Blackjack

68

We left the Coloradoans standing in the street, and Virgil, Chastain, and I started back toward the office.

“They got some goddamn gall, them boys,” Chastain said, looking back at them as we rounded the corner.

“They do,” I said.

“Think they’ll be a problem?” Chastain said.

“They already are,” Virgil said.

“Showed their face card,” Chastain said.

“Yes, but covered their show on the fact that Black was going after LaCroix to kill him and not as an attempt to exonerate himself.”

Virgil nodded.

“What now?” Chastain said.

We walked for a moment and Virgil said nothing.

“You want me to check the hotels?” Chastain said. “See if we can find LaCroix?”

“Don’t think there is any need,” Virgil said.

“You think he’s gone?” Chastain said.

“More than likely,” Virgil said. “But let’s check just the same.”

We searched the hotels and bunkhouses for LaCroix but found nothing. The depot had no record of LaCroix traveling back to Denver, and no one working the ticket sales had any recollection of seeing him, either.

The search for Bill Black and Truitt Shirley yielded the same. The deputies that stood watch on the thoroughfares leading out of town throughout the day had not seen any sign of Black and Truitt, and by late in the afternoon, the whole of the Appaloosa law enforcement came up empty-handed.

After the sun went down a cool breeze came in, and with it the smell of rain. We continued to search the insides and outsides of the town, and by ten in the evening a steady rain was falling and we still had found no sign of the escapees.

“By God unbelievable,” Chastain said as we walked back into the office. “I just don’t see how they got out without some swinging dick seeing ’em?”

“It damn sure happened,” I said.

“Damn sure did,” Chastain said, taking off his slicker and hanging it on the back of his chair.

“They had to have got out and gone early.”

Virgil didn’t say anything as he set his Winchester in the gun rack by the door, then took off his slicker and hung it on a nail by the rack. I removed my long coat, too, and hung it next to Virgil’s.

“I could have swore by now someone would have something,” Chastain said.

Virgil turned back and looked out onto the street. After a second he leaned on the doorjamb.

Book walked in from the cell hall.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey, Book,” Chastain said.

Virgil glanced back.

“Anything?” Book said.

Chastain shook his head.

“Nope,” he said. “’Fraid not.”

“Well,” Book said, “I been right here, like you said for me to do. I told everybody to keep looking until midnight and not to come back here until then and we’d regroup...”

Chastain nodded and dropped in the chair behind his desk.

“Coffee?” Book said. “Just made it.”

Virgil glanced back and nodded.

“Sure, Book,” he said.

Book poured us all a cup.

“Did you see the Denver lawmen out there tonight?” Book said.

“We did not,” I said. “Why?”

Virgil looked back.

“Just thought you might have seen them, they got themselves mounted, some of them, anyway. They stopped by here. There were four of them on horseback that came by, including Chief Messenger. Not sure where they procured the horses, but they have them. I believe the only one missing was the DA, Payne.”

“What did they want?” Virgil said.

“Just wanted to know if Black had been apprehended,” he said.

“What did you tell them?” I said.

“I told them no, and they rode off.”

“So they got horses,” Chastain said. “That just makes it easier for them to travel the wrong direction quicker.”

“Yes, sir,” Book said. “I concur, Sheriff. Wholeheartedly.”

Chastain looked to Virgil.

“What do you want to do?” he said.

“Only thing we can do is be ready to ride in the morning,” Virgil said. “We won’t ride a wrong direction, we will scout this out from the inside out.”

I nodded.

“Circle out until we find someone that has seen them, and get on their trail?” I said.

Virgil nodded.

“Can’t give up,” he said.

Virgil took a sip of coffee, then looked out the door to the falling rain. In the far distance there was some lightning. It was offering flashes of silver over the tops of the buildings across the street.

“Can’t give up,” Virgil said again. “Not till we find him.”