doors before he left. He saw no sign of the man and he couldn’t think of any reason to tarry. But just then, as he started across the lobby, Longarm saw the big doors open and saw Lee Gray come plodding through like he was out for a Sunday stroll and the fact that it was almost three o’clock in the morning was of no matter.
Longarm was almost to the top of the stairs, and called out to the desk clerk. He held up the key that had a little wooden room number attached to it. He said, “I can’t make this out. Is this 205 or 206?”
The desk clerk said, “205, sir.”
Longarm let his glance graze off Lee Gray, then nodded at the clerk, said “Thanks,” and went on up the stairs. He walked down the hall until he found his room and opened the door. He was amazed to find such a place in Santa Rosa. The room was big, it was clean, it had a good-sized bed in it that looked almost new, and sure enough there was a copper bathtub next to the wall with spigots sticking out just like in a regular hotel in Kansas City or New Orleans or any other big town you could name. He was determined, if nothing else, to get some of the train dirt off him before the night was over.
But first, he wanted a few quick words with Lee Gray. He opened his satchel, took out a bottle of whiskey, and then set it on the table, which already contained a pitcher of water, a bowl, and four glasses. He sat down, lit a cheroot, and waited. He had left the door slightly ajar so that Gray wouldn’t have to knock.
As Longarm sat there, his attention was drawn to the back of the door and to what he had first thought was either a picture or the rules of the house. Then it began to look very familiar. He suddenly got up, walked across the room, and within a few steps was staring at his own wanted poster. It startled him so badly that his mind went blank for a second. A little thrill of fear or excitement or wonder ran through him. It was not the poster itself. It was that it was in the room he was occupying. It was as if the Nelsons had known of his coming and had made sure that he knew the offer was still good. He took a step or two back, blinking, and then took a quick drink of whiskey.
At that instant, Lee Gray came sliding through the half-opened door. He glanced at Longarm and then to where Longarm was staring at the poster.
Lee Gray said, “Don’t get all het up. They ain’t singled you out. They don’t know it’s you here. There’s one in every room. There’s one in the dining room and one in the bar. Of course, there ain’t much chance of anybody recognizing you. It ain’t a real good likeness.”
Longarm shook his head, walked back to the table, and sat down. He said, “It kind of caught me off guard for a second. It made my skin crawl.”
Lee Gray walked over to the table, took a chair himself, and watched as Longarm poured out a glass of whiskey and shoved it across to him. Gray said, “Yeah, I can understand that. It ain’t a real nice sight for a peaceful young fellow like you to be taking a gander at. This damned room is so white that it does tend to stand out.”
“It caught me off guard, Lee. I’d already sat down and poured out a drink and was waiting on you, and that damned thing jumped out and hit me in the face,” Longarm said.
Gray held out his glass. “Well, let’s wash down some of the dust and forget about it for a moment.”
They made a toast to luck and then knocked back their drinks.
Longarm said, “This is a hell of a mess, Lee. That Henderson kid missing scares me to death and I feel like it’s my fault. I should have come instead of letting Billy Vail send such an inexperienced young deputy.”
Lee Gray didn’t say anything. He picked up the bottle and poured himself and Longarm another glass of whiskey.
After they had sat for a moment, Lee pulled out the makings from his pocket and rolled a cigarette. When it was drawing good, he said, “This kid Henderson, was he old enough to be a deputy marshal?”
“Hell, yes, Lee. You know we’ve got requirements. He had previous law experience.”
“So, he was judged to be good enough to be a deputy U.S. marshal?”
“Yeah, what are you aiming at?”
Lee Gray shrugged. “Well, if you’ve hired a man to do the job and if he’s proven himself able to do the job, it’s my way of thinking that you ought to let him do the job.”
Longarm scowled. “Hell, Lee. You know there’s jobs and then there’s jobs. And you know there’s different levels of experience. He came in here like a bull with his eyes shut. He sent me a telegram that must have alerted the sheriff, and now he’s disappeared. I take it you haven’t picked up any sign of him while I’ve been on the way?”
Gray took a draw on his cigarette and shook his head. “Nope. Not hide nor hair. Nobody knows anything. Of course, I’ve been stepping around kind of light. It would be my guess that the sheriff knows, a man named Ralph Nevins. If there’s anybody in this town on the Nelsons’ payroll, it would be him.”
Longarm looked up quickly. “Have you found out anything about the Nelsons?”
Lee nodded slowly. “Yeah, but it don’t make a damned bit of sense.” He motioned around with his hand. “it makes about as much sense as putting in a hotel like this in a place like Santa Rosa. Ain’t this the damnedest- looking thing you’ve ever seen?”
“I keep expecting to go over to the window and see trolley cars running up and down the street.”
“Well, the only thing that would be running up and down the street at this time of night in this town would be a drunk or a runaway dog.”
Longarm said, “Well, tell me about the Nelsons. Are they real? This ain’t no joke about these posters?”
Lee shook his head slowly. “Now, I can’t tell you whether it is or not. These people around here are either damned closed-mouthed when it comes to those posters, or they don’t know a damned thing. I think the latter is the most likely. But I can guarantee you that Sheriff Nevins knows something, and maybe even his deputy. Maybe even the town marshal, named Joe Black.”
“Well quit fotching around and tell me about these folks who want me dead or alive, preferably alive.”
Lee Gray leaned back in his chair and stretched. With his lanky build, it seemed like it took five minutes to go all the way out and come back. He said, “They’re three brothers from somewhere up north, one of those states that you never hear much about like Massachusetts or New York or Vermont or Maine. Pennsylvania maybe, or maybe even South Dakota. Hell, I don’t know, big snow country. I know they’re supposed to have made a pile of money in
