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DOYLE

“Are you sure about this?”he asked Sadie for the millionth time as they jostled lightly back and forth in the carriage behind McGovern.

She glared at him from beneath the adorable little top hat fit with flowers Lacey had given her to “finish off” the outfit. She wore culottes, which he now knew were the name of the split skirt she always wore, decorated with navy and white stripes that matched his pin stripe suit. She also wore a double-breasted jacket fitted at the waist with a square neckline that showed off her bosom, fitting snuggly without a corset beneath. The hat tilted over her gathered curls finished the look, along with rose red lips and matching flowers. She looked like she had walked out of a steampunk novel or one of his games. He fully expected her to have weapons hidden somewhere, though with the fit of the clothing, he had no clue where.

Sadie loved it and whooped when she saw herself in the mirror. She said it would give Harriet something to talk about for years to come and hugged Lacey with gratitude. When Wally introduced her as McGovern’s girlfriend, the two had taken an instant liking to each other. Sadie even remarked that talking to Lacey was far easier and more fun than having to speak to Harriet or any of the other women of her own time.

“Now you take good care of Teddy for me,” she’d instructed as they headed out.

“I’d be happy to! I used to babysit my nephews all the time.” Lacey hugged her back and shooed them on their way.

Sadie ignored Doyle’s question just like she had the last time he’d asked. Instead, she leaned forward and glanced out the window.

“We’re almost there. Amos will either have told her and, therefore, everyone about my crazy outburst, or he’ll keep it to himself, hoping it stays hush hush. I’m hoping the latter,” she said.

“Either way, we act like it never happened,” Doyle said to settle her nerves.

“If Harriet knows about a woman with purple hair, she’ll tell us within the first ten minutes, guaranteed,” Sadie said as the horses slowed.

Doyle’s wristband buzzed and Nicole’s voice followed.

“Jackson is escorting Teddy back to the ranch.”

Wally put a hand on Sadie’s wrist as her face paled.

“Lacey said she’d watch him,” Sadie hissed.

“The Watcher ran into them,” Nicole continued, “and we’ve been forced to brief them on everything. Needless to say, the Watcher isn’t happy. They ordered the boy off the TCR and our people to return immediately. Don’t worry, Doyle, I’m stalling to give you as long as possible.” Nicole’s voice cut out.

“Otto’s safely on the TCR and McGovern is here as backup. There’s nothing to worry about, Sadie,” Doyle assured her while stifling his own concerns. Teddy was safer on board as long as Caroline was unaccounted for.

Before she could respond, the door opened, and McGovern offered a hand and a wink to Sadie. They’d arrived at the home of the Andersons.

A solemn-looking man in tails opened the door when Doyle knocked. For a moment, Doyle questioned whether the sour-faced man might be Harriet’s butler. But Sadie introduced him as Harriet’s husband, the town coroner, and Doyle suppressed a shudder thinking he must’ve been the inspiration for more than one horror movie.

He nodded at Doyle and gestured for them to enter the nice Victorian style home, peppered with doilies and knicknacks. Harriet’s distinctive, high-pitched voice chattered from somewhere further into the house, and Doyle grinned with sympathy at the quiet man. He probably got used to not saying a word. The man hadn’t been able to get one in edgewise with his wife and didn’t need to bother where he worked.

“Well, if it isn’t Sadie Rogers and her charming beau in the flesh! I was beginning to think you just didn’t like me.” Harriet ran around the table to greet them when they entered the dining room. Another couple sat at the table. Doyle recognized the short man with jowls as Amos, the sheriff and mayor, and assumed the plump, pretty woman beside him was his wife, Eleanor. Tense beyond belief, Doyle forced what he hoped was a congenial smile. This could go very wrong if Amos decided to believe Sadie’s story about him being from the future.

“How do you do?” Doyle said, tipping his hat in greeting. “Thanks for inviting us, Harriet. It’s tough to find time what with the ranch and all the wedding arrangements.”

Harriet reddened and tittered excitedly as Doyle bowed and kissed her hand.

“Please have a seat right there, across from the mayor.” Harriet directed them to their chairs around the busy-looking China she had laid out that clashed with the floral pattern on the tablecloth.

“Who else are we expecting? Nelly?” Sadie asked, indicating two more empty chairs, one on each side of the table.

“Oh no, dear. She’s over at Clarabelle’s house. She wasn’t interested in us adults after finding out Teddy couldn’t come.”

“So who is coming?” Eleanor asked, redirecting Harriet with a hand on her arm.

“Well, Otto for one, if that man would stop grousing around and searching for his brother.” Harriet began spooning out ladlefuls of some sort of casserole for everyone as she chattered.

Doyle exchanged a look with Sadie.

“Even if Eli were dead and gone, he’d have better luck finding a needle in a haystack than his bones picked clean by the birds and coyotes in the desert,” Harriet said.

Eleanor cleared her throat, and Harriet stopped mid-ladle, seeming to realize what she’d just said.