Longarm’s interest picked up. “Do you happen to remember who he sent the telegrams to?”
Fosdick began to doodle on a pad of paper. “Marshal, you know that Western Union has a policy against giving out that information.”
“I need to know,” Longarm said, emptying his shirt pocket of cheroots and laying them neatly on the counter between them.
Fosdick didn’t even glance up as he penciled in a big dollar sign.
“I’m a little short of cash, John. All I got is ten dollars and change.”
“That’d be a couple days’ income.”
“Here, dammit.”
Longarm glared at the telegraph operator, but Fosdick didn’t mind. He grinned as he folded the money and slipped Longarm’s pocket change into his coat.
“Cigar?” Fosdick asked, needling Longarm.
“Sure, why not,” Longarm growled. “Now, John, what can you tell me?”
“Only that the telegrams I sent went to Flagstaff and Prescott, Arizona.”
“Do you have any names?”
“I do.”
When John lit their cigars but didn’t provide the names, Longarm grew irritable. “For crying out loud, who’d Cox send those telegrams to!”
“There must be a large reward for any information leading to the counterfeiter’s arrest,” Fosdick said, blowing a cloud of smoke over Longarm’s head.
“Not that I’ve heard of, John. But if I hear otherwise, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thanks,” Fosdick said. “I might just have the key to the puzzle, and we both know that it would be worth a whole lot more than ten dollars and a handful of cheap cheroots.”
“The names!”
“All right, all right.” Fosdick bent over and began to rummage under the counter. “Let’s see,” he muttered. “I saved duplicate copies of those telegrams.”
Longarm waited impatiently until Fosdick finally found the copies. Longarm eagerly read the two telegraphs over quickly, then read them again. In both cases, the telegrams were sent to land agents and stated that Cox would be arriving in Arizona and possessed funds sufficient to buy a cattle ranch. The telegrams also stated that he would be arriving to inspect ranching properties within a month.
“Well,” Fosdick said, looking quite pleased with himself. “Wouldn’t you say that those are pretty important leads to solving this case?”
“Can I keep them?”
“Sure. They didn’t cost me anything, and I will expect you to pass my name along for at least part of that reward if Nathan Cox is apprehended in either Flagstaff or Prescott.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Longarm said. “But I have to tell you something that you won’t enjoy hearing.”
Fosdick’s smile wilted and he began to doodle again. “What would that be, Marshal?”
“I think these telegrams are red herrings. By that I mean that from everything I know about Nathan Cox, I’d say he is far too smart to leave any kind of paper trail that might assist a lawman to hasten his arrest.”
“I disagree,” Fosdick said. “At the time that he sent these, Mr. Cox was pretty loaded. He’d just lost some big bucks at the faro table and had drowned his sorrow in the best whiskey that money could buy. I can tell you this, Marshal, Cox, or whatever his name is, was in no mental shape to be acting cagey.”
“I think he was probably in excellent mental shape and that he was pretending to be drunk in order to make us both think that he really is on his way to Arizona.”
Fosdick leaned back and, for the first time ever, displayed some temper. “Now, dammit, Custis, what if you’re wrong and it costs me a bundle of money!”
“Don’t worry,” Longarm assured the upset man. “If I am wrong and Nathan Cox really is going to Flagstaff or Prescott to buy a ranch, then you’ll benefit from it. And if there is any money to be made for your information, I’ll pass that right along the proper channels. You know that it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other who collects the reward. It might as well be someone I like and who has been cooperative.”
Fosdick relaxed. “I’m sorry I just blew up. It’s just that I went and told the wife about all this, and now she’s really pressuring me hard for a reward. She’s even got another damned house picked out in the best part of town.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Longarm said, “but tell her that I don’t put much credence in those telegrams. From everything I’ve heard and seen so far about our counterfeiter, he’s very smart. Sending telegrams just doesn’t jibe with the kind of man who could pull off something as complex as stealing government property that could be used to create money.”
“Did he get the currency plates and everything?”
“I’m afraid so,” Longarm said. “Furthermore, Cox has the expertise to produce hundred-dollar bills that are identical to those in circulation.”
“How many?”
“Just as many as he can spend before I catch him,” Longarm answered.
