Prologue

Wheat Ridge, Colorado – 1880

Anna Smith giggled at the excited, yapping puppy dancing around her heels. His ears were too long, and he kept accidentally stepping on them, causing his face to plant headfirst into the dirt. But this did not deter the tenacious little thing. No, he just sneezed and trotted after Anna, a look of love shining from his puppy dog eyes.

“Milo,” she cooed, reaching down to scratch behind the pooch’s ears. “You silly little thing. You’re gonna get tuckered out if you don’t calm yourself.”

Milo sat on his haunches, looking up at her with wide, brown eyes and she sighed, picking him up and pulling him into her arms.

“All right then, I’ll carry you.” She cradled the small dog to her chest, talking to him the entire way across the lawn and toward the house. “But you’re really gonna have to learn to walk on your own and stop tripping over everything.”

The puppy wriggled in her arms in a desperate attempt to lick her face, making Anna laugh. She was so focused on him that when she pulled open the screen door on the front of their whitewashed, wooden house and stepped inside, she almost didn’t notice the man standing in the study directly to her right.

But the small bundle of fur in her arms must have noticed that something was off because the moment the screen door slammed behind her with a bang, his attention was pulled away and toward the adjacent room. Milo began to growl immediately, and confusion rocked through Anna as she followed the dog’s line of sight.

Through the threshold to her right stood a man, one that was vaguely familiar but took her a moment to place. Her bright blue eyes narrowed on him, taking in his raven hair parted down the middle and slicked to the sides with pomade. He was tall, and his skin milky white, indicating to her that he wasn’t a fellow rancher like her father or his friends. They all bore the tell-tale signs of lives spent in the sun.

It wasn’t until the man began to smile, revealing teeth a little too large for his proportions, bringing to mind a dried-out skeleton, that recognition rocketed through her, her spine straightening up.

“Hello, Rufus,” she said to the man, hugging the squirming dog in her arms a little tighter to her chest, stopping him from jumping down and heading anywhere near Rufus Clark. “Why are you in our home?”

“Nice to see you again, Anna,” Rufus answered with a feigned nod of the head. Anna could read the tension in his movements. “I was looking for your father, does he happen to be around?”

Anna shook her head. “No. He and Josie left a while ago.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her, clearly waiting for an explanation, but Anna would not provide one.

“I guess you should be going now,” she offered, giving the man a pointed look, and refusing to shy away from his shifty presence. “Since my father is not here, and I do not know when he will be back.”

“Pity,” Rufus tsked, shaking his head slightly as he began to walk toward the door.

He stepped closer to Anna, so she stepped to the side, making sure to turn her body as he walked past her, keeping her eyes on him the entire way. Rufus Clark had visited her father a few months back, trying to convince him to sell the ranch to make space for a private railroad. But her father, Willis, had flat out refused.

To add insult to injury, Willis hadn’t just declined the request. Her father had spoken to all the other ranchers he knew in the area, advising them not to sell and explaining how detrimental the railroad would be, not only for the fields and animals that would be destroyed and displaced, but also for their way of life. That, in addition to the fact that the man was not offering fair compensation for any of the properties he was trying to purchase. All the ranches of Wheat Ridge, Colorado were firmly against working with the likes of Rufus Clark. The man had not taken the news or his frustrations lightly, which made Anna suspicious of what he was doing here, in her house, now.

“Tell Willis that I stopped by, would you?” Rufus drawled as he approached the back door, not bothering to look in Anna’s direction as he placed his hand upon the doorknob. “Let him know that I’ve been looking for him.”

The words, while not overtly menacing, still sent a chill down Anna’s spine.

“I’ll tell him,” she answered, keeping her voice hard and unflinching.

Milo had finally settled, now that there was more distance between them, and Anna stroked his soft, silky fur absentmindedly as she watched Rufus leave. The man’s solid footsteps wobbled the wooden planks of the front porch. Anna stayed fixed to her spot long after he had left, cradling Milo to her chest when she finally checked that he was gone. Once she was sure, she loosened her grip on the pup and bent over, setting him on the floor.

Milo didn’t nip or dance about her heels, but he did stay close to her as she walked across her father’s study to where Rufus had been. Anna had not been lying when she said that her father wasn’t home. He and Josie, the Smith family housekeeper, had gone into town a while ago to do their weekly shopping. But she had lied when she said she didn’t know when they’d be back because the truth was, they were due back any minute.

Anna didn’t think it would be good for Rufus to talk to her father. After everything that had transpired between them, as well as rumors about some of his shadier dealings, she didn’t trust the man, not as far as she could throw him.

She stood where he had been standing, glancing around for any sign of disturbance to the contents of the room. But, as far as Anna could tell, there was none.

The papers on the desk were still stacked neatly, the drawers shut tight. The items on the walls, the pillow on the stuffed reading chair in the corner, the books on the bookshelves – they were all tidy and nothing was out of place.

“Then why on earth was he here?” she mused to herself, abruptly interrupted by her stomach growling, despite her nerves, reminding her of what she had come into the house for.

