Read Online Bullets Don't Die by J. A. Johnstone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. A. Johnstone
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help us.”
“But if I’m not the marshal, then who is?”
“Riley Cumberland,” Bennett said.
“That’s not possible. He’s a little boy.”
Constance sighed. The Kid knew what she was thinking. They’d had this conversation before with Tate. Not as far as Tate was concerned, though. It was all new to him.
“I hate to say it,” Bennett said, “but maybe we need to go see Riley and ask him to release Ahern. It was easy to get carried away with the idea of standing up to the Broken Spoke, but if we do it’s liable to be the town’s ruination. Maybe if we let Ahern go now, he’ll spare most of us.”
Constance nodded toward The Kid. “What about Mr. Morgan here? You think Ahern’s gonna just forget about settling the score with him?”
With a surly look on his face, Bennett said, “No offense, Mr. Morgan, but we have to think about the good of the town—”
“So I’ll be the sacrificial goat,” The Kid said with a wry smile.
“It’s not that way, exactly—”
“You’re hoping Ahern will kill me and leave the rest of you alone. I don’t know what else you’d call it.”
“Nobody’s gonna be sacrificed,” Constance said. “Milt, I’m surprised to hear you talk this way.”
“Just trying to think about the good of the town,” Bennett said again, but he looked down at the table, clearly embarrassed.
The talk continued aimlessly for a while before The Kid said, “I think I’ll go back over to the jail and check on Marshal Cumberland.”
“Make sure he hasn’t already turned Ahern loose, you mean?” Constance asked.
“He said he was going out to the Broken Spoke to talk to Harlan Levesy. How long would that take?”
“The ranch headquarters is about an hour’s ride from here,” Bennett said. “Depending on when he left . . . if he left . . . he could be back pretty soon.”
Tate got to his feet at the same time The Kid did. “I’ll come with you. I may not be the marshal here anymore, although I still don’t see how that’s possible, but I know my way around the jail.”
Constance said gently, “Why don’t you stay here with me, Jared? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and I missed you, you know?”
The Kid looked at her and wondered if there had been any sort of romantic relationship between her and Tate. The two of them were about the same age, and evidently neither of them was married. They might have had to be discreet about it, what with him being the town marshal and her running a saloon, but it was possible. Whenever Constance looked at Tate, The Kid saw a gentleness and affection in her eyes that belied what seemed to be her usual hard-boiled attitude.
Tate responded to that as he moved around the table and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll come back, Constance, don’t worry about me. I just want to give The Kid a hand if he needs one.”
She reached up, put her hand on his where it rested on her shoulder, and squeezed. “All right. But be careful.”
She gave The Kid a hard look. She was holding him responsible for Tate’s safety.
He nodded slightly to show he understood. “Come on, Marshal.”
They left the Trailblazer and started up the street toward the jail. Copperhead Springs really did appear to be deserted. Lights burned only in the saloon and a few other buildings, one of which was the marshal’s office. Other than that, the town was dark and quiet as its citizens waited fearfully to see what was going to happen.
The Kid thought the door to the marshal’s office might be locked, especially if Cumberland wasn’t there, but it swung open easily when he twisted the knob. Cumberland wasn’t in the office, although a lamp burned on the desk. Through the small, barred window set into the door between the office and the cell block, The Kid could see only darkness. Loud, obnoxious snoring came from one of the cells. Jed Ahern had gotten tired of cussing and gone to sleep.
Tate stood in the center of the room and looked around
“But if I’m not the marshal, then who is?”
“Riley Cumberland,” Bennett said.
“That’s not possible. He’s a little boy.”
Constance sighed. The Kid knew what she was thinking. They’d had this conversation before with Tate. Not as far as Tate was concerned, though. It was all new to him.
“I hate to say it,” Bennett said, “but maybe we need to go see Riley and ask him to release Ahern. It was easy to get carried away with the idea of standing up to the Broken Spoke, but if we do it’s liable to be the town’s ruination. Maybe if we let Ahern go now, he’ll spare most of us.”
Constance nodded toward The Kid. “What about Mr. Morgan here? You think Ahern’s gonna just forget about settling the score with him?”
With a surly look on his face, Bennett said, “No offense, Mr. Morgan, but we have to think about the good of the town—”
“So I’ll be the sacrificial goat,” The Kid said with a wry smile.
“It’s not that way, exactly—”
“You’re hoping Ahern will kill me and leave the rest of you alone. I don’t know what else you’d call it.”
“Nobody’s gonna be sacrificed,” Constance said. “Milt, I’m surprised to hear you talk this way.”
“Just trying to think about the good of the town,” Bennett said again, but he looked down at the table, clearly embarrassed.
The talk continued aimlessly for a while before The Kid said, “I think I’ll go back over to the jail and check on Marshal Cumberland.”
“Make sure he hasn’t already turned Ahern loose, you mean?” Constance asked.
“He said he was going out to the Broken Spoke to talk to Harlan Levesy. How long would that take?”
“The ranch headquarters is about an hour’s ride from here,” Bennett said. “Depending on when he left . . . if he left . . . he could be back pretty soon.”
Tate got to his feet at the same time The Kid did. “I’ll come with you. I may not be the marshal here anymore, although I still don’t see how that’s possible, but I know my way around the jail.”
Constance said gently, “Why don’t you stay here with me, Jared? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and I missed you, you know?”
The Kid looked at her and wondered if there had been any sort of romantic relationship between her and Tate. The two of them were about the same age, and evidently neither of them was married. They might have had to be discreet about it, what with him being the town marshal and her running a saloon, but it was possible. Whenever Constance looked at Tate, The Kid saw a gentleness and affection in her eyes that belied what seemed to be her usual hard-boiled attitude.
Tate responded to that as he moved around the table and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll come back, Constance, don’t worry about me. I just want to give The Kid a hand if he needs one.”
She reached up, put her hand on his where it rested on her shoulder, and squeezed. “All right. But be careful.”
She gave The Kid a hard look. She was holding him responsible for Tate’s safety.
He nodded slightly to show he understood. “Come on, Marshal.”
They left the Trailblazer and started up the street toward the jail. Copperhead Springs really did appear to be deserted. Lights burned only in the saloon and a few other buildings, one of which was the marshal’s office. Other than that, the town was dark and quiet as its citizens waited fearfully to see what was going to happen.
The Kid thought the door to the marshal’s office might be locked, especially if Cumberland wasn’t there, but it swung open easily when he twisted the knob. Cumberland wasn’t in the office, although a lamp burned on the desk. Through the small, barred window set into the door between the office and the cell block, The Kid could see only darkness. Loud, obnoxious snoring came from one of the cells. Jed Ahern had gotten tired of cussing and gone to sleep.
Tate stood in the center of the room and looked around
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