Chapter 12

12

JULY 8, 1927 SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA

For four days, I had gone back and forth between my lives in a quiet fog of anger and disappointment. After the frigate capture, I had hardly spoken to Marcus. I performed my duties on board the Ocean Curse but did little else. Whenever he entered the cabin, I found reason to leave it. I made sure I was asleep before he came in at night and lay in the cot with my back to the room until he was gone if I woke up before him. Every time our gazes met, I saw the pain in his eyes—yet I battled the compassion I felt for him, knowing he chose this lifestyle.

We would arrive in Nassau tomorrow. I was so anxious to meet my mother, I could think of little else in both 1727 and 1927. I didn't even want to consider what might happen if she wasn't there. Surely, someone would know where she had gone. Seeing her was all I wanted to focus on, since everything else in both my lives filled me with despair.

Alice still lived with us, despite my conversation with Andrew. She'd started to meet with my parents to discuss her skills and possible job opportunities, but it was taking longer than I would like. The sooner she moved out of our house, the better. Every day she remained was a threat. But that only begged more questions. It didn't make sense that she hadn't revealed the truth to my parents.

Which was why I was on my way to the Saint Paul Police Department on that sweltering July day. If Andrew wouldn't do something about Alice, then perhaps Thomas would. Alice had lived in Saint Paul before coming to our house. Maybe Thomas was privy to her situation and could help me persuade her to leave.

The Saint Paul Police Department had recently been moved to the Ramsey County Courthouse on Fourth and Wabasha Street. I left home after lunch and boarded the Hennepin Avenue electric streetcar. The open-air conveyance was sweltering, and the press of people made it worse. At Marshall Avenue I changed cars. This line ran from Minneapolis, across the Mississippi River, and into downtown Saint Paul where I made one more change at Selby Avenue.

The Ramsey County Courthouse was large and outdated, though it was still beautiful with a massive nine-story bell tower, steep roof, and detailed brickwork. The streetcar stopped right in front of the building, and I was happy to get off.

It took me a few minutes to find the police station inside the courthouse. I'd never visited Thomas at work and wasn't sure how he would feel about me showing up unannounced, but this couldn't wait until I saw him again. It could be weeks or months, and Alice needed to leave now.

The hallway outside the police station echoed with the tapping of my heels. A receptionist greeted me with a tired smile, and the busy office behind her was loud and chaotic. Dozens of police officers sat at desks doing paperwork, answering phone calls, or visiting over cups of coffee. There were people in plain clothing throughout the room, though it was hard to tell which ones might be criminals and which ones were there to make complaints or give testimonies.

"May I help you?" the receptionist asked me.

"Is Lieutenant Baldwin available?"

The woman looked me up and down with a critical eye. I was wearing a simple black-and-white-striped dress with a white wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off my face. I had put a little rouge on my cheeks and lips before I left, not even enough for Father to complain.

"He left for the day," a man said behind me.

Turning, I found Lewis entering the police station in uniform. For some reason, my heart started to hammer.

"Hello, Lewis."

"What are you doing here?" He didn't seem happy to see me, which was strange.

"I need to speak to Thomas. It's rather urgent."

He nodded his head toward the hall and opened the door for me to follow him.

We entered the hallway, and he walked several yards away from the station's front door before addressing me. "Thomas isn't here."

"Do you know where he is?"

"I have a good guess."

"Is he at his apartment?"

Lewis paused as he contemplated answering my question. Finally, he sighed and said, "I don't think so. It would be a waste of your time to look for him there."

"Where is he, Lewis?"

He frowned and crossed his arms. "What do you need from him? Can I help you?"

I clasped my purse in both hands and decided to trust him. "I need to speak to him about Alice Pierce. Andrew has done nothing to get her out of our parents' house, and I'm starting to get worried that he won't."

"And you think Thomas can help?"

Shame warmed my cheeks. "I was hoping that he might have some dirt on her."

Lewis's mouth parted, and he lowered his arms, a teasing yet incredulous look on his face. "Caroline Baldwin. Would you stoop so low?"

