people would snicker at him right in front of him. And when he’d finally leave, they’d laugh out loud and mock him. And then he went bust. He barely escaped with his life because by that time he owed everybody in town.”
She nudged me in the ribs.
“Don’t you be going out with any young girls.”
She went inside the newspaper office. I watched her friendly little bottom all the way in until it vanished behind the door.
Chapter 14
I sat up reading magazines until I started going in and out of sleep right there in the rocking chair. Then I decided to make it official. I went to bed. And then of course couldn’t get back to sleep right away.
I must have spent a long, useless hour trying to put together what I knew about Arnold Grieves’s time there in town. He sure wasn’t too concerned about his pregnant wife back home nor his assignment to find the counterfeiting ring working out in Junction City.
Finally, with no warning, sleep shut me down.
A furtive knock.
What the hell time was it?
Female voice: “Hurry. Hurry.”
Some sort of trap?
I got up, grabbing my Colt as I eased out of bed, and walked to the door.
Female voice: “Please let me in.”
I stood to the side of the door and opened it.
The only light was from a sconce in the hallway. She came in. She’d changed into a dark blue blouse and along skirt. She had a fine body and groggy as I was my own body began to respond to hers.
I wondered where her husband was. Maybe he was waiting downstairs. Maybe she was just getting the door open so he could rush in and spit at me.
She couldn’t see me as yet. I stepped behind her, gave her a nudge into the room and then closed the door.
“It’s dark in here, Mr. Ford.”
I went over and turned up the oil lamp.
“You aren’t very talkative.” The lamplight played gently on the nice cheekbones and the nice breasts.
I went over and sat on the edge of the bed. I used the Colt to point to the rocking chair. She carried a golden pint of some liquid. It had a champagne color. “You still haven’t said a word,” she said as she sat down.
“Why’re you here?”
And she hiccupped. Just a little. Actually it was sort of cute. But that and the somewhat wobbly way she’d walked to the rocking chair spoke of a little too much alcohol.
“I came to apologize for my husband.”
“He send you?”
She smiled. “You think anybody as jealous as he is would send me up to your room?” She shook her sweet head. “No, he’s back in our hotel room, passed out as usual.”
“So you just decided to come up here on your own?”
“Yes, though now that I’m here, I’m a little nervous.” Then: “Say, would you be a gentleman and get us a couple of glasses?”
“I don’t drink liquor if that’s what you’ve got in mind.”
“On the bureau. The bottle I brought. Pure apple juice from back East.”
That actually sounded good. I was lucky to find two tin cups, no priceless glassware, of course.
I was pouring a cup for her when I heard the bed squeak. When I turned around she was lying on her side, an elbow propping her head up, looking just about irresistible.
“You’re crazy, you know that? Or do you just want me to help you get rid of your husband? You tell him you came up here, he comes after me with a gun, and I’m forced to kill him. You’re free again.”
I handed her her apple juice. I’d sniffed it to be sure that was what it was and then I half emptied my own cup. She tilted hers back, too. “Don’t you like it?”
“Tastes very good. Now you’d better get up and leave.”
“A federal man. It must get awful lonely.”
“C’mon, let’s go.”
She laughed. “You don’t sound very convincing, Mr. Ford. I’m not real sure you actually want me to leave.”
I couldn’t disagree. I couldn’t find much of a voice to argue with her.
She held a slender hand out and said, “At least come over and sit down next to me for a minute.”
“Dammit, now. You’re
She nudged me in the ribs.
“Don’t you be going out with any young girls.”
She went inside the newspaper office. I watched her friendly little bottom all the way in until it vanished behind the door.
Chapter 14
I sat up reading magazines until I started going in and out of sleep right there in the rocking chair. Then I decided to make it official. I went to bed. And then of course couldn’t get back to sleep right away.
I must have spent a long, useless hour trying to put together what I knew about Arnold Grieves’s time there in town. He sure wasn’t too concerned about his pregnant wife back home nor his assignment to find the counterfeiting ring working out in Junction City.
Finally, with no warning, sleep shut me down.
A furtive knock.
What the hell time was it?
Female voice: “Hurry. Hurry.”
Some sort of trap?
I got up, grabbing my Colt as I eased out of bed, and walked to the door.
Female voice: “Please let me in.”
I stood to the side of the door and opened it.
The only light was from a sconce in the hallway. She came in. She’d changed into a dark blue blouse and along skirt. She had a fine body and groggy as I was my own body began to respond to hers.
I wondered where her husband was. Maybe he was waiting downstairs. Maybe she was just getting the door open so he could rush in and spit at me.
She couldn’t see me as yet. I stepped behind her, gave her a nudge into the room and then closed the door.
“It’s dark in here, Mr. Ford.”
I went over and turned up the oil lamp.
“You aren’t very talkative.” The lamplight played gently on the nice cheekbones and the nice breasts.
I went over and sat on the edge of the bed. I used the Colt to point to the rocking chair. She carried a golden pint of some liquid. It had a champagne color. “You still haven’t said a word,” she said as she sat down.
“Why’re you here?”
And she hiccupped. Just a little. Actually it was sort of cute. But that and the somewhat wobbly way she’d walked to the rocking chair spoke of a little too much alcohol.
“I came to apologize for my husband.”
“He send you?”
She smiled. “You think anybody as jealous as he is would send me up to your room?” She shook her sweet head. “No, he’s back in our hotel room, passed out as usual.”
“So you just decided to come up here on your own?”
“Yes, though now that I’m here, I’m a little nervous.” Then: “Say, would you be a gentleman and get us a couple of glasses?”
“I don’t drink liquor if that’s what you’ve got in mind.”
“On the bureau. The bottle I brought. Pure apple juice from back East.”
That actually sounded good. I was lucky to find two tin cups, no priceless glassware, of course.
I was pouring a cup for her when I heard the bed squeak. When I turned around she was lying on her side, an elbow propping her head up, looking just about irresistible.
“You’re crazy, you know that? Or do you just want me to help you get rid of your husband? You tell him you came up here, he comes after me with a gun, and I’m forced to kill him. You’re free again.”
I handed her her apple juice. I’d sniffed it to be sure that was what it was and then I half emptied my own cup. She tilted hers back, too. “Don’t you like it?”
“Tastes very good. Now you’d better get up and leave.”
“A federal man. It must get awful lonely.”
“C’mon, let’s go.”
She laughed. “You don’t sound very convincing, Mr. Ford. I’m not real sure you actually want me to leave.”
I couldn’t disagree. I couldn’t find much of a voice to argue with her.
She held a slender hand out and said, “At least come over and sit down next to me for a minute.”
“Dammit, now. You’re
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