Anna shook herself off, trying to push her thoughts away from Rufus Clark and what it was that he had been doing in their home. She walked through the house, raking her eyes over everything as she went. She had no way of knowing how long the man had been there, so who knows how much exploring he’d done.

The paintings and portraits that she and her father had lovingly bought over the years were all still up straight on the whitewashed wooden walls, and the books placed on the bookshelves with tender care were all present, with their cracked spines and fraying edges showing from the many times they had been read, and the waxed, plank floors were perfectly gleaming as the last time Josie had polished them a few days prior.

When she made it back to the kitchen, Anna immediately spotted a plate on the round, wooden kitchen table in the corner. On it was her favorite sandwich; bacon and tomato, and she knew that Josie had left it out for her.

Anna smiled as she pulled out her chair, sat down and began to eat. The bread had been freshly baked that morning, and it was still soft and delicious. The tomato was perfectly ripe and exploded with flavor, mixing deliciously with the saltiness of the bacon and the butter. She hummed to herself slightly as she ate, her mind slowly but surely pushing her encounter with Rufus out.

When Anna had finished her sandwich, she walked the plate over to the sink, andas she was placing it in, the front door was pulled open with a loud creak. She quietly turned, moving towards the door, hoping that it wasn’t Rufus returning. But a moment later, her father’s voice floated through the house to her.

“I can’t wait to see what you do with those beans,” he said, in his typical jovial tone as he and Josie entered the house. “I bet they’ll cook up nice with a ham hock. Oh, Anna!”

“In here, papa!” she called out, but she didn’t wait for him to come find her. Instead, she darted toward the front of the house where she knew they would be.

“I brought something for you, little dove,” he chimed, grinning at her the moment she came into view.

His bright blue eyes, identical to Anna’s own, sparkled with joy the moment that they landed on his daughter. Anna’s mother had passed away after a long illness when Anna was only five years old, and it had been she and her father ever since. Well, also Josie. Once Anna started getting older and showed absolutely no interest in domestic chores, her father had hired a full-time, live-in housekeeper, rather than force Anna to do something that she loathed. And so, Josie had joined their family when she was a teenager, completing their little trio. But still, for the majority of her life, it had been just the two of them.

Anna’s eyes flicked down to what her father held out to her in his extended hand, and immediately gasped with glee. In it was a book. The cover was blue with foiled lettering glinting gold in the sunlight streaming in through the still open door.

“A new book!” she exclaimed, rushing forward to wrap her hands around it.

Milo, sensing her excitement, began dancing around her heels once more as she grabbed the book and ran her fingertips over it reverently. The Moonstone was embossed on the cover, and her eyes sparkled just like her father’s as she turned her gaze back on him.

“You found it,” she whispered, and Willis nodded.

“Sure did. Very first detective novel ever written,” he beamed. “Took me some time, but I was able to find it alright.”

She rushed forward, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, father,” she whispered in his ear, and he chuckled.

“No thanks at all, little dove,”. “Now, go on upstairs and read. I know you want to.”

Anna hugged him once again, before turning and running up the stairs, Milo not far behind her.

She burst into her room, making space for Milo to rush in past her and closing the door behind him.

Everything that had happened with Rufus before was now long forgotten. She didn’t want anything to interrupt her reading. Anna walked across her bedroom, toward the large, overstuffed chair in the corner that sat by the window; a table with a lantern close to her side. This was her favorite place in the house to read, and she was happy to have the opportunity to do that tonight.

***

Anna was unsure of how much time had passed as she lost herself in the world of The Moonstone. The story began with young Rachel Verinder, who inherits a large diamond for her eighteenth birthday. The diamond goes missing during her birthday celebrations and the novel unfolds through the search for the lost item. Anna gasped, laughed, and even cringed as she devoured page after page.

It wasn’t until her lantern light began to sputter before going out entirely, that she realized just how late it was. Now thrust into the darkness, Anna blinked her eyes rapidly, waiting for them to adjust to the shift in her surroundings. When finally the shadows of the items in her room began to take form, she pushed herself up and out of the large reading chair.

Just as Anna stood, stretching her arms over her head to alleviate some of the strain in her back, a loud crash reverberating through the house sounded from downstairs. It was loud enough that it caused Anna to jump with a start, her heart beginning to race with images of missing diamonds and thieves.

Milo, who had curled up on her bed and had been asleep for hours, let out a small yip of surprise, and she heard him jump down, his small footsteps clicking on the wooden floorboards, announcing his arrival at her feet.

“Shhh, love,” she cooed, reaching down, and waving her hand around until it collided with his furry body. She petted him lovingly, waiting for him to calm down before she stood back up.

Anna reached behind her, feeling around for the lantern, and closing her fingers around the handle before taking it with her and venturing into the darkness. Her steps were hesitant and careful as she tried to make sure that she didn’t run into anything on her way toward her bedroom door. She knew she was getting close, so she reached out and fumbled for the doorknob, pulling it open when she felt the cool metal against her skin.

