The saloons and whorehouses would be his best bet for information, he suspected. Potter was earthy and direct in his appetites. If he had been in town any length of time at all he surely would have shown up in public somewhere.
?A halfwit named Potter, you say?? The barman shook his head. ?No, I don?t remember nobody like that lately. But say, Marshal, surely you ain?t serious about stopping the train from running. I mean, I?m down to my next to last barrel of beer, Marshal, and I just can?t
?
Longarm ignored the complaint and turned away. This was the third saloon he had visited, and so far the proprietors and employees of the town?s drinking establishments seemed much more concerned about their own affairs than they were about being helpful, damn them.
He went back outside and tried the next place.
?Donald James Potter? Sure I know him. Good worker too, let me tell you, Marshal.?
?You know him??
?Jeez, I just said that, didn?t I? He swamped for me here off an? on for, oh, three, four weeks it?s been now. Showed up here one night all wore out and hungry
I think he walked in on the tracks ?cause he couldn?t afford the price of a ticket
and I gave him a job. Sort of, anyhow. I mean, he didn?t want much. But he?d come in here late ?most every night, and I?d feed him a dinner of whatever was handy, and after I?d close he?d sweep up an? empty the cuspidors an? like that, and I?d give him some nickels outa the till. Hard worker, Donald is. Had to be showed what was wanted every time, but once he got it straight what he was to do he?d stay at it until I told him to quit. Surely he ain?t in any trouble, Marshal.?
?Considerable trouble, I?m afraid,? Longarm said.
The bartender frowned. ?That?s a shame now. I?m sorry t? hear it.?
?Yeah. You say he?s been here three or four weeks??
?Something like that, but I wouldn?t swear to it.?
?You?ve been a big help.?
?Yeah?? The bartender smiled. ?Gee, Marshal, I?m glad.?
?But I?m afraid you?ll have to find a new swamper from now on.?
?Or go back to doing it my own self, damnit. That?s the way it usually works with the mines paying good wages to anybody with a strong back, damnit.?
Longarm bought a half-dollar?s worth of cheroots from the barman and was about to order a beer when Blaisdell came puffing through the door.
?Finally,? the young security guard said. ?I been looking for you, Marshal.?
?What is it this time, Tim? Find another White Hood suspect??
?No, sir, but we found Miss Jessie?s body.?
?Body??
?Yes, sir.? Blaisdell bent over and gulped for air.
?If she?s dead, Tim, I expect she?ll wait while you get your breath back. You want a beer or something??
?No, sir. I don?t drink.?
The bartender winked at Longarm and uncorked a quart bottle of root beer. ?Two??
?One,? Longarm told him.
The barman poured one root beer and one rootless variety for Longarm. Blaisdell gulped down his soft drink while Longarm sipped at his beer.
?Now tell me,? Longarm said when Blaisdell had his wind back.
?That woman you was looking for, Marshal. One of the boys working in the sorting shack at the Arrabie found her. She was beat to death an? thrown on the tailings dump. The guy doing the sorting at the Arrabie seen her when he went to throw out some chunks of no-pay that were too big to go through the crusher. He tossed this one rock out the window, like, and seen it thump inta this woman laying right there on the slope. Shook him up bad, it did.?
?She was already dead, though??
?Yes, sir. We?re sure about that ?cause she was cold as a trout when he ran down to see if he?d hurt her. I guess she?d been dead most o? the night for her to be so cooled off already.?
?Has the body been moved?? Longarm asked.
?Yes, sir. Some of the boys from the Arrabie are bringing her down now. I come ahead to see if I could find you.?
?Then I guess we?d better go take a look.? Longarm drained off the last of his beer and paid for both drinks. ?I might be back to ask some more about Potter,? he told the barman.
?I?ll be here, Marshal. If I happen to be sleepin? it?s just upstairs, and somebody can fetch me down for you.?
?All right, thanks.?
Jessie?s body was already being carried into the sawdust-packed icehouse when Longarm and Blaisdell got there. She was definitely not pretty to look at now. Blaisdell had said she was beaten to death, but Longarm was not prepared for the extent of damage that had been done to the once