I couldn't meet his eyes, so I shrugged. "If it means protecting Father and Mother, then yes."

"Well, you don't want to go where Thomas is right now."

I looked up quickly, frowning. "Why not?"

He shook his head and turned slightly away in frustration, as if he'd said too much.

"Where is he, Lewis?" I took a step closer to him. "I'm his sister. I should know where he's at."

"Oh, really?" He looked down at me, a playful gleam in his eyes. "We're not kids anymore, Carrie. He's a grown man, and he has a right to his privacy."

"I need to talk to him, and I don't know when I can get away next." I tried to convey how serious I was. "Please, Lewis. This might not be important to you, but it's very important to me. If Alice does something to hurt Mother or Father, I couldn't live with myself."

I knew using Mother and Father would weaken his defenses. He sighed again. "It's not that I can't tell you. It's that you don't want to know."

"I don't think there's much you can tell me that I don't know about my brother." I whispered, "I—I know he's a crooked cop."

"Almost every cop in Saint Paul is crooked." Lewis's voice was filled with disgust.

"Are you crooked?"

He studied me for a second. "What if I said I was?"

I lifted my chin, anger and pain thumping in my chest. Thoughts of my brothers and Marcus coming to the forefront. "I'd tell you that I'm tired of deceitful, disrespectful, selfish men."

A half smile tilted up his lips, and I realized he was teasing me again. "Then I won't say it."

Frustration made me walk away from Lewis. I was tired of playing games, of being told I wasn't capable of taking my life into my own hands. In 1727, I had finally left my grandfather's expectations behind and done something for myself. In 1927, I was ready to do the same.

I didn't want Lewis to determine what I should and shouldn't know about my brother.

"Carrie," he said as he jogged to catch up to me before I exited the courthouse. He put his hand on my arm. "I'm sorry."

"I need to speak to my brother." I ignored his apology, my voice betraying the depth of my irritation. "I didn't come all the way down here for you to tell me I'm too innocent or na?ve or weak to deal with reality."

"I didn't say any of those things about you. I think you're one of the strongest women I know." He shrugged. "You might be na?ve and innocent, but that's what I like most about you. It's hard to come by nowadays, especially in my profession."

I pulled away from his hold, tired of him mocking me, and pushed open the front door.

The heat was unbearable as I stepped outside, like opening an oven door.

"I'm not going to keep chasing you," he said as he caught up to me again.

"And I'm not going to put up with you treating me like a child."

He put both his hands on my arms to still me. "I'm not trying to treat you like a child. I'm trying to protect you."

"I should be the judge about whether or not I need protection." I disentangled my arms.

"Fine." He crossed his arms again, almost angry. "He's at Nina Clifford's brothel."

I paused, horrified. "Are you teasing me again?"

"I wouldn't tease about something like this."

"Is he there as a police officer? Is there a raid?"

"Nina's house is the most protected business in Saint Paul." He stared at me, as if challenging me. "She pays a steep fee to keep the police out of her place—unless they are paying customers."

Disgust rolled over me, and heat climbed up my neck, burning my cheeks. "Thomas is—" I couldn't finish the statement.

"Every Friday afternoon when he gets off work."

"How can you be so flippant?"

He frowned. "You asked me not to coddle you, so here's the truth: Thomas frequents the most notorious brothel in Saint Paul at least once a week, and that's probably where he's at right now."

I lifted my chin, trying not to be as innocent or na?ve as he claimed I was. I had to deal with this reality, whether I liked it or not. I knew Thomas was crooked. Ruth had told me about the bribes he took and bragged about to Andrew. But I didn't realize he had lowered himself to such depravity.

Lewis took my hand and guided me to a bench under a large maple tree.

We took a seat, and I was thankful to be off my wobbly legs in the shade.

"I shouldn't have been so abrupt," he said.

"I asked you to tell me the truth."

"I know, but I should have eased into it."

I was happy I didn't have to look at him anymore. Sitting on the bench, I could focus on my hands or the sidewalk in front of us. I didn't want him to see the depths of my disillusionment.

