intending to ask him a question, but thought better of it and addressed himself to Donovan once again. “Do we know how much money they got?”
“Not yet,” Donovan said.
Shaye shifted painfully in his chair. “We’re gonna be puttin’ together a posse, Al. I assume we can count on you and the other members of the council?”
“Uh, well, we’re merchants, Sheriff, not gunmen. We wouldn’t be much help to you.”
“There’s strength in numbers,” Shaye said.
“I’m sure you can find some young men from town who’ll volunteer for a posse.”
“I guess we’ll see,” Shaye said.
“Besides,” Donovan said, “how do you intend to ride with that wound?”
“I’ll be leadin’ the posse, Mr. Donovan,” Thomas said before Shaye could answer.
“You?” Donovan asked. Behind him, Timmerman snorted.
“Do you have a problem with that, Mayor?” Thomas asked.
“No offense, Deputy, but we hired your pa to be sheriff, largely because we wanted the man who had successfully hunted down the Langer gang.”
“Thomas is the one who caught Ethan Langer, Mayor,” Shaye said. “He’s very capable of leadin’ a posse.”
“And I’ll be ridin’ along too,” James chimed in.
“Both of my sons are good, experienced deputies, gentlemen,” Shaye said. “You have no worries on that account.”
“Well, fine then,” Donovan said.
“I want to talk to the man in the cell,” Mayor Timmerman said.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that, Mayor.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not the law.”
“I’m a lawyer,” Timmerman said. “The man deserves to see a lawyer.”
Everyone stared at Timmerman, including his colleagues on the council.
“Mayor,” Shaye said, “are you tellin’ me that you want to represent one of the men from the gang who killed your daughter?”
Timmerman’s eyebrows shot up and his face, so pale before, suddenly suffused with blood.
“Good God, no!”
“Well then, you can’t see him,” Shaye said. “The best thing for you to do now is go and take care of your daughter, and be with your family. As for the rest of you, just go on about your business and let us get on with ours.”
“Sheriff,” Donovan said, “you can’t—”
“This way out, gents,” Thomas said.
“I’ll get the door,” James said, pushing away from the wall. He opened the door and stood there like a doorman.
“All right,” Donovan said, “but keep us informed about what you’re doing, Sheriff.”
“Don’t worry, Al,” Shaye said. “You’ll be the first to know—all of you.”
Thomas ushered the town council out of the office and James closed the door behind them.
“Ow,” Shaye said as he struggled to his feet.
“Pa, what are you doin’?” Thomas asked.
“Like I said,” he answered, “I’m gonna talk to the prisoner.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Thomas asked.
“Can you walk?” James asked.
“I may not be able to ride, but I think I can walk,” Shaye said. He took a couple of steps, didn’t fall down, and said, “See?”
“We’ll come in with you,” Thomas said.
“No,” Shaye said. “You boys go out and ask around, see what you can find out.”
“What are we supposed to ask?” James questioned.
“See if anyone saw anything,” Shaye said. “There had to be a man somewhere watching the horses the gang meant to use in their getaway. Also, somebody might have seen the men from the bank after they went out the back way. Go to the livery, the hotels, just ask around and find out whatever you can. The smallest detail might be helpful.”
“All right, Pa,” Thomas said. “But be careful with the prisoner. You’re not steady on your feet.”
“I’m not goin’ into the cell, Thomas,” Shaye said. “Just meet me back here in a couple of hours and we’ll compare notes.”
“When do we start lookin’ for posse members?” Thomas asked.
“Do it now, while you’re askin’ questions.”
“How many, Pa?” James asked.
“I don’t know,” Shaye said. “I’ll know better after I talk with the prisoner.”
“You think he’ll tell you anythin’?” James asked.
Shaye looked at his sons and said, “I think he better.”
26
Dan Shaye tested his legs out before entering the cell block. When he was finally sure he wouldn’t fall over, he entered, leaving his gun belt on his desk.
The prisoner was lying on his back staring at the ceiling.
“Why don’t we start with your name?” Shaye said.
The man didn’t answer.
“You know,” Shaye said, “your friends killed everyone who worked at the bank. That’s a lot of murders, and you’re on the hook for every one of them.”
That got his attention.
“I didn’t kill nobody.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Shaye said, “because you’re the one we caught.”
Joe Samuels sat up and stared at Shaye. “You can’t pin them killings on me!”
“Sure I can,” Shaye said, “especially if you don’t cooperate.”
Samuels thought about that for a while.
“You know,” Shaye said, thinking this might clinch him, “one of the people who worked in the bank and is now dead was the mayor’s daughter. Needless to say, he’s real upset. He just wants somebody to pay.”
The man looked at Shaye. “Samuels,” he said, “Joe Samuels.”
“That’s your name?”
“That’s right.”
“And who were you working for? Ben Cardwell?”
“I guess,” Samuels said. “See, we were all recruited by Simon Jacks, and he works with Cardwell.
“Jacks,” Shaye said, frowning. “I know that name.”
“You should,” Samuels said, “if you’re any kind of lawman. He’s got a rep.”
“What about this other fella, Davis?”
“Davis?” Samuels frowned. “That sonofabitch.”
“He got away, you know.”
“He was supposed to hold the horses,” Samuels said. “I’d like to know what happened to that bastard!”
“And what about Cardwell and Jacks?” Shaye asked. “What was the plan?”
“Cardwell and Jacks were supposed to go into the bank, we was supposed to keep people away—especially law.”
“So what went wrong?”
