Read Online The Reluctant Pinkerton by Robert J. Randisi - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert J. Randisi
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hall.
* * *
Giles and Hague drew their guns, and Giles silently indicated to Hague that he should kick the door in. Hague nodded, backed up so that he was flat against the wall, then launched himself at the door. His feet struck it just below the doorknob and the door slammed open.
There was a flash of light from inside, and a bullet struck Hague dead center in his torso.
Giles panicked and turned to run, but Dol fired twice, hitting him both times and putting him down.
* * *
Roper was a notoriously light sleeper when he was working, and the fleabag hotel had noisy, creaky floorboards. He was aware as soon as the two men began creeping down the hall.When the door slammed open, he fired one shot. He heard the other shots from the hall, and rushed out to see what was happening.
* * *
Dol ran down the hall, just as Roper came out his door. For a moment they pointed their guns at each other, then backed off.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I got the other one.”
“Damn it, Dol!” he said.
“What?” she asked, wide-eyed. “I helped you out here. I saw them outside and followed them in.”
“I wanted one of them alive,” he said. “I needed to find out if they were after me, or ‘Andy.’”
“Who’s Andy?” she asked.
Roper stared at her and said wearily, “Oh, Dol…”
12
Roper didn’t have time to properly chastise Dol for what she had done. The truth of the matter was he would have been fine without her help.
“Get out,” he told her, “before the law shows up.”
“But—”
“I don’t want to have to explain who you are,” he said, “because I’m not going to explain who I am.”
“Oh, all right,” she said, “but—”
“We’ll talk later,” he promised her.
“Okay,” she said happily, but he added, “Right before you get on the train to leave.”
“But—”
“Go!” he snapped. “And use the back door.”
A few of the other doors had opened and nervous-looking men had looked out, but Roper said, “Don’t worry. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
So once Dol left, the hall was empty but for Roper and the two bodies. That made him suspicious. Why hadn’t the desk clerk come running to see what happened? Maybe because he thought he already knew?
Before long a man with a badge came up the stairs andstalked down the hall. By this time Roper had no gun in his hand and had adopted his “Andy Blake” persona.
“What the hell happened here?” the lawman asked. He was tall, slender, with the ferret face of someone who never looked happy. In his fifties, the sheriff, Roper assumed, had been wearing a badge for a long time. That could take all the joy out of a man for sure.
“I don’t know, Sheriff,” he said. “These fellas kicked in my door, and I defended myself.” He hoped the man wouldn’t be good enough to be able to tell that one of them had been shot from the hallway.
The lawman walked to each man, turned him over with his foot, and took a look.
“Do you know them?” Roper asked.
“I don’t know this one,” he said, “but this one’s a two-bit bushwhacker, usually has different partners.” He looked at Roper. “He usually targets people he knows have money. Were you flashin’ a roll tonight at one of the saloons?”
“Not me,” Roper said. “I ain’t got a roll to flash. In fact, I’m lookin’ for a job.”
“What’s your name?”
“Andy Blake.”
“What are you doin’ in town?”
“Like I said,” Roper responded, “I’m lookin’ for a job.”
“Doin’ what?”
“Whatever involves cattle,” Roper said. “I done it all.”
“So you’re lookin’ for a job in the stockyards?”
“I thought I’d start there.”
“And you didn’t come into contact with these jaspers tonight?”
“I never seen either one of them.”
“Yeah, okay,” the lawman said.
“What’s your name?” Roper asked.
“Reynolds,” the sheriff said. “You better talk to the clerk about
* * *
Giles and Hague drew their guns, and Giles silently indicated to Hague that he should kick the door in. Hague nodded, backed up so that he was flat against the wall, then launched himself at the door. His feet struck it just below the doorknob and the door slammed open.
There was a flash of light from inside, and a bullet struck Hague dead center in his torso.
Giles panicked and turned to run, but Dol fired twice, hitting him both times and putting him down.
* * *
Roper was a notoriously light sleeper when he was working, and the fleabag hotel had noisy, creaky floorboards. He was aware as soon as the two men began creeping down the hall.When the door slammed open, he fired one shot. He heard the other shots from the hall, and rushed out to see what was happening.
* * *
Dol ran down the hall, just as Roper came out his door. For a moment they pointed their guns at each other, then backed off.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I got the other one.”
“Damn it, Dol!” he said.
“What?” she asked, wide-eyed. “I helped you out here. I saw them outside and followed them in.”
“I wanted one of them alive,” he said. “I needed to find out if they were after me, or ‘Andy.’”
“Who’s Andy?” she asked.
Roper stared at her and said wearily, “Oh, Dol…”
12
Roper didn’t have time to properly chastise Dol for what she had done. The truth of the matter was he would have been fine without her help.
“Get out,” he told her, “before the law shows up.”
“But—”
“I don’t want to have to explain who you are,” he said, “because I’m not going to explain who I am.”
“Oh, all right,” she said, “but—”
“We’ll talk later,” he promised her.
“Okay,” she said happily, but he added, “Right before you get on the train to leave.”
“But—”
“Go!” he snapped. “And use the back door.”
A few of the other doors had opened and nervous-looking men had looked out, but Roper said, “Don’t worry. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
So once Dol left, the hall was empty but for Roper and the two bodies. That made him suspicious. Why hadn’t the desk clerk come running to see what happened? Maybe because he thought he already knew?
Before long a man with a badge came up the stairs andstalked down the hall. By this time Roper had no gun in his hand and had adopted his “Andy Blake” persona.
“What the hell happened here?” the lawman asked. He was tall, slender, with the ferret face of someone who never looked happy. In his fifties, the sheriff, Roper assumed, had been wearing a badge for a long time. That could take all the joy out of a man for sure.
“I don’t know, Sheriff,” he said. “These fellas kicked in my door, and I defended myself.” He hoped the man wouldn’t be good enough to be able to tell that one of them had been shot from the hallway.
The lawman walked to each man, turned him over with his foot, and took a look.
“Do you know them?” Roper asked.
“I don’t know this one,” he said, “but this one’s a two-bit bushwhacker, usually has different partners.” He looked at Roper. “He usually targets people he knows have money. Were you flashin’ a roll tonight at one of the saloons?”
“Not me,” Roper said. “I ain’t got a roll to flash. In fact, I’m lookin’ for a job.”
“What’s your name?”
“Andy Blake.”
“What are you doin’ in town?”
“Like I said,” Roper responded, “I’m lookin’ for a job.”
“Doin’ what?”
“Whatever involves cattle,” Roper said. “I done it all.”
“So you’re lookin’ for a job in the stockyards?”
“I thought I’d start there.”
“And you didn’t come into contact with these jaspers tonight?”
“I never seen either one of them.”
“Yeah, okay,” the lawman said.
“What’s your name?” Roper asked.
“Reynolds,” the sheriff said. “You better talk to the clerk about
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