“I figure you’ll see I get a fair share from the bank, Jeb,” Delay said, “’cause you know I’d kill you, otherwise, and that brother of yours.”
“I reckon I know that, Vic,” Jeb said.
“All right, then,” Delay said. “Let’s go and find somethin’ to eat.”
Sheriff Coffey watched the last two men leave the hotel and walk over to the cafe. Some of the other men were inside already. When they were joined by the last two, Coffey crossed the street and peered in the window of the cafe. He counted and saw that seven of the men were inside, seated at two tables. They were all eating except for the two who had just entered, who were ordering from a scared-looking waitress.
He was trying to decide what to do next when he felt something hard poke him in the center of the back.
“Just stand fast, Sheriff,” a voice said. “I’m gonna take your gun.”
A hand plucked his gun from his holster.
“Okay,” the voice said, “let’s go inside.”
Jeb Collier looked up as a man came stumbling into the cafe. The waitress gave a startled little scream.
“It’s okay, darlin’,” he said to her. “Just go and get us our steaks.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
Jeb turned his attention to the two men who had just entered. One was the sheriff and the other was Lou Tanner.
“Found the lawman peekin’ in the window,” Tanner said. “He’s been watchin’ us all day. Figured maybe he’d like a closer look.”
“Good idea, Lou,” Jeb said. “What’s your name, lawman?”
“Coffey.”
“You got any deputies?”
“No.”
“Guess you don’t need any in a town like this, huh?”
“Ain’t much of a town,” Ben Collier said.
“What’s your interest in us, Sheriff?” Jeb asked.
“You’re strangers,” Coffey said. “It’s my job to look out for strangers.”
“Is that right?” Jeb asked. “You think maybe we’re after your bank?”
“No, sir.”
“‘Sir’?” Jeb looked around at his men. “We got us a real polite lawman here, boys.”
“Jeb, he was outside the bank when Samms and me were inside,” Tanner said. He still had his gun in his hand, trained on Sheriff Coffey’s back.
“Is that right?” Jeb asked. “I reckon you probably went in there to see what Lou here wanted, didn’t you, lawman?”
“I’m just doin’ my job.”
“And does doin’ your job mean you use the telegraph key?” Jeb asked.
“Use the key for what, Jeb?” Ben asked.
“I’m thinkin’ he mighta warned Pearl River Junction that we’re comin’,” Jeb answered.
That made Vic Delay sit forward.
“How would he know we were headin’ there?”
“I don’t know,” Jeb said. “Maybe the sheriff here can tell us.”
“There’s nothin’ to tell,” Coffey said, sweating. “Tol’ you. I’m just doin’ my job, keepin’ an eye on you.”
“We’ll see, Sheriff,” Jeb said. “We’ll see. Lou, you and a couple of others make the lawman comfortable in one of these chairs. I want to eat before I talk to him some more.”
“Sure, Jeb,” Tanner said. “Samms, find some rope. We’re gonna make the lawman real comfortable.”
Sheriff Coffey watched the entire gang finish eating while tied to a chair that was shoved into a corner. It gave him time to wonder what they would do to him if he didn’t tell them what they wanted to know. It also gave him time to regret he’d ever taken this damn job.
“What are we gonna do with him?” Delay asked Jeb while they ate. He kept his voice down so the sheriff couldn’t hear him.
“We’ll send one of the men over to the telegraph office, find out if he’s sent or gotten any telegrams recently,” Jeb explained. “I’m thinkin’ maybe somebody in Pearl River Junction heard about me gettin’ out of Yuma and figured I might be comin’ to see ’em.”
“Her, you mean,” Delay said. “You’re talkin’ about your gal.”
“Maybe.”
“If she tol’ them you’re comin’, then they’ll be ready for us,” Delay said. “And if this fella sent them a message tellin’ them how many we are—”
“You’re puttin’ the horse before the cart, Vic,” Jeb said. “Let’s finish eatin’, then find out what he knows and what he told people, before we panic.”
“I ain’t gonna panic, Jeb,” Delay said. “That ain’t what I do. See, this whole thing is your plan. You’re gonna decide how we play it. I only know one thing.”
“What’s that, Vic?”
“This day’s gonna end with me killin’ a lawman.”
Jeb forked a piece of steak into his mouth and said, “I got no problem with that.”
46
Later that night Shaye entered the sheriff’s office and found Cotton seated at his desk.
“You haven’t gone home yet?”
“Nope.”
“Anybody else around?”
“James is out doin’ rounds,” Cotton said.
Shaye came over and sat across from Cotton.
“Any more word from that sheriff in Highbinder?”
“No,” Cotton said, “and I’m worried. That’s a small town. Fact is, it can’t hardly even be called a town anymore. If he gets too close to those men and they notice him…”
“I get your meaning,” Shaye said. “If we don’t hear from him again, we’ll have to assume the worst.”
“Yep,” the other man said. “That he’s dead and that Collier and his gang know that we know they’re coming.”
“That’d be the worst, all right.”
“What do we do then?” Cotton asked. “I mean, if they come riding in here as bold as you please…if they come in peaceful and none of them is wanted for anything, there ain’t much we can do.”
“Not until they break the law anyway,” Shaye said. “Fact is, Jeb Collier’ll probably want to finish his business with Belinda before he tries for the bank.”
“What if she doesn’t want to see him?” Cotton asked.
“Then we’ll probably have a problem,” Shaye said, “but I think she’ll talk to him.”
“What makes you say that?”
“It’ll be the only way she can get rid of him,” Shaye answered. “She’ll have to convince him that he’s not the father.”
“And what if she has no better luck convincing him he’s not the father than she did convincing you that you’re the grandfather?”
Shaye stared at the lawman.
“Riley, I’m not even sure I understand that question, but why don’t we just worry about it when the time comes?”
“Right, right.”
“I’ve got a question for you, though.”
