Leaving Epitaph: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

9

They walked to the nearest saloon—the Lucky Ace—and Shaye told his sons about his conversation with Sheriff Sam Torrence.

“You weren’t exactly straight with us when you said he was an old friend of yours, Pa,” Thomas said.

“No, I wasn’t, Thomas,” Shaye said. “I wasn’t sure you boys would remember the name.”

“I didn’t,” James said. “Thomas and Matthew did.”

“From a long time ago,” Matthew said.

“Well, apparently Sheriff Torrence hasn’t changed much,” Shaye said. “Fella at the livery told me the Langer gang went through here three days ago.”

“Three days?” James said. “We’re that close?”

“We didn’t ask,” Matthew said, frowning.

“Well, I did,” Shaye said. “I took my horse in there right after you did, and I asked him. I also paid him.”

“You sure he was givin’ you good information, Pa?” James asked.

“James, I trust his information more than I trust the sheriff’s.”

“What are we gonna do about the sheriff?” Thomas asked.

“Whomp ’im,” Matthew said.

“Not quite, Matthew,” Shaye said. “The sheriff still has time to tell us something.”

“Like what?” James asked.

“Like what direction the Langer gang went.”

“Ain’t they goin’ north?” Matthew asked. “I thought they was goin’ north.”

“We hope they’re still going north,” Shaye said. “Let’s see what the sheriff tries to tell us.”

“Why do you think he’ll tell us anything?” James asked.

Shaye looked around. The saloon was pretty busy but they’d been able to secure a corner table. It didn’t appear that anyone was paying attention to them.

“You think Langer left somebody behind?” Thomas asked.

“That’s good thinking, Thomas,” Shaye said. “Yeah, I was wondering if he might have left a man behind. Nobody seems to be paying us much mind, though.”

Shaye was sitting so he could see the whole room. He gave his attention back to his sons.

“To answer your question, James,” he said, “if the sheriff took money from Langer, it was to misdirect us. My guess is he’ll come looking for me in a little while to do just that.”

“And then we whomp ’im?” Matthew asked.

Shaye smiled at his middle son. “Be patient, Matthew,” he said. “Maybe you’ll get your chance.”

Shaye made sure that he and his boys nursed only a beer or two, so that when Sheriff Sam Torrence came walking through the bat-wing doors, they would all be sober.

“Here he is,” he said. “You boys take a walk over to the bar and let me talk to him.”

Matthew and James stood up and obeyed immediately. Thomas hesitated.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay, Pa?”

“I’ll call you if I need you, Thomas. Don’t worry.”

Thomas cast a look Torrence’s way, then turned and went to join his brothers at the bar.

Torrence walked over and joined Shaye at the table. “Three good-looking boys, Dan,” he said, sitting down.

“Thanks.”

“That big one looks just like you, only half again.”

“The other two favor their ma.”

“I can see that.”

“You want a beer?”

“Not while I’m on duty, Dan,” Sam Torrence said. “I’m makin’ my rounds.”

Shaye held back a laugh. “You come over here to tell me something, then?”

“I asked around,” Torrence said. “Found out somethin’ you should know.”

“Like what?”

“Like the Langer gang is east of here.”

“East? You sure?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“What would they be doing in New Mexico?”

“Checkin’ out another bank?”

“No,” Shaye said, “it’s too soon. They have a pattern. Ethan hits a bank, Aaron hits a bank, and then they meet up.”

“Maybe they’re breakin’ their pattern?”

“Not likely,” Shaye said. “There’s something else more likely.”

“Like what?”

Shaye looked over at the bar and saw Thomas watching him. He nodded to his oldest son, who nudged his brothers. They all came walking over.

“Sam, it’s more likely you’re lying to me,” Shaye said.

Torrence looked up at the three young men standing around him, then back at Shaye. “Hey, Dan—”

“You’re going to get up and walk out of here with us, Sam,” Shaye said.

“Hey, hey, Dan—”

“If you make a fuss, I’ll kill you.”

Thomas and Matthew closed in on the lawman so he was in tight quarters. “And don’t reach for your gun,” Thomas said.

“You boys realize you’re playin’ with the law here?” Torrence asked, looking up at them.

“My pa’s the law,” Matthew said. “If he says to kill you, we’ll kill you.”

Torrence looked across the table at Shaye.

“What can I tell you, Sam?” he asked. “They’re good boys.” A steely look came over his face. “Get up.”