who killed Wendell if it’s somebody different.’
Julia said in a rush. ‘If it is, I’ll grant you more time.’
‘Not a chance,’ Edge said and stretched out flat on his back again, pulled the blanket and coat up over him and the rifle and tipped his hat over his face. ‘Goodnight, ladies. If there’s enough of it left to say that. It there ain’t, morning to you.’
‘Okay, finish your sleep, Edge,’ Hannah invited tautly. ‘We’ll talk again after the new day has dawned. Maybe you’ll feel differently about things then.’
‘Like I said before,’ Edge growled into the interior of his hat. ‘Not a chance.’
‘You can’t be certain of that yet,’ Julia claimed evenly. ‘We’ll talk later. For now we could all do with some rest.’
Edge murmured so only he heard his own wryly spoken response: ‘No sweat, if the rest is history.’
CHAPTER • 6
__________________________________________________________________________
WHEN EDGE awoke he saw the rainfall in the night had been brief and light and the new day was bright with cold sunshine under a cloudless sky: next registered the crystal clear air smelled of wet pine needles, fire smoke, coffee and frying pork and beans. Hunger was a slight, not unpleasant ache in his belly as he sat up among his bedding, put on his hat and took some deep breaths as he rasped the back of a hand along a heavily bristled jaw line.
‘There’s enough of the morning left for me to wish you a good one, mister.’ Hannah Foster’s tone was sardonic and a matching smile was hinted at in her large green eyes and the slight twist of her full lipped mouth.
‘And we hope you’re feeling a little less grouchy after you’ve had such a fine, long sleep, Mr Edge.’ Julia McGowan’s voice was just a fraction less cynical and nothing approaching humour showed on her gaunt featured face. Her hazel eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot.
The fresh fire, with a coffeepot and a skillet in the glowing embers was some twenty feet away. The two women sat close by it on the other side from him on their saddles and blanket rolls, a clutter of used plates and cups scattered across the damp grass nearby. They looked well fed and more neatly turned out than he may have expected in the circumstances: but tired from having had less sleep than Edge or drained by their disparate emotions after the violent killings of Quaid and Munro. Each of them watched closely as he rose to his feet, stretched, groaned and massaged sharp muscular pains in his lower back and at his right shoulder.
Then the hazel eyes of the flat of chest, narrow of waist, brown haired Julia betrayed mild curiosity while the green ones of the more solidly built, long blonde haired Hannah held a glimmer of latent contempt.
‘If you’ll bring your crockery and tableware over here, you’re welcome to have some food and coffee,’ Julia offered.
Hannah said pointedly: ‘There’s enough in the skillet for you to have your breakfast and a noon meal, Edge. Which seems just about right for the time of day you finally got out of your – ‘
‘Look, let’s not rile each other!’ Julia snapped and directed a caustic look at the other woman. ‘I’m certain you want something to eat, Edge?’
‘It depends, lady.’
‘Depends on what?’
‘How much it’s going to cost me.’
Julia retorted: ‘Cost you? We aren’t going to charge you for – ‘
‘No strings,’ Hannah cut in on the literally minded Julia. ‘But while you’re eating, maybe we can put a proposition to you? And then if you’re not of a mind to help us . . . ‘
She shrugged. ‘Hell, we’ll just be down some pork and beans is all.’
Edge stooped to open a saddlebag and brought out a plate, mug and knife and fork. Then Julia ladled some food on to the plate while Hannah poured equally good smelling coffee into the mug he extended.
‘Listening with my mouth full is a lot easier than talking with it that way, ladies. But I have to tell
Julia said in a rush. ‘If it is, I’ll grant you more time.’
‘Not a chance,’ Edge said and stretched out flat on his back again, pulled the blanket and coat up over him and the rifle and tipped his hat over his face. ‘Goodnight, ladies. If there’s enough of it left to say that. It there ain’t, morning to you.’
‘Okay, finish your sleep, Edge,’ Hannah invited tautly. ‘We’ll talk again after the new day has dawned. Maybe you’ll feel differently about things then.’
‘Like I said before,’ Edge growled into the interior of his hat. ‘Not a chance.’
‘You can’t be certain of that yet,’ Julia claimed evenly. ‘We’ll talk later. For now we could all do with some rest.’
Edge murmured so only he heard his own wryly spoken response: ‘No sweat, if the rest is history.’
CHAPTER • 6
__________________________________________________________________________
WHEN EDGE awoke he saw the rainfall in the night had been brief and light and the new day was bright with cold sunshine under a cloudless sky: next registered the crystal clear air smelled of wet pine needles, fire smoke, coffee and frying pork and beans. Hunger was a slight, not unpleasant ache in his belly as he sat up among his bedding, put on his hat and took some deep breaths as he rasped the back of a hand along a heavily bristled jaw line.
‘There’s enough of the morning left for me to wish you a good one, mister.’ Hannah Foster’s tone was sardonic and a matching smile was hinted at in her large green eyes and the slight twist of her full lipped mouth.
‘And we hope you’re feeling a little less grouchy after you’ve had such a fine, long sleep, Mr Edge.’ Julia McGowan’s voice was just a fraction less cynical and nothing approaching humour showed on her gaunt featured face. Her hazel eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot.
The fresh fire, with a coffeepot and a skillet in the glowing embers was some twenty feet away. The two women sat close by it on the other side from him on their saddles and blanket rolls, a clutter of used plates and cups scattered across the damp grass nearby. They looked well fed and more neatly turned out than he may have expected in the circumstances: but tired from having had less sleep than Edge or drained by their disparate emotions after the violent killings of Quaid and Munro. Each of them watched closely as he rose to his feet, stretched, groaned and massaged sharp muscular pains in his lower back and at his right shoulder.
Then the hazel eyes of the flat of chest, narrow of waist, brown haired Julia betrayed mild curiosity while the green ones of the more solidly built, long blonde haired Hannah held a glimmer of latent contempt.
‘If you’ll bring your crockery and tableware over here, you’re welcome to have some food and coffee,’ Julia offered.
Hannah said pointedly: ‘There’s enough in the skillet for you to have your breakfast and a noon meal, Edge. Which seems just about right for the time of day you finally got out of your – ‘
‘Look, let’s not rile each other!’ Julia snapped and directed a caustic look at the other woman. ‘I’m certain you want something to eat, Edge?’
‘It depends, lady.’
‘Depends on what?’
‘How much it’s going to cost me.’
Julia retorted: ‘Cost you? We aren’t going to charge you for – ‘
‘No strings,’ Hannah cut in on the literally minded Julia. ‘But while you’re eating, maybe we can put a proposition to you? And then if you’re not of a mind to help us . . . ‘
She shrugged. ‘Hell, we’ll just be down some pork and beans is all.’
Edge stooped to open a saddlebag and brought out a plate, mug and knife and fork. Then Julia ladled some food on to the plate while Hannah poured equally good smelling coffee into the mug he extended.
‘Listening with my mouth full is a lot easier than talking with it that way, ladies. But I have to tell
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