Read Name On The Bullet - Edge Series 6 for Free Online

to defend your honour with over in the trees.’
    ‘It’s good to know one of you part-time half-ass lawmen can see sense,’ Munro drawled as Costigan finished patting him down. ‘Now, if you’ll listen to what we can tell you about – ‘
    ‘It’s too damn cold to stand around out here!’ Hooper broke in. ‘The two of you get mounted up. And no tricks: because if either one of you tries to make a run for it, both of you’ll get the kind of rough justice Arnie wanted to dish out awhile back.’
    The woman’s somehow attractive face was suddenly made ugly by a challenging sneer as she stooped to snatch up her coat and asked Edge: ‘You like any better what you saw of the back of me?’
    He signalled for her to follow Munro toward the pair of tethered horses and answered:
    ‘I saw for sure that you’ve got long hair, lady.’
    Mann sniggered. ‘You especially like for a woman to have long hair, Edge?’
    ‘Here and now I’d feel easier if Miss Foster’s was shorter, feller.’
    ‘How you like your women to look don’t make a hoot of frigging difference, mister!’
    O’Brian snarled.
    Hannah Foster halted beside Munro at the horses, took a firm grip on his arm and shared a quizzical frown between him and Edge.
    Munro finished fixing his bedroll to his saddle and asked with the trace of a smile: ‘Are you saying what I think you are, mister?’
    ‘Edge, you only got a quick look, for God’s sake!’ Hooper complained. ‘You can’t be that sure how long the woman’s hair was. You two get mounted like I told you, damnit!’
    Munro ignored the lawman and said in a rush: ‘Like I was telling you people! I figure we seen the couple you’re looking for. Not close enough to tell how long the dame’s hair was. But she was sure a blonde and so I figure you ought to – ‘
    ‘Shut up and get mounted up!’ Hooper shared his expanding anger between the prisoners and Edge: and had some to spare as he scowled at the rest of the men. ‘The same goes for you other guys. Anyone got anything meaningful to say will get his chance in court.’
    ‘Vic’s trying to tell you, the pair you really want to see in court are getting further away every moment of the time you’re wasting here!’ Hannah Foster implored. Munro seemed about to back her claim but then the fight drained out of him as the last remnants of short lived hope left his gaunt and pallid face. In its place he started to scowl his contempt as he shook free of the woman’s grip and climbed wearily astride his mount.
    ‘It’s no use honey,’ he sneered. ‘These boneheads are just eager to have anybody to hang without the trouble of making sure they’ve got the right ones.’ He spat at the ground.
    ‘Goddamn lawmen are all the Goddamn same every Goddamn place!’
    There was no further talk while the others mounted up and rode out of the clearing back on to the turnpike. O’Brian and Costigan at the front, then the two prisoners with Edge, Hooper and Mann bringing up the rear.
    ‘Except for the one called Edge,’ Munro muttered after awhile as the night closed in around them, bringing a more biting chill to the air that seemed intensified by the glittering light of the half moon filtered through the tree canopy. ‘But he’s out-voted: and he don’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d take any trouble to stand up for other people’s rights.’
    The sour-toned monologue drew no response and the mood of dejection continued to cling firmly to the group as they slowly rode back toward town, none of the Brogan Falls men revealing he felt any sense of achievement from the easy capture. Then Costigan turned in his saddle and asked doubtfully: ‘Are you real sure of what you saw, Edge?
    ‘Sure as I can be, feller.’ Edge continued rolling a cigarette.
    ‘Gene’s right, though, ain’t he? You didn’t see too much of the woman for too long?’
    The expression on the ranch hand’s weather beaten face pleaded for the answer to be the one he