Prime Catch (8 page)

Sarah inspected the drawers. “I hope these aren’t Ivan’s. He’s quite a bit bigger than I.”

Kata giggled. “No. I went on a special shopping trip for you.”

Sarah finished removing her clothing and slipped on the drawers. She pointed to her breasts. “What have you got for these?”

Kata handed her a heavy linen corset. “I’ve modified this to become a binder.” She put it over Sarah’s head and pulled it tight against her chest, then started tightening the laces in back.

The flattened linen material squeezed Sarah’s breasts against her chest. “Should it be that tight?”

“If you want to look like a fellow, it does.”

When Kata finished, Sarah had a flat chest with just enough of a roundness to suggest muscular pecs. Sarah pulled on work socks and a man’s undershirt. Kata brought in a wrapped parcel and a pair of worn boots.

As she unwrapped the package, Kata explained, “I got these from the church charity basement, because it won’t look like a new outfit. That would raise suspicion. You can probably stuff the boots with this tissue.”

Sarah nodded. “Good idea.” With the Levis, flannel shirt, and boots on, she turned to Kata. “Well―?”

“Something’s wrong. Too flat in the pants.”

“What?”

“Here. Roll a sock up and put it in the front of the drawers.”

Sarah’s cheeks burned as she did so.

Kata gave her the critical eye. “Looks right. Now, sit in the make-up chair.” As Sarah did so, Kata stretched a large sheet over her clothes. “I’ll fix your hair. Since you have a bob, it can grow out fast.”

Sarah stared in the mirror, while Kata brought out the comb and scissors. Kata parted Sarah’s hair on one side and proceeded to cut it very short. The vain woman in her gasped in horror, but this had to be done.

Kata cleaned off the cut hair when she was finished. “Luckily, our men aren’t very hairy like the Americans, but we have enough to give you some finishing touches. I’m going to use spirit gum to attach some of the hair to the back of your hands and wrists, and some on your face.”

Afterwards, Sarah stood and gazed with horror and fascination at the man in the full-length mirror. “Kata, this is unbelievable! Thank you!” Sarah pulled on a stocking cap.

Kata hurried her out to the stage door. “You’d better be going if you’re going to make Angoon by six-thirty.”

Sarah climbed into the truck and hit the ignition button. She’d learned to drive a truck before she went into law enforcement, because it might be needed. Now it was. She headed over the bridge that crossed the channel and caught the road to the west side of the island. She’d have enough gas to get to Angoon but would have to fill up when she arrived at the docks there.

Avoiding the deep ruts in the ancient road bed, Sarah saw the harbor village of Angoon in the distance. A quick check of her watch let her know she had an hour to spare. She turned in at the main fishing pier, where gas was sold to people with autos.
Well, time to tell if this masquerade is going to work.

Sarah swung into a masculine stride as she approached the man at the gas tanks. “Say, fella, what’s the going rate for gas here?” she said in a raspy voice.

He spit into the dirt. “Fifteen cents a gallon.”

“Fill it up.”

He hauled the tank to the truck and proceeded to pump gas into the vehicle. “Haven’t seen you around here before.”

“Visiting a friend.”

The man shut off the tank and turned to Sarah. “Dollar thirty.” And he spit in the dirt again.

Sarah dug into her jeans pocket and counted out the change. “Thanks, fella. Keep the change.”

He grunted as she climbed into the driver’s seat.
It seems like I passed that test.
Soon, the neat little clapboard house of Will and Mary appeared around the bend in the road. She pulled into the front yard and hopped out. For the neighbors’ sake, she took the long strides again.

Mary came onto the porch and stared, wide-eyed. “I don’t believe it.”

Sarah took the steps two at a time. “Surprised to see your cousin Seth? I thought you’d be happy.”

Sarah hugged Mary and swung her around before letting her say, “It’s done so well. You really do look like a man. Kata did a wonderful job!”

Will came out with the twins and stared at her, slack-jawed. “I never would have known. I think this will work. Did I hear your name is Seth?”

“Yes.” Sarah made a move to hug the twins, but they clung shyly to their father. “Looks like they don’t remember their cousin.”

Mary laughed. “Come in for something to eat before you go.”

Sarah checked in the mirror before she left with Will. “You can tell your friends that I’m an acquaintance of yours from Juneau.”

