The Stranger from Abilene

Chapter 60

“Well, what do you think?” Clayton said after St. John left.

“About what?”

“Is he Lissome Terry?”

“I don’t know.”

“I do. He’s Terry all right. I could feel the fear oozing out of him like sweat.”

“That doesn’t prove a thing. Get him in court and he won’t sweat fear or anything else.”

“He likes screwing black women,” Clayton said.

Kelly smiled. “And what does that prove?”

“My mother was black.”

“She was high yeller. You said so.”

“She was black with a pink skin. Terry was a Southern boy. He knew what she was.”

Kelly shook his head. “That’s doesn’t cut it, Cage.”

“I was speaking to Moses Anderson at the ranch house. He says St. John is poking Minnie, the little gal who was Lee Southwell’s black maid.”

“So, he likes to screw black ladies. I can’t hang him for that.”

“Moses says whores have a habit of disappearing after St. John is finished with them.”

Kelly smiled. “Cage, you keep calling him St. John. Does that mean you aren’t sure yourself that he’s Lissome Terry?”

“No, I’m sure all right. And I think Moses knows a lot more about the man than he’s telling.”

“Sometimes Moses is full of it, but I can talk to him.”

“He knows everything that happens in Bighorn Point.”

Kelly thought about that, then said, “I’ll talk to him. And that black gal, what’s her name?”

“Minnie.” Clayton hesitated a moment, then said, “She’s whoring, Moses says.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That doesn’t surprise you?”

“Nothing blacks do surprises me.”

Clayton felt that like a slap. He stroked the kitten on his lap. “You don’t like colored folks much, do you, Nook?”

“Not much.”

“And me?”

“What about you?”

“I’m part black.”

Kelly looked at him. “Cage, I’ll study real hard on that.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Clayton said, “Emma?”

“Yeah . . . Emma.”