Read Online Longarm #398 : Longarm and the Range War (9781101553701) by Tabor Evans - Free Book Online

but that’s all right. Shove that bowl o’ peanuts over here, would you? I’ll take a handful o’ them. I can set on one o’ those benches over by the courthouse an’ shell the little sons o’ bitches.”
    Helen chuckled. “I think I can do better than that. I haven’t had supper yet myself, so why don’t you join me?”
    â€œLady, that’s the best offer I’ve had all day. Thanks.”
    â€œIt will be nice to have company for a change.” She smiled. “I deal with people all day every day, but I never have any company, if you see what I mean.”
    â€œSure. It’s the difference between workin’ and visitin’. I get the same thing, I expect.”
    â€œSo you will do it?” she asked.
    â€œI’d be pleased to.” He yawned again.
    Helen lived in rooms behind her saloon. She turned the OPEN sign in the window over so that it read CLOSED instead and pulled the roller blind down before she bolted the door and extinguished all but one of the lamps burning along the walls. “This way,” she said, indicating a door behind the bar.
    Helen went in first; she struck a match and lighted a lamp, then turned the wick up and lighted two more before she was satisfied. “I cook simple rather than fancy,” she warned.
    â€œSimple is fine by me,” Longarm said.
    â€œIt seems I’ve caught you at a good time for my brand of cooking.” She laughed. “You’re too tired to know if it’s good or bad. Truth is, I’m not much of a cook. But I’ll thank you to keep from saying so. To my face anyway.”
    â€œLike you said, I’m too damn weary t’ know the difference tonight.”
    â€œSit over there, Custis. I’ll stir up the coals and get things moving.”
    â€œIs there anything I can do?” he asked.
    â€œThere is. You can stay out of the way. Would you like a shot or a beer to hold you off?”
    â€œNo, I’m fine. Really.” He sat where Helen indicated and watched while first she built up the fire inside a cast iron stove no larger than a sheepherder-style camp stove, then poured water and put it on to heat for coffee. Once that was done, she dropped a large nugget of lard into a skillet and sliced in a generous mess of spuds. She sliced slabs of bacon into the same skillet and set it onto the fire.
    â€œNow we wait,” she said, joining Longarm at the table. “Tell me about your day,” she offered.
    He found himself doing exactly that. He told himself he hoped to get a local perspective on the situation in McConnell County. The truth was that Helen Birch was a good listener, and Custis Long was half-asleep and in a mood to talk with the handsome woman.
    He rattled on right through the process of cooking—she was right; cooking was not one of her talents—and on through the meal. By the time the simple meal was finished, he had pretty much exhausted the subject of his rather frustrating day.
    â€œIt’s the Mexicans I can’t get a handle on,” he told her. “The Basques at least have one English-speaking fella I can talk to.”
    â€œThat would be Eli,” she said.
    â€œYou know him?”
    â€œOf course I know him. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but Dwyer is a small town. I know everybody. Besides, Eli doesn’t only visit the girls at Rosie’s. Sometimes he likes to come here for a quiet drink.”
    â€œRight. Anyway, the Mexicans I can’t talk to. Do you know anything about them making threats to the Basques?”
    â€œI’ve heard the rumor,” Helen said. “I don’t know how true it is.”
    â€œThe Basques believe it. I suppose in a manner of speaking that makes it true enough.”
    â€œTrue enough to cause trouble,” Helen agreed. She yawned. “Excuse me.”
    Longarm very quickly followed suit with a yawn of his own. “Damn things are contagious,