back. But he wouldn’t go back. And then he started seeing a lot of other women. Then she finally married Flannery.”
“Did Flannery and Mike ever have it out?”
“No. I was afraid Flannery might hire somebody to beat up on Mike. He’s been known to do that before.”
I finished my coffee.
“So you think Laura really loves Mike?”
“Yes. That’s the funny thing. She does love him. But then she looks at Flannery’s mansion and fancy carriages and his trips to Europe—any woman could get her head turned that way.”
“You could?”
She had a nice gentle smile.
“Not me, but Flannery’s a nice-looking man. And he can be very charming.”
The wind washed again against the window; invisible tide storming in. After it spent itself, she said: “Some people think Mike’s a killer. But this is where I’m going to start telling you about all the good things he’s done in his life. The people he’s helped. How he never started a fight. I’m not saying he wouldn’t fight back and give as good as he got—or better. But I’m just about positive he never started a fight in his life. And the only gun he owned was an old rifle that belonged to our dad. And Mike only used it when he went hunting, when times were lean and we needed meat for the table.”
“Never owned any other kind of firearm?”
“Never.”
“Then he doesn’t have one up there in the mountains?”
She set her jaw. The start of anger was in those eyes. Intelligent dark eyes.
“Yeah, he has one up there. I bought him a Navy Colt and a Winchester last week when Connelly and Pepper came to town.” The flash anger again. “Are you trying to tell me you wouldn’t be armed in a situation like that?”
“I’m not saying anything at all, Jen. I’m just trying to understand the situation here.”
“If I had any money, I’d pay you to go tomorrow morning in the mountains.”
I’d been thinking about that. But instead of answering her directly, I said, “Do you have any idea where your brother might hide tonight?”
“I don’t. But I know somebody who does. An old man named Chuck Gage. His shed is right behind the Lutheran church. He works there and they give him meals and the shed. My brother went to see him tonight. Chuck knows the mountains better than anybody in the valley.”
Nordberg was on the steps outside.
She said: “You go visit Chuck by yourself. Don’t say anything to the sheriff.”
Nordberg came inside and said, “Well, if he’s around here, I couldn’t find him. You about ready to go, Mr. Ford?”
The rocker creaked as I left it. I’d gotten pretty comfortable sitting in it.
“You see him, Jen, you’re bound by the law to tell me.”
“I know.”
“I know you won’t.” He smiled at her. “But I have to say things like that so I’ll remember I’m a sheriff.”
She came over to us and said, “I would tell you, Sheriff. Now I would. I don’t want those federal men to get him. They’ll kill him.”
I thought of the deal I’d made with them. They wouldn’t kill him and I wouldn’t turn in a letter that didn’t exist. They wouldn’t have any trouble killing me if they didn’t want that letter to find its way into my boss’s hands. If it existed.
She gave me a look that said we shared a secret named Chuck Gage. I nodded to her so she’d know I was going to keep that secret.
“Well, goodnight,” she said from the doorway as we angled forward into the wind. It was strong enough by then to force you backward if you didn’t move deliberately.
Nordberg and I tried to talk a few times but it was pointless. The wind stole our words.
Chapter 15
W hen Harry Connelly came through his hotel room door, he saw me sitting in the darkness in a chair with my .44 aimed directly at his chest.
I’d gone there after I’d checked on Chuck Gage. He hadn’t been home. I decided I’d make sure that Connelly understood that our deal was still on. He wouldn’t kill Mike Chaney in exchange for me not
“Did Flannery and Mike ever have it out?”
“No. I was afraid Flannery might hire somebody to beat up on Mike. He’s been known to do that before.”
I finished my coffee.
“So you think Laura really loves Mike?”
“Yes. That’s the funny thing. She does love him. But then she looks at Flannery’s mansion and fancy carriages and his trips to Europe—any woman could get her head turned that way.”
“You could?”
She had a nice gentle smile.
“Not me, but Flannery’s a nice-looking man. And he can be very charming.”
The wind washed again against the window; invisible tide storming in. After it spent itself, she said: “Some people think Mike’s a killer. But this is where I’m going to start telling you about all the good things he’s done in his life. The people he’s helped. How he never started a fight. I’m not saying he wouldn’t fight back and give as good as he got—or better. But I’m just about positive he never started a fight in his life. And the only gun he owned was an old rifle that belonged to our dad. And Mike only used it when he went hunting, when times were lean and we needed meat for the table.”
“Never owned any other kind of firearm?”
“Never.”
“Then he doesn’t have one up there in the mountains?”
She set her jaw. The start of anger was in those eyes. Intelligent dark eyes.
“Yeah, he has one up there. I bought him a Navy Colt and a Winchester last week when Connelly and Pepper came to town.” The flash anger again. “Are you trying to tell me you wouldn’t be armed in a situation like that?”
“I’m not saying anything at all, Jen. I’m just trying to understand the situation here.”
“If I had any money, I’d pay you to go tomorrow morning in the mountains.”
I’d been thinking about that. But instead of answering her directly, I said, “Do you have any idea where your brother might hide tonight?”
“I don’t. But I know somebody who does. An old man named Chuck Gage. His shed is right behind the Lutheran church. He works there and they give him meals and the shed. My brother went to see him tonight. Chuck knows the mountains better than anybody in the valley.”
Nordberg was on the steps outside.
She said: “You go visit Chuck by yourself. Don’t say anything to the sheriff.”
Nordberg came inside and said, “Well, if he’s around here, I couldn’t find him. You about ready to go, Mr. Ford?”
The rocker creaked as I left it. I’d gotten pretty comfortable sitting in it.
“You see him, Jen, you’re bound by the law to tell me.”
“I know.”
“I know you won’t.” He smiled at her. “But I have to say things like that so I’ll remember I’m a sheriff.”
She came over to us and said, “I would tell you, Sheriff. Now I would. I don’t want those federal men to get him. They’ll kill him.”
I thought of the deal I’d made with them. They wouldn’t kill him and I wouldn’t turn in a letter that didn’t exist. They wouldn’t have any trouble killing me if they didn’t want that letter to find its way into my boss’s hands. If it existed.
She gave me a look that said we shared a secret named Chuck Gage. I nodded to her so she’d know I was going to keep that secret.
“Well, goodnight,” she said from the doorway as we angled forward into the wind. It was strong enough by then to force you backward if you didn’t move deliberately.
Nordberg and I tried to talk a few times but it was pointless. The wind stole our words.
Chapter 15
W hen Harry Connelly came through his hotel room door, he saw me sitting in the darkness in a chair with my .44 aimed directly at his chest.
I’d gone there after I’d checked on Chuck Gage. He hadn’t been home. I decided I’d make sure that Connelly understood that our deal was still on. He wouldn’t kill Mike Chaney in exchange for me not
Similar Books
The Billionaires Hired Baby Mother: When the wife and surrogate are two different people
BWWM Club, Tyra Small
