Crow Bait

Thirteen

When Lancaster left the sheriff’s office, he was thinking about boots. The voice calling him from behind startled him. He turned, his hand going for his gun, but he didn’t have one. He was going to have to remedy that next. Should have asked Andy Black for the loan of one.

“I been lookin’ for you,” Kimmie said. “Where ya been?”

“Taking care of some business,” he said. “You and your brothers are still in town, huh?”

“Sure are,” she said. “Gonna head back in about an hour.”

“You’re going back?”

“Well, sure,” she said. “I mean, I know what I said, but it’s my home, and they’re my brothers.”

“I guess you’re right.”

They started to walk together.

“You look better,” she said. “New clothes, a bath. What’d the doc say?”

“He said you did a good job of nursing me back to health,” Lancaster said. “He said I should start remembering more and more about the attack.”

“That’s good, right?”

“He said I should start remembering,” Lancaster said, “not that I will.”

“Have you remembered anything yet?”

“Jut bits and pieces,” he said. “Nothing that I can put together.”

“Where are you goin’ now?”

“I’ve got to find a gun,” Lancaster said, “a cheap gun.”

“Didn’t you get that advance you wanted from your job?”

“The job wasn’t there,” Lancaster said, “but I did get some expense money. Enough for some clothes, maybe a cheap saddle and a cheap gun.”

“There’s a rifle in the buckboard,” she said. “I brought it in case you needed it.”

He stopped walking.

“That was real thoughtful of you, Kimmie,” he said. “I should pick it up before you leave.”

“Okay,” she said. “The buckboard’s in front of the general store. Follow me.”

He did.

It was an old Henry, but it was in working order—or would be when he cleaned it.

“Shells?” he asked.

“It’s loaded,” she said, “but I didn’t have any more shells.”

“Okay, Kimmie, thanks,” he said. “Where are Zack and Ryan?”

“Inside.”

“Zack know about this?”

“He won’t care,” she said. “He never touches that rifle.”

“Okay,” Lancaster said, “thanks, Kimmie, for everything. I don’t know when I’ll be able to repay you…or even if…”

“Someday, you will,” she said. “We’ll just wait and see.”

They shook hands awkwardly. He sensed she wanted more, but he didn’t have any more to give.

“Bye, Kimmie,” he said.

“Good-bye, Lancaster,” she said. “See you around, huh?”