“It’s not just about going to San Francisco,” he replied. “It’s about the whole journey. I’ve seen a lot to this point, and done a lot, but there’s more to see between here and California.”
“I suppose,” she said, “but as soon as I have a chance, I’m leaving here and going right to San Francisco.”
He reached across the table and touched her hand. “You’ll fit right in there.”
“Will
“In San Francisco? Oh, yes,” he said. “That’s a talent I have. I can fit in anywhere.”
“It must be nice to be so confident,” she said.
“You’re confident.”
“I seem confident,” she said. “I’m really not, though. That’s my secret. I’ve been scared ever since my parents died. And I have Lou to worry about.”
“Will you take him with you to San Francisco?”
“I honestly don’t know,” she said. “I don’t think he’d fit in there. He’s more suited to living here.”
“Would he want to go with you?”
She hesitated, then said, “I think so.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“Oh, no,” she said, shaking her head. “He knows nothing about my ambitions. He thinks I’m very happy here.”
“It will come as a shock to him, then,” Butler said. “Maybe you should start preparing him now.”
“I probably should,” she said, shaking her head, “I just don’t know how to.”
“Shall I walk you home?” he asked.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Here I am chattering on and you probably want to get to work. You said that in your interview, right? That poker is your work?”
“Yes,” he admitted, “I did say that.”
As they stood up she said, “Let’s stop by the office first and I’ll give you a copy of today’s edition, with the interview.”
“All right.”
Butler paid the bill and they left the Delmonico.
They stopped at the office to get him a copy of the newspaper and then he walked her the rest of the way home.
“Thank you for the meal,” she said, in front of her house, “and the time.”
“It was my pleasure.”
He took a step forward and impulsively kissed her cheek.
“Please don’t slap me,” he said, backing up. “I just wanted to do that.”
“I won’t slap you,” she promised, “but then don’t you be shocked at me.”
She stepped forward, put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth, softly but soundly.
“I just wanted to do that.”
She blushed before he could say anything, turned and hurried into the house. He touched his hand to his mouth, then smiled, turned, and walked back to Front Street.
He did, indeed, have to go to work.
Kevin Ryerson was shocked when he woke up and saw what time it was. For him to have slept that soundly and that long was unusual. He figured he must be getting old.
He poured some water into a basin and used it to wash his face and torso, scrubbing the gumminess from his eyes and the trail dust from his chest and armpits. After that he dug out a clean shirt and put it on, then checked his gun to make sure it was in good working order. In all the years he’d been a bounty hunter he’d never suffered a misfire on any of his weapons, and this was the reason why. He always checked his weapons before he went out into the street. If he was on the trail, he checked it every morning when he woke up.
When he slid the gun into the holster and strapped it on, he was ready to go outside. His other meal seemed like a distant memory. He wanted another steak, and then a couple of cold beers. Maybe even a woman. He had no work to do tonight. His target was here, and he could wait until tomorrow to go after him. He’d ridden hard to get here and deserved some down time.
He left the room and went down to the lobby, thought briefly about going into the dining room, but then decided to treat himself to the most expensive restaurant in town.
He stopped at the front desk to ask the desk clerk just where that would be.
CHAPTER 42
Butler stopped by the Lady Gay to check in with Jim Masterson and Neal Brown. The place was busy, almost completely full. He saw Updegraff behind the bar, but didn’t approach him. Instead, he scanned the room, spotted Brown, and walked over to where the man was watching a poker game. He stopped next to him. There were five men at the table and he didn’t know any of them.
“Butler,” Brown said.
“Neal. I see the bartender came back.”
“Jim questioned him,” Brown said. “He swears he doesn’t know anything about what happened this morning.”
“What else would he say?”
“That’s what Jim said.”
“Where is Jim?”
“Upstairs. Should be down soon. He took supper in his room.”
“Oh.”
“Had one of the girls up there with him, too,” Brown added. “I think he was tryin’ to relax a bit. Didn’t have much time to do that when he was wearing a badge. You ever find that early game?”
“No, never did. Stopped looking, actually. Had other things to do. Why, did Jim get one going?”
“This was it, actually,” Brown said. “Saved a seat for you as long as they could.”
“Doesn’t look like they missed me much.”
Brown looked at him. “They got by.”
“Well, tell Jim I’m sorry I didn’t get back here.”
“Where are you off to?”
“The Alhambra, I think.”
“You see Dog, tell ’im we’ll be over in a bit.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Oh, ever find Thompson?”
“No,” Butler said. “Stopped looking. Figure I’ll see him when I see him.”
“And Ryerson?”
Butler, who had half turned to leave, turned back and told Neal Brown what he had found out about Ryerson.
“Interesting,” Brown said, when he’d finished. “I wonder if he’s here for somebody in particular, and if so who?”
“That’s the question.”
“Maybe one of us will get a chance to ask him.”
Butler thought he should probably also tell Brown about his conversation with Fred Singer, but he was anxious to get over to the Alhambra, so he left that for later.
If the Lady Gay was busy, the Alhambra was just about bursting at the seams. There didn’t seem to be room at the bar for another body, but he wanted a beer. He was trying to decide when to make a space for himself when he noticed somebody waving him over.
