attractive?already in the parlor. There was one customer already there examining the choices before him, an elderly, balding man with a large belly and expensive clothing.
?And what is your pleasure this afternoon, Mr. Long?
Would you like to visit with Rosalie again? Or perhaps one of our other young ladies would
?
She turned away from him, leading him toward the parlor and the other occupants of the place.
Longarm was not really listening to the bitch?s sales pitch. He stepped up close behind her and took her hand.
Jessie stopped and gave him an inquiring look.
?Ah, Miss Jessie, a pleasure this will be, I assure you.?
She raised an eyebrow.
Grinning, Longarm pulled his handcuffs out and snapped one bracelet onto her wrist.
?Really, Mr. Long, I
?
He wrenched her other arm behind her and applied the second cuff.
?Mr. Long,? she protested, ?I realize you are new to our services. And this sort of thing is perfectly appropriate with any of the girls you choose. But really, sir, I do not personally engage in
?
Still grinning, he took out his wallet and flipped it open to display his badge.
?Like I said, ma?am. A pleasure. Truly a pleasure.?
Jessie was calm enough about it. She bent slightly to examine the badge, and he held it higher for her conve nience. She looked it over carefully, then her mouth twisted into a sneer. She did not look at all perturbed.
?You fool,? she spat. ?Don?t you know that prostitution is subject to local law, not federal? As you may have al ready discovered, sir, I have no problems with the local law. Now release me at once, or I shall become quite angry with you.?
Longarm continued to grin. ?As you have already discovered, madam, I am not local law. And the way I under stand it, slavery is a federal offense. I am arresting you for the crime of slaving, which is prohibited by whatever the hell amendment to the constitution.?
?You cocksucker!? the lovely Miss Jessie hissed.
?No, ma?am. Nor slaver neither.? He was still grinning.
?This is ridiculous,? she yelped, looking worried now for the first time. ?Let me go at once, I tell you.?
?Miss Jessie, if a judge decides that I?m ridiculous, then I expect I?ll believe it. Meantime, madam, you will sit in a jail cell awaiting that judge?s pleasure.? He tugged on the handcuffs, pulling her toward the front door.
?Where do you think you are taking me?? she demanded. Her voice had risen and become shrill.
?Denver,? he said bluntly. ?Federal court in Denver.?
Jessie jerked free of his grip, the effort undoubtedly painful when the manacles cut into her wrists, and shrieked, ?Walter!?
She did not try to run but threw herself forward onto the floor, twisting sideways to avoid striking the rich, plush carpet face first.
Longarm looked up and saw a bouncer peering back at him.
The bouncer was not a large man. In fact, he was probably not as tall or as heavily built as the woman who employed him. He was a smallish, slightly built man with the facial features of a sewer rat and stringy hair that covered only the right side of his head. His menace did not lie in his size but in the size of the large-bore, double- barreled shotgun he was holding steady in the direction of Longarm?s stomach.
Longarm cursed himself. If he hadn?t been so damned tired? But that was only making excuses.
?Shuck the hardware,? Walter ordered.
Longarm looked into the big bores of the shotgun but hesitated.
Walter smiled at him. ?I?ve killed bigger men than you, mister.?
?It?s Marshal, not mister,? Longarm corrected. ?United States Deputy Marshal Custis Long out of Denver.?
?Big fucking deal. So this time I?ll blow a marshal?s guts out. I never done that before.? The smile got wider. ?Might be fun, now that I think on it.?
Well, it had been worth a try, Longarm thought ruefully.
?Now which will it be, federal Deputy Marshal? Do you wanna shuck the gun, or would you rather we pick you up with a mop??
?Given the choice,? Longarm said, ?I expect I?ll lose the gun.?
?Very sensible,? Walter said.
Jessie was lying on the floor giving Longarm a look of very ugly triumph.
Sensible shit, Longarm realized. Once they had him there was no way they were going to turn him loose to try
