uncomfortable. “He threatened to kill Campbell right here in this saloon. Everybody heard.”
“ With his bare hands, if memory serves. Jeff would never back-shoot a squirrel.” I shoved my breakfast away. “He didn’t do it.”
Brow just shrugged.
“ Where can I find him?”
“ The jail is in the basement of the courthouse.”
“ Who’s the sheriff?”
“ Virgil Earp’s the town constable. He’s the one in charge.”
Chapter 11
Because of the early hour, the courthouse was quiet, but I found a watchman to ask about seeing a prisoner. After some preliminaries, he took my gun and then unlocked a door that led to a dark stairwell. He repeatedly pulled a wire attached to a tinkling bell at the bottom of the staircase. Eventually, a door opened, and light leaked up to us from a lantern in the room below.
A large, scruffy-looking man peeked around the doorjamb. I hoped he wasn’t Virgil Earp.
“ Visitor!” the watchman yelled down. Then he turned an appraising look on me. “The night jailer is named George. He’ll let you talk to the prisoner for five minutes … but … if you buy us both breakfast, you can talk as long as it takes us to eat it.”
“ Sounds reasonable,” I said evenly. “I’ll go to the Palace and bring back something. What do you and George want?”
He winked. “A silver dollar’ll do. I’ve got someone to fetch food.”
“ And you’ll keep the change, I suppose.”
“ Won’t be no change. George and I are big eaters.”
“ Very well.” I handed him a dollar coin.
“ George, I’ll be sending breakfast down soon.” The watchman made a sweeping wave with his arm to signal that I could descend the stairs.
As I approached the bottom of the stairwell, George backed away from the door and kept a hand on his pistol grip.
When I reached the last step, he said, “Take your coat off and hang it on that peg.” He nodded toward four pegs on the wall. After I hung my coat, he ordered me to slowly turn in a circle, and then he told me to lift my pant legs above the top of my boots.
“ The man upstairs took my gun,” I said.
“ Don’t mean ya don’t have another or a knife. Gotta be careful.” He dropped his hand away from his pistol. “Who’re ya here to see?”
“ Jeff Sharp.”
He nodded. “Last cell. Stand back against the wall, away from the bars. Do not pass anything to the prisoner. Do not accept anything from the prisoner. Do not approach the bars. I’ll be watching.”
“ I understand.”
As I walked down the hall, I was surprised to see every cell full—most held two men. When I got to the end, Jeff was lying on a wood army cot with his face against the stone wall. No one was on the other cot. A chamber pot, wood stool, and small writing desk comprised the remaining furnishings. With no windows, the only light came from a couple of lanterns hanging outside, along the corridor. The odor of vomit I had smelled coming down the hall came from this cell.
“ Jeff?”
After a long moment, Sharp slowly rolled over and peered at me with bloodshot eyes. “Is it morning?”
I pulled out my pocket watch. “Almost seven.”
“ Damn.” He gently swung his legs off the cot and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Any chance of gettin’ coffee in this fine establishment?”
“ I’ll check.”
When I turned, I saw George leaning against the wall in the office area. He held up a hand to stop me from walking toward him. “I heard. He’ll get coffee with his breakfast at eight o’clock. One mug.” Then he smiled. “For his information, this ain’t no fine establishment.”
“ But I can smell coffee,” I said.
“ Do yer talkin’. He’ll get coffee in short order.”
I looked at Sharp, and he seemed miserable but awake. “Jeff, what happened?”
“ Not sure. But I know what didn’t happen. I sure as hell didn’t kill Campbell.”
“ I know that.” I took half a step forward, then remembered my
“ With his bare hands, if memory serves. Jeff would never back-shoot a squirrel.” I shoved my breakfast away. “He didn’t do it.”
Brow just shrugged.
“ Where can I find him?”
“ The jail is in the basement of the courthouse.”
“ Who’s the sheriff?”
“ Virgil Earp’s the town constable. He’s the one in charge.”
Chapter 11
Because of the early hour, the courthouse was quiet, but I found a watchman to ask about seeing a prisoner. After some preliminaries, he took my gun and then unlocked a door that led to a dark stairwell. He repeatedly pulled a wire attached to a tinkling bell at the bottom of the staircase. Eventually, a door opened, and light leaked up to us from a lantern in the room below.
A large, scruffy-looking man peeked around the doorjamb. I hoped he wasn’t Virgil Earp.
“ Visitor!” the watchman yelled down. Then he turned an appraising look on me. “The night jailer is named George. He’ll let you talk to the prisoner for five minutes … but … if you buy us both breakfast, you can talk as long as it takes us to eat it.”
“ Sounds reasonable,” I said evenly. “I’ll go to the Palace and bring back something. What do you and George want?”
He winked. “A silver dollar’ll do. I’ve got someone to fetch food.”
“ And you’ll keep the change, I suppose.”
“ Won’t be no change. George and I are big eaters.”
“ Very well.” I handed him a dollar coin.
“ George, I’ll be sending breakfast down soon.” The watchman made a sweeping wave with his arm to signal that I could descend the stairs.
As I approached the bottom of the stairwell, George backed away from the door and kept a hand on his pistol grip.
When I reached the last step, he said, “Take your coat off and hang it on that peg.” He nodded toward four pegs on the wall. After I hung my coat, he ordered me to slowly turn in a circle, and then he told me to lift my pant legs above the top of my boots.
“ The man upstairs took my gun,” I said.
“ Don’t mean ya don’t have another or a knife. Gotta be careful.” He dropped his hand away from his pistol. “Who’re ya here to see?”
“ Jeff Sharp.”
He nodded. “Last cell. Stand back against the wall, away from the bars. Do not pass anything to the prisoner. Do not accept anything from the prisoner. Do not approach the bars. I’ll be watching.”
“ I understand.”
As I walked down the hall, I was surprised to see every cell full—most held two men. When I got to the end, Jeff was lying on a wood army cot with his face against the stone wall. No one was on the other cot. A chamber pot, wood stool, and small writing desk comprised the remaining furnishings. With no windows, the only light came from a couple of lanterns hanging outside, along the corridor. The odor of vomit I had smelled coming down the hall came from this cell.
“ Jeff?”
After a long moment, Sharp slowly rolled over and peered at me with bloodshot eyes. “Is it morning?”
I pulled out my pocket watch. “Almost seven.”
“ Damn.” He gently swung his legs off the cot and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Any chance of gettin’ coffee in this fine establishment?”
“ I’ll check.”
When I turned, I saw George leaning against the wall in the office area. He held up a hand to stop me from walking toward him. “I heard. He’ll get coffee with his breakfast at eight o’clock. One mug.” Then he smiled. “For his information, this ain’t no fine establishment.”
“ But I can smell coffee,” I said.
“ Do yer talkin’. He’ll get coffee in short order.”
I looked at Sharp, and he seemed miserable but awake. “Jeff, what happened?”
“ Not sure. But I know what didn’t happen. I sure as hell didn’t kill Campbell.”
“ I know that.” I took half a step forward, then remembered my
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