sleeve.
Whispered: “Thank you.”
The warm day was now a cold one. Above the Rockies, ancient serpents in the form of dark clouds slithered across the gray sky, coiling and uncoiling and seeming to wrap themselves around the jagged tops of mountains.
The people in the streets responded the way forest animals would. They moved a little faster, watched the sky furtively, bent their heads to the increasing wind.
“Storms scare me,” Laura Flannery said as we moved along the street. “When I was little, I used to hide in the closet until they were over. I guess it was the wind more than anything. I still don’t like the sound of it when it comes down from the mountains the way it’s starting to now.”
“Probably be a bad one,” I said. I wondered what was on her mind.
“You could get me into a lot of trouble if you repeat what I ask you to do.”
“Oh? How would that be?”
“I want you to bring Mike Chaney in.”
Chaney and John Flannery had fought over her. She had married Flannery. Now she was asking me to bring Chaney in.
“Those two will kill him. They had supper at our house last night. They’re terrible men. I hope you’ll forgive me for saying that.”
“I’m afraid that it’s their assignment. I’m in town on another matter. I can talk to them but they’re in charge of the Chaney case.”
“Will they listen to you? I got the impression that they didn’t like you very much. I’m sort of surprised to see men like that working for the government.”
“They have their uses. They’ve done some good work.”
She laughed. “You’re quite the diplomat. Aren’t you just churning inside to tell me what trash they are?”
I smiled. “‘Churning’ is a little strong.”
“Then you don’t like them, either.”
“As I say, they have their uses.”
In a whisper almost lost to the wind, she said: “Damn.”
I didn’t need an introduction to know who he was. He wasn’t a showboat but he did have the stride of the overboss, the plantation manager, the man in charge of the chain gang. He wore a black bowler, which he barely kept on his head in the wind and a long, expensive black coat. He was more handsome than he needed to be and when he saw us,he put on a smile that a politician would envy—big and empty.
“Well, I see my wife has a new friend,” he said. It was one of those statements that had a whole lot of troubled history in it.
“Mr. Ford, this is my husband, John. John, Mr. Ford is a federal agent.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Ford. Your associates were telling me all about you last night.”
I gave him my own fake smile right back. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“I’m sure my wife told you all about our supper last night. I’m afraid she wasn’t taken with them. But she seems to find you just about right.”
The implication of that made her blush.
“Was she asking you to spare Mike’s life? She wouldn’t let go of that subject last night. That’s why she doesn’t like them, of course. Afraid they’ll kill the town hero—even though he’s stealing from the bank that puts the food on our table.”
He extended a gloved hand and we shook.
“I have to get back to work. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ford.” And then he winked at me, making sure his wife saw it. “Have her home by dark, otherwise I might get suspicious.”
His smile back in place, he walked on down the street.
I wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“Maybe I’d better get home,” she said. Easy to see that she was embarrassed by how he’d treated her. Her eyes gleamed with tears. He’d just beaten her up pretty badly. He was smart enough to use words instead of fists. Looks bad when the wife of the bank president is all black and blue. She started away and then turned back to me and said: “John really wants to see somebody kill Mike.”
Then she was gone.
Chapter 9
“W hat the hell do you want, Ford?”
“I’m going to ruin your day for you, Harry. You too,
Whispered: “Thank you.”
The warm day was now a cold one. Above the Rockies, ancient serpents in the form of dark clouds slithered across the gray sky, coiling and uncoiling and seeming to wrap themselves around the jagged tops of mountains.
The people in the streets responded the way forest animals would. They moved a little faster, watched the sky furtively, bent their heads to the increasing wind.
“Storms scare me,” Laura Flannery said as we moved along the street. “When I was little, I used to hide in the closet until they were over. I guess it was the wind more than anything. I still don’t like the sound of it when it comes down from the mountains the way it’s starting to now.”
“Probably be a bad one,” I said. I wondered what was on her mind.
“You could get me into a lot of trouble if you repeat what I ask you to do.”
“Oh? How would that be?”
“I want you to bring Mike Chaney in.”
Chaney and John Flannery had fought over her. She had married Flannery. Now she was asking me to bring Chaney in.
“Those two will kill him. They had supper at our house last night. They’re terrible men. I hope you’ll forgive me for saying that.”
“I’m afraid that it’s their assignment. I’m in town on another matter. I can talk to them but they’re in charge of the Chaney case.”
“Will they listen to you? I got the impression that they didn’t like you very much. I’m sort of surprised to see men like that working for the government.”
“They have their uses. They’ve done some good work.”
She laughed. “You’re quite the diplomat. Aren’t you just churning inside to tell me what trash they are?”
I smiled. “‘Churning’ is a little strong.”
“Then you don’t like them, either.”
“As I say, they have their uses.”
In a whisper almost lost to the wind, she said: “Damn.”
I didn’t need an introduction to know who he was. He wasn’t a showboat but he did have the stride of the overboss, the plantation manager, the man in charge of the chain gang. He wore a black bowler, which he barely kept on his head in the wind and a long, expensive black coat. He was more handsome than he needed to be and when he saw us,he put on a smile that a politician would envy—big and empty.
“Well, I see my wife has a new friend,” he said. It was one of those statements that had a whole lot of troubled history in it.
“Mr. Ford, this is my husband, John. John, Mr. Ford is a federal agent.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Ford. Your associates were telling me all about you last night.”
I gave him my own fake smile right back. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“I’m sure my wife told you all about our supper last night. I’m afraid she wasn’t taken with them. But she seems to find you just about right.”
The implication of that made her blush.
“Was she asking you to spare Mike’s life? She wouldn’t let go of that subject last night. That’s why she doesn’t like them, of course. Afraid they’ll kill the town hero—even though he’s stealing from the bank that puts the food on our table.”
He extended a gloved hand and we shook.
“I have to get back to work. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ford.” And then he winked at me, making sure his wife saw it. “Have her home by dark, otherwise I might get suspicious.”
His smile back in place, he walked on down the street.
I wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“Maybe I’d better get home,” she said. Easy to see that she was embarrassed by how he’d treated her. Her eyes gleamed with tears. He’d just beaten her up pretty badly. He was smart enough to use words instead of fists. Looks bad when the wife of the bank president is all black and blue. She started away and then turned back to me and said: “John really wants to see somebody kill Mike.”
Then she was gone.
Chapter 9
“W hat the hell do you want, Ford?”
“I’m going to ruin your day for you, Harry. You too,
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