The Devil You Know by Jo Goodman Page B

his demeanor from his hunched shoulders to the way he was biting the inside of his cheek was a study in sheepishness. “I got nothing.”
    â€œZach? There is a lot of time to fill in. Suppose you do that for us.”
    â€œCutter did not give all his money to his ma. He had enough for a few drinks in the saloon and a roll with Louisa Keys upstairs. That’s where I found him. I’d say more but a pup needs a scold not a beating.”
    Cutter groaned softly and blushed to the roots of his wheat-colored hair.
    Zach was unsympathetic. “If you didn’t want anyone to know, you shouldn’t have stayed so long at the fair.”
    â€œI was asking Louisa questions same as I asked everyone else,” he said defensively.
    â€œUh-huh. Did she know anything?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought.” Zach turned back to Willa. “He needed some sobering up so I took him to the hotel for supper.” Here his gaze rolled over to Cutter again. “Which you will pay me for because there wasn’t a damn thing about it that was my treat.”
    Willa pressed her lips together, but it was only to smother her laughter.
    Happy slapped his thigh.
    Israel put three fingers to the side of his head and closed his eyes.
    There was silence, and then Willa’s gaze darted between Cutter and Zach. “Did one or both of you recall that you were supposed to bring back clothing for Mr. McKenna?”
    â€œIsrael,” he said, although there was no real insistence behind it.
    Willa’s focus never wavered from her ranch hands, but she spoke to Israel. “Why don’t you lie down?”
    He removed his hand from his temple. “Can’t. Might miss something.”
    Happy snickered. “Then if you’re not going to puke, you should probably open your eyes. At least the one you can see out of.”
    Israel needed just one open eye to slide a jaundiced look at Happy. That look was only slightly less cutting than he intended because he was white-knuckling the edge of the table at the same time.
    Willa continued to regard Cutter and Zach expectantly. “The clothes?”
    â€œIn my saddlebag,” Cutter said. He added in a much smaller voice, “Which I left in the barn after I tended to the horses.”
    Zach put up his hands, palms out in a gesture that was meant to communicate no responsibility in the matter. “He said he had everything when I found him. I asked.”
    â€œGot everything at the mercantile,” said Cutter. “Mr. Christie had his hands full with Mrs. Hardesty and her daughter choosing china patterns so he was distracted when he was adding up the purchases. He had it right to the penny, of course, but he didn’t seem to notice that the clothes couldn’t have all been for me. I did not put it on your credit. Paid cash like you said, and I got out of there.”
    â€œAnd
then
,” said Zach, “he went to Liberty Saloon.”
    They all nodded as one, even fair-haired Cutter, who was flushing to the roots of his hair again.
    Willa asked the table at large, “So what do we know?”
    This was followed by a lengthy silence.
    She swiveled her head in Israel’s direction. “Anything you heard sound familiar? Like it might have happened to you?”
    He was a long time answering. “No,” he said finally. “None of it.”
    â€œYou’re sure?”
    â€œI went through it all again. The train, the hotel, the bags, the saloon. Nothing. I
want
to remember.”
    â€œIf it was you,” said Happy, “what do you think you were carrying in those bags?”
    â€œClothes? Look, Happy, I am not a peddler. I never sold hair tonic or miracle cures or ladies’ necessaries.”
    â€œShame.”
    Willa’s eyes narrowed sharply. “So you
do
remember how you made your living.”
    â€œI told you it would come to me directly.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œIt did.