She Returns From War by Lee Collins Read Free Book Online Page A

entered with her, clutching her arm in one hand and the head of a cane in the other. Victoria rose to her feet as they approached.
    "Victoria Dawes," Sister Alice said, "may I present Father Emmanuel Baez."
    "The honor is mine," Victoria said, extending her hand.
    The priest released his hold on Sister Alice's arm and kissed the young woman's hand. Drawing himself up as straight as he could, he looked at her and smiled. "A pleasure, my dear."
    Sister Alice guided him to the pew and helped him to sit. Victoria took a seat nearby, careful to maintain what she considered a respectful distance. The priest leaned back against the pew, his white hair and beard seeming to shine above his robes. He looked at her again, and she could see a spark in his dark eyes. "Now, then," he said, "Sister Alice tells me you have some business with me."
    "Yes," Victoria said. "I don't want to waste your time, so I'll come straight to it. I'm looking for a woman named Cora Oglesby."
    Father Baez's eyes went wide, and he drew in a deep breath. "There's a name I haven't heard in years." He smiled then, a thin line beneath his beard.
    "So you know of her?"
    "Of course." The priest cleared his throat and sat upright. "She and I have a history. Not a very happy one, but a good one."
    "Do you know where I might find her?" Victoria asked.
    Father Baez started to answer, then paused. "Might I ask why you want to find her?"
    "I have urgent business with her," Victoria answered, trying to sound as harmless as she could.
    The priest considered that, then turned to Sister Alice. "Would you excuse us for a moment, sister?" Taken aback, the nun stood to her feet, nodded, and stalked across the dais. Once she disappeared through the side door, Father Baez turned back to Victoria. "Cora Oglesby deals in some very dark business, young lady. I pray you'll forgive my reluctance, but not everyone who knows about her has benevolent intentions."
    "I understand," Victoria said. "It's precisely her dealings in those dark matters that caused me to seek her out. I need her help, you see."
    The white eyebrows twitched. "Oh?" Victoria nodded and looked down, unsure if she should elaborate. Father Baez gently touched her hand. "You don't need to worry about telling me, child. We priests are used to keeping secrets," he said, eyes twinkling.
    Victoria smiled. Her tale was outlandish, she knew, but if this priest really did know this Cora Oglesby, perhaps he wouldn't be a stranger to outlandish tales. She recounted her encounter with the black shucks on the road, the death of her parents, and her meeting with James Townsend. A tremor crept into her voice as she spoke. She'd only told the story in its entirety once before, and hearing herself say it aloud again drove the reality and horror of it that much closer to her heart.
    When she finished, Father Baez nodded, stroking his beard with one age-spotted hand. Victoria watched him, keeping her hands still with no small effort. "Well," he said at length, "it does certainly sound like Cora's kind of job."
    Victoria's breath left her lungs in a rush. "So you'll help me, then?"
    He nodded. "I'll tell you what I know, but I'm afraid I haven't heard from her in a good while. Nearly four years, I think."
    "Any information at all would be wonderful," she said, her eyes alight.
    "Cora can be a difficult woman to find," Father Baez said, "so remember that as you search for her. When I knew her, she was never content to stay in one place for long, but certain events may have calmed her spirit a little."
    "What events?"
    "I'm afraid I can't tell you that," he replied. "A shepherd must keep the secrets of his sheep." When she nodded, he continued. "Before she left Denver, Cora told me that she planned to use her most recent bounty prize to open a printer's shop."
    Victoria was dumbfounded. "A print shop? What would a woman like her want with a print shop?"
    "Maybe age has slowed her down like it has me," Father Baez said. "You should count