He nodded as he slid into the driver’s seat of his truck. “I meant what I said. I’m letting you go around on your own.”

Sarah patted the pocket that held the notice. “I won’t get you in trouble.” She pushed down the trembling that threatened her as they arrived at the Angoon Camp. She drew a deep breath. “Wish me luck, Will.”

He hesitated a moment after he turned off the engine. “You know I’m not agreeable with this, but I do care about you. Be careful.”

She strode to the door with him, and he signed her in. “Thanks.”

“Was nothing.” Then he went over to a group of his friends.

Sarah saw an open seat at a plank table, where men were engaging in arguments over coffee. “Hey, fellas.”

“Hey, yourself. Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

“Came in from Juneau with a friend.” She turned to the dark-eyed, middle-aged man who had spoken. “I’m Seth Jones. I own a fishing boat in Juneau.”

He squinted at her. “I’m Paul Thomas. You look too young to own a boat.”

“I got it from my father when he was washed overboard last year.”

“Ah. Good legacy when you go looking for a wife.”

“As long as there’s any salmon left. The cannery has one of those damn traps.” Sarah reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out the notice. “Do you know anything about this?”

He hesitated as he read it. “Why didn’t you ask about this at the Juneau camp?”

“I was given this a couple of days ago. This is the first meeting I’ve gone to since then.”

Some of the other men chimed in with, “He could be a spy for the canneries,” and, “We shouldn’t trust a stranger.”

Sarah’s fist came down on the table. “I don’t care where I join. These bastards are starving us out. Especially the villages upstream, who rely on the spawning season to feed their families.”

Paul Thomas studied Sarah carefully. “I could give you the name of our contact in Juneau. But you better be who you say you are. Revenge can come swiftly to those who choose to betray us.”

“I accept that. I will not betray you.”

Paul gave a short nod and took out a pencil and paper. He wrote something and thrust it into her hand. “This is our Juneau contact. See him.”

Sarah tried not to gasp when she read the name.
Bobby Cusnoo. Of course, he works in the factory.
She did feel guilty for lying to Mr. Thomas, but this group seemed to be in support of the killings. She tucked the paper in her pocket along with the notice.

A while later, the men assembled in the hall for the meeting. She sat in back and observed the conversations around her. She caught Will eying her several times. Nothing else of any importance came out in the meeting or asides, as far as she could tell.

The meeting adjourned, and she made her way out to Will’s truck. The sea fog was heavy and gray in the twilight. She couldn’t make out if Will was back at the truck yet. Then instinct told her there was someone behind her. She felt a large hand clamp on her shoulder.

A voice rasped in her ear, “We don’t like troublemakers coming here from other camps.”

Sarah whirled around. Two other forms in coats stood behind the one who had grabbed her. “Hey, I don’t want no trouble. I’m leaving.” A fist shot out and connected with her jaw. Pain skimmed across her skull and down her neck. As she hit the ground, she noticed two other forms running toward her, and they flattened two of the men. The third had turned at the sound and was pulled into the fray. Sarah’s foot shot out and tripped up one of the men who had risen to rejoin the fight. She jumped up and put a well-placed boot toe in his gut.

The two who had given her a hand finished dispatching the other combatants, and the three troublemakers disappeared into the fog. She recognized Will as he took her arm to guide her to the truck. “Thank you for giving me a hand with those three, but who was that with you?” She turned at the footsteps behind her. Will didn’t need to answer. “Amos? What are you doing here?” She was angry he hadn’t let her do this on her own, but she was glad to see him, just the same.

Amos helped her into the truck, then said in a lowered voice, “You may learn to walk and talk like a man, but you don’t understand male society. They challenge any outsider.”

Will nodded as he swung into the driver’s seat. “Your sheriff is right. It was a good thing he decided to come down here to keep an eye on you.”

Sarah had an urge to hug Amos, but in her present disguise, that would be awkward. “How did you know which one of the men was me?”

Amos hesitated a beat longer than he should have. “A woman’s hips move differently than a man’s when you’re walking.”

Sarah felt her cheeks heat. “Oh.”

Amos straightened up. “I’ll see you back at the office tomorrow?”

“I’m spending the night at Will and Mary’s house. I’ll be in around noon to give you my report.”

