The Saloon Murders

It’s late in the evening. The cowboys and cowgirls are all in bed. A woman is sitting in the dark again. She is at her desk typing details in a letter. She doesn’t need the light to see what is being typed. She’s got it down to a science. She types it urgently as if it’s a matter between life and death. The typewriter dings with each return. She is frantic and determined to fix what this woman has done to the man she loves. In mid-sentence, the phone rings causing her to jump. She answers it.

“Hello? Yes. Correct. Thank you. Yes. Goodbye.” She takes a deep breath.

She hangs up the line, pacing for a few moments before she is calm enough to sit down and continue her letter.

Finally, the letter is finished. She places it in an envelope, handing it and ten more letters to the dark figure standing next to her. The figure exits. The woman leans back with a sigh. It has been done. Now she can relax for a moment at least.

*Sings*

It’s time for us

I want to enjoy you

You are mine

Time will soar for us

That girl is poison to us both

You have some spell on her

But I’m your one and only true love

You spoke to me yesterday

My heart raced fondly

I know you know it’s true

I love you

Find me here, my love

Be mine, my love

I’m all yours

My love

My love

Mine

(“This has to work.”) She thinks to herself. She gets up, pacing around the room. (“This woman in my way has given me no choice. She’s relentless.”) Her anger builds up, balling her fists until the knuckles are white. She claws the doorframe of her bedroom entryway, her blood boiling. Hatred controlling her.

At the saloon.

Gertrude is sweeping the floor. She must make sure the place looks immaculate before they open. She smiles, spins around the room daydreaming about Lionel. She begins humming. Her boss walks in. She smiles fondly at him.

“Good afternoon.” Clemens, a nearly seventy-year-old man, greets her. “You don’t need to be here this early, sweetie.”

“Oh, Clemens, I gotta make sure everything is done before we open.”

“Ah, you just hope Lionel notices.” Clemens teases her.

Gertrude giggles at Clemens playfully elbowing her. Margerie enters waving happily at them. Gertrude hurries over to hug her friend. “How’re you?” She asks Margerie.

“I am exhausted. Can I have a drink, please?”

“Sure thing, Margerie.” Clemens walks behind the bar mixing up a delicious concoction for Margerie.

Gertrude gestures for Margerie to sit down at the table adjacent to them. They both sit across from each other. “Tell me what’s going on?”

“It’s just been a long day. Business is slow. The bill collectors have been ringing me all day.” Margerie sighs. “I try to tell them it’s only temporary. I am so in debt.”

Gertrude begins digging in her apron pocket. “How much do you need?”

“No, no. I am not taking your money, Gertrude.”

“I know you’d never ask. Please.” Gertrude slides the money in Margerie’s hand, closing her fingers around her hand in a tight squeeze. “Please.” She says again.

Margerie holds back tears squeezing Gertrude’s hand in return. She solemnly slips the money into her purse. Then she returns her gaze to Gertrude with a trusting smile. “I’ll pay you back.”

Gertrude shakes her head. “No. Don’t worry about it.”

Saloon patrons file in and before you know it, the place is bustling with customers asking for drinks and peanuts. As Gertrude takes orders, she briefly looks around to see if Lionel has arrived yet.

*sings* (in her head)

I await his arrival

I look forward to his presence

I tremble at the thought of him

Making my heart soar

Waiting for him

Oh, Lionel

I see you in dreams

With only you and me

Oh, baby

Will you ever notice me

Gertrude feels a gentle tap on her arm. She looks back, noticing Clemens wiping a whiskey glass. He motions Gertrude’s attention toward the entrance doors. A cowboy dismounts his horse. He opens the double doors. It’s Lionel. Gertrude’s heart skips a beat. Lionel steps up to the bar, removes his duster, and places it on the stool before taking a seat. Gertrude enthusiastically approaches him to take his order. Clemens watches the scene between Lionel and Gertrude with anticipation.