"Your brother's a good guy," he said. "He's just trying to find his way."

"At a brothel?" I said it louder than I intended.

An older couple passing on the sidewalk looked up at me, startled.

Lewis chuckled. He was still holding my hand, and I was suddenly very aware of him. Of his cologne, his gentleness, his concern.

I removed my hand from his, needing space to think.

"I can tell him you stopped by," Lewis offered. "Maybe he'll swing by your parents', and you can talk to him then. From what I understand, he was kind of fond of Alice before she hooked up with Andrew."

"Thomas was fond of her?" The realization was startling.

"From what I heard."

It didn't matter; what mattered was getting Alice out of the house. "I can't risk my parents hearing us talk, and I don't want to wait any longer."

I stood, ready to face my next challenge.

"Where are you going?"

"To Nina Clifford's brothel. Can you tell me where it is, please?"

Lewis's mouth parted in surprise again, but he couldn't stop me. If he didn't tell me, someone else would.

And I was determined to talk to my brother, so I started to walk toward the east.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lewis said as he caught up to me.

"I thought you said you weren't going to chase me anymore."

"If you'd ever let me catch you, maybe I could stop."

I pushed his strange comment away and kept walking. "Am I going in the right direction?"

"No."

"You're lying. I'll find out where this brothel is, whether you tell me or not."

He growled. "You're the most stubborn person I know." He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me toward the west. "Walk for about five minutes this way, take a left onto Washington Street, go two doors down on the left, and you'll be at her front door."

I turned to him. "You're joking with me."

"I'm dead serious." And he looked it, too.

"Her brothel is practically right outside the police station?"

"Until last year, it was literally outside our front door. Nina built her brothel across the street from the old Central Police Station."

"On purpose?"

He started to walk west along Kellogg Boulevard with me. The street sat high above the Mississippi River, and the traffic was thick. Exhaust made the heat feel more suffocating as I waited for him to continue.

"Yes, on purpose."

"Why is the Saint Paul Police Department so corrupt?" I walked fast to keep up with him.

"Because of the O'Connor System."

When I didn't respond, he continued.

"The system started as a way to discourage criminal activity, but it has backfired since Prohibition. And with a new police chief, more corrupt than the last, it's worse than ever."

"What is the O'Connor System?"

"When a criminal comes into Saint Paul, they check in with Dapper Dan Hogan at the Green Lantern saloon on Wabasha Street, pay him a fee, and promise not to commit a crime while they're in the city. Some of the most notorious criminals in the country have had asylum here over the past seven years."

"What if they're being chased by federal agents? Don't the feds have jurisdiction over the local police?"

He shrugged. "The police tip off the criminals. It's part of the fee they pay for protection."

"They have time to get away?"

"That's how it works."

"And the police are getting rich off this system?"

"Exactly. It makes Saint Paul one of the safest cities in America, but Minneapolis has become one of the most dangerous places. The criminals can commit a crime there and then come into Saint Paul for asylum."

I glanced at him and saw he was serious. Of course I heard about all the crime in Minneapolis, but I'd never wondered why I didn't hear about as much in Saint Paul.

"And what about Nina?" I asked. "Or the other brothels and speakeasies?"

"We're told to turn a blind eye to them."

I paused. "How can you sleep at night?"

"Because—" He paused, as if he'd said too much. "Don't worry about it, Carrie. I find a way."

It was a strange answer, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know more. I'd already learned my brother was more corrupt than I'd realized. I didn't want to discover that Lewis was, too. Maybe that's why Mother didn't ask questions. She didn't want to know.

Perhaps I liked being na?ve and innocent. Maybe my parents had been kind to shelter me from the harsh reality around me. Grandfather, too, had protected me from the worst of the world. Had it been so bad to be unaware?

We took a left onto Washington Street, and I was surprised to find it was pleasant and respectable. Many of the houses were made of dark stone exteriors with pretty embellishments and manicured lawns.

"One of these is a brothel?" I asked, incredulous.

He only shook his head. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. What if someone recognizes you and tells your father?"

