Read The Reluctant Pinkerton for Free Online Page A

Francisco office. Roper had been expecting for a long time that the Pinkertons would open a Denver office. He wondered if they would ever ask him to run it, now that Allan was dead. Allan, himself, would have opened it just to compete with him.
    “I’m listening.”
    “We have clients in Fort Worth who are being besieged by…well, let’s say saboteurs.”
    “That’s a fancy word,” Roper said.
    “The Union Stockyard Company has plans to build a stockyard there,” William said. “Mike Hurley is the president of the company. He’s looking for investors—big-time investors—to back the construction. To that end, he’s going to be playing host to possible investors, including a Boston bigwig named Greenleaf Simpson. Now Simpson, should he invest, has plans to stop shippingthe cattle out of Fort Worth and start butchering and packaging it locally.”
    “So Fort Worth would no longer just be a stopping-off point,” Roper said.
    “Correct,” William said. “This could mean big money for Fort Worth, and for Texas.”
    “And somebody’s trying to ruin that?”
    “Definitely.”
    “What kind of sabotage are we talking about?”
    “Dead and mutilated cattle, fires, murder—”
    “Murder is more than sabotage,” Roper said. “Who’s investigating the murders?”
    “The local police.”
    “Why not the federal marshals or Texas Rangers?”
    “They haven’t been called in.”
    “Yet,” Robert said.
    “But you assume they will?”
    “Possibly,” William said, “but even then, marshals are not detectives. Neither are Rangers.”
    “I suppose not.”
    “We’ve been engaged to root out the saboteurs,” William said. “In doing that, we would put a stop to the fires, the dead cattle, and murder.”
    “So send someone.”
    “We don’t have anyone to send,” Robert said.
    “You have two thousand men working for you,” Roper said.
    “Strike breakers,” William said, “and manhunters. Not detectives.”
    “You’ve got to have somebody—”
    “No one with your credentials,” Robert said.
    “But I’m not a Pinkerton,” Roper pointed out.
    “And you don’t have to be,” William said. “We’re not asking you to join the agency. We’re just proposing that we…subcontract you.”
    “I see.”
    “We can work out a satisfactory fee schedule,” Robert said.
    “Fee schedule,” Roper repeated.
    At that moment the waiter appeared with their dinners. The conversation—or perhaps “negotiation” would have been a better word—was suspended until he had finished and withdrawn.

6
    “We know that your fees are high,” Robert said after a few moments.
    “Higher than yours?” Roper asked.
    “That’s not germane,” Robert said. “We’re willing to pay your fee.”
    “I don’t know, fellas,” Roper said, cutting into his steak. It was medium rare, but he didn’t mind. After all, nobody asked him.
    “Are you well known in Fort Worth?” William asked.
    “I’m not, actually,” Roper said. “In fact, I’m really not well known on sight anywhere.”
    “We understand that you are clever with disguises,” Robert said.
    “I’ve had my moments.”
    “Look,” William said, “you can decide on your own approach to the job. Go in as yourself, or go in undercover. It’s up to you.”
    Roper chewed his steak and regarded the two brothers.
    “There’s something else going on here,” he said.
    “What do you mean?” Robert asked.
    “Don’t you find this unusual?” Roper asked. “That thePinkertons would try to subcontract me? Me, of all detectives in the country? Why not Heck Thomas? Frank Dodge? Jim Hume?”
    William hesitated, then said, “You’re better.” Roper could see how much it hurt the man to say it. It almost broke his jaw. And Robert was grinding his teeth.
    “What do you say, Roper?” William asked.
    “I say I’ll have to think about it.”
    “How long?”
    “Just overnight,” Roper said. “I’m not looking to stay in Chicago much beyond