Chapter 20
At another time, Rose would have handled those first moments with Deke far differently. In the most minuscule of details she’d have wanted to know why he finally came to her. In turn, she would have revealed the depth of her despair when she thought she’d lost him. They would have talked on and on, immersed in their feelings for one another, and then, all differences settled, they’d have blissfully fallen into each other’s arms. But that was before the Sacramento River overflowed its banks. Now the water was rising, Lucy was missing, and time was a luxury she couldn’t afford. “Do I need your help? Oh, Deke, I’m so glad you came.”
“I’ll help all I can, but I don’t know if we can stop the water—”
“It’s not that. Mason has kidnapped my little girl.” Standing at the bottom of the staircase, oblivious to chaos all around, she told him how Mason had taken her daughter, that she’d agreed to sell him the River Queen because if she didn’t, she might never see Lucy again. She could hardly keep the hysteria from her voice. “What can I do? Mr. Field won’t be there in this flood and…” The words stuck in her throat. “I…I…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
“How?”
“Guess I’d better have a talk with Mason.”
He was going to help. If there’d been time, she would have thrown her arms around him in gratitude, but every minute counted. “I’ll come with you.”
“No, Rose. You’re needed here. And besides, it’s best you don’t.”
“What will you say? I spoke with Jake, so now I know the truth about how dangerous he is. He won’t stop at anything to get what he wants.”
Deke reached for her hands and held them tight. “Go see to your hotel and let me worry about the rest.”
How could she not believe him after hearing the strength and resolve in his voice? “If you’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
If Deke couldn’t help her, no one could. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”
“I give you my word I’ll find her or know the reason why.” He gave her a quick salute and turned away. She watched until he was out of sight. Her heart a little lighter, she started up the stairs to warn the guests on the second floor.
* * * *
Deke Fleming was a careful man. He seldom, if ever, acted rashly, and never promised anything he wasn’t sure he could deliver. Until today. As he walked toward the entrance of the River Queen, he had no regrets concerning his promise to Rose. The trouble was, at the moment, he hadn’t the faintest idea how he could rescue little Lucy Peterson from that lowlife, coldblooded murderer, Mason Talbot. He had almost reached the front doors of the River Queen when Mitch hurried in, his usual placid face twisted with worry. Seeing Deke, he declared, “The water’s still rising. We’ve lost all our ice, and we’ll be lucky if we don’t lose the ice house.”
“We can always get more ice. Right now I’ve got a problem…”
Deke told his friend what Mason had done. By the time he finished, Mitch was staring at him in shocked alarm. “You mean, he actually kidnapped that little girl?”
“That he did, mate. I gave Rose my word I’d get her back.”
“How?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Blimey.” Mitch pondered a moment. “I don’t hold with violence, but—”
“You’re thinking I should go over to the Egyptian and beat the hell out of him until he talks?”
“You don’t want to do that.”
“As a last resort, maybe. It wouldn’t take much. I’d wager beneath those fancy clothes, he’s a coward and a weakling.”
“But you’ve got another plan?”
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.”
Mitch clasped his shoulder. “Whatever you decide to do, I’m with you.”
“I figure I might need you.” Deke looked out the door. A trickle of water had begun to seep across the boardwalk. “Have you come to see if Cherry and the baby are all right?”
“I’m worried, but I think the safest place for them is here.”
“Go see them. I got hold of a dinghy. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but soon as you get back, we’re going to pay a visit to Mason Talbot.”
* * * *
Not in Deke’s wildest imagination had he ever pictured Mitch and himself rowing along Front Street, but with the river rising ever higher, their dinghy was the only way to reach the Egyptian Hotel. At least three feet of water surrounded every hotel and saloon they passed. Those establishments housed in tents were already done for, a sorry sight with their collapsed canvas walls lying atop ruined gaming tables. On lower ground than the River Queen, Fanny Wentworth’s Silver Star Hotel had not fared well. As they passed, desperate-looking guests were hanging out the second-story windows. Out front, Fanny herself sat in a rowboat holding a bulging valise on her lap. “Ah, the ice men,” she called. “The cellar’s long gone, boys, and so’s the beer.”