He put both hands on her shoulders and gripped her for a moment. “Take care coming back.” He released her and disappeared into the fog as Will started the engine.

“Your sheriff seems to care a lot about you.”

Sarah’s face warmed again. “We’re partners working on crime. We work together well.”

Will was silent for a few minutes. “I was wrong about Sheriff Darcy. He’s a good man, for an American.”

Sarah studied Will’s profile as he drove. “Thank you for saying so. I trust him with my life.”

Sarah leaned back in the seat and dealt with the intense tingling that she always experienced when she thought about Amos.
I don’t know how long I can keep these feelings down.
Something inside was bothered a little bit about Amos coming down here to keep an eye on her. Would he do that with any of the other deputies?

Chapter 10

Amos glanced up from his desk as Sarah strode into the office. “Hell of a bruise. Well, sit and give me your report.”

Sarah rubbed her jaw. “I’ll live.” She told Amos what she’d learned at the meeting.

Amos nodded. “Bobby Cusnoo, huh? That confirms some of my suspicions. We’d better look into him and his friends.”

Sarah rose to pour herself a cup of coffee. She sat across the desk from Amos. “May I ask you why you traveled to Angoon?”

Amos tugged on his mustache. “I told you why.”

“You wouldn’t have done that for any of the other deputies.”

Amos shifted uncomfortably. “I was worried you might get in over your head, and I was right.” He knew that wasn’t the whole truth and wondered if she could read that, too. “We should go to the cannery to see if Cusnoo was at work the day of the murder. Personnel should have a record of that.”

Sarah rose. “I’m ready.”

As Amos was driving to the cannery, he glanced at Sarah. “Your hair is very short.”

She put her hand up and touched it. “Kata fixed it so I could comb it over into more of a bob, but it has to grow out a little.”

“Good. I don’t like it that short.”

Sarah smirked. “You’re giving fashion advice now?”

“No.” He let it go there. So much for thinking out loud.

Amos sat at the desk in the Personnel Department with Sarah peering over his shoulder. He thumbed through the pages of the ledger the timekeeper had given them until he found the date of the murder, and then he ran his finger down the column of names. “I don’t find an entry for Cusnoo. He doesn’t seem to have been here that day. Hmm, that could be significant.”

Sarah patted his shoulder. “You mean he could have been free to commit the murder. Should we get a search warrant to look in his home?”

Amos nodded. “I think now would be a good time. Let’s see if we can find anything that would link him to the crime. Got your notes, Lakat?”

She pulled them out of her pocket and showed him. “Let’s go.”

They made a stop at the courthouse to pick up the warrant before they arrived at the Cusnoo home. Bobby was coming off the porch in his work clothes. He saw Amos and scowled.

“What do you want, Sheriff?” he spat out.

“Cusnoo, I have a search warrant here for your house.”

“What’s this all about?”

Amos stepped in front of him. “This is about the murder of Mr. Thornton at the cannery.”

“Since when am I under suspicion? I wasn’t even working that day.”

“I know, but you are also the liaison for the Revenge Ravens at the Juneau camp.”

“Who told you―?” He noticed Sarah. “Ah, our little turncoat.”

Amos gripped his shoulder. “Never mind that. We’re going in.” Bobby continued to glare at Sarah as they went into the house. Amos pointed to Bobby’s room as he said to Sarah, “I’ll see if any of the clothes match the descriptions. Why don’t you check if you can find anything on that desk.”

Amos yanked open the wardrobe and went through the clothes without finding a long coat or mukluks. Nothing looked blood-stained, but there had been time to clean up.

Sarah rapped on the door frame. “I found something on this calendar.” She handed him a desk organizer and pointed to the day before the murder.

Amos read it. “Meet R. R. at Millie’s for lunch?” He took the calendar outside and showed it to Bobby. “Who is R. R.?”

Bobby frowned. “A friend of mine, why?”

“Are you sure it doesn’t stand for Revenge Ravens?”

“Ray Robertson. You didn’t find anything, did you, Sheriff?” A shade of triumph colored his face.

“No. But I’d advise you to stay in Juneau.” Amos knew he was guilty of something, but Bobby seemed to have covered his tracks well. “One other thing. Have you been out of town for any reason in the past month?”