Milo ran past her, his clicking claws growing fainter as he ventured farther down the corridor. Anna paused in the hallway just beyond her door, listening intently to the sounds of the house, but there was nothing, and everything was dark.

She considered for a moment calling Milo back and going to bed, noting that her father and Josie must have long since gone to theirs. But the commotion below needed answering, and she didn’t think that she could put her curiosity aside. Especially when there was no indication that anyone else in the home had stirred.

She descended the stairs delicately, careful not to let the noise of her approach drift down to the first floor, lest an intruder be lurking in the shadows. She gave a soft, quiet laugh at the thought, shaking her head and admonishing herself for letting her imagination get the better of her. More likely than not, a window had been left open and either a breeze or an animal had gotten through and knocked something to the floor. But she did not want to add to the sounds, herself, just in case.

When Anna reached the bottom of the staircase, she heard something a few feet away, bringing her up short. At first, she thought that it was Milo, sniffling, or whining. But then, she heard the noise again; a low, even groan. It was undeniably human and it sent chills racing down her spine.

Anna knew that there were matches on a table at the bottom of the stairs, so she felt around in the dark for it. Her heart was hammering and her breaths coming quick, wondering what in heavens she would find when the wick was lit.

By the time her hands landed on the matchbox, they were shaking, and it took her a few tries to get the wick to light. When it did, once again her eyes needed a moment to adjust at the sudden infusion of light. Another groan sounded from behind her, filling Anna with a renewed sense of urgency as she grabbed the handle of the lantern and lifted it, whirling around to light up the rest of the entryway.

On the floor, a few feet past the foot of the stairs, lay a prone, familiar form. Anna thought that she had been afraid a few seconds before, but now, as the realization hit her of who it was lying face down in front of her, a fear like no other gripped her chest.

“Papa!” she yelled, rushing forward and falling to his side.

Anna grabbed his sides, rolling him over and gazing upon his face. His skin was pale, with dark, bruise like circles beneath his eyes and a blue tinge to his lips, indicating he wasn’t taking in enough oxygen. A stirring sounded upstairs, and Anna realized that her yelling must have woken up Josie.

“Papa, what is it, what’s wrong?” she cooed, praying that he could direct her as to what to do. She felt lost as she pulled her father across the floor and into her lap.

He tried to speak, his lips opening and closing as his mouth struggled to form words, but all that came out was a harsh, brutal rasp. Tears bit Anna’s eyes.

“What’s happened? What’s wrong?” Josie’s voice filled the room, and a moment later she collapsed onto the floor at Anna’s side.

“He can’t breathe,” Anna choked out in a sob, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

Her father lifted a hand, striking it against his chest. He was trying to tell her something, she knew it. But she couldn’t figure out what.

“The doctor,” Anna said quickly, pulling her gaze off her father for only a split second to glance at Josie. “Go and get the doctor. Bring him here. He’ll know what to do.”

Josie hesitated for only a moment, but Anna could read exactly what she wanted to say in that brief pause.

By the time she got to the doctor and brought him to their house, it would be too late. Anna couldn’t accept that. She at least had to try.

“Josie,” she half choked on her name as she sobbed. “Please.”

Josie’s large, blue eyes blinked once, clearing them of her hesitancy before she nodded. Neither of them said another word to each other as Josie pushed herself up off the ground, grabbed her boots by the door, and slid them on as quickly as she could, before running off into the night.

Anna placed her gaze back on her father. His breathing had become more labored, the blue of his mouth seeping past the confines of his lips and bleeding into his cheeks as well. His bright blue eyes roved over her face as his mouth began to move again.

He stared at her intently, desperation in his eyes for her to understand what he was trying to say, but try as she might, Anna could not. She shook her head, copper hair spilling loose over her shoulders and obscuring her vision.

Her father mouthed the words again, this time a puff of air coming out with them, allowing him a hard to hear whisper. But it was enough that Anna was now able to understand as they spent their last moments together.

“I love you.”

The tears fell faster from Anna’s eyes and her slender shoulders shook from the force of her cries.

“I love you too, papa,” she sobbed, reaching up her hand to stroke her father’s face.

He sighed slightly as he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. She knew what was coming as the blue pallor deepened across his skin, marking him for having only moments left. She was glad that she was able to provide him with this small bit of comfort as he slipped from this world to join her mother.

“I love you,” she repeated, her voice stronger this time. She could give him that, her last bit of strength. She wanted these words to be the final ones that he heard. And so, she said them again, and again, and again. The three words fell from her mouth like a prayer, like a chant, like if she said them enough the love might be able to pour from her body and hold her father there with her, always. “I love you; I love you; I love you.”

But hold him, they could not. With one final, rattling breath, her father stilled. His head sank back, leaning its full weight into her hand which was still stroking his hair. Anna did not know how long a soul stayed in the body once it died, and so she kept speaking, kept telling her father that she loved him. She did not stop until the front door opened again and the doctor walked in, his expression one of sympathy at the sight of Willis Smith’s lifeless body draped across his crying daughter’s lap.