Texas Bluff

CHAPTER 22

Sutherland had no qualms about bushwacking Butler. The fact was, shooting him in the back was the most efficient way of getting rid of him. It would be quick and easy and—he’d get away with it. That was the most important part of the plan.

Now, when it came to killing Luke Short, he would do that one face-to-face. That was the killing where there was a reputation involved. Killing Butler face-to-face would do nothing for his reputation, and it would be taking an unnecessary risk.

That was the reason Sutherland was on the roof of a building across the street from the White Elephant Saloon, with a rifle. From his vantage point he could see both the saloon and Butler’s hotel. He was a patient man. He had some beef jerky, a canteen of water, and he could simply piss on the roof if he had to. For anything else he’d just clench his butt cheeks for as long as it took.

And he didn’t have to supply a body in order to collect the price on Butler’s head. All he had to do was send a telegram, and wait. Once the kill was confirmed, he’d get his money. Whoever the man was who had put the bounty on Butler’s head, he had taken every precaution to make sure he was never tied to it, and that the payment would be made.

Sutherland sighted down the barrel of his rifle, picked out a practice target and pretended to pull the trigger. The practice target’s head exploded. Sutherland was almost as good with a rifle as he was with a handgun. Taking Luke Short face-to-face with a pistol was going to elevate him to legend status. Taking Butler with a rifle was going to put him on easy street. He had known for years that both of those conditions were in his future. All he had to do was align himself with the right people, and wait.

Ed Cramer was a nobody, the owner of a few pigsty gambling halls he thought made him a businessman and gentleman-gambler. But although he was a nobody, he had led Sutherland to both Butler and Short. And when both of those men were dead and gone, well he’d have no further need of Mr. Cramer.

Would he?

Ed Cramer was waiting for the word from Sutherland that Butler had been taken care of. This man Butler was an unnecessary interruption in Cramer’s plan to get rid of Luke Short and, eventually, become the top gambling entrepreneur in Fort Worth, Texas. He’d had Bill Ward and the White Elephant in his sights before Short came along. Once the little dandy was gone, he’d go to work on Ward again, become his partner, then kill him and take over.

But Ed Cramer didn’t do his own killing. That was what he had Sutherland for. To kill Butler, Luke Short, and then, eventually, Bill Ward. And after all the killing was done, Cramer wouldn’t need the man anymore, and he’d finally get around to doing his own killing—one killing—himself.

The more Luke Short thought about it, the more convinced he was he should have killed Ed Cramer a long time ago.

Oh, not the day he’d shoved his gun into Cramer’s mouth. Much as he would have liked to, there were just too many witnesses that day. That was just fun. No, there had been other times in the past when he might have done it. Maybe, when a time like that came again, he’d seize it and get the man out of his hair.

As he came down the stairs from the casino he saw Butler finishing up his conversation with Jim Courtwright. There was another man he was going to have to kill in the future. He knew it.

As Butler made his way through the room he intercepted him.

“What’d Courtwright want?” he asked.

“He wanted to welcome me to town—”

“That lying sonofa—”

“—and I think he was telling me that he hoped we’d all kill each other.”

“All?”

“Us evil gamblers.”

“Ah, that sounds more like him.”

“What’s his beef with gamblers?” Butler asked.

“Don’t know,” Short said. “Maybe he wants to be one but just can’t do it. Maybe he’s got religion. Whatever it is, I want him to keep it away from me. I’ve got enough problems.”

“Luke, I want to get something to eat outside of here,” Butler said. “You mind?”

“No, go ahead,” Short said. “Just remember how quiet it’s been, and be careful.”

“I’m always careful.”

Butler headed for the door.