“I thought you fellers might have a fine time,” I said. “Bell here’s replacing Rocco as Crayfish’s fetch-it man.”
“You don’t say? What do you fetch, eh?”
I kind of figured I’d best get out of there and let that there conversation go wherever it would go.
“Bell got a five-dollar raise for it,” I said. “Five dollars or get out of Puma County.”
Nippers’ eyebrows raised like a pair of caterpillars, and lowered again.
“Have a nip and tell me,” he said.
I left the judge and Carter Bell in there, and hurried away. I doubted that Bell would spill any beans, but that sure was what I hoped. Even pie-eyed, Bell wouldn’t say anything that would contradict his testimony in court. Unless he slipped up.
It sure was lonely in that dark hallway, where my boots echoed on the floor. I slid down in the dark and out the front door, where it was twilight and the last light caught the noose dangling from the gallows, ready for use at eleven.
I didn’t much care to stand there in the chill. Some cold air was lowering off the mountains, and it sent a shiver up my spine. I was about to get back to the sheriff office when I seen a ghost. That’s what she seemed at first, but it turned out to be Queen, dressed in white, with a white shawl around her neck. She come on over and stood near me, and we both were lost in our thoughts, or maybe we didn’t have a thing to say. I was going to be her brother’s hangman, and that kept us quiet.
“How’s my father?” she asked finally.
“Don’t know. I’ve been trying to come up with something, but I ain’t got anywhere.”
“I’m glad you hauled him away.”
“He’s just the same as anyone else. Assaulting a peace officer, and he gets himself in trouble.”
“He’s never spent an hour in a jail.”
“It’s been most of a day now,” I said. “I’ll let him go when the time comes.”
I heard the catch in her breath. “I told the ranch people not to come armed. I think they’ll heed me.”
“You’ve done a good thing.”
“No, I haven’t done anything good. There’s no good in the world. There’s only grief and tears. And death.”
I kept quiet. A breeze was twirling the noose. She saw it too.
“I have to decide what to do with King after—after it’s over,” she said. “My father thought it never would be— over. He was ready to shoot his way out. But it’s going to be over, and we need a grave, and since he can’t think of it, I have to. I want it to be a good place for my brother. I want it to be a place where I can go, and sit on the grass, and think of him and look at my memories, one after another, and not let go of him.”
“If I could change it, Miss Bragg, I surely would.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“I’ll look after your father,” I said.
“He needs looking after. No one ever looked after him before, because we were all too busy obeying.”
I took her hand and held it a moment, and let go. She continued her vigil at the gallows, while I pushed through the darkness.
THIRTY
I found Rusty and Burtell holding the fort.
“Any trouble out there?” Rusty asked.
“It’s quiet. You fellers go on home. I’m staying here tonight, and can’t sleep anyway.”
“But what if they rush you, try to spring the kid?”
“You’ll hear it, and I’ll have help.”
“Doesn’t seem right,” Rusty said.
“Here’s what you do. Rusty, you patrol Saloon Row and then call it quits. Burtell, you check the rest of the town and call it quits. And I’ll see you both in the morning. You’ll need your sleep because tomorrow we got to be sharp.”
Rusty stared at me. “It’s you that’s carrying a lot on your back.”
“Yes, I am,” I said.
They slid into the night, and I barred the door behind them. There was only one kerosene lamp lit, and the whole office was thick with shadow, which is how I wanted it. I unlocked the jail door, and sure enough, Admiral Bragg started bellowing at me.
“You let me out or you’ll pay for it,” he said.
“You’re staying put.”
“Clean my pisspot.”
“I’ll do that in a little bit.”
