Crow Bait

Twenty-four

Ledge left the bar and walked over to a table of three men. Two of them looked away, but one of them held Ledge’s stare.

“What about you, Jimmy? You the big mouth?” Ledge asked.

Still staring back, the man named Jimmy said, “If it was me, Ledge, I’d say so.”

Ledge looked over at Lancaster. “Yeah, he’s right. He would.”

Ledge moved on to another table, this one with two men. He put his hand on the shoulder of a man who jumped at the touch.

“This is Nappy, though. He’d speak up from out of a crowd, where it was safe, and then hide. Wouldn’t you, Nappy?”

“Whataya pickin’ on me fer, Ledge?” Nappy asked. “I din’t do nothin’ to you.”

“I think you got a big mouth, Nappy,” Ledge said. “What do you know about Sweet and his friends?”

“Nothin’.”

Lancaster saw Ledge’s hand close on Nappy’s shoulder. There was a lot of strength in that hand, and it was being brought to bear on the smaller man, who winced and wilted under the pressure.

“Okay, okay,” he whined. “I had a drink with Sweet and his friends.”

“What were his friends’ names?” Lancaster asked.

“I dunno,” Nappy said. “I only talked ta Sweet. The other two just listened.”

“What’d you talk about?”

“This and that.”

Ledge’s hand closed again.

“Ow!” Nappy looked around for help, but there was none available. “Okay. We talked about the desert, and how not many men come walkin’ in off it.”

“Why was Sweet talking about that?” Ledge asked.

“He just seemed interested in hearin’ if anybody had ever made it on foot,” Nappy said. “Like he was nervous about it or somethin’.”

Why would Sweet be nervous about leaving Lancaster in the desert—unless he was afraid that Lancaster would successfully walk out?

Maybe he remembered—as Lancaster had—that one of the other men had said his name.

Ledge looked over at Lancaster, who nodded. The big man took his hand off Nappy’s shoulder and walked back to stand by Lancaster at the bar.

“Anybody else got anything to say?” Lancaster demanded.

There was no response. He looked at Eddie the bartender again. “Remember what I said.”

“I ain’t lyin’ about nothin’,” Eddie said, spreading his hands helplessly.

“Let’s go,” Lancaster said to Ledge.

“You first,” Ledge said.

Lancaster left, Ledge covering his back, and then the big man backed out, as well.

Outside the saloon Ledge asked, “Did you get what you wanted?”

“I think so,” Lancaster said, “but maybe we can get more at the Autry.”

“Let’s go, then,” Ledge said, “before Eddie sends somebody over there to warn them we’re comin’.”