with two other men.”
The bartender stared at Lancaster, then looked at Ledge. “What’s goin’ on, Ledge?”
“If I was you, I’d answer the man’s question.”
“We don’t like nobody comin’ in here askin’ no questions,” the bartender said. “You oughtta know that, Ledge. And why you come in here wearin’ a gun?”
“Because I’m thinkin’ I might have to shoot somebody,” Ledge replied.
“Sweet,” Lancaster said again. “With two other men, all stayin’ at the Autry House.”
The bartender’s eyes danced around in his head. He was either looking for help or just nervous that everyone in the room was now watching him to see what he’d say.
“Sweet, you say?”
“That’s right.”
“Wh-what’s he look like?”
“Trail clothes, probably thirties. The three of them were probably alike.”
“We gets lots of men—”
“Came in off the desert,” Lancaster said. “Stayed a couple of days, maybe.”
“I dunno—”
“Maybe you even sent them over to the Autry,” Ledge said. “You been known to do that, right, Eddie?”
Eddie the bartender gave Ledge an exasperated look, as if to say, Thanks a lot! “Well, sometimes—”
“Think hard, Eddie,” Ledge said. “Think real hard before you answer.”
Eddie was being watched by everyone in the bar, but he was wilting beneath the twin stares of both Lancaster and Ledge.
“Sweet,” he said, licking his lips. “Yeah, I think I remember somebody by that name. I mighta sent them to the Autry—him and his friends, I mean.”
“Did you ever hear them talking about where they might go after they left here?”
“I don’t think—”
“I already heard from somebody who said he did hear them talking in here,” Lancaster said, “so I’m just checking to see if you have the same information—or if you’re going to lie.”
Again, the bartender licked his lips. “Well…somebody mighta said somethin’ about going to Henderson.”
“Would it have been Sweet?”
“Now, that I really can’t tell ya,” Eddie said. “I don’t rightly remember which one said it. And that’s the truth.”
Lancaster turned and looked at the room. Half of the eyes slid away, but the others stared boldly back at him, as if daring him to challenge them.
Lancaster was in the mood for a challenge.
“Anybody here remember a man named Sweet?” he asked. “With a couple of partners?”
“Why’n’t ya go back where ya came from?” somebody asked. “Ya don’t belong here, askin’ questions.”
Lancaster pushed away from the bar and stood straight up. Ledge followed his lead.
“Who said that?”
Nobody answered.
“Come on,” Lancaster said, “you were brave enough to say something, be brave enough to take the credit.”
No answer. More eyes slid away; just a few were brave enough to at least keep staring.
“Bunch of cowards,” Lancaster said. “Now I see why you stay at this end of town and drink with the other yellow bellies.”
He turned back to the bartender.
“I find out you lied to me, I’ll be back to take this place apart,” he said, “and I’m in just the mood to do it.”
“Hey, I answered yer questions,” Eddie said. “Why take it out on me?”
“Because I don’t like the quality of your customers,” Lancaster said.
Eddie cast an accusing glance at his customers. For a moment Lancaster thought the bartender would point out the speaker, but it didn’t happen.
Lancaster looked at Ledge. “You got any idea who spoke?”
“I got a couple,” Ledge said. “I just might have a couple.”
Twenty-four
Ledge left the bar and walked over to a table of three men. Two of them looked away, but one of them held Ledge’s stare.
“What about you, Jimmy? You the big mouth?” Ledge asked.
Still staring back, the man named Jimmy said, “If it was me, Ledge, I’d say so.”
Ledge looked over at Lancaster. “Yeah, he’s right. He would.”
Ledge moved on to another table, this one with two men. He
The bartender stared at Lancaster, then looked at Ledge. “What’s goin’ on, Ledge?”
“If I was you, I’d answer the man’s question.”
“We don’t like nobody comin’ in here askin’ no questions,” the bartender said. “You oughtta know that, Ledge. And why you come in here wearin’ a gun?”
“Because I’m thinkin’ I might have to shoot somebody,” Ledge replied.
“Sweet,” Lancaster said again. “With two other men, all stayin’ at the Autry House.”
The bartender’s eyes danced around in his head. He was either looking for help or just nervous that everyone in the room was now watching him to see what he’d say.
“Sweet, you say?”
“That’s right.”
“Wh-what’s he look like?”
“Trail clothes, probably thirties. The three of them were probably alike.”
“We gets lots of men—”
“Came in off the desert,” Lancaster said. “Stayed a couple of days, maybe.”
“I dunno—”
“Maybe you even sent them over to the Autry,” Ledge said. “You been known to do that, right, Eddie?”
Eddie the bartender gave Ledge an exasperated look, as if to say, Thanks a lot! “Well, sometimes—”
“Think hard, Eddie,” Ledge said. “Think real hard before you answer.”
Eddie was being watched by everyone in the bar, but he was wilting beneath the twin stares of both Lancaster and Ledge.
“Sweet,” he said, licking his lips. “Yeah, I think I remember somebody by that name. I mighta sent them to the Autry—him and his friends, I mean.”
“Did you ever hear them talking about where they might go after they left here?”
“I don’t think—”
“I already heard from somebody who said he did hear them talking in here,” Lancaster said, “so I’m just checking to see if you have the same information—or if you’re going to lie.”
Again, the bartender licked his lips. “Well…somebody mighta said somethin’ about going to Henderson.”
“Would it have been Sweet?”
“Now, that I really can’t tell ya,” Eddie said. “I don’t rightly remember which one said it. And that’s the truth.”
Lancaster turned and looked at the room. Half of the eyes slid away, but the others stared boldly back at him, as if daring him to challenge them.
Lancaster was in the mood for a challenge.
“Anybody here remember a man named Sweet?” he asked. “With a couple of partners?”
“Why’n’t ya go back where ya came from?” somebody asked. “Ya don’t belong here, askin’ questions.”
Lancaster pushed away from the bar and stood straight up. Ledge followed his lead.
“Who said that?”
Nobody answered.
“Come on,” Lancaster said, “you were brave enough to say something, be brave enough to take the credit.”
No answer. More eyes slid away; just a few were brave enough to at least keep staring.
“Bunch of cowards,” Lancaster said. “Now I see why you stay at this end of town and drink with the other yellow bellies.”
He turned back to the bartender.
“I find out you lied to me, I’ll be back to take this place apart,” he said, “and I’m in just the mood to do it.”
“Hey, I answered yer questions,” Eddie said. “Why take it out on me?”
“Because I don’t like the quality of your customers,” Lancaster said.
Eddie cast an accusing glance at his customers. For a moment Lancaster thought the bartender would point out the speaker, but it didn’t happen.
Lancaster looked at Ledge. “You got any idea who spoke?”
“I got a couple,” Ledge said. “I just might have a couple.”
Twenty-four
Ledge left the bar and walked over to a table of three men. Two of them looked away, but one of them held Ledge’s stare.
“What about you, Jimmy? You the big mouth?” Ledge asked.
Still staring back, the man named Jimmy said, “If it was me, Ledge, I’d say so.”
Ledge looked over at Lancaster. “Yeah, he’s right. He would.”
Ledge moved on to another table, this one with two men. He
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