Half an hour passes when the evening entertainer saunters into the saloon. The vivacious woman is wearing bells and tassels. All the male patrons cheer loudly. She shimmies and shakes all around the room, devoting time to each delighted customer. All patrons celebrate her sexy dancing, urging her to sit on their laps. The scantily clad woman arrives at Lionel’s side. Lionel smiles widely. He follows her movements around his body, enticed. The crowd’s cheering grows louder, still. Gertrude tolerates it only so long before she escapes to the back. Clemens calls her over, concerned.

Gertrude is sobbing in the stockroom. She throws a porcelain statue into the air; it shatters as it hits the wall. Clemens enters moments later. “Gertrude dear. Are you alright?”

“Oh, Clemens. Does Lionel really like that dancer?”

“Of course not. I pay Betty to entertain. It’s her job. She’s part of why my customers keep coming back.” Clemens assures her.

“What’s the other part?”

“You.” Gertrude’s eyes widen. “It’s true. Customers love you. You’re always genuine and charismatic to every single one of them.”

Betty yawns. She wanders around the corner of the saloon. Thoughts of getting home for a good night’s sleep flood her mind. Clemens was great to give her a little extra money to catch up on her rent. She takes another step and stops when she perceives someone behind her. She whirls around. No one was there. She sighs nervously. A hand reaches out, grabbing her. She feels something poking hard in the neck only for a moment before collapsing to ground.

The next morning.

Clemens yawns, scratching his sides as he leaves his room near the back of the saloon. He gently knocks on a door nearby. “Gertrude.” He knocks again. “You awake?”

“I am. I’ll be out soon.” Gertrude calls out. Her voice is muffled behind the door.

“No rush dear.” Clemens begins placing glasses on top of the bar, along with signs of upcoming events.

Gertrude closes the door to her room as she heads out back with the trash.

Back inside, Clemens is drying the newly washed silverware and humming. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream causes him to drop the glass and run for the back alley.

After Clemens, brings Gertrude back into the Saloon. Gertrude is still in shock. “I can’t believe Betty’s dead.” She stammers. Clemens holds her hand, protectively.

“I wonder who would do such a thing.” Clemens proclaims, comforting Gertrude.

A man rushes in excitedly. “Lionel Peters is competing in a horse race this Saturday. You are both invited to attend.” He announces, handing them an invitation. A glimmer of happiness fills the room. Gertrude and Clemens smile.

The day of the horse race comes quickly. The days leading up to it seem to blur together with the town in a fog of mourning. The horse race seems to lighten the mood of its locals. Lionel brushes his horse in the stable along with the other competitors. Gertrude enters the stable with food and water for Lionel’s horse. He greets her.

“Hi there.” Lionel smiles at her. Gertrude hands him the food and water. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Gertrude grins nervously. She begins walking away.

“Hey.” Lionel calls. Gertrude turns back around to face him. “I am planning a get-together at my ranch. I was wondering if Clemens could bartend for me.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’d be more than happy to do that.”

“Alright. Good.” He replies. He clears his throat. “I also need a talented barmaid to help as well. Someone I can trust.”

“Yes. That’s a good idea.” Gertrude remarks.

“Would you be my barmaid, Gertrude?” Lionel asks softly.

“Oh. Yes. I can.” Gertrude can barely respond.

Lionel wins the race. Everyone is so proud of Lionel. The crowd files out enthusiastically towards Lionel’s party. Gertrude rides to Lionel’s ranch with Clemens in his horse and buggy.

Lionel’s ranch on his plantation is always a noteworthy spot. Lionel is always hosting parties. Lionel loves chatting with his fellow residents. He doesn’t do it to show how rich he is. He does it because it gets lonely in that big house all by himself. His father left it to him after he died of typhoid. His father was a very generous man himself, and he instilled that same trait in his son.

Everyone at the party is eating, drinking and dancing. Clemens pulls Gertrude aside. “Go up and sing, sweetie.” He encourages her.

“Oh, I don’t know.” She hesitates.

“Sing that new song you wrote.” Clemens pushes Gertrude toward the band. Gertrude heads up the microphone. The crowd falls to a hush. Gertrude licks her lips, taking the microphone in her hand.

