'Hey dog!' he shouts as he approaches.
The dog turns to the noise and growls a little, still pulling on her skirts. She wants to say something but is startled into silence. The man, now that he has the dog's attention, walks calmly towards it, talking all the time in a low and barely audible voice. The dog pins back its ears but the growling stops. Still talking softly and holding the dog's gaze he crouches down close enough to touch the dog.
'Are you sure he won't bite you?' Emily says quietly.
'You can never be certain with animals Miss, but if you can stop pulling your skirt for a moment I think he'll let go, even if it is only to try to bite me.'
Sure enough, as soon as she releases the tension on the fabric in the dog's mouth it spits it out and lies down at the stranger's feet, whimpering a little.
'Thank you.' she says, distractedly trying to wipe the dog's spittle from her skirt.
'No problem Miss.' he says, removing his hat and making the closest he could manage to a bow in his crouched position with one hand firmly gripping the scruff of the dog's neck.
Without the hat, she notices, he really is a handsome young man. She catches herself staring and wonders if she'd been so unsophisticated as to let her mouth gape open as well.
'Mr. Tanner.' He jams the battered hat back on his head and offers his hand. 'Logan Tanner.'
'A pleasure to meet you Mr. Tanner but,' she gestured towards the dog spit on his outstretched hand.
He laughs and apologizes, wiping his hand on his trousers. She smiles and then tells herself to stop staring again. She considers grabbing the ugly old hat from him. He looks so much better without it.
'Oh, Miss Nixon are you alright.' Mannion comes out of the store. He seems to have waited until the dog was completely subdued before he dared to come out.
'Yes, Mr. Mannion, this gentleman was very kind, I think I shall be okay now.'
'Oh dear, your dress box, it's all torn.'
She has forgotten about the dress. She had hardly given it any thought even before it went in the box. She's not sure she can even remember clearly what it looks like.
'Let me box it up for you again. Why don't you go over to La Rosa for a coffee and I'll send it over for you.'
'Thank you.' she says, taking a deep breath. 'That sounds like a good idea.'
'Mr. Mannion?' says the stranger, still holding the now placid dog. 'Mr. Humby said you might be able to sell me a new hat.'
She stops mid-stride at the mention of the mayor's name. Who is this man? What is his link to Humby?
'Of course I can sell you a hat.' Mannion laughs exaggeratedly to distract from the surprise of hearing this stranger mention Humby. He swings the door wide to welcome in the new customer, at the same time giving her a gentle shove towards the hotel.
CHAPTER FIVE
'Well it's certainly an impressive array of hats you have here.' Logan stands looking at the displays of hats at the front of Mannion's store. He is surprised that the store keeper hasn't attempted to sell him anything yet and is instead concentrating on putting a fresh box around a sale he's already made.
'Thank you sir. Are there any that take your fancy?' Mannion calls to him from the desk at the back where he's fussing with the box and ribbon.
It's as though he doesn't want to sell anything. Logan considers simply leaving without buying, after all he can see clearly enough that he isn't wanted. Curiosity gets the better of him, that and the fact that he badly needs a new hat.
'I hope I didn't interrupt anything between you and the lady.' Logan tries to tease some reaction from the store keeper.
'I beg your pardon.' Mannion sounds alarmed. 'She's just a customer, that's all.'
He laughs a little to reassure Mannion that he means no harm. 'I wasn't suggesting... and even if I was, it's hardly a criticism, is it? A pretty girl like that I shouldn't think there's a man in the town that would be embarrassed to be...'
'No sir, it's not like that.' Mannion said firmly, leaving the desk at last.
'Oh no,' he laughs again, 'I've put my foot in it haven't I? She's married isn't she?'
'No sir. Not yet. I'm surprised you aren't aware.'
'Aware?'
'Well you did say you worked for Humby didn't you?'
So that's it. That's why the cold shoulder. It makes sense now. He could see it in the shop keeper's face now that he was closer: the same threatened look, the fear of the name that he saw in the barber's face when he tried to get him to talk about the Mayor.
'No, it seems we have a misunderstanding. I don't work for him. I met him for the first time a few minutes ago as I was leaving the barbers. He suggested you'd be the man to sell me a hat and said I should say he'd sent me.'
'Well you can tell your Mr. Humby that I'm getting tired of all his fake customers trying keep an eye on me. I don't threaten that easily. Why don't you just say your piece and get out of my store?'
'Hey, look here, I'm new to this town and I don't know a damn thing about your local politics. If I was just pretending to be a customer, why would I start out by saying that Mr. Humby sent me when that's clearly exactly the sort of thing to get on your nerves? I honestly don't know the man, and clearly his 'tell him I sent you' was intended to create exactly this situation. I don't know what Mr. Humby has done to you, but it really isn't any of my business.'
Logan picks a hat at random and puts it on.
'I'll buy this one. And thank you for the lesson. Everyone in Walkers Creek has been happy and welcoming. Unless, it seems, you say 'Mr. Humby' and then the smiles vanish like blowing out a candle.'
'Would you like a box for that?' Mannion asks uncertainly.
Logan ignores him for the moment.
'So the barber tells me Humby owns the town, but he clearly doesn't own you. Good for you.' He tries a disarming smile.
'Humby is a bully. A wealthy bully, but a bully all the same. He doesn't own so much of Walkers Creek by paying a lot for it, he owns it because he forced the owners to sell to him. I'm too old to be bullied like that. I don't have so much life left that I get that troubled by someone threatening to take it away from me.'
'There's no call for a box.' He puts the new hat on his head. 'I'll wear it, but perhaps you could find somewhere to get rid of this old one?'
'If you're sure. Are you staying in the town?'
'I was planning to. For a few days at least. I thought I'd try the hotel, and avoid mentioning Mr. Humby's name.'
'That's a good choice. I'd say to tell them I'd sent you...' Mannion smiles, a generous smile, it seems to show that he wants to put the misunderstanding behind them.
Logan turns to leave.
'Hold on a moment, sir.' Mannion stops him with the door half open. 'I don't suppose I could press a small errand on you could I? You see, I have this dress for Miss Nixon. She'll be waiting for it in the hotel. Since you're going over there, perhaps you could take it to her for me?'
He understands the gesture for what it is. The shop keeper isn't giving him an errand to run, he's telling him that he trusts him. Refusing would be throwing that olive branch back in his face.
'Of course.'
Logan checks on the horses on his way across the street. They've been stood there long enough now. He will see about getting stabling for them when he takes a room in the hotel.
Looking at the hotel again with the little extra knowledge he has gained about the town, he wonders whether or not Humby owns this place too. The hotel looks prosperous and busy. There is a bustle about the place, but the conversations at the tables are quiet. It isn't that these well-dressed people aren't enjoying themselves, but their
