target.”
As Short had predicted Long-haired Jim Courtwright did not appear. As far as the lawman was concerned, a dead gambler was a good gambler—and that went for people like Victor, who worked for gamblers.
When they got inside they saw that Jerry had gotten help carrying Victor inside.
“Take him to the office,” Short said. “We’ll have the undertaker pick him up.”
“Walk right through the place with him, Luke?” Jerry asked. “It’s real busy.”
“Who are you kiddin’, Jerry,” Luke said. “Half of these men won’t even notice you.”
Jerry signaled the men he’d recruit and together they picked Victor up and carried him to the office. They passed Bill Ward along the way.
“What the hell happened?” he demanded. He was looking at the shattered window.
“Somebody tried to kill Butler,” Short said.
“Victor warned me, and got killed for it.”
“And the window?”
“The bullet meant for me missed and shattered the window,” Butler said. “But I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
Ward looked properly chastised.
“I’m sorry Butler,” he said. “Of course I’m glad you’re all right, and I’m sorry Victor’s dead.”
“We’ll get somebody to fix the window, Bill,” Short said. “Don’t worry.”
“I’m not—”
“What about Victor’s family?” Butler asked. “Somebody is going to have to tell them.”
“He didn’t have any,” Short said. “This place is the closest thing he had to a home.”
“Look,” Ward said, “I didn’t mean—”
“We’ll be paying for his funeral,” Short said, “right, Bill?”
“Yes, of course we will.”
Jerry reappeared at that moment.
“Send somebody for the undertaker,” Short told him, “and get somebody to board that window up until we can get it fixed.”
“Okay, boss.”
Short turned to Butler.
“You take your meals inside from now on,” Short said. “Also, I’ll give you a room upstairs.”
“I’ve got a hotel—”
“I don’t care,” Short said. “If they want us, next time I want them to have to come in.”
“Okay, Luke.”
“I’ll go with you now to get your gear.”
“I don’t need a babysitter, Luke,” Butler said. “The shooter’s gone for now. I’ll agree with you wanting me to stay here, but I think I’m safe picking up my things by myself.”
“Okay, fine, Short said, “but if you get killed this time it’s on your head.”
“Should we send for the sheriff?” Ward asked.
“That’s a laugh,” Short said.
“Why?”
“I’m sure the sheriff has heard all about this by now, Bill,” Butler said. “He’s hoping one of us is the corpse.”
“He’s in for a disappointment, then,” Short said. “Look, go and get your things before they get a chance to set up again.”
“Okay, I’m going,” Butler said, “but you’ve got to do something for me if I stay here.”
“What’s that?” Short asked.
“Get me a game.”
CHAPTER 25
Butler moved his belongings into a room on the second floor of the White Elephant, behind the casino. Luke Short and his wife lived in an apartment down the hall, but she was away and had been since his arrival. It was just as well. Short didn’t need to worry about her during the days to come. At least she was safe.
Short led Butler into his rooms for a drink while they discussed what the events of the day meant, and how they should proceed.
“Bill’s not going to sit in?” Butler asked.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Bill’s a little slow to act. He doesn’t want to get anybody mad at him— which, I think, is one of the main reasons he wanted me as a partner.”
“So you could be the bad guy?” Butler asked. “Get people mad at you?”
“Exactly” Short said, “not that I mind, you understand. I’m pretty much at the point in my life when I can’t stand most people, anyway. You’re a little young for that. Give it ten more years.”
Butler doubted that he was ten years younger than Short. He was also closer than ten years to feeling the way Short felt about people. That tended to happen when so many of them had tried to kill him.
“Luke, I haven’t said it yet, but I’m sorry about Victor.”
“Yeah,” Short said, “he was a good man. You could trust him to do what he could do, you know what I mean?”
“Yes.”
“He never disappointed me by trying to do more, and then failing.”
“Luke, you got any other men we can count on, or is it just going to be you and me?”
“I told you about the two bartenders. They can fight, and they can fire a shotgun.”
“Can they hit anything?”
Short looked away and repeated, “They can fire a shotgun.”
“Hard to miss with one of those,” Butler said.
“Yeah, well, let’s not count on them hitting anything.”
“So basically it’s you and me.”
“Yes,” Short said, “but so far only one guy took a shot at you. I think we can handle one guy.”
“And how many others do you think Ed Cramer will send after us?” Butler asked.
“I don’t know,” Short said. “I’m not sure if he wants a war or not.”
“A war…” Butler said.
That’s exactly what Butler ended up involved with in Dodge City, but then he had Jim and Bat Masterson and Neal Brown on his side.
“Maybe it won’t be a war,” Short said. “Maybe everything will just…work out for the best, huh? What do you think of that?”
“And just how would that go?” Butler asked.
“I don’t know,” Short said. “Maybe, since whoever Cramer sent after you missed, he’ll change his mind. He’ll know we know he’s behind it, and maybe he’ll decide to lay low for a while.”
“Or maybe,” Butler said, “somebody’ll just…kill him.”
“Well,” Luke Short said, “wouldn’t that be nice of someone, to kill him for us.”
Zeke had something stuck in his teeth, which was odd, because he only had some stumps left in his mouth. He’d always thought that the good thing about not having a mouthful of teeth was that nothing would ever get caught, but now he saw that he was wrong.
“Crap,” he said.
There were a few customers at the bar, who looked up and stared at him.
“Ah, mind yer business.”
He needed a toothpick. He knew his boss kept some on his desk, and he wasn’t supposed go in his boss’s office, anyway. But it was early in the morning and the boss wouldn’t be in yet.
