“Suitcase due in this morning?”
“He’s on shift,” Molly
said. “Seven to three. Want me to get him in here?”
“When it’s convenient,”
Jesse said. “Nice job on the trash pickup dates.”
“Lotta practice,” Molly said.
“They call after every holiday.‘’
Jesse went back into his office and looked at the list of gun permits some more. He looked at them for a long time with his lips pursed, then he pushed the print button and watched as the sheets came silently from the laser printer.
.He was still watching them when Simpson knocked on his door and came in. He took off his hat and stood in front of Jesse’s desk a little awkwardly. At twenty-two he was still not entirely comfortable being called into the chief’s office. Even if the Chief wasn’t very old himself.
“Hi, boss.”
“Close my door, Suit, and then sit
down.”
Simpson did as he was told. His shoulders looked tight.
“You’re not in
trouble,” Jesse said. “I just need some help and you seemed the right guy to give it.”
Simpson’s shoulders relaxed. He put his hat on the edge of Jesse’s desk and leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Sure, Jesse.”
“You know about the militia
group’in town.”
“Freedom’s Horsemen, sure. Mr.
Hathaway is the commander, I thi.nk. I never figured the name out, though, tell you the truth. There isn’t a one of them can ride a damn horse.”
“And you know most of the people in the group?”
“Oh sure. I lived here all my life, Jesse.
I know about everybody in town.”
“That’s why I figured you were
the right one for this, Suit.”
Jesse reached into the printer catch basket and took out the permit list and handed it to Simpson.
“Go through this list,” Jesse
said. “Check off the names that are also Freedom’s Horsemen.”
“Sure. You want me to do it right
now?”
“Yes, please.”
Simpson took a ballpoint pen from the pocket of his uniform shirt and began to go slowly through the list. Jesse watched quietly. It took Simpson a long time to go through the hundred or so names on the list. When he finished he handed the list over to Jesse and capped his pen and put it carefully back in his shirt pocket. Most of the names were checked.
“I don’t know who a couple of
those people are,” Simpson said. “I put a question mark beside them. And a couple people I’m not sure if..they’re in the Horsemen or not. So I put two question marks next to them.”
Jesse glanced over the list. There were only twelve unmarked names.
“Most of them are Horsemen,” he
said.
“Sure,” Simpson said.
“It’s always the gun guys join a militia.”
Jesse nodded.
“Gun is probably a prerequisite,”
he said. “What I’m wondering is why so few non-Horsemen have permits.”
“Most people are scared of guns.”
Jesse didn’t answer. He stared at the list for a time while Simpson sat and waited.