“That’s the least of our worries,” Deke hollered back.
“Everything’s gone. All you can do is save yourselves.”
“Good luck, Fanny.” No time for conversation. Deke pulled harder on his oar.
They had almost reached the Egyptian Hotel when Mitch asked, “What are you going to do when we get there?”
Mitch’s question gnawed at his faltering confidence. He must get Rose’s daughter back, but how was he going to do it? A couple of punches in the nose and Mason would talk? Fine, if it worked, but Deke wasn’t sure it would. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, Mitch. Just keep rowing.”
Of all the hotels, the Egyptian sat closest to the river. Even so, Deke had assumed the large, three-story building would survive the flood, but when they drew close, Mitch pointed at the north wall. “See there! It’s sagging.”
Several feet of swift, churning water surrounded the building, the main flow striking hard against the north wall, which looked as if it might collapse at any moment. The Egyptian appeared big and pretentious, but it was constructed of wood, probably cheap, flimsy wood that couldn’t withstand the powerful force of water. In front of the hotel, a disorderly collection of dinghies and row boats was hauling disheveled-looking guests away. A couple of large, flat-bottomed barges were tethered close to the entrance. Two men waded toward one of them, each clutching a large picture. Deke recognized Rudy Avery, Mason’s employee, who’d been his second at the duel. “Hey, Rudy,” he called. “Isn’t it time to save yourself? Looks like this place will float away any second.”
Rudy caught sight of Deke and Mitch. “For God’s sake, come help. All Mr. Talbot cares about is his fancy art collection. If I don’t save his priceless paintings, he’ll blame me, not the flood.”
By God, that’s it!
Under less dire circumstances, Deke might have given a whoop and thrown his hat in the air. Instead, he turned to Mitch. “Looks like I won’t have to punch Talbot in the nose after all.” Maybe God had a hand in it. Certainly Mitch would think so. All Deke knew was, he had his answer. “Sure, Rudy!” He reached for a rope to tie the dinghy. “Come on, Mitch, let’s lend our friend a hand.”
* * * *
Only minutes later, the north wall of the Egyptian had completely collapsed and the west wall was beginning to sag. When Deke waded through the main entrance, he expected to find the place abandoned. Instead, men Deke recognized as Mason’s employees had formed a chain from the restaurant to the entrance and were frantically passing chairs, linen, china, all manner of valuable items from Mason’s beloved Le Chantecler, to be loaded onto the second barge. Mason himself stood halfway up the main staircase, shouting directions, urging his men to move faster.
Deke reached the bottom of the staircase and peered up at him. “Why haven’t you left? Your whole hotel is about to collapse and you’re standing there?”
When Talbot looked down and saw Deke, his expression turned ugly. “You think I have time to talk to the likes of you? Can’t you see I’m busy here? Get out of my sight, you ice peddler.”
Deke sprang up the stairs to where he was standing. “What have you done with Lucy Peterson?”
Mason gritted his teeth. He looked as if he might explode. “I don’t have time to talk.”
“Then make the time. If you don’t, you’ll lose all those precious pictures of yours.”
Mason’s eyes went wide with alarm. “What do you mean?”
“I have your art collection. All of it.”
The color started draining from his face. “You have my Rafael?”
“Yep.”
“My Donatello?”
“Whatever it’s called, I’ve got it. Every painting in that fancy collection of yours is sitting on a boat you’ll never find. You want it back? Then give me answers. If you lie, the fish on the bottom of Suisun Bay will soon be nibbling at your Rafael, your Donatello, and all those other fancy pictures of yours.”
“So what do you want?”
Deke told him exactly what he wanted. “And one more thing. Rudy got tricked. It wasn’t his fault, and I don’t want you blaming him.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
From below, a voice called, “Mr. Talbot?” Rudy Avery stood in three feet of water, hat in hand.
Mason peered down at him. “What’s going on, Rudy?”
