Longarm and "Kid" Bodie (9781101622001) by Tabor Evans Page B

ever know if Mrs. Burlington was robbed and murdered?”
    â€œWe could send a telegram to the sheriff in Reno and ask him to see that it was received by whoever is in charge up on the Comstock Lode.”
    â€œThat seems to be to be unwise.”
    â€œI agree. Until we really know if Ruby Burlington is alive or dead—and the same goes for her wealthy husband—we can’t afford to tip our hand.”
    â€œAre you telling me that you have to go to Virginia City and get to the bottom of this?”
    â€œThat’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Longarm said.
    â€œThis isn’t a
federal
case.”
    â€œI know that, but Bodie’s very life may be at stake. Who is to say that the mastermind of this whole murder thing didn’t
hire
John Stock and perhaps even paid him to kill wealthy Mr. Burlington.”
    â€œYou’re posing a lot of what-ifs,” Billy said.
    â€œI know that,” Longarm confessed. “But what I’m thinking is that John Stock and the two other men who were shot down on Colfax might be just the tip of a murderous plan. The real money—if this letter is accurate, and we have the jewelry to see that it is—might be the brains behind a plot to rob and murder Mr. Burlington, then steal all his assets.”
    Billy looked up at the ceiling. “So we collect Bodie and . . .”
    â€œI’m not sure of what to do with him,” Longarm said, “and I’d not want to tell him what we think might have happened to his mother and her husband.”
    â€œWe can’t withhold all this from the boy if his mother has been murdered.”
    â€œWe can until we know for certain exactly what is going on in Virginia City,” Longarm argued.
    Billy scowled. “I can’t authorize travel money for something like this.”
    â€œThen don’t,” Longarm said. “I’ll go on my own because I have to.”
    â€œThere is a small matter of official business that you could check on in Reno,” Billy offered. “That way I could authorize travel money.”
    â€œThen do it,” Longarm said. “Because I’m going to go get Bodie and then I’m heading off to Virginia City.”
    â€œVery well,” Billy said quietly as his forefinger stroked the bloodstained letter. “And frankly, I couldn’t live with this bloody mystery for the rest of my life.”
    â€œAnd neither could I,” Longarm told his boss. “It’s just something that would eat at us for the remainder of our days.”
    â€œGo then,” Billy ordered. “I’ll have money for you this afternoon. You can be on the train first thing tomorrow morning.”
    â€œThanks, Billy.”
    â€œIn the meantime, I’ll keep this envelope with the letter and jewelry in a safe deposit box at the bank. When our investigation is over, we’ll see that Bodie gets everything, Custis, just make certain that the boy is safe.”
    â€œI will. And his dog too.”
    Billy managed a smile. “Oh, I’d forgotten about the dog. Sure. Both the boy and the dog.”
    With nothing left to say, Longarm headed for the door.

Chapter 8
    Before heading over to the Rocky Mountain Livery, Longarm made a quick stop to see Gloria Harmon at her shop. He knew that she was as worried as anyone about Bodie, and he felt that he ought to bring her up to date, which he did in as few words as possible.
    â€œThank heavens you’ve found him!” Gloria said with a huge sigh of relief. “I was beginning to think the worst . . . you know, that he’d been badly injured or murdered.”
    â€œNo, the mortician said that the man he is working for, a Mr. Otis Redman, is a good person. I’m sure that Bodie is getting along fine, and his dog Homer was with him.”
    â€œSo what are we going to do now?”
    â€œWhat’s the ‘we’ stuff?” Longarm asked. “This is