Comfort to the Enemy (2010) by Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard Page B
Authors: Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard
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do the time." Carl could hear himself saying that when h w as 25. But even back then he wasn't anything like Gary Marion, Jesus, from some dinky town in East Texas.
"We'll visit Joe and have a talk." "What about?" "See what he's calling himself." Carl stopp e a nd said: "When you were competing for rodeo money you had to stay on the bull eight seconds, right? You don't get any points for staying on longer, you're judged on your ride. You hear the buzzer you try to slide off without getting thrown. Then you want to walk to th e g ate without looking back, see what the bull's doing. Am I right?" "There's girls in the stands watching," Gar said. "You take your hat off to them and keep turning to wave it at the entire arena." "While you're checking on the bull." "Some you better." "It doesn't mean you're afraid of the bull." "No -- you're showing him respect is all." "It's the same kind of thing," Carl said. "You're a peace officer. You try to handle the bull and make it look easy." Gary turned his head to point his old-time Stetson at Carl. "What I think you're saying to me , leave the wop convict to grow his cotton and nobod y g ets hurt." Carl said: "Gary, you wear me out. I'm not sur e w hy, but you and I don't seem to communicate. What I get from the way you see this, you hope Joe Tanzi pull s a gun so you can shoot him." "He pulls," Gary said, "isn't that what you'r supposed to do?"
Next week: The gangster Teddy Ritz comes t o t own.
Chapter Seven
Joe Tanzi, Fugitive
South of Idabel they came to the crossroads Carl was looking for, a sheriff's car waiting by a patch o f d ogwoods. It was late in the day but still light for another hour or so.
Two McCurtain County deputies came to Carl's side of the car and he got out to meet them and show his star. Gary Marion watched, still in the car, his hands hanging on the steering wheel. He noticed that the deputies seemed to defer to Carl, waiting for him to speak, ask them questions. One of the deputies said the man identified as Joe Tanzi hadn't left his property, down that way toward the river. He asked if Carl wanted them along for backup.
Carl said he didn't want to alarm the man, put him on his guard, anymore than he had to; he thought he and Gary Carl turning to glance at him in the car--should be able to handle this one. He said, You check the name on the deed?
Joseph Shikoba, the deputy said. According to his story, related to the Choctaw sold him the farm.
But this convict on parole, Carl said, says he's Joe Tanzi. Why you suppose the con wants to send Joe back to prison? If we find out it is Joe Tanzi?
The deputy said, It don't sound like they were friends inside, does it?
How big a boy is Joseph?
Big. Has a good hundred pounds o n y ou.
Gary Marion listened and wasn't going to say another word to Carl getting in the car, Carl telling him to go left down the road, it was only a couple miles now. But Gary couldn't keep quiet.
You don't believe this guy is Joe Tanzi? I'll talk to him and find out who he is, Carl said. to my satisfaction.
The con swore he's Joe Tanzi. He knew him five years inside the Walls.
Carl said, Why does my wanting to give this man some slack upset you?
*
Was he kidding?
Because Gary had read the book about the hot kid of the marshals service, joined up and couldn't wait to shake hands with Carlos Huntington Webster, who packed a Colt .38 on a .45 frame, the front sight filed off. Only this Carl Webster, back from the war in the Pacific, wasn't anything like the Carl Webster in the book.
Gary said, You shot and killed one armed offender after another, starting with the cow thief you blew out of his saddle when you were fifteen years old. You joined the marshals and went after Emmett Long the deadliest bank robber of the Twenties, faced him in a farmhouse near Checotah, warned him if you pulled you'd shoot to kill, and you did. There was the time you faced David Lee Swick coming out of the bank in Turley, firing at you while holding a
"We'll visit Joe and have a talk." "What about?" "See what he's calling himself." Carl stopp e a nd said: "When you were competing for rodeo money you had to stay on the bull eight seconds, right? You don't get any points for staying on longer, you're judged on your ride. You hear the buzzer you try to slide off without getting thrown. Then you want to walk to th e g ate without looking back, see what the bull's doing. Am I right?" "There's girls in the stands watching," Gar said. "You take your hat off to them and keep turning to wave it at the entire arena." "While you're checking on the bull." "Some you better." "It doesn't mean you're afraid of the bull." "No -- you're showing him respect is all." "It's the same kind of thing," Carl said. "You're a peace officer. You try to handle the bull and make it look easy." Gary turned his head to point his old-time Stetson at Carl. "What I think you're saying to me , leave the wop convict to grow his cotton and nobod y g ets hurt." Carl said: "Gary, you wear me out. I'm not sur e w hy, but you and I don't seem to communicate. What I get from the way you see this, you hope Joe Tanzi pull s a gun so you can shoot him." "He pulls," Gary said, "isn't that what you'r supposed to do?"
Next week: The gangster Teddy Ritz comes t o t own.
Chapter Seven
Joe Tanzi, Fugitive
South of Idabel they came to the crossroads Carl was looking for, a sheriff's car waiting by a patch o f d ogwoods. It was late in the day but still light for another hour or so.
Two McCurtain County deputies came to Carl's side of the car and he got out to meet them and show his star. Gary Marion watched, still in the car, his hands hanging on the steering wheel. He noticed that the deputies seemed to defer to Carl, waiting for him to speak, ask them questions. One of the deputies said the man identified as Joe Tanzi hadn't left his property, down that way toward the river. He asked if Carl wanted them along for backup.
Carl said he didn't want to alarm the man, put him on his guard, anymore than he had to; he thought he and Gary Carl turning to glance at him in the car--should be able to handle this one. He said, You check the name on the deed?
Joseph Shikoba, the deputy said. According to his story, related to the Choctaw sold him the farm.
But this convict on parole, Carl said, says he's Joe Tanzi. Why you suppose the con wants to send Joe back to prison? If we find out it is Joe Tanzi?
The deputy said, It don't sound like they were friends inside, does it?
How big a boy is Joseph?
Big. Has a good hundred pounds o n y ou.
Gary Marion listened and wasn't going to say another word to Carl getting in the car, Carl telling him to go left down the road, it was only a couple miles now. But Gary couldn't keep quiet.
You don't believe this guy is Joe Tanzi? I'll talk to him and find out who he is, Carl said. to my satisfaction.
The con swore he's Joe Tanzi. He knew him five years inside the Walls.
Carl said, Why does my wanting to give this man some slack upset you?
*
Was he kidding?
Because Gary had read the book about the hot kid of the marshals service, joined up and couldn't wait to shake hands with Carlos Huntington Webster, who packed a Colt .38 on a .45 frame, the front sight filed off. Only this Carl Webster, back from the war in the Pacific, wasn't anything like the Carl Webster in the book.
Gary said, You shot and killed one armed offender after another, starting with the cow thief you blew out of his saddle when you were fifteen years old. You joined the marshals and went after Emmett Long the deadliest bank robber of the Twenties, faced him in a farmhouse near Checotah, warned him if you pulled you'd shoot to kill, and you did. There was the time you faced David Lee Swick coming out of the bank in Turley, firing at you while holding a
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