whispered, “Sometimes she says bad words too.”
Sam smiled, “That won’t matter even a little bit.”
***
Royce Halladay made his way across the dark meadow, running his hands along the tall stalks of wheat grass. Loud voices carried up from the property below, and in the dim light of the Clayton’s porch, he could make out one man sitting on a destrier and the other perched on the front steps. Sam Clayton jabbed his finger at his deputy and said, “I didn’t ask if you wanted to go check, Tom. I told you to.”
“We did, Sam! Every bar, every night now for the past two weeks. It’s got so that everybody knows we’re coming and they make jokes about it the second we walk in. If Whiskey Pete were in town, they’d hogtie him up and hold him for us, just so we’d stop sticking our noses into their business!”
Betsy Clayton opened the door behind her husband and said, “Both of you need to take this conversation down off my porch. My baby’s finally asleep and if you wake her up, I’ll be madder than hornets.”
Tom Masters tipped his hat and said, “I’m sorry, Betsy. I didn’t mean to holler, darlin'.”
She turned to her husband and said, “At least some people around here know how to act like gentlemen.”
Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Betsy cocked an eyebrow at him that made him think otherwise. “We’re done,” he said. Sam looked back at Tom and sighed, “What about the teletypes? Is somebody checking to see if he popped up yet?”
“Tilt Junger checks them the second they come in, even the ones from the PNDA for all the surrounding systems. I think it’s time to consider that he’s gone, Sam. If I was him, I’d have hot-stepped it off this rock and never looked back. He knows what’s waitin' for him if he does.”
“What about his kin here? They might be putting him up.”
“I searched every single one of their houses personally. They opened the front door for me the second I showed up. They hate that bastard more than we do.”
Sam smacked the side of the porch with his fist and clenched his eyes shut in frustration. “I’ve been sitting around here long enough. Betsy can handle it. I’ll be back to work tomorrow and we’ll start looking. For real this time. My way.”
Tom Masters sighed and said, “Okay, Sheriff. See you then.” The deputy turned his destrier around and headed up the trail, nodding at Halladay as he passed. “Evening, Doctor.”
“Hello, Tom,” Halladay said. He looked up at Sam, sitting on the porch and said, “My, my, what a pleasant evening for a stroll. Wouldn’t you agree, sir?”
Sam folded his fingers in front of his face and stared into the distance. He realized Halladay had said something to him and was waiting for an answer. “Yeah. Whatever you say, doc.”
The doctor came up the steps and sat down beside Sam. He pulled out a thin cigarette from a metal case inside his coat and offered Sam one, but Sam shook his head and pulled out a flask from inside of his. “Never did like to mix the taste of tobacco and whiskey. Makes me think I’m drinking liquor out of an ashtray. You want some?”
“After that poetic analogy I think I must decline, but go right ahead.” Halladay lit his cigarette and took a deep drag, then said, “I admired the way you reminded your subordinate of his place. I never could tolerate uppity underlings in my own office.”
“You work alone, Doc,” Sam said.
“Completely beside the point, sir. If I had any subordinates, I would strive to demean them with such complete commitment as you demonstrated tonight. What is the point of having them if you cannot abuse them, I say.”
Sam chuckled and said, “I didn’t abuse Tom. He can take it. He’s worked with me long enough to know
Sam smiled, “That won’t matter even a little bit.”
***
Royce Halladay made his way across the dark meadow, running his hands along the tall stalks of wheat grass. Loud voices carried up from the property below, and in the dim light of the Clayton’s porch, he could make out one man sitting on a destrier and the other perched on the front steps. Sam Clayton jabbed his finger at his deputy and said, “I didn’t ask if you wanted to go check, Tom. I told you to.”
“We did, Sam! Every bar, every night now for the past two weeks. It’s got so that everybody knows we’re coming and they make jokes about it the second we walk in. If Whiskey Pete were in town, they’d hogtie him up and hold him for us, just so we’d stop sticking our noses into their business!”
Betsy Clayton opened the door behind her husband and said, “Both of you need to take this conversation down off my porch. My baby’s finally asleep and if you wake her up, I’ll be madder than hornets.”
Tom Masters tipped his hat and said, “I’m sorry, Betsy. I didn’t mean to holler, darlin'.”
She turned to her husband and said, “At least some people around here know how to act like gentlemen.”
Sam opened his mouth to respond, but Betsy cocked an eyebrow at him that made him think otherwise. “We’re done,” he said. Sam looked back at Tom and sighed, “What about the teletypes? Is somebody checking to see if he popped up yet?”
“Tilt Junger checks them the second they come in, even the ones from the PNDA for all the surrounding systems. I think it’s time to consider that he’s gone, Sam. If I was him, I’d have hot-stepped it off this rock and never looked back. He knows what’s waitin' for him if he does.”
“What about his kin here? They might be putting him up.”
“I searched every single one of their houses personally. They opened the front door for me the second I showed up. They hate that bastard more than we do.”
Sam smacked the side of the porch with his fist and clenched his eyes shut in frustration. “I’ve been sitting around here long enough. Betsy can handle it. I’ll be back to work tomorrow and we’ll start looking. For real this time. My way.”
Tom Masters sighed and said, “Okay, Sheriff. See you then.” The deputy turned his destrier around and headed up the trail, nodding at Halladay as he passed. “Evening, Doctor.”
“Hello, Tom,” Halladay said. He looked up at Sam, sitting on the porch and said, “My, my, what a pleasant evening for a stroll. Wouldn’t you agree, sir?”
Sam folded his fingers in front of his face and stared into the distance. He realized Halladay had said something to him and was waiting for an answer. “Yeah. Whatever you say, doc.”
The doctor came up the steps and sat down beside Sam. He pulled out a thin cigarette from a metal case inside his coat and offered Sam one, but Sam shook his head and pulled out a flask from inside of his. “Never did like to mix the taste of tobacco and whiskey. Makes me think I’m drinking liquor out of an ashtray. You want some?”
“After that poetic analogy I think I must decline, but go right ahead.” Halladay lit his cigarette and took a deep drag, then said, “I admired the way you reminded your subordinate of his place. I never could tolerate uppity underlings in my own office.”
“You work alone, Doc,” Sam said.
“Completely beside the point, sir. If I had any subordinates, I would strive to demean them with such complete commitment as you demonstrated tonight. What is the point of having them if you cannot abuse them, I say.”
Sam chuckled and said, “I didn’t abuse Tom. He can take it. He’s worked with me long enough to know
Similar Books
