Longarm 242: Red-light by Tabor Evans Page A

I’ll track down the skunks who did this, and I’ll see to it that they pay.”
    â€œAmen,” said Everett Day. The Virginia City marshal had brought Longarm up here and showed him the grave, and now he stood a few feet behind Longarm, also holding his hat in his hand respectfully.
    â€œI’d like to get that marker replaced with a permanent headstone,” said Longarm as he turned away from the grave. “Better wait until you hear from her folks, though. They can tell you what ought to be on there.”
    â€œThey may want to pay for it,” Day pointed out.
    Longarm shook his head. “Tell the undertaker to send the bill to me at the chief marshal’s office in Denver. I’ll take care of it.”
    Day fell in step beside Longarm as the tall lawman started down the hill toward C Street. “I’ll tell him,” Day said. Both men put their hats on.
    â€œIs there a road from here to Galena City?”
    â€œSure. It goes from here to Galena City and then on up to Reno. You can take it, or you can circle around to the east and hit the old trail the Mormons, who settled the place, used, and come in that way.”
    â€œI want to get there as soon as possible,” said Longarm.
    Day nodded. “Then you want the new road. Go on over to A Street and follow it out of town. When you get to the end of it, keep going.”
    â€œMuch obliged.”
    â€œYou got plenty of supplies? If not, there are several stores here where you can stock up.”
    â€œI reckon I can make it all right,” said Longarm. He got the impression that Marshal Day didn’t much want him to leave town. Maybe Day was a little worried about what might happen when he let Jake Garvin out of jail and wanted Longarm around to lend him a hand. But having seen the way Day could take care of himself the night before, Longarm didn’t really think that was the answer.
    Still, he asked idly, “What’s going to happen with Garvin?”
    Day shrugged his thick shoulders. “Judge’ll fine him and turn him loose.”
    â€œIs he liable to try to even the score with you for throwing him in jail?”
    â€œI doubt it,” Day said with a short laugh. “Jake and I have had our share of run-ins before. He always forgets from one time to the next that he usually winds up with the short end of the stick. Don’t worry about Jake, Longarm. He’ll be peaceable for a while now, until he gets it in his head again that he’s the cock of the roost around here.”
    â€œAnd when he does, you’ll point out to him that he’s wrong,” said Longarm.
    â€œThat’s my job.”
    They had reached the livery stable where Longarm had left the dun the night before. He stopped and turned to Day, extending his hand. “I’ve enjoyed meeting you, Marshal,” he said, “and I’m much obliged for all your help.”
    Day shook hands with Longarm and sighed. “I got to admit, there’s a big part of me wishing I could go along with you, Longarm. I’d like to see Ben Mallory and his boys get what’s coming to them.”
    So that was it. Day didn’t particularly want Longarm to stay in Virginia City; he just wished he could go along with the federal man. Longarm nodded and said, “Mallory and his gang will get what’s coming to them, all right. You can count on that.”
    â€œYou know,” said Day, “I believe I can.”
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    The trail from Virginia City to Galena City was narrow but not too small to accommodate stagecoaches, so anyone who wanted to ship silver from Galena City could send it to Virginia City on one of Bat Thompson’s coaches and then on to Carson City. From there, the railroad linked Carson City to the rest of the country.
    Longarm wondered if Mallory’s gang had carried out any robberies in these parts. The gang had hit the stages traveling between Virginia City and Carson City several