“They stole the boat right out from under me. Took your whole collection.”
Mason gasped, grabbed the railing, and turned to Deke. “So it’s true?”
“Yep.”
“Why, you…you…!” For once, glib-tongued Mason Talbot found himself at a loss for words.
Deke looked upward. “For God’s sake, give me an answer before the roof caves in.”
Mason’s mouth worked. His eyes kept shifting as if he was desperately searching for a way out of his dilemma. Finally his shoulders sagged in defeat. “I’ll tell you everything,” he said in a sick whisper. “Here’s where you’ll find Lucy…”
After Deke got all the information he needed, he peered down at the remains of the first floor. The fast-rising, muddy, debris-filled water had ruined everything, and that included Mason’s priceless mahogany bar, his fancy gaming tables, and his beloved French restaurant. An odd cracking sound came from the back wall, as if giving a warning it, too, was about to go. The men in the chain started scattering, suddenly beyond caring what the boss would say.
Deke started down the stairs. He turned in time to see the owner of the Egyptian climbing the staircase. “What are you doing?”
Mason stopped and turned. “Get out of my hotel.” His eyes seemed remote, as if he wasn’t really there.
“Time to get out, Talbot. Your hotel’s about to fall around your ears.”
Mason continued up the staircase. The back wall groaned again.
Deke got out of there fast.
* * * *
Where was Deke? Had he found Lucy? In an agony of suspense, Rose fought to keep her fragile control as she worked with the others to save what they could. So far the sandbags had held, but for how much longer? The water continued to flow through the street. When she found a moment to look outside, she could hardly believe some of the items that were beginning to float past: large logs, furniture, what looked like a chicken coop. A kind of controlled panic prevailed inside the hotel. Tim, Jake, Cecil, Gus, Gaston, Drucilla, the third-floor girls—everyone pitched in to help. Nothing could be done about the heavy wood gambling tables, but lighter items were removed to the second floor. Along with Gaston and Gus, Rose worked nonstop in the restaurant, piling chairs and tables high as they could. “There’s not much we can do about your beautiful carpet,” she lamented to Gaston. “What a shame if we lose it.”
“Don’t give it a thought, madame. Lives come first. Anything else can be replaced.”
Gaston’s reply surprised her, but as the day went by, she’d found him to be a tower of strength. She had supposed her temperamental chef would fall apart at the thought his beautiful new restaurant was about to be inundated and ruined. Instead, in a calm, capable manner he’d led them in their efforts to rescue what they could. Eventually Drucilla joined Rose, helping to clear the kitchen cabinets of pots and pans. “Do you think they’ll be all right?” she asked.
“I’m not sure.” Aside from Rose’s concern over Lucy, let alone the River Queen, she worried over the fate of her in-laws. Coralee was capable of taking care of herself, but she wasn’t sure about Ben anymore. Since Emmet died, he’d aged a lot and didn’t have the strength he used to have. And Raymond was Raymond. Anything could happen. “They’re so close to the river. I can only hope they haven’t been flooded out.”
Gaston overheard. “I’ll take care of it.”
He meant what he said. As soon as they’d done all they could do in the dining room, he found a small boat and recruited Gus to help him row. Out front, from behind the sandbags, Rose and Drucilla saw them off.
Jake was standing nearby. “Better get upstairs,” he said. “Looks like we’re losing the battle.”
Despite frantic efforts, a steady stream of water began to seep through the sandbags. With a heavy heart, Rose joined the others headed for the second floor. Where was Deke? These past hours, she’d done all she could to save the River Queen, but not for a moment had she forgotten Lucy. Her hotel might be flooding, and everything ruined, but all she really cared about was finding her little girl.
Deke arrived just as the water had begun to flow freely through the double doors and spread throughout the main saloon. Rose had been sitting at the top of the staircase helplessly watching. “Deke!” she called when she saw him.
She held her breath as he came up the stairs and sank down beside her. “I know where Lucy is. Mason said she’s all right and I believe him. We’ve got a problem, though.”