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"Are you gonna take me to hell?"
"No. No one's going to hell." Except possibly Mrs. Jar-vis if she ever showed her face in town again. Justin stood and glanced at Thomas. "From what the woman said, she took the girl to Colleen and was turned away."
Thomas looked surprised. "I haven't heard of a minister's wife ever doing that."
"You probably haven't had the pleasure of meeting Colleen Estes yet. You'll be less surprised by this when you do." Justin glanced out the window. It was already getting dark. "Bonnie needs a place to spend the night."
Thomas looked panicked and started backing up toward the door. "I'm staying at the boardinghouse, Sheriff. There's eighteen of us to a room. That isn't a place for a little girl."
"I know." Justin tried to think of someone in town who could help. Megan flashed through his mind, but he dismissed her. Someone that respectable wouldn't want to be tainted by the daughter of a dance-hall girl.
Beside him, Bonnie shivered. As soon as he'd let go of her chin, she'd gone back to staring at her shoes. He touched her shoulder, and was shocked to feel her bones. "Have you eaten today?" he asked.
She shook her head.
He bit back a curse. There was no one he trusted, no one he could turn to. Looks like the responsibility was his, at least for tonight. "Come on, Bonnie. I'll take you back to my hotel and get you something to eat." He started toward the door. "Thomas, you wait for Wyatt and find out what he learned. If it's important, come tell me at the hotel, otherwise it can wait until morning. While you're here, see if you can find any information on another murder. It hap-
pened about four years ago. Another saloon girl. The two cases may be related.' *
Thomas raised his eyebrows. "How?"
"I don't know," Justin admitted. "It's just a feeling." When he reached the door, he realized Bonnie hadn't moved. The little girl stood where he'd left her. She was still staring at her shoes. "Come on, honey. I'm going to take you home with me. You'll have something to eat, and maybe a hot bath."
Slowly, she raised her head toward him. Big blue eyes shone with terror. "It's going to be all right," he promised.
She didn't budge. He thought about picking her up, but that would probably scare her more. Besides, she was filthy. He settled for holding out his hand.
"Is there really food?" she asked.
He nodded.
She took several shuffling steps toward him, then shyly reached for his hand. Her fingers were chilled. He bent over and touched her coat. It was threadbare. How could Laurie have left her daughter with that woman? He cursed silently, figuring he would never get an answer now.
He led Bonnie out of the office and toward the hotel. The three-story building was the largest one in town. It had been built in the last year and contained every modern convenience. When he entered, tugging Bonnie along with him, the desk clerk looked up, then turned bright red, as if he were about to have apoplexy.
"Mr. Kincaid, that child! She's filthy."
"I know, Newt." Justin stopped at the front desk and reached into his vest pocket for several coins. "There's a room adjoining mine. Is it vacant?"
Newt adjusted his glasses, leaned over the counter and stared down at the child. "Yes, sir, but I don't think—"
"Good. Send up a maid with hot water for a bath, and deliver two dinners from the dining room."
"But sir!"
"The key?"
Newt turned around and pulled it out of the box: "Mr. Kincaid, I think I need to discuss this with the manager. You can't bring a lady in here alone."
Justin roDed his eyes and took the key. "She's five years old."
Bonnie tugged on his arm. "Mister, I'm six."
"She's six. Tell them to hurry the water."
Justin tossed the coins on the desk and started up the stairs. Newt was still spluttering behind him. When they entered his room, he let go of Bonnie's hand and unlocked the door between the two rooms.
"You'll be in here," he said, motioning to the adjoining bedroom.
He glanced around. It wasn't quite as spacious as his room. The bed was smaller, the windows not as wide. But it would do. The hotel was clean, the rugs were taken out and beaten regularly, the sheets changed weekly. He walked around the room and pointed out the pitcher and basin, opened the armoire, showed her the lantern.
