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  Downs came from the house but didn’t speak for many minutes. ‘I really ain’t sure what to do about the bodies,’ he said eventually.

  ‘You ain’t doin’ anythin’ on your own, an’ you sure ain’t gettin’ any help,’ Chad said.

  ‘We’ll ride off then,’ the marshal decided after a shorter thought.

  22

  BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

  Out at Big Windy Joe Bridge sat quietly waiting. He had the .44 Winchester levelled on the open range beyond the creek.

  Across the peaks of the Sangre de Cristos thunder rolled from a slate sky. It was high-summer thunder, accompanied by the crackle of sheet-lightning. To Joe’s vulnerable mind it sounded like an invasion of the range land.

  ‘He’s comin, Perdi,’ he yelled back at the house. ‘It’s Chad … beatin’ the rain. There’s no one with him.’

  Marlow Frost sat on the veranda, the top half of his body heavily bandaged. ‘I knew he’d be back,’ he said. ‘Likely, that meat-bag of his needs fillin’.’

  The first drops of water splattered under the feet of Chad’s bay. He smiled broadly as he drew up. ‘You still watchin out for your sisters, Joe?’ he asked warmly.

  ‘No. Duck Fewes rode out with the deputy to tell us what happened. Rose wants somethin’ for the pot … chicken … rabbit maybe, she said.’

  ‘That’s good. Duck get his arm tended to?’

  ‘Yeah. It weren’t really that bad,’ Joe called out, as Chad rode on. ‘The doc rode back to town with ’em.’

  Marlow stood up as Chad hitched the bay outside the ranch house. ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere?’ he asked with a quizzical grin.

  ‘Someone like me,’ Chad said. ‘I’m a changed man.’

  ‘You can tell us about it over dinner … the bits we ain’t been told about already.’

  Perdi and Rose came out, stood on the veranda.

  ‘You took your time in coming back.’ Perdi said, a warm, mischievous look spreading across her face.

  But Chad had already decided. ‘I won’t be stayin’,’ he said. ‘I’ve got to move on.’

  Perdi looked dismayed. ‘Not for one more meal? We owe you that, at least. You’re being kind of . . er … ungracious, don’t you think?’

  ‘Yeah, I am, an’ I’m sorry. I did have it worked out … knew it would be real easy to get sidetracked. An’ you owe me nothin’, none o’ you do.’ Chad responded. ‘An’ them that owed you are dead an’ buried … mostly, anywise,’ he added with a little throat clearing.

  Marlow shook his head. ‘Why don’t you get sidetracked? For once in your hard-fought life take that easy route? It could be the savin’ of you.’

  Rose looked out beyond Chad, saw her brother walking back through the juniper.

  ‘Looks like Joe’s caught something,’ she said to ease the pressure. ‘You’ll at least stay long enough to eat fried chicken with us? Be the real thing, a sit-down with plates, forks an’ all.’

  Chad grinned as the rain fell across the yard, dripped slowly from the brim of his hat. ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘an’ I’m tired o’ bein’ outnumbered.’

  At dinner the five of them sat comfortably around the ranch-house table. In between mouthfuls, Chad told of the grisly findings at High Smoke – of what he and Downs had found – of what the Alamosa lawmen had found.

  Joe listened boggle-eyed to the drama. He swallowed hard, stabbed fascinated at his food.

  Perdi wiped her mouth, moved back from the table. ‘So will we ever get to know what Porton was after, Chad?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah, I was goin’ tell you. Marlow had it about right. Porton was layin’ claim to the whole north end o’ the valley. The marshal found papers drawn up ready for signin’. The deal would o’ made him a fortune from the timber … if there hadn’t o’ been somethin’ in his way.’

  ‘What was that?’ Perdi asked innocently.

  ‘Big Windy. You. It’s your land that’s got the timber, the best loggin’. If ever you get to needin’ a fortune, there’s one there for you. I reckon your pa knew what he was leavin’.’

  ‘Who needs a fortune?’ Perdi said. ‘We’ve always had enough, Chad. Besides, I like the look of the timber as it is. And from now on I’m the one who says what goes around here.’

  ‘What about the Portons … his wife?’ Rose asked. ‘Maybe the trouble will start over. Pa always said it was her was the real greedy one.’

  ‘She won’t be back,’ Marlow said. ‘She’ll sell up. If she does want to rub with them Eastern Nob Hill families, she’ll need every cent.’

  There was reflective quiet for a moment, then Marlow rumbled on awkwardly. ‘So which way you headin’ then, Chad?’ he wanted to know. ‘Still makin’ for St Louis?’

  Joe had left the table and was standing at a window. He was staring into the darkness at the heavy rain. ‘You don’t have to leave here,’ he said. ‘What’s that place got that we ain’t?’

  ‘St Louis? Probably nothin’,’ Chad answered with a smile. ‘But I have got to tend to some business in Dodge City.’

  Perdi’s waning interest in the situation suddenly improved as Chad continued:

  ‘I’ve recently … very recently, got to thinkin’ that maybe cake-bakin’ ain’t what I’m cut out for,’ he said. ‘An’ someone did tell me there’s prospects up on the South Platte.’

  ‘What’ll they be then?’ Joe asked eagerly.

  ‘Sellin’ horse-flesh to old yellow-legs. Top dollar, they say.’

  ‘Hmm, I heard something similar,’ Perdi added. ‘Might even of mentioned it to Joe.’

  ‘You don’t say,’ Chad said and winked at the youngster.

  ‘Now we’re settlin’ into the sort o’ talk I like,’ Joe enthused. ‘Are you sayin’ that you’re comin’ in with us, Chad? We already got some part-brokes … can easy build another corral.’

  ‘Yeah, I know that, Joe. If your sisters ain’t got no objections, maybe you, me, an’ Marlow could ride to Pueblo … find us some breed-stock. We could better the line an’ buy a couple o’ Kentucky Saddlers. Shouldn’t need more’n a thousand dollars to grub with.’

  ‘I’m not not sure Joe’s penny-savings would be much of a contribution,’ Perdi said, and smiled kindly.

  Joe was astounded at Chad’s estimation. ‘A thousand dollars, Jeez!’ he exclaimed. ‘Who’s got that sort o’ money? Have you got it, Chad?’

  ‘Yeah, nigh on. So, I’d like to achieve somethin’ … do somethin’ real useful. It ain’t everyone goes chasin’ Gila monsters to unearth a wad,’ Chad offered with a wry smile.

  After a short moment the people in the room laughed uncertainly.

  ‘The very thought of it,’ Perdi suggested, and they all laughed again.

  By the Same Author

  Glass Law

  The Evil Star

  Run Wild

  The Black Road

  Wolf Meat

  Yellow Dog

  Cold Guns

  Big Greasewood

  Blood Legs

  The Goose Moon

  Copyright

  © Caleb Rand 2006

  First published in Great Britain 2006

  This ebook edition 2012

  ISBN 9780709097969 (epub)

  ISBN 9780709097976 (mobi)

  ISBN 9780709097983 (pdf)

  ISBN 9780709079620 (print)

  Robert Hale Limited

  Clerkenwell House

  Clerkenwell Green

  London EC1R 0HT

  www.halebooks.com

  The right of Caleb Rand to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

 

 

 
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