doctor said, trying
hard to be diplomatic.
"Probably not,"
Longarm agreed. "But he attempted to shoot me. And his nephew
was part of the same gang that derailed that train at Laramie
Pass."
The doctor
frowned. "You've gone on record as stating that, but where is
your evidence?"
Longarm had the
newspaper page he'd found in the wastebasket but knew that it was
insufficient to use in any court of law. "I'd rather not reveal
it right now. But something I found tells me Blake was part of
that gang."
The doctor walked
over to the window and stared down at the street where the angry
crowd was milling. "Deputy, I'm afraid that we've got quite a
problem. I'll do whatever I can to calm them down."
"That would be
appreciated," Longarm said.
Wilson turned away
from the window and it was clear that something was bothering
him.
"Speak up,"
Longarm said. "I can tell that you have something on your
mind."
"All right," the
doctor said, "You know the law better than I do. So you
understand that if it hadn't been for Milly getting so badly
beaten, you'd be charged with murder and very likely facing
prison, maybe worse."
"Blake Huntington
helped to derail that train."
"So you keep
saying" the doctor replied, "but he and his rich uncle were also
quite popular here. They had plans to invest in Laramie and
people looked up to them both. Now you come along, and all of a
sudden Blake is dead, and some of the people below see a chance
for some big investments flying out the window just like
Blake."
"Blake had no
money," Longarm said. "I'm sure of that."
"Maybe not, but
his uncle did and they were a team." Wilson raised his
eyebrows. "I think that our sheriff was very much indebted to
them both."
"What are you
trying to say?"
"I wouldn't trust
Ike Cotton with my back," the doctor said bluntly. "That's what
I'm trying to tell you."
"Thanks for the
warning." Longarm had already reached the same troubling
conclusion.
"Also," the doctor
added, "I should warn you that Clarence Huntington has made it
public that he is doing everything possible to have you arrested
and tried for murder."
"He
is?"
"That's right."
Doctor Wilson gave Milly some powders for the pain in her head.
"You stay in bed, young lady."
"I will," Milly
promised, winking at Longarm.
"By yourself!"
the doctor ordered sternly.
Milly tried to
giggle, but it was too painful. It hurt Longarm to see Milly in
pain. He should have acted quicker.
"What's wrong?"
she asked.
"The bald truth of
the matter is that I've completely messed things up. First I lost
Eli Wheat; then I shot one of the gang instead of arresting him
and getting a handle on the others; then finally, I couldn't
climb out from under a bed fast enough to save you from a
beating."
"No one could have
known that they were going to derail a train to free Eli Wheat
and rob the mail car," Milly argued. "And you saved a lot of
people that otherwise would have died on that su-"
"Maybe so,"
Longarm said, knowing it was the truth.
"There is no maybe
about that," Dr. Wilson said. "I heard what you did after the
train wreck. That's why I know that you would not have thrown
Blake Huntington through that window to his death on
purpose."
"Thanks," Longarm
said.
Doctor Wilson
smiled. "Milly, I'll return tomorrow to see how you are
feeling."
When they were
alone again, Longarm moved back to the window. He did not open
the shade, but lifted it slightly and peered down at the angry
crowd. He saw the doctor emerge and then begin to try to argue
with the crowd, only to be met with a good deal of anger and
resistance. Some of it was coming from none other than Sheriff
Ike Cotton.
Reaching a
decision, Longarm turned back to the room and said, "Milly, you
haven't been just kidding me in the past about having money, have
you?"
Milly was clearly
taken aback by the abrupt question. "I wouldn't kid about that.
So why do you ask? Are you thinking about marrying me
hard to be diplomatic.
"Probably not,"
Longarm agreed. "But he attempted to shoot me. And his nephew
was part of the same gang that derailed that train at Laramie
Pass."
The doctor
frowned. "You've gone on record as stating that, but where is
your evidence?"
Longarm had the
newspaper page he'd found in the wastebasket but knew that it was
insufficient to use in any court of law. "I'd rather not reveal
it right now. But something I found tells me Blake was part of
that gang."
The doctor walked
over to the window and stared down at the street where the angry
crowd was milling. "Deputy, I'm afraid that we've got quite a
problem. I'll do whatever I can to calm them down."
"That would be
appreciated," Longarm said.
Wilson turned away
from the window and it was clear that something was bothering
him.
"Speak up,"
Longarm said. "I can tell that you have something on your
mind."
"All right," the
doctor said, "You know the law better than I do. So you
understand that if it hadn't been for Milly getting so badly
beaten, you'd be charged with murder and very likely facing
prison, maybe worse."
"Blake Huntington
helped to derail that train."
"So you keep
saying" the doctor replied, "but he and his rich uncle were also
quite popular here. They had plans to invest in Laramie and
people looked up to them both. Now you come along, and all of a
sudden Blake is dead, and some of the people below see a chance
for some big investments flying out the window just like
Blake."
"Blake had no
money," Longarm said. "I'm sure of that."
"Maybe not, but
his uncle did and they were a team." Wilson raised his
eyebrows. "I think that our sheriff was very much indebted to
them both."
"What are you
trying to say?"
"I wouldn't trust
Ike Cotton with my back," the doctor said bluntly. "That's what
I'm trying to tell you."
"Thanks for the
warning." Longarm had already reached the same troubling
conclusion.
"Also," the doctor
added, "I should warn you that Clarence Huntington has made it
public that he is doing everything possible to have you arrested
and tried for murder."
"He
is?"
"That's right."
Doctor Wilson gave Milly some powders for the pain in her head.
"You stay in bed, young lady."
"I will," Milly
promised, winking at Longarm.
"By yourself!"
the doctor ordered sternly.
Milly tried to
giggle, but it was too painful. It hurt Longarm to see Milly in
pain. He should have acted quicker.
"What's wrong?"
she asked.
"The bald truth of
the matter is that I've completely messed things up. First I lost
Eli Wheat; then I shot one of the gang instead of arresting him
and getting a handle on the others; then finally, I couldn't
climb out from under a bed fast enough to save you from a
beating."
"No one could have
known that they were going to derail a train to free Eli Wheat
and rob the mail car," Milly argued. "And you saved a lot of
people that otherwise would have died on that su-"
"Maybe so,"
Longarm said, knowing it was the truth.
"There is no maybe
about that," Dr. Wilson said. "I heard what you did after the
train wreck. That's why I know that you would not have thrown
Blake Huntington through that window to his death on
purpose."
"Thanks," Longarm
said.
Doctor Wilson
smiled. "Milly, I'll return tomorrow to see how you are
feeling."
When they were
alone again, Longarm moved back to the window. He did not open
the shade, but lifted it slightly and peered down at the angry
crowd. He saw the doctor emerge and then begin to try to argue
with the crowd, only to be met with a good deal of anger and
resistance. Some of it was coming from none other than Sheriff
Ike Cotton.
Reaching a
decision, Longarm turned back to the room and said, "Milly, you
haven't been just kidding me in the past about having money, have
you?"
Milly was clearly
taken aback by the abrupt question. "I wouldn't kid about that.
So why do you ask? Are you thinking about marrying me
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