“She is extraordinary. So for God’s sake take her from me! You want her? She’s yours.” Ridley had already tried introducing her to his friends who met to drink in the Spotswood House Saloon, but Sally, even though dressed in newly purchased finery and hugely admired by every officer in the hotel, had refused to leave Ridley’s side. She had her claws deep into her man and would not let go for the unknown opportunities of another. “Please, Bev!” Ridley pleaded.

Belvedere Delaney thought how much he hated being called “Bev” as he warmed himself by his small, glowing fire. “You’re not willing to kill her?” he asked in a dangerous voice.

Ridley paused, then shook his head. “No.”

“And you won’t give her what she wants?”

“I can’t.”

“And you can’t give her away?”

“Damn it, no.”

“And she won’t leave you of her own accord?”

“Never.”

Delaney drew on his cigarette, then puffed a reflective smoke ring at his ceiling. “A toasted bridge! I do find that amusing.”

“Please, Bev, please!”

“I showed the newspaper to Lee this afternoon,” Delaney said, “but he dismissed the account. None of our men, he assured me. He reckons the bridge toasters must have been mere brigands. I think you should find a way of letting Faulconer hear that verdict. Brigands! The word will annoy Faulconer considerably.”

“Please, Bev! For God’s sake.”

“Oh, not for God’s sake, Ethan. God wouldn’t like what I intend to do with your Sally. He wouldn’t like it one little bit. But yes, I can help you.”

Ridley gazed at his brother with palpable relief. “What will you do?”

“Bring her to me tomorrow. Bring her to the corner of, say, Cary and Twenty-fourth, that’ll be out of the way. At four o’clock. There’ll be a carriage there. I may be there or I may not. Find some story that’ll get her into the carriage, then forget her. Forget her altogether.”

Ridley gaped at his brother. “You’re going to kill her?”

Delaney winced at the question. “Please do not imagine I am so crude. I am going to remove her from your life and you are going to be grateful to me forever.”

“I will. I promise!” Ridley’s gratitude was pathetic.

“Tomorrow then, at four o’clock, at Cary and Twenty-fourth. Now go and be nice to her, Ethan, be very nice, so she suspects nothing.”