“And you?” Sutherland asked Butler.
“My word, too,” Butler said. “We just want to end this.”
“So do I,” Sutherland said. “I can’t find anybody good enough to send after you two, so I might as well just do it myself.”
Butler looked at Newman.
“You got a gun on you?”
“No.”
“In the house?”
“No.”
“If you come up with a gun,” Butler said, “I’ll kill you.”
“I have no gun.”
“Okay, then,” Short said, “can we get this under way?
“Back up, both of you,” Sutherland said. “Down the stairs. Butler, you stand off to the right where I can see you.”
Butler and Short did as they were told. Butler moved off to the right, wondering if they should have gotten his word that he wouldn’t try to kill them while standing behind Newman’s wife.
“Counselor,” Sutherland said, “here. You take your wife.”
He pushed Helen Newman toward her husband, who caught her.
“As my lawyer, am I in any trouble after I kill these two?”
“Not with us as witnesses that it was a fair fight both times.”
“I won’t say—” Helen Newman started.
“Shut up, Helen!” Newman snapped.
“That ain’t no way to talk to your wife, Al,” Sutherland said, and stepped down off the porch.
CHAPTER 60
Sutherland holstered his gun, pointed at Butler.
“Now you stand your ground, gambler.”
“I’m waiting my turn, Sutherland,” Butler said, “but don’t think I’ll be getting it.”
“You got that much confidence in your friend, here?” Sutherland asked.
“You know Luke Short’s reputation,” Butler said. “What do you think?”
“You’re a gamblin’ man,” Sutherland said. “How much money you got in your wallet right now?”
“A couple of thousand.”
“That much?” Sutherland was impressed.
“Like you said, I’m a gambler.”
“You willin’ to put that much money on your friend?” Sutherland asked. “I’ll match it. If I kill ’im, you pay me before we face off.”
“I’m right here,” Luke Short said. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not right here.”
“That’s a bet.”
“You heard him, Counselor,” Sutherland said. “We got a bet.”
“I heard him.”
“Let’s do it, Short.”
“They’re betting their lives?” Helen said to her husband.
“They’re gamblers, Helen.”
“And this is what you aspire to, Albert?”
“All my life,” he said. “My father would never let me.”
“And I held you back, too?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose I don’t really know you at all, do I?”
“No,” Newman said. “I suppose not.”
Butler had the urge to simply draw and fire, killing Sutherland where he stood. Why play it fair? He’d already tried to ambush, or have them ambushed, several times. Why should they play fair with him?
What if he really was good enough to kill Luke Short?
Short pushed back the flap of his coat, transferred his cane to his left hand.
“For such a little man,” Sutherland said to the diminutive gambler, “killin’ you is sure gonna make me a big one.”
“You might kill me, Sutherland,” Short said, “but you’re never going to be a big man.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“Not if you don’t stop talkin’.”
Sutherland laughed and went for his gun…
To Butler it happened within a split second. Sutherland’s move was like lightning, and yet by the time he had his gun in his hand, Luke Short had already shot him once. He added a second bullet for good measure. Both shots hit Sutherland in the chest, around his heart, and could have been covered by a palm.
Butler walked to where Short was standing over the man’s body. Short kicked the man’s gun away, replaced his spent shells with live ones, and holstered his own weapon.
“He had a helluva move,” he said.
“Yep,” Butler said.
“You know,” Luke Short said, “after all we’ve been through, it wasn’t much of an ending.”
“At least it’s over, though.”
“We’ll have to explain it to the law.”
“We have witnesses,” Butler said.
“Do you think Newman will back us?”
While Luke Short and Butler watched, Al Newman turned to his wife, guided her inside, and closed the door behind them.
“I think she will,” Butler said.
“And what about him?” Short asked. “What happens to him?”
“I’m still not sure what his part in all of this was,” Butler said, “but like you said, he won’t be playing in any of your games anymore.”
“Nope.”
Short used his cane to nudge Sutherland’s body just once, then looked at Butler.
“Guess you’ll be leavin’.”
“As soon as we get the loose ends cleared up, get you straight with the law.”
“Hey, that bet you made on me? The two thousand?”
“Yeah?”
“You ain’t never gonna collect.”
Butler laughed.
“I knew that when I made the bet.”
About the Author
ROBERT J. RANDISI is the creator and writer of the popular series The Gunsmith, under the pseudonym “J.R. Roberts.” He is the author of The Sons of Daniel Shaye series and many other western novels written under his own name.
