Leaving Epitaph: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

41

In their absence, Sheriff Carmondy had once again picked up his broom and was sweeping the floor, raising a hell of a dust cloud again. This time when he turned he saw four men standing in his office—Sheriff Dan Shaye and three other men, no doubt his sons.

“Well,” he said, leaning on the broom, “what brings you back so soon?”

Instead of answering, Shaye drew his gun and fired one shot. The bullet sawed clean through the broom handle, and the sheriff went staggering before he caught his balance. The broom ended up on the floor in two pieces.

Carmondy righted himself and threw a look at his gun belt, which was on a hook behind his desk.

“Go ahead,” Shaye said. “Go for it, why don’t you?”

“Are you crazy?” Carmondy shouted. “What the hell is the matter with you?”

“We just found out that two members of the Langer gang were in town yesterday, buying supplies,” Shaye said.

“What? Two of them? Who told you that?”

“The girl at the general store….” Shaye turned to James or Matthew for her name.

“Janie…” Matthew said.

“Summers.”

“Janie!” Carmondy said. “That gal makes up more stories—”

“Where would she get the word segundo from?” Shaye demanded.

“What?”

“She said one of the men claimed to be the segundo of the Langer gang.”

“I don’t…she could have heard that word anywhere. Why would a member of the gang announce himself to her?”

“She’s a pretty little thing,” Shaye said. “Seems to me she’d have men trying to impress her all the time.” He turned a glance at his two sons again. “Maybe even getting them to buy things they don’t need. Maybe even getting them to brag a bit? Especially if they weren’t staying in town long.”

“Look, Shaye,” Carmondy said, “if two members of that gang were in town yesterday, I didn’t know about it.”

“Come on, now, Sheriff,” Shaye said. He took a moment to eject the spent round from his gun, allowing it to fall to the floor. Carmondy watched as he thumbed a live round into the empty chamber. “You know everything there is to know in this town. That’s what you told us, anyway.”

Carmondy laughed nervously. “I just happened to see you and your boys ride into town, Shaye, that’s all,” he confessed. “Believe me, fellas ride into town all the time without me knowin’ about it.”

“So you didn’t take any money from Ethan Langer to look the other way?”

“N-No.”

“Maybe to lie to any lawmen who might be looking for them?”

“I told you, n-no. I never saw Ethan Langer.”

“Or one of his men?” Shaye asked. “Like maybe…his segundo?”

“What’s a segundo?” Matthew asked Thomas under his breath.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Look, Shaye,” Carmondy said, holding both hands out in front of him, “if I knew that the Langer gang was here yesterday, I woulda told you. I swear.”

“Want me to whomp him, Pa?” Matthew asked, taking a menacing step toward the local lawman.

“Keep him away!” the man said. “Look, Shaye, I ain’t that brave, you know? I wouldn’t lie to you. I know your reputation around here.”

“My reputation?”

“Well…you are Shay Daniels, ain’tcha?”

Shaye stared at the sheriff, then holstered his gun and said, “I used to be.”