Longarm 245: Longarm and the Vanishing Virgin Read Free

Canady and Senator Jonas Palmer.”
    Longarm restrained the impulse to tell Vail that he knew who the visitors were. Instead he leaned forward in his chair and shook hands with Canady, then stood and stepped over to shake with Palmer as well. Both men had good, firm clasps. In orator’s tones, Palmer said, “I’m pleased to meet you, Marshal.”
    â€œWe’ve heard a great deal about you, Marshal Long,” Canady said as Longarm resumed his seat. “Enough so that Jonas and I are convinced that you’re the man to handle a rather delicate task for us.”
    Longarm glanced at Billy Vail, who wore a rather uncomfortable expression now. Vail didn’t give Longarm any indication of how he was supposed to proceed, though, so Longarm bulled ahead on his own.
    â€œBegging your pardon, Mr. Canady, but just so you ain’t laboring under the wrong impression, I work for the federal government. I don’t handle any private errands for folks.”
    â€œWe understand that you’re a law enforcement officer, Marshal Long,” said Palmer, “but if you’d just hear us out...”
    â€œWe need your help, Marshal,” said Canady. “It’s sometimes not easy for a man such as myself to admit that he needs help from anyone, but in this case ... Well, let’s just say these are special circumstances.”
    â€œAll right, let’s say that. What sort of circumstances are we talking about?”
    â€œMy daughter is gone.” There was genuine pain in Bryce Canady’s voice as he spoke.
    â€œThe woman I was about to make my wife,” added Palmer, sounding just as upset as Canady.
    â€œGone,” Longarm repeated.
    â€œDisappeared,” said Billy Vail. He held out a piece of paper toward Longarm. “I wrote this report myself, Custis. It’s not to leave this office.”
    Longarm took the document, and quickly scanned the words written on it in Vail’s blunt scrawl. After a moment, not even his studied stoicism could keep him from glancing up at Canady and Palmer. “Miss Nora vanished on the night before her wedding?”
    Palmer nodded as though it hurt him to admit it. “On the very eve of our nuptials,” he said.
    â€œCould she have been kidnapped?” asked Longarm, thinking like the lawman he was.
    Canady shook his head. “That possibility occurred to us as well, Marshal, but it’s very doubtful. As you may know, I’m rather a wealthy man.”
    â€œI’d heard,” Longarm said dryly, ignoring the warning look that Billy Vail shot at him. “That’s why I brought up kidnapping.”
    â€œWell, of course I take precautions, especially where my home and family are concerned. No one could simply waltz into my house and kidnap Nora. There were guards on duty outside, and servants inside.”
    â€œBut she still disappeared,” Longarm pointed out. “If she left on her own, wouldn’t the servants and the guards have seen her?”
    â€œPerhaps ... but you have to remember, Marshal, Nora grew up in that house, on that estate. She might well know ways in and out that no one else does. You know how children like to explore.”
    â€œNot firsthand, but I reckon I know what you mean.” Longarm rattled the piece of paper in his hand. “This says some of her things were missing.”
    Canady nodded. “A carpetbag and a few of her clothes. And a pair of small, framed photographs. One of her mother and one of, ah, me.” The railroad baron cleared his throat and looked a little embarrassed. He was probably a lot more accustomed to dealing with numbers than he was with emotions, thought Longarm.
    â€œIs that all she took with her?”
    â€œOne other thing,” said Canady.
    Longarm waited.
    â€œShe took a gun,” Canady finally said. “A small pistol. At least, I assume she took it. It’s missing from my desk, but I didn’t notice that until a