*sings*

I am here with you

You’ve always had me

I breathe in your eyes

Your eyes move me

Your soul sings to me

Our auras are one

Just one touch is all we need

Passion in your words

Let all hear what I feel

Desire captivates me

To kiss your pain away

It’s time to show me

What you’re made of

With you

There is strength inside

The reason a love cannot hide

With you

Fire in our hearts

You take me to places

I have never been

With you

When Gertrude finishes, the crowd roars with praise. Until that moment, no one knew Gertrude had such a beautiful voice. Margerie hugs Gertrude, impressed with her talent. Gertrude looks at Lionel who is staring at her in a way that she has never seen before. He seems completely mesmerized. Lionel walks over to her, smiling intently.

“That was beautiful.” Lionel replies. “Where did you learn to sing like that?”

“My mother taught me.”

“Well, I’d like to shake her hand.” Lionel chuckles.

They both share a smile. Margerie grabs Gertrude’s hand, nudging her, knowingly.

The party slows down as guests begin heading home. Lionel takes Gertrude by the hand. “Walk with me.” He motions. His hand feels warm and protective in Gertrude’s. Gertrude is speechless and lets Lionel guide her away from the diminishing guests.

The air is crisp and clear as Lionel and Gertrude walk toward the country river. “I wanted to explain my behavior last week.”

“Oh, Lionel. You don’t need to-” Gertrude begins.

“I must. I was just encouraging Betty’s entertaining skills. Nothing more.”

“It’s fine.” Gertrude replies, sympathetically.

“I am a very private person.” Lionel continues. “My father once said. ‘The only person that should know your heart is the one your heart is for’ so I have lived by that all my life.”

“Oh.” Gertrude responds, biting her lip with wonder.

The river ripples with the gentle evening breeze. They both stop at the bank. Lionel takes Gertrude’s hands in his. “I felt responsible when I saw you run out of the room that night.” Gertrude listens intently. Lionel draws a long breath. “The first time I arrived at the bar, I knew there was something unique and special about you.” Gertrude gazes deep into his eyes. “I love you.” Lionel declares in a whisper. He captures Gertrude’s lips in a passionate kiss. They kiss for a few moments: leaving Gertrude breathless.

“I love you, Lionel.” They kiss again. This time Lionel takes Gertrude in his arms, bringing her close and deepening their kiss even more.

The next morning rings in.

Gertrude is up before Clemens, cleaning and humming her song from last night as she works. Remembering her kiss with Lionel causes her to grin with glee. She dances around the saloon as if on stage. The phone rings rousing Gertrude from her fantasies of her and Lionel. She answers it with an exuberant hello.

“Looks like you and Lionel had fun last night.” The voice on the other line exclaims. Gertrude’s happy face is erased. “I hope you enjoyed that kiss while it lasted. It’s the last time it’ll ever happen.” The voice is cold and cruel.

“Who is this?” Gertrude pleads, her voice shaking.

“Lionel and I have been together secretly for quite some time.”

“No. That can’t be.”

“You don’t know Lionel as well as you think you do. He’s got many secrets.”

“Who is this?” Getrude can’t believe what she’s hearing.

“Leave Lionel alone or you’ll regret it. I promise.” The other line hangs up. ‘Leave Lionel alone’, the words stab her like a thousand daggers.

Gertrude is beside herself. She doesn’t recognize the voice. She plays the conversation over and over again until it feels as if it could rip her heart apart. (“It can’t be.”) Gertrude thinks as tears well up in her eyes. “Clemens.” She chokes out. “Clemens!” She shouts. Her scream echoes in the saloon as her whole-body shakes with a mixture of fear and confusion.

Clemens hurries to Gertrude’s aid. Gertrude hugs him, sobbing into his shoulder. “What’s happened?” Gertrude tells him about the phone call. Clemens is at a loss for words.

“That’s impossible.” Clemens replies. Gertrude is still crying controllably. “You need to talk to Lionel about this.”

“I can’t. I can’t.” Gertrude runs to her room, closing and locking the door. Clemens knocks on the door calling out to Gertrude many times, but there’s no response.

