Crow Bait

Thirty-two

“Inside,” Lancaster said.

Kent moved into the room with his hands up.

“Close the door.”

“Lancaster,” Kent said, closing the door on his dead partner. “Now I remember. You used to ride with Beck.”

“Long time ago,” Lancaster said.

“I thought you were dead,” Kent said. “I think even Beck thought you were dead, and now you’re huntin’ him?”

“That’s right,” Lancaster said. “And you’re gonna tell me where he is.”

“That’s gonna be pretty hard,” Kent said, “since I don’t know where he is.”

“Then he paid you in advance?”

“That’s right.”

“And you and your partner are just so honorable you did the job anyway, huh?”

“Don’t kid yerself,” Kent said. “If I thought I could’ve got away with it, I woulda left town the day after he did.”

“So you’re afraid of him?”

“Damn right.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“Hell, no.”

Lancaster cocked the hammer on his gun and said, “You should be.”

“You were somethin’ once, Lancaster,” Kent said, “and you killed my partner, but you’ll just kill me. What Beck will do to me…” He let it trail off.

Once Lancaster and Beck were alike. It seemed, over the years, that they had become very, very different. What was Beck like now that a man like this would rather die than face him?

“I tell you what,” Lancaster said.

“You got an offer for me?”

“I do.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Let’s you and me go lookin’ for Beck.”

“You crazy?” Kent asked. “After I screw up killin’ ya, I’m gonna go with ya to find him? You know what he’d do to me?”

“No, but you keep asking me if I do, so I think I’d like to see.”

“You’re crazy,” Kent said. “The law here won’t let you take me.”

“The law here’s pretty lazy, or haven’t you noticed?” Lancaster asked. “What’s your name?”

“Kent.”

“Okay, Kent,” Lancaster said. “Even if he is lazy, the sheriff should be here soon. Make up your mind. Tell me what you know about Beck, or come with me to find him.”

“I told ya, I don’t know nothin’—”

“You may not know, but you’ve got some idea where he went,” Lancaster said. “Or where he’ll be.”

“You want me to guess?”

“If you give me your best guess, I’ll leave you here when I go lookin’ for him.”

“You serious?”

“I am.”

“And you’ll believe me?”

“It ain’t so much that I’ll believe you,” Lancaster said, “as it is I’ll know if you’re lying.”

Kent looked as if he was giving the proposal some thought.

“I’d think in a hurry if I was you,” Lancaster said. “You got until the sheriff gets here to make up your mind.”

Kent looked at Lancaster and then said, “Okay, you got a deal.”