Ironhorse

32

Virgil passed the flask back to me. I took a drink and thought about what he was telling me. I kind of figured by Virgil’s demeanor since we left Texas and him not really wanting to talk about the telegram that this story might not turn out to have a very good ending, but I provided the best understanding and encouragement I could muster.

“Pinochle?” I said. “Pony’s wife said that, they play pinochle?”

“That’s right,” Virgil said.

“Well, there ya go, Virgil. No reason that’s not the fact of the matter.”

“According to Pony, rumors ’round town are they ain’t playing pinochle up there.”

I handed Virgil the flask.

“Rumors are called rumors because they are rumors,” I said.

Virgil took another pull of the whiskey.

“One thing to remember,” I said. “Allie’s a pretty good hand at pinochle. Bidding, melds, and tricks of the game, she’s a good hand.”

“Pony’s telegram said this has been going on night after night.”

“Just cards and a little music, Virgil.”

“Pony said he wanted to make sure the rumors were rumors, like you say. He went up there and peeked in the keyhole.”

I really did not want to ask, and I had a pretty good idea what was on the other side of that keyhole, but I asked anyway.

“And?”

“They weren’t playing pinochle,” Virgil said. “Pony said it was noisy and he really didn’t need to look in the keyhole, but he looked in anyway, just to make sure they weren’t playing pin the tail on the donkey or something.”

“Damn,” I said.

Virgil took another nip and passed the flask back to me, and I took a pull.

“I’m sure this is just a situation she’s going through, Virgil. You know how she gets lonely. Widow Callico, I’m sure, is also a bit lonely herself, with her husband being dead and gone ’n all.”

Virgil nodded a bit.

“And who knows, hell, maybe Pony wasn’t seeing so good,” I said. “Maybe Allie was not involved. Maybe she was just, I don’t know, watching.”

“Watching?”

“Could be. Maybe it was just Teagarden and Widow Callico getting into their grits, and maybe Allie was... just in the room. You know, like watching a rodeo, or an opera.”

Virgil looked at me as if I were an idiot, and I kind of felt like an idiot for saying something that was stupid and frankly far-fetched.

“Allie and Widow Callico started up a side business, too,” Virgil said.

“Side business? You mean another business besides the music duo?”

“Yep.”

“What kind of side business?”

“You know the Callico place, the big two-story on Second Street?”

“Sure. What about it?”

“With the mines reopened, and Appaloosa being full with miners, Widow Callico and Allie turned the place into a rental,” Virgil said.

“Well, there you go,” I said. “That’s a big house; doesn’t sound like a bad business renting to miners.”

“They’re not renting to miners,” Virgil said.

“Who they renting to?”

“The miners just stop by ’n visit.”

“Visit who?”

“Working ladies,” Virgil said. “Widow Callico and Allie turned the place into a whoring establishment.”

“A whoring establishment?”

“Yep,” Virgil said.

I took another drink and thought about what Virgil was telling me some more. I wished I hadn’t asked about the telegram now, but it was too late to turn back.

“What’s the name of it?”

“The name of it?” Virgil asked.

“The establishment?”

“Hell, I don’t know, Everett,” Virgil said. “What difference does that make?”