Cera's Place by Elizabeth McKenna

grabbed him into a bear hug. “It’s great to see you, my friend. I’m sorry you had to spend some time in my jail.”
    He grimaced as his former colonel’s enthusiasm sent pain shooting through his body. It took him a minute to answer. “Yes, the accommodations leave a lot to be desired.”
    “Well, that’s the idea.” The chief laughed but then stopped. “Did my boy do that to your face? Damn, I’m sorry.”
    “No, this is courtesy of a couple of thugs that I had a run in with. It’s all part of the long story.”
    “There’s a mighty good restaurant around the corner. How about we get some food and you tell it to me?” the chief suggested.
    Jake clapped his old friend on the shoulder. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
    As they walked to the restaurant, the chief filled him in on his life since the war ended. “I’ve been chief for almost three years now. It took the wife a bit of time to adjust to big city life, but now she’s fine.”
    “How do you keep up with the crime? From what I’ve seen, it’s a pretty rough town.”
    The chief sighed. “You’re right. I’ve got some good men working for me—and some questionable ones.”
    “Sounds like the Army,” Jake replied with a wry smile.
    “Yes, except I can’t shoot the traitors.” The chief stopped in front of a small restaurant. “Here we are, Sam’s Grill, best oysters in town.”
    After they had eaten and the server had delivered another round of beers, the chief leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grunt. “So, tell me your story and don’t forget to include the part where you got the shit kicked out of you. I never thought I would see the day that happened.”
    Jake grimaced good-naturedly. “Yes, but in my defense, my mind was preoccupied at the time.”
    “You weren’t thinking about a sassy Irish saloon owner, were you? It’s not often a woman stomps into my jail demanding the release of her man. Usually, if a man winds up in jail, the woman is more than glad to leave him there.”
    “Well, she is definitely a big part of my story, but I’m not ‘her man.’ I’m not really sure why she came to the jail.” He toyed with his beer glass. “I arrived in town a few days ago hoping to find the daughter of one of my soldiers, Sergeant Daniel Freedom.”
    “The one who died at Honey Springs?”
    He nodded. “Yes, it just so happens his daughter works for Cera. So as I was admiring Cera’s…saloon, I got the feeling something strange was going on there.”
    “Strange? How do you mean? As far as I know, she runs a legal place. I rarely have to send my men there.”
    “I don’t know. One of the serving girls said Cera had troubles and didn’t have time for me.”
    The chief let out a hearty laugh. “Oh come on, now, sounds like she was just trying to let you down easy. I’m sure there’s a few women who can resist your charms, maybe Miss Cassidy is one of them.”
    Jake also laughed but then shook his head. “No, it’s more than that. A few nights ago, this ugly fellow came in with two other men. Cera told him to leave—actually pulled her Derringer on him. I intervened and later that night, the two men jumped me.”
    “Do you know who the ugly fellow was?” the chief asked between swallows of beer.
    “I don’t know his first name, but his last is Biggs.”
    At the name, the chief doubled over coughing, causing the server to hurry over in concern. Clearing his throat, the chief waved her off. “She drew on Samuel Biggs? I’m surprised she’s still breathing.”
    “He’s that bad a character? He seemed as stupid as he is large.”
    The chief shrugged. “What he lacks in wit, he makes up for in meanness. I’ve been trying to put him in jail for the past couple of years, but he seems to have some very influential friends.”
    “Cera thinks he has your man Klein in his pocket,” he suggested.
    “Huh, that’s definitely a possibility.” The chief rubbed his face with both hands. “I get the feeling