'How do you know you can trust me? ' 'All the stories you say didn't
happen. I rode with your mother on the train to Salt Lake, and she
told me all sorts of saintly things about you only a mother could
believe. Does she know how ruthless you can be? ' Cole refused to
answer the question.
Ryan plunged ahead. 'She thinks you're headed in the wrong
direction.
That's why she gave you the compass.'
'The compass you kept for over a year.' Ryan shrugged. She also told
me the compass was to remind you to stay on the right path. The way I
see it, I'm helping you do just that.'
'I'm not ruthless.'
'When the situation calls for it, you are. I also heard about
Springfield.'
'Ah, hell.'
'Are you going to help me or not? ' Cole had already made his
decision. The sight of those bodies would stay in his mind for a long,
long time, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep at night unless he
helped find the men who had committed this atrocity. He simply
couldn't walk away.
'I want to get all of them, ' he whispered. 'I'll keep the badge, but
as soon as this is over, I'm giving it back.'
'You might decide to stay on.'
'Maybe, ' was all he would allow. 'Are there any special rules for
marshals? I never was one for rules, ' he warned.
'Marshals are assigned to territories, but you and I are theexception
because we're on special duty. As for the rules, you don't need to
worry about them. It's all common-sense stuff anyway. Marshals can't
be tried for murder, you know.' He told the lie with a straight
face.
Cole laughed. 'That rule will come in handy.' Ryan stood up and
rolled his shoulders to work the stiffness out. 'Why don't you go
through this box while I go in the back and look through the drawers
again.' Ryan had already headed toward the president's office when
Cole called out to him. 'What am I looking for? ' 'The names of the
people who did their banking yesterday. Sloan told me that the
president insisted his tellers keep accurate records. They were
