The Lawman

Chapter Thirty-six

Moran ate his breakfast thoughtfully, virtually without tasting it, and thought about what the man called Decker had just told him.

Decker had to be telling the truth. Why would a man tell a lawman he was wanted if he wasn’t?

That meant that Moran was right in following the stranger earlier. He was one of the three men that the two bounty hunters had working for them.

If they were here tracking Decker for a thousand dollars, wouldn’t they be aware of the price on Moran’s head? The last he had seen, the price was fifteen hundred. It might have been increased after that Pemberton job, because that had been the first job where he’d used violence.

So, if they were here looking for Decker and spotted Moran, would they recognize him?

Moran was going to have to do something before that situation presented itself.

He finished his breakfast and left the cantina looking for the two bounty hunters: an ugly man and a beautiful woman.

They shouldn’t prove too hard to find.

Gilberto and Raquel were in the livery stable, waiting for their men to report.

“This is not what I had in mind when we came to town,” Gilberto said, lying back on a bed of hay. Raquel was sitting next to him, her arms behind her, propping her up.

“Neither did I, but we cannot afford to have Decker see us. You can visit your whorehouse tonight, my brother.”

“I look forward to it. And what will you do tonight?”

“Stay out of sight. My appetites are not as uncontrollable as yours.”

“Your appetites are just as strong as mine, little sister,” Gilberto said, running his finger up his sister’s right arm.

“Then perhaps it is simply that I am stronger than you, Gilberto. I control my urges rather than letting them control me.”

“Like you did with that sheriff? Tell me, did you kill him before, or after?”

“None of your business.”

Gilberto laughed, and stopped when he heard someone enter the livery.

“It is probably them,” Raquel said.

They both stood up, preparing to step out of the stall they were sitting in, when a man barred their way. He was holding a gun in his hand, and when he saw them he cocked it. “Hello, bounty hunters.”

Moran checked around town and found out that the three strangers had been asking questions about him. Though he wasn’t much liked in town anymore, the merchants freely gave him this information because they liked strangers even less.

Moran checked around further and found out that a man and woman fitting the description he had were seen walking over to the livery.

He went to the livery and entered cautiously, gun drawn. He heard two voices—male and female—from a stall in the back, and walked lightly to it.

In the stall, just getting to their feet, were the man and woman he was looking for.

God, but the woman was beautiful! If he had her in his stable at the Palace he’d consider staying on, because she would be a gold mine.

Right now, however, she was a threat.

“Hello, bounty hunters,” he said, cocking the hammer on his gun.

They froze, and frowned at him. The look on the man’s ugly face was particularly comical.

“What did you call us, señor?”

“You heard me—and keep your hands away from your guns. Using you left hand now, take them out and toss them out of the stall.”

“Jefe, you are making a big error here,” Gilberto said, doing as he was told. Raquel also obeyed.

“Okay, one at a time, step out of the stall. Hey!” he snapped at Gilberto when he took a step forward. “Ladies first, pig!”

Gilberto threw a hard look at the lawman, but stepped back.

“A gentleman,” Raquel said, “and a handsome one, too. Could we not work something out, Jefe?”

“You mean like a roll in this here hay?” Moran asked.

Raquel shrugged.

“That could be arranged.”

“We might be getting around to that later, lady, but right now you and your brother come with me. Come on, ugly. Your turn. Step out.”

“How did you know we were brother and sister?” Raquel asked, puzzled.

“A little bird told me. All right, let’s move. We’re going to jail.”

“A little bird named Decker?” Raquel asked.

“You’re a smart lady.”

“And you are not very smart, señor,” Raquel said. “It is Decker who is the bounty hunter.”

“Right, and he’s chasing the five of you, right?”

“Even if we are bounty hunters,” Gilberto broke in, to Raquel’s annoyance, “why are you taking us to jail?”

“Haven’t you heard? Sheriffs don’t like bounty hunters, or haven’t you been at it long enough to know that?”

“Sheriff, I assure you,” Raquel said, “Decker is the bounty hunter.”

“Well, if he is, and he’s tracking you, that means you’re wanted, so you’ll feel right at home in my jail.”

“Decker is here looking for someone else.”

“And why are you here?”

“Looking for Decker.”

“But you’re not bounty hunters.”

“That is right.”

“Hey this is making more sense by the minute, lady.” By now they had reached the sheriff’s office. “All right, inside. I wish I could offer you a choice of cells, but I only have one.”

He pushed Gilberto into it, and then said to Raquel, “If you please?”

Exasperated, Raquel stepped into the cell. Moran locked it and put the key in his desk.

“Now, if you’re real nice I’ll send you something to eat later.”

“Sheriff—” Raquel shouted, but the man had already gone.

“What is going on?” Gilberto demanded aloud.

“Decker has outsmarted us,” Raquel said. “He has told the sheriff a story, and since his story came first, the sheriff will continue to believe him.”

“Juan and the others will get us out,” Gilberto said.

“Juan and the others cannot find their pants unless we set them on fire. We will have to think of something, my brother, and fast.”