Longarm nodded to Quine and Markson. Both of them were pasty-faced gents, one thin and one portly, and both looked thoroughly miserable to find themselves here on the frontier. They would have been much more comfortable in the offices and drawing rooms of Washington.
That left the military man, whom Franklin Barton introduced as Jeffery Spooner. Longarm figured Spooner for a lieutenant, maybe a captain. He would have been sent along to keep an eye on the diplomats during the journey down here to Del Rio, but now that they were here, Longarm expected to take over the main part of that chore. He hoped he wouldn’t have any trouble from Spooner.
Barton clapped his hat back on his head and rubbed his hands together. “Well, I suppose you have rooms reserved for us here in the hotel,” he said to Longarm.
“Yes, sir. Coffin and I will take your bags up.”
“Hell,” rumbled Coffin, “I ain’t no porter.”
Barton looked the Ranger up and down and seemed unimpressed, even a little dismayed, by what he saw. Longarm could understand the feeling. “And who might you be?” asked Barton.
“Lazarus Coffin, Texas Ranger. And I ain’t takin’ no sass from no
fancy dude-“
“Coffin!” Longarm’s voice lashed out. “I said you and me would get the bags. That’s what we’re going to do. Remember who’s in charge here.”
“I am,” Franklin Barton said with more than a hint of arrogance in his voice, “but I know what you mean, Mr. Long. Come along, gentlemen.” Without looking back to make sure that somebody was fetching the bags, Barton led his companions into the hotel.
Longarm and Coffin glowered at each other for a moment. Then with a disgusted sigh, Coffin headed for the canvas-covered boot at the rear of the coach. The diplomats’ bags would be stored there.
Before the two lawmen could do anything else, the arrival of the second coach made them turn to greet it. Unlike the Wells, Fargo vehicle that had brought Barton and the other American diplomats to Del Rio, this coach was fancy, painted a high glossy black that gleamed even under the coating of dust that had settled on it during the trip. The horses pulling it were magnificent animals. Comparing them to a regular stage team was like comparing night and day. Clearly, Don Alfredo Guiterrez liked to travel in style.
A man in a flat-crowned hat, charro jacket, and ruffled shirt was the first one out of the coach. Longarm took him to be a servant, especially from the quick way he turned around and reached back up to help the next occupant of the coach step down. Longarm expected that to be Don Alfredo.
Instead, a woman’s delicate foot emerged from the coach, followed by a trim ankle that showed momentarily underneath the swirling skirt of an elaborately tailored traveling outfit. Clasping the man’s hand, the woman stepped down from the coach and looked around, her eyes bright and practically flashing with excitement.
“Son of a bitch,” Coffin breathed as he stood beside Longarm, gaping at the woman. It wasn’t a curse. And Longarm knew exactly how he felt.
Chapter 5
Longarm realized he was staring, but at least he wasn’t standing there with his mouth open like Coffin. He prodded the Ranger in the ribs with an elbow. “That gal’s with one of those Mexican diplomats,” Longarm hissed. “You want to cause a war by gawping at her like that?”
Longarm tromped on Coffin’s foot to shut the Ranger up as he stepped forward and took off his hat. A man was disembarking from the coach behind the young woman, and his dark eyes were slitted suspiciously as he looked at Longarm.
“Welcome to Del Rio,” said Longarm. “Are you Don Alfredo Guiterrez, senor?”
“I am,” the man said crisply. He was tall and lean, clean-shaven, and had thick iron-gray hair under his flat- crowned hat.
“I’m Custis Long,” Longarm went on as he extended his hand. “It’s good to meet you, sir.”
Don Alfredo’s stiff attitude relaxed a little. He shook Longarm’s hand and said, “Ah, the famous Custis Long. I understand you did me a great favor last year, Senor Long.”
“Well, at the time I was just trying to stay alive, but I figure it worked out pretty well for you and Vice President Wheeler too. You wouldn’t have enjoyed the hospitality of that fella I ran into in Inferno.”
Coffin said, “What the hell are you talkin’ about? You didn’t tell me none of this, Long.”
“Ancient history,” Longarm said with a wave of his hand. “Don Alfredo, this is Lazarus Coffin. He’s lending a hand with things here on behalf of the State of Texas.”
The diplomat’s eyes narrowed again as he looked at Coffin. Most people seemed to have that reaction, thought Longarm.
“You are a Texas Ranger?” Guiterrez asked.
Coffin’s broad chest puffed out. “That’s right,” he said defiantly.
The young woman stepped forward and put her hand on Don Alfredo’s arm. “Papa, must we stand in the hot sun while you talk with these handsome men?”
“Of course not, dearest,” said Guiterrez. He patted her hand, then looked at Longarm and Coffin again. “Gentlemen, this is my daughter Sonia. I expect you to see that she is well protected while I am here.”
Longarm interrupted him again, moving in front of him and nodding politely to Sonia Guiterrez. “Very pleased to meet you, senorita. Your rooms are right here in the hotel. Mr. Coffin and I will see that your bags are unloaded and taken upstairs.”
Sonia favored him with a smile, and Longarm felt it down to his toes.