I hadn't thought about that, which was strange, since it was usually all I thought about.

Pausing, I put my hand on his arm. "Will you go in and ask Thomas to come out?"

He pulled back, surprised. "You think I want people to see me entering this place?"

"Please, Lewis."

"You are the most incorrigible person I know, Caroline Baldwin."

"Tenacity is a gift."

He rolled his eyes. "Stay here. I'll see what I can do."

I waited at the corner while he walked to the second house and up the stairs to the front door. He looked right and left, clearly uncomfortable, especially in his police uniform. But if the department was as corrupt as he claimed, who was going to get upset at him?

The door opened, and Lewis entered the house.

Sunshine beat down on me, and my skin was slick with sweat. I found shade under a tree, but it felt like hours as I waited for Lewis to emerge.

People passed on Kellogg and Washington, some even walking into the brothel, but no one seemed to pay me any attention. When someone looked my way, I turned my face, hoping to hide under the brim of my large hat.

Finally, the door opened, and Lewis stepped out with Thomas. I was both relieved and disappointed. I had hoped that Lewis was wrong, and Thomas wasn't at the brothel.

Anger radiated off my brother like heat waves as he approached. His face was red, whether from rage or embarrassment, I wasn't sure, but it was frightening.

Perhaps I should have waited to talk to him at another time.

Without a word, he took me by the upper arm and almost dragged me back toward Kellogg Boulevard.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" he asked through clenched teeth. "Are you insane, Carrie?"

"You're hurting me."

"Good. Maybe it'll knock some sense into you."

"Let her go, Thomas," Lewis said, coming up alongside me.

Thomas finally let me go but didn't stop walking.

"I need to talk to you," I said, trying to keep up with my brother.

He stopped abruptly. "Do you know—do you have any idea? What if someone saw you?"

"What if someone saw you?" I countered, my anger returning.

"It's not the same thing and you know it."

"It's exactly the same. We represent Father, just like he said during his sermon the other day."

"Don't be so na?ve, Carrie."

I clenched my hands. "I'm so tired of people saying that to me. I'm not stupid, Thomas. I know what you're doing is wrong, illegal, immoral, and just plain foolish! Whether you like it or not, we have a responsibility—"

"I've heard enough." He ran his hand through his hair. "You got my attention, what do you want?"

Lewis stood nearby, but he tried to look inconspicuous as we talked.

I took several deep breaths, trying to remember why I'd come. "I need you to get rid of Andrew's ... paramour." I didn't know what else to call her. "She will hurt our parents if we don't do something about it, and Andrew doesn't seem to care."

Something caught in Thomas's gaze at the mention of Alice, but he said, "What makes you think I do?"

"Please, Thomas. For Ruth, if for no other reason."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. You can think of something. I've asked her to leave, but she refuses. I can't tell our parents who she is or what we know about her without hurting them. Lewis said you might know her. Is that true?"

Again that same look. "I met her before Andrew did, while she was working at the Wabasha Street Caves. I was the idiot that introduced them."

"So it's true? Were you in love with her?"

He glanced toward the river, and his lack of a response was all I needed to know.

I had never heard of the caves, or that Thomas had been interested in Alice, and I didn't want to hear any more. "Please get her to leave. That's all I'm asking."

He let out a long breath. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"Now go home. You don't belong here."

"Come on," Lewis said. "I'll walk you back to the streetcar stop."

Thomas didn't bother saying goodbye and strode back toward Washington Street.

Lewis was silent for several minutes, and I had nothing left to say. I knew my brothers were living dishonorable lives, but I'd had no idea how debauched they'd become.

When we arrived at the courthouse, I tried to keep my chin up. Even though Lewis was aware of our family's secrets, I didn't know until today how much he knew. It was hard to look at him.

The streetcar bell rang as it drew closer. I turned to Lewis to say thank you, not sure how I would find my voice.

But he surprised me by taking my hand. "I'm sorry, Carrie. I wish I could give you a better world."

Then he lifted my hand to his lips, pressed a kiss, and headed back into the courthouse.