the window so that he could see the porch more clearly. Mrs. Vivian had been correct. Looking like a rag doll, the body of a woman sat in the corner of the porch, her eyes staring sightlessly at him. Her arms were at her sides, a knife in one. Deep cuts ran across her wrists. Blood pooled around her.

It took him only a moment to recognize the woman who'd ended her own life. Rainey had called her Whiny, the thin barmaid. The one the Rangers thought was sweet on Seth Norman.

"McMurray!" a man yelled from inside the house. "Travis, it's Dumont and Price. What's the problem?"

"Ask the boy who delivered the message to wait on the front porch!" Travis yelled back. "I have something important I need him to do." The last thing Travis wanted was for the young man to witness this suicide. It wasn't one that would wash out of anyone's mind easily.

Two Rangers had followed his voice and stood at the kitchen door.

"Oh, my God," Roy whispered as he lowered his gun. "What happened?"

"Looks like she killed herself," Travis answered. "Bring the other lantern and we'll have a closer look." Travis was glad Roy Dumont had answered the call.

As Roy lit the lantern, Travis heard him say to the other, younger, Ranger, "Stand guard at the front, Philip. We don't want anyone showing up just to sightsee."

The Ranger seemed happy to accept the new assignment. Travis had no doubt he could smell the blood from the kitchen and probably see the outline of the body through the kitchen window.

Reluctantly Roy joined him on the porch. He'd pulled a sheet from the laundry piled by the door and covered the dead woman almost tenderly. Blood soaked through immediately.

Roy squatted and took his time looking at details. The man was hard as they come at being a Ranger, but he had a soft spot for women.

"I was directly upstairs." Travis also began to study the area. "I didn't hear a sound. How could a woman slit her wrist without making a sound?"

Roy tugged at the rope holding one of the dead woman's hands. "She must have really wanted to die."

Travis nodded and lifted the sheet. "She's got bruises all over her. My guess is life finally got to be too much for her."

Roy moved the lantern. "She works at the saloon across the alley."

Travis took a closer look. "She looks younger here than she did the other night when I talked to her." He headed back inside ordering, "Stay with the body."

Roy nodded.

Travis stopped long enough to tell the kid at the door to find Judge Gates's home on Eight Street and tell a man named Dillon to come fast.

"There's been another murder?" the kid asked.

Travis shook his head. "Suicide." He offered the kid a coin.

The boy waved his hand. "I'm happy to help. One of these days I'm going to be a Ranger."

Travis watched the youth run for his horse. Then he crossed to Mrs. Vivian's room one door down from the drawing room. When he knocked, Rainey answered too fast to have been anywhere but beside the door waiting.

She moved out into the hallway and silently closed the door. She didn't say a word, just waited.

He wanted to touch her, to hold her, but now was not the time or place.

"It's bad." Travis didn't have time to break it easy. "The woman you called Whiny took her own life."

Rainey's eyes filled with tears, but she stood straight and still. "She kept saying she'd find a way out."

He caught her as she began to crumple and held her tight. She felt so good against him. He wished he could take the sadness away.

"I should have broken that a little easier, Rainey. I'm sorry." He kissed the top of her head.

"No, there was no easy way." She took a deep breath. "I'm fine. I just felt a little light-headed. Mrs. Vivian's been crying and mumbling about how this has all been her fault. Somehow she blames herself. She keeps saying that no one would have been killed if she'd been here when the kidnappers came."

Travis brushed her hair away from her face with his hand. "As soon as Dillon arrives, I'm getting you out of here."

His fairy looked up at him with her huge green eyes. "You still think I'm in danger?"

"I'm not taking any chances. If Eldon is out there, he'll want both of us dead. And if there was a forth man the day of the kidnapping, he might be helping Eldon find us."

Rainey shivered as if the hallway had suddenly grown cold. "You have to send someone to check on Snort."

Travis wanted to tell her he couldn't worry about every woman in the world. He had his hands full with her. "I'll tell Roy to check on her."

"What about Mrs. Vivian?"

Travis didn't want to talk about the details. He had a feeling Mrs. Vivian was up to her neck in trouble. The fact that she'd been gone when it happened had nagged at the back of his mind for days.

He held Rainey close and asked, "Where's Mamie? I saw laundry piled up in the kitchen and you told me she did it every night."

A single tear rolled slowly down her face. "Mrs. Vivian said she's disappeared. Oh, Travis, you don't think someone took her?"

He wished he could lie to her, but he only said, "I hope not." Mamie had seen the Norman brothers in the alley.