“He didn’t say.”
“Did you ask him?”
“I did.”
“And what did he say?”
“He said the time for having fun was over.”
“You don’t know very much about why you were shot, do you?”
“No.”
“That must be very frustrating.”
“It is.”
“What about the other times?”
“What other times?”
“The other times you were shot?”
“Oh, those other times. I generally knew why it was happening.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody was trying to kill me.”
“I saw two bullet-wound scars and a knife scar on your torso.”
“Oh, you didn’t see my back,” he said. “There’s another bullet and a knife scar there, and if you want to talk about my legs—”
“I don’t think I do,” she said.
“Sorry.”
The waitress came with the eggs and bacon they had ordered because of the late—and early—hour.
“Is life that violent out west for everyone?”
“Only if you go looking for it.”
“And you do?”
“I couldn’t be in my business if I didn’t.”
“And what business is that?”
He hesitated a moment, wondering why he’d led the conversation around to this. Then he told her.
“I’m a bounty hunter.”
“Really?” she asked. “That sounds very interesting.”
It took him a moment to figure out that she didn’t believe him. He wasn’t all that sure he wanted to convince her.
“Sometimes,” he said.
“Like tonight?”
He decided it was time to grimace a little.
“Your shoulder hurt?” she asked. Her concern was so genuine he felt guilty about faking the grimace. “Maybe we should have had the doctor look at it.”
“No, no, it’s fine really,” he said. “Tell me about you. How old are you?”
“Twenty-five,” she said. “Why did you ask that?”
“I wanted to see if you’d answer honestly.”
“What makes you think I did?”
“I figured you for twenty-four.”
“I’m flattered.”
They finished eating and left the restaurant. Decker paid.
In front he said, “Can I see you home?”
“I appreciate the meal, Mr. Decker, and the company—and having my curiosity satisfied, sort of—but I don’t think we know each other that well yet.”
He was pleased that she had used
“Well, if my shoulder starts to act up, where can I find you?”
She smiled and said, “At the hospital.”
“Be careful going home, then.”
“That sounds like better advice for you than me,” she said.
“I intend to follow it.”
“Good night, Mr. Decker.”
“Not Mr. Decker,” he said. “Just Decker.”
She started to walk away. Then she turned and said, “Tell me something, Just Decker.”
“What?”
“Are you really a bounty hunter?”
“Yep.”
She regarded him for a moment. Then she said, “Interesting,” and walked off down the street.
As he watched her walk away, Decker said, “Interesting,” too. Then he started back to his hotel.
Chapter Seven
An insistent knocking woke Decker the next morning. He staggered to it, wondering if Linda Hamilton had decided that they
It was Lieutenant Tally, bearing gifts.
“Your guns,” he said, holding them out.
“Thanks.” Decker reached for them with one hand.
“Not so fast,” Tally said, holding back.
“More conversation?”
“If you don’t mind.”
Decker waved him in and moved back to the bed to sit down.
Tally entered and closed the doors. He put the guns on the nearby dresser.
“Is this going to take long?” Decker asked.
“That depends.”
“How about doing it over breakfast?”
Tally shrugged.
“I don’t mind. Who’s paying?”
“I guess I am.”
“I’ll wait downstairs while you get dressed,” Tally said. “Don’t disappoint me.”
“I’ll be along as soon as I can. I can’t move around real fast with this wound, you know.”
“The way you look, you’ve been through this enough times to know all the shortcuts.”
Tally left, and Decker washed up and got dressed. He wanted to put the shoulder rig on, but one of the straps put pressure on his wound. He took the New Line out of the holster and dropped it into the pocket of one of his new coats.
Tally was waiting in the hotel lobby.
“Hotel dining room?” he asked.
“I was warned against it. Let’s go to a small restaurant I found last night. It’ll be a long walk, but I need to stretch my legs, anyway.”
As they left the hotel, Decker saw Billy Rosewood standing out front. As Rosewood spotted Tally, he immediately hid his face.
He needn’t have bothered. Tally saw him.
“Hello, Billy.”
“Good morning, Lieutenant. Mr. Decker.”
“You two know each other?” Tally asked.
“Billy gave me a ride from the train station.”
Tally gave Rosewood a meaningful look.