Back at her typewriter, the woman is laughing hysterically when she hears about the phone call at the saloon. “I wish I could’ve seen the look on her face. Poor Gertrude.” She cackles, triumphantly. “What you said was brilliant. I couldn’t have done it better myself.” She leans back in her chair, smiling. “Soon Lionel will think Gertrude lost interest and that’s when I swoop in and take him for myself.” The woman rolls a pen around in her fingers. “No. No. We aren’t done yet. We need to stir more chaos into the mix.” The woman taps her pen on the desk. “I’ve got it!”

The life of the party.

The saloon is alive with customers. Clemens is pouring drinks for customers that he has been serving for many years. They laugh fondly as he passes them their drinks. Gertrude is wiping down tables when she notices Lionel strolling through the double doors. She looks away, remembering the warning on the phone.

Clemens brings out his banjo, strumming like a pro. He skips around the patrons yodeling. He sashays by Gertrude. His dances, encouraging her to join him. Gertrude hesitates at first. Once she obeys, it lifts her spirits. The crowd claps in unison and before you know it, the enter saloon is hoping with rhythm. Margerie joins Gertrude by her side hip-bumping with her. Gertrude lets out a yee-haw and hip-bumps her back, forgetting the chaos of earlier events for the moment. Lionel gets up, dancing toward Gertrude and company. He takes Gertrude’s hand and spins her around. Gertrude cautiously looks around. It’s obvious to her there’s only friends at her side. Gertrude accepts Lionel’s desire to dance with her. They spin all over the saloon. Everyone hoots and hollers all night and well into the morning.

Everyone leaves except for Lionel. He stays back longer to spend time alone with Gertrude after Clemens has gone to bed. It’s 3:00 AM before Lionel leaves, but not before bestowing a romantic kiss on Gertrude’s lips.

Gertrude sighs happily. She figures that phone call was just a fluke. They saloon was a mess, but Gertrude decides it’s easier to tackle after a good night’s sleep. As she drowsily heads to bed, she notices something out of the corner of her eye. There’s a note on Clemens’s door. It reads, “I warned you!’ Her hand trembles as she opens the door to Clemens’s room. She gasps. Clemens is lying motionless on his bed with a large knife buried in his chest. Gertrude faints.

After Clemens funeral days later, Gertrude begins avoiding Lionel at all costs. She is back at the saloon drinking scotch from the bottle. The saloon doors rattle. “Were closed.” Gertrude responds before taking another drink.

“It’s me.” Margerie assures. She sits down next to Gertrude, placing her head in her hands.

“I don’t really want to see anyone right now.” Gertrude sighs, examining the bottle in her hand.

“You need someone to talk to, Gertrude.”

“I don’t feel like talking.”

“I know you miss Clemens.” Margerie replies. Gertrude says nothing and takes yet another drink. “Well, look on the bright side…at least you’re heading my warnings now.”

Gertrude turns to Margerie, jaw dropped. “What?”

“Seriously. You need to focus on this saloon. Not a man that is way too good for you.”

“Margerie.” Gertrude stands up. “You killed Clemens, Betty, and…”

They are interrupted by a dark figure standing behind them.

“Thank you, messenger.” Margerie begins laughing. The dark figure laughs too, unveiling her hood.

“Betty???” Gertrude stands up in shock.

“Surprise.” Betty announces. Gertrude recognizes her voice from the phone call. “I killed Clemens! My sister told me I’d be efforts would be rewarded.”

Gertrude can’t believe what she is hearing.

“Lionel is better suited with my sister than you.” Betty points a revolver at Gertrude.

“These letters say you plan to kill Clemens to claim ownership of the saloon to impress Lionel, and that your love for him is a mere obsession. Only Betty and I have seen you two alone.” Margerie says, assuming victory.

Gertrude feels helpless and slumps back in her chair, defeated. Margerie places a knife to Gertrude’s throat. Shots fire causing Betty and Margerie to collapse.

Lionel runs to Gertrude’s aid. Gertrude feels safe in his arms. Lionel calls the sheriff. Weeks pass and eventually the love between Lionel and Gertrude solves everything.