“Because of Suzie Dobbs.”
“Suzie Dobbs?” Jennie asked. Then, in a sudden insight, she took in a quick, audible breath. “Was she killed in the train wreck?”
“Yes.”
“Who was she? Your wife? Your fiancee. Your girlfriend?”
“No, she was a little four-year-old girl,” Matt answered. He described how he had pulled her from the wreck, dead with a stake driven through her heart.
“Oh,” Jennie said. “Oh, that’s awful.”
“I then made a vow to myself to find justice for her.”
“I’ll tell you the truth, Mr. Cavanaugh. I know that Moses has done some things he shouldn’t have done since he started drinking. And I’m sure some of it is against the law. Moses is no angel, that’s for sure. But I cannot believe that he would have anything to do with killing that little girl.”
Matt remembered Schuler’s reaction when the train robbers were in the express car. He alone had expressed some remorse and concern over what they had done.
“Of course, I haven’t seen Moses in quite a while. It could be that, him being a drunk and all, that he might— well, I suppose if he needed a drink bad enough, you could talk him into about anything.”
“Do you know where he is?” Matt asked.
Jennie was quiet for a long moment, as if struggling with her soul.
“Jennie, he alone expressed surprise and remorse at the outcome of the train wreck. I won’t kill him unless he tries to kill me,” Matt said. “Right now, the one I am really after is Cletus Odom. I’m just hoping that Schuler can help me find him.”
“You might try Quigotoa,” Jennie said.
“Quigotoa?”
“It’s a small town just a little north of here. That’s where Moses hangs out most of the time.”
“Does he live there?” Matt asked.
“Does he live there?” Jennie nodded her head. “I suppose you could say that he lives there. But a more accurate answer would be to say that the only reason he is there is because the folks in Quigotoa are willin’ to put up with him.”
It was now two weeks since Dempster had had a drink, and though it was still hard to abstain, it seemed to him to be getting a little easier. The cravings still occurred, but they were more isolated and did not occupy every waking moment as they once had. He was also taking more pride in his personal appearance, and had just taken a bath, shaved, and put on another clean suit, shirt, and tie. Now it was time for another haircut, so he walked down the street to Tony’s Tonsorial Treatments.
Nobody recognized him when he stepped into the barbershop.
“Yes, sir, friend, are you needing a haircut?” Tony asked. The barber had one customer in his chair, and there were two more waiting. “There are two more ahead of you, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all, Tony,” Dempster answered.
Although nobody had recognized Dempster on sight, they all recognized his voice.
“Dempster? Is that you?” one of the waiting customers asked.
“In the flesh,” Dempster replied.
“It is you. Who would’ve thought it?”
“I hope you don’t mind if I join you.”
“No, not at all, not at all. Have a seat,” one of the men said in invitation.
Dempster took off his hat and hung it on the rack. As he did so, he happened to glance through the window, and that was when he saw Cletus Odom riding into town.
“I’ll be damn,” Dempster said. “What is he doing here?”
“Who? What are you talking about?”
“Cletus Odom,” Dempster said. “I just saw him ride by, as big and bold as you please.”
“Cletus Odom? Are you sure?” Tony asked.
“Oh, I’m sure.”
“How do you know it’s him?”
“I know it is him because I once had the dubious distinction of defending him against a charge of murder, back in the days when he was still a bounty hunter. Tony, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put off getting that haircut until later.”
“Anytime, Mr. Dempster,” Tony replied. “Anytime.”
Leaving the barbershop, Dempster hurried down the street to the bank. When he went into the bank, he caused the same initial reaction he had in the barbershop. People were startled when they recognized him. He walked quickly to the desk of Joel Montgomery, the owner of the bank.
“Mr. Dempster,” Montgomery said, rising to greet him. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Mr. Montgomery, may I speak to you alone for a moment?”
