having a rough time right now. They don’t mean any disrespect.”
Mercer leaned over and spat. “Who’d they expect? Wyatt Earp?”
Glancing at the judge, who was moving forward, Johnny said quietly, “Do you know Dirk Bledso?”
Mercer kept an eye on the restless crowd. “Sure, I know the Viper. Why?”
“Have you seen him lately?”
The gunman’s eyes returned to Johnny. “What’s it to you?”
“I have something that belongs to him.” A bullet with Bledso’s name on it.
Mercer leaned over and spat again. “So?”
Johnny kept his tone casual. “Bledso’s a hard one to catch up with. I suppose he and his brothers are still tearing up towns?”
Mercer made a sound like a laugh, but it was easy to see he wasn’t amused. “Yeah, those boys are real mean.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Wiping his mouth with his coat sleeve, Mercer frowned. “Haven’t seen Dirk in a while. Last time I bumped into him was over in Callum County—two, maybe three years ago.” The two men turned to look as the noise around the platform swelled again.
“Send him back,” the crowd yelled in unison.
Mercer eyed them sourly. “Them people are nuttier than a pet coon.”
Chapter Eighteen
R agan watched the unfolding spectacle, sick at heart.“
Roll me to the platform,” Judge McMann said to her. “I’m going to put a stop to this.”
Ragan pushed the chair through the noisy crowd, her eyes centered on Johnny and Mercer. What were those two talking about? Her heart sank. Did Johnny and Mercer know each other? Was Johnny thinking about doing something foolish? It would be simple to cause a ruckus and slip off through the crowd. Don’t jump to conclusions . She was being as unfairly judgmental as the others.
“Mayor Rayles!” Judge McMann shouted above the noise. The crowd parted and allowed the judge access to the platform.
When the mayor spotted McMann, he stepped down, mopping his brow. “Judge.” He nodded to Ragan. “We got ourselves in a real fine predicament here.”
Judge McMann moved closer. “What’s the problem, Carl?”
“Well…just look at Mercer. He’s not exactly what we had in mind.” Carl wiped his nose and then shoved the handkerchief back into his hip pocket. Sweat popped out on his forehead.
Heads swiveled to stare at the shootist.
Mercer stiffened, nailing the entire assemblage with a hard look, his hand perched defiantly on his Colt revolver.
Eyes switched back.
“Exactly what about him don’t you like, Carl?” the judge asked.
Carl leaned closer. “Look at him, Procky. He’s little—skinny as arail. And reedy—real reedy. We need a man for this job.”
Judge McMann’s eyes traveled to Mercer. “Seems to me you’re being a little unfair, aren’t you, Carl? Can’t tell a book by its cover.”
“I can read that book, Judge.” They turned to look at the spindly shootist.
“We’re sending him packing and demanding our money back,” Minnie declared.
“We can’t ask for our money back.” Carl mopped his forehead with his coat sleeve. “The man’s come all the way out here. We can’t ask for our money back just because he’s small.”
“We’ll pay for his fare, but you’ll have to get our deposit back, Carl.” Minnie snapped open her parasol. “And be quick about it. No use wasting the man’s time.”
Carl, perspiration trickling down his face, went to break the unpleasant news to Mercer.
Johnny moved back to stand by the judge as the mayor told Mercer that due to an unforeseen circumstance, his services would not be needed.
Judge McMann said softly, “Something tells me we’re making a mistake.”
Ragan turned, concern lining her face. “What do you think, Mr. McAllister? Could Mercer do the job?”
Removing his hat, Johnny ran a hand through his hair. What he thought didn’t matter. By now, there wasn’t enough money in the state to make Mercer stay. “Looks and size don’t make a man.”
“That’s true,” the judge
Mercer leaned over and spat. “Who’d they expect? Wyatt Earp?”
Glancing at the judge, who was moving forward, Johnny said quietly, “Do you know Dirk Bledso?”
Mercer kept an eye on the restless crowd. “Sure, I know the Viper. Why?”
“Have you seen him lately?”
The gunman’s eyes returned to Johnny. “What’s it to you?”
“I have something that belongs to him.” A bullet with Bledso’s name on it.
Mercer leaned over and spat again. “So?”
Johnny kept his tone casual. “Bledso’s a hard one to catch up with. I suppose he and his brothers are still tearing up towns?”
Mercer made a sound like a laugh, but it was easy to see he wasn’t amused. “Yeah, those boys are real mean.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Wiping his mouth with his coat sleeve, Mercer frowned. “Haven’t seen Dirk in a while. Last time I bumped into him was over in Callum County—two, maybe three years ago.” The two men turned to look as the noise around the platform swelled again.
“Send him back,” the crowd yelled in unison.
Mercer eyed them sourly. “Them people are nuttier than a pet coon.”
Chapter Eighteen
R agan watched the unfolding spectacle, sick at heart.“
Roll me to the platform,” Judge McMann said to her. “I’m going to put a stop to this.”
Ragan pushed the chair through the noisy crowd, her eyes centered on Johnny and Mercer. What were those two talking about? Her heart sank. Did Johnny and Mercer know each other? Was Johnny thinking about doing something foolish? It would be simple to cause a ruckus and slip off through the crowd. Don’t jump to conclusions . She was being as unfairly judgmental as the others.
“Mayor Rayles!” Judge McMann shouted above the noise. The crowd parted and allowed the judge access to the platform.
When the mayor spotted McMann, he stepped down, mopping his brow. “Judge.” He nodded to Ragan. “We got ourselves in a real fine predicament here.”
Judge McMann moved closer. “What’s the problem, Carl?”
“Well…just look at Mercer. He’s not exactly what we had in mind.” Carl wiped his nose and then shoved the handkerchief back into his hip pocket. Sweat popped out on his forehead.
Heads swiveled to stare at the shootist.
Mercer stiffened, nailing the entire assemblage with a hard look, his hand perched defiantly on his Colt revolver.
Eyes switched back.
“Exactly what about him don’t you like, Carl?” the judge asked.
Carl leaned closer. “Look at him, Procky. He’s little—skinny as arail. And reedy—real reedy. We need a man for this job.”
Judge McMann’s eyes traveled to Mercer. “Seems to me you’re being a little unfair, aren’t you, Carl? Can’t tell a book by its cover.”
“I can read that book, Judge.” They turned to look at the spindly shootist.
“We’re sending him packing and demanding our money back,” Minnie declared.
“We can’t ask for our money back.” Carl mopped his forehead with his coat sleeve. “The man’s come all the way out here. We can’t ask for our money back just because he’s small.”
“We’ll pay for his fare, but you’ll have to get our deposit back, Carl.” Minnie snapped open her parasol. “And be quick about it. No use wasting the man’s time.”
Carl, perspiration trickling down his face, went to break the unpleasant news to Mercer.
Johnny moved back to stand by the judge as the mayor told Mercer that due to an unforeseen circumstance, his services would not be needed.
Judge McMann said softly, “Something tells me we’re making a mistake.”
Ragan turned, concern lining her face. “What do you think, Mr. McAllister? Could Mercer do the job?”
Removing his hat, Johnny ran a hand through his hair. What he thought didn’t matter. By now, there wasn’t enough money in the state to make Mercer stay. “Looks and size don’t make a man.”
“That’s true,” the judge
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