Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

65

When Sheriff Cotton and Dan Shaye returned to the office, Thad was still seated out front, eager to do what he was told and make up for his mistake.

“I didn’t hear no shots, Sheriff,” he said.

“Good, Thad,” Cotton said. “Just stay out until you do.”

“Sure, Sheriff,” Thad said, “but what do I do then?”

“You’ll figure it out, son.” He turned to Shaye. “Shall we go into the saloon, Dan?”

“I guess that’s a likely next move,” Shaye said.

“What other one could there be?”

“To wait for them to make a move for the bank.”

“And leave them to the bank guards?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Shaye said. “I don’t know the training of the bank guards, but I do know the reputations of Jeb Collier and Vic Delay. They’ve done what they do many times before.”

“You don’t think the guards would be able to handle them?” Riley Cotton asked.

“I doubt it.”

“So if we just keep watching them,” Cotton reasoned, “they won’t be able to make a move.”

“There are eight of them and five of us,” Shaye said. “If they split up, three of them can hit the bank.”

“But if we watch Collier and Delay, they’d have to do it without them.”

“No,” Shaye said, shaking his head, “they won’t be able to do that. They’ll need Collier at least. He’s the brains. And they’ll need Delay, because he’s the killer. So they’ll need both of them.”

“So we’re back where we started,” Cotton said. “Why don’t I just order them out of town? That’ll force them into a move.”

“Yeah, it would.”

“So?”

Shaye turned and looked at Thad, at his bruised face.

“Maybe we got another way to force their hand,” he said, “and change the odds at the same time.”

“How?”

Shaye told him.

Cotton nodded and said, “Okay. Let’s go do it.”

“We’ll take Thad too,” Shaye said.

“Why?”

“He can identify them,” Shaye said, “and he owes them.”

Cotton turned to Thad.

“You wanna go in, boy?”

“Yes, sir!” Thad said eagerly.

“You gonna do what you’re told?”

“Every step of the way, sir.”

The sheriff looked at Shaye and said. “Let’s go, then.”