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by a light supper in the hotel dining room. The trial for which he had come to town was scheduled to begin the following day, and adhering to his usual pattern, Harrison was eager to enjoy a night of relaxation at his preferred pleasure palace before assuming his “professional” title as “His Honor” at ten o’clock the next morning.
    Judge Harrison would be presiding over the trial of a man accused of horse theft and attempted murder: an ex–Union soldier named Ehron Lee Burrows. Harrison had been wired all the details of the crime, and it looked to be a simple trial. Harrison dispensed justice by following the letter of the law, and there appeared to be little defense for the accused, outside of a probable plea for leniency from his attorney. But when he reviewed the evidence offered, Harrison saw no reason to grant such a request. Horse thievery in itself was a hanging offense; a vicious assault upon a helpless old man only compounded the seriousness of the crime. Much to his satisfaction, Judge Harrison could not see the trial lasting beyond a day.
    But that would be dealt with tomorrow. He had other less sordid duties to pursue this night.
    With Justice observing peace and quiet at this late hour, town activity was now confined to the saloon, where men played cards or just socialized over drinks. Harrison quietly exited out the back of the hotel and walked casually through the empty streets, ostensibly on a nightly constitutional but, in fact, making his way to the bordello. The bordello was a well-maintained, wood-framed, two-story house that prior to its present status had a respectable heritage. Ironically the house had been owned by a man called Justice, for whom the town was named. Percival Justice had founded the town after spending most of his life at sea and acquiring a substantial fortune in the shipping industry. The town never quite achieved the level of expansion Percival had hoped for during the years he settled there, and following his death, with most of his funds tied up in businesses that turned only a meager profit, and with no heirs to whom he could leave his estate, his house, perhaps his one worthwhile asset, was purchased by Rosina Perez, a Mexican madam of some wealth, who saw her own enterprising way of expanding her profits. She succeeded quite admirably, as her establishment was clean and comfortable, and tastefully decorated. The girls who worked for her were both professional in their duties (most had come with Rosina when she emigrated from Mexico) and proper in their care and hygiene. And most important, Rosina operated her business with respect to discretion. Her reputation was such that customers were known to come from all parts of the territory to partake of the pleasures of her establishment.
    The house was situated just outside town, within walking distance but far enough from official boundaries not to be considered a part of Justice itself. The services provided by the bordello were accepted but not acknowledged by the town officials.
    A narrow, willow-bordered pathway provided entry to the grounds, the dense overhang offering suitable protection of anonymity for nocturnal visitors to the house.
    Judge Harrison’s arrival was expected and so the back door was unlocked for him. He climbed the stairs to his room, where he checked his pocket watch and saw that he was about fifteen minutes early for his appointment, which was how he preferred it. He never wanted his “companion” to be waiting for him. He was a man of meticulous routine, and this extended even to his pleasures. Arriving early allowed him time for a drink (a bottle of champagne was always set on the nightstand) and to prepare himself by spraying the room, and his person, liberally with imported perfume.
    Almost as an afterthought, he removed the wedding band from his finger and placed it in the pocket of his trousers.
    When his companion for the night announced her presence with a