Blackjack

41

The following morning Virgil and I accompanied the Denver men, DA Eldon Payne and the captain of police, G. W. McPherson, to the First Appaloosa Bank and Trust just after it opened for business.

Valentine was waiting on the steps when we arrived.

“Good morning, good gentlemen,” he said. “I certainly appreciate you coming here this time of the a.m. so we can square away the fortuitous exchange.”

Payne and McPherson went about the process of transferring dollars out of their account and into Valentine’s account.

After Valentine was assured the funds were successfully transferred to his bank in El Paso, he remained with us as we walked back to the courthouse. Payne and McPherson were in front of us as we walked. No one but Valentine bothered to say anything as we moved on toward the courthouse for the hearing of Truitt and Boston Bill.

“Now that we got that money squared away, I will pontificate about the saga of Boston Bill Black,” Valentine said with some volume for Payne and McPherson’s benefit. “I can tell you that you fellas might just be paying me again to find him after he’s set free. Only maybe this time you will leave the ‘alive’ part off of the ‘dead or alive’ wording. Seems to me somebody has a personal vendetta for this sap. By no means am I saying he did or did not do the deed of murdering Ruth Ann Messenger, that will be for the judge and God Almighty to decide, but I got a suspicion there is more to this sordid yarn than meets the eye.”

Valentine stopped talking as we walked up the steps to the courthouse. When we entered the courtroom we discovered — and it was no surprise to me — that the room was fairly crowded with expectant spectators.

Besides a horse race, or a good dance, or an alley fistfight, courtroom drama was always an attraction in Appaloosa, especially when it involved murder, and this was looking to be no exception.

Chastain and his deputies already had Truitt Shirley and Boston Bill Black locked up in hand and leg irons. They were sitting up front in the warm courtroom, waiting for the scheduled noontime hearing with Judge Callison.

Seated front and center in the second row were Hollis Pritchard and Daphne Angel. They were with their new attorney, Juniper Jones. Juniper was standing, looking toward the rear of the room, when we entered, and he saluted us. Daphne turned and looked at me. She had at first a serious look on her face, but when she saw me her look changed quickly to a soft smile. At least I think it was me that changed her expression. She waved a little. I tipped my hat, she smiled a little more, then she turned back forward in her seat.

Behind her and off to one side sat Allie and her group of women from the ladies’ social. I pointed them out to Virgil.

“What the hell are they doing here?” Virgil said.

Allie looked back, seeing Virgil, and waved, then made her way over to us just as Valentine stepped up next to Virgil. She was wearing a dark pink gabardine dress with a black velvet collar and she was looking particularly radiant and fresh.

“Thought it was ladies’ social day?” Virgil said.

“It is,” she said with a beaming smile. “We’re all here.”

“I can see that.”

“What better way to serve our community than to support the municipality, so we came to witness the proceedings and show our support.”

Allie looked to Valentine, who was standing less than a foot from Virgil, looking down at her. He took off his hat and bowed a little.

“How do you do?” he said with a wide smile.

Allie smiled back.

“You... must be Virgil’s brother?” she said.

“Half-brother,” Virgil said.

Valentine looked to Virgil and grinned, then looked back to Allie.

“Valentine Pell, my dear,” he said. “And don’t tell me. You must be Allison French?”

“Why, yes, I am,” she said. “And it’s Allie, please.”

“Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Allie,” he said. “Virgil has told me so much about you.”

“Why, Virgil Cole,” she said.

“But,” Valentine said, “I can tell just by looking at you he hasn’t so much as scratched the surface.”

“Well, we will have a chance to scratch that surface when you show up tonight for supper,” she said.

“Supper?” he said. “Well, I would be delighted.”

Allie looked at Virgil, giving him a slightly brief shot of the slant-eye that said You haven’t asked him for dinner like we agreed you’d ask him to do.

“I am so looking forward to it,” Allie said. “Virgil, too... and Everett will be there as well.”

“Very good, very good,” he said. “I am looking forward to it myself.”

Allie smiled a flashy, full-teeth smile, then looked back to the courtroom with a changed expression of seriousness.

“I tell you,” she said under her breath, as if she were telling us a secret, “these sorts of carryings-on just make me plain old-fashion nervous.”

The back door of the courtroom opened and Judge Callison came out wearing his black robe, and like always, he was all business.

Allie mouthed Bye to Valentine and me, kissed Virgil on the cheek, and moved back off and sat with the ladies of the social.

“All rise,” the bailiff said.