Chapter 5

And Gabriela was right.

Early on the first of December, eighteen eighty-seven, after a labor of eleven hours, Aspen Manuela Malik was born. It was a joyous occasion for both of the parents, though Gabriela was exhausted. Even so, she nursed little Aspen several times that day and through the night. Malik stayed at her side, often holding his daughter and gazing at her with wondrous eyes.

The parents discussed their hopes and dreams for their daughter, visualizing her riding swiftly, hair flowing behind her, as her mount galloped across the Doña Anna’s range in Smoky Valley. When both Gabriela and Aspen slept, Malik would slip into bed next to them for his own short naps, his arms embracing both, a look of happy contentment on his face for the first time in months.

The next day, Christina and Matilda brought their babies to visit Gabriela and Aspen, who were still in the birthing bed. When everyone started to open their clothing to feed their infants, Malik made himself scarce.

However, the third day, Gabriela began to run a temperature. She became listless and, by the fourth, she was unable to nurse Aspen. Matilda and Christina took over Aspen’s care and wet-nursed her.

Late that night, the fever still intense, Gabriela slipped into a coma. Malik took up station by her bedside, vacating his post only to the demands of bodily functions. All the next day, her body was alarmingly hot to his touch, which touch he maintained, whether bathing her face and torso with damp cloths or just holding her hand. But, regardless of their efforts to reduce the ague’s grip, her febrile condition only worsened.

It was while he held her hand, some twenty hours after she became insensate, just after seven o’clock on the evening of the fifth of December, eighteen eighty-seven, that Gabriela Malik took in a last, shallow breath, and succumbed to the effects of childbirth fever.

Distressingly, at Ranch Home the next morning, Gabriela’s body was no longer in the bed where she had passed on the evening before. Nor was Malik anywhere to be found. He had last been seen by Andy, who had fallen asleep in a chair while keeping vigil with his brother by Gabriela’s body, now arranged in peaceful repose in the birthing bed.

Further investigation revealed that Malik’s horse, Tsela, and the pack mule, Petal, were also missing.

After discussing the situation with Christina and Matilda, both of whom had now assumed the care and nursing of little Aspen, Andy decided Malik must be taking Gabriela’s body back to her ranch. He set out in pursuit.

When Andy reached Waypoint, the southbound had already been through, but Malik’s business car was still in its usual place, on the siding, just south of the depot. Andy immediately went to see Emma Watts, the recently-appointed stationmaster, but she said Malik had not boarded the train that morning.

Andy decided to check with Malik’s new business partner, David Lewin. Wil Bream was still in Shepherds Crossing, as his term of office did not expire until the end of December. He had already bought a house in Waypoint and the family would move down after the first of the year.

Andy found Lewin sitting at the desk in his reception office. Upon seeing Andy, he immediately asked, “How is Gabriela?”

“She died last night.”

“Ah, no. I was so afraid of that. Sara will be devastated. Emil must be ... I can’t even imagine. How is the baby?”

“Little Aspen is fine. Christina and Matilda have assumed her care. But you haven’t seen Emil, have you?”

“You mean today? No.” Lewin’s face took on a look of distress. “Are you saying he doesn’t know, yet?”

“No, he was there. The thing is, he left sometime during the night. Apparently with Gabriela’s body, because he took Petal. I thought maybe he took the train, but no one over there has seen him.”

“What about at the ranch office? Did you ask Val?”

“Didn’t even think of it. I guess I’m not doing that well, myself. I’ll go over there now.”

Lewin rose from behind the desk. “Hold on, I’ll go with you.”

On the walk over, Lewin asked, “What about the undertaker’s?”

“Of course,” Andy said. “Let’s go over there.”

But it was another futile effort. They went next to the Malik ranch office.

But Val hadn’t seen him, either.

Val said, “I can’t believe ... Gabriela. She was just so...,” he was looking at the floor, shaking his head. Then he looked up. “Listen, I need to tell Juanita. Hey! Maybe Emil went up to the Inn.”

Andy said, “I’m starting to think he’s not in town. If anyone had seen him, then you’d all have known about Gabriela.”

Walking up Jackson Street, Val asked, “When did he leave?”

“I don’t know, for sure,” Andy said. “I was sitting with him after she died, keeping vigil by her bed. He was in a straight back chair, still holding her hand. I was in one of those low, cushioned armchairs and I fell asleep, maybe around eleven o’clock. I woke up just past five and he was nowhere to be seen. Nor was Gabriela’s body.”