Slocum and the Diamond City Affair (9781101612118) (19 page)

BOOK: Slocum and the Diamond City Affair (9781101612118)
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“They tell me how you can tell if this beef he's cooking belongs to anyone here.”

“How's that, Wolf?”

“It will taste real sweet to him 'cause it's his own.” They all laughed.

The justice of the peace came over and began to quiz Slocum. “Do you know these men?”

“No, sir, I never seen them before a couple of hours ago.”

Slocum was busy turning meat with a long-handled fork, and the mesquite-oak smoke made his eyes water. He moved the meat in a circular motion around the low grate to be sure none got scorched.

“Tell you what, your honor, when I get this meat cooked I'll talk to you all night about those worthless no-accounts.”

The man nodded and went off.

“How is the meat cooking?” Emily asked.

“Be done enough for most in a short while. How is the investigation going?”

“The sheriff is content. He has to cross-check some things on those guys, but he's sure he has wanted posters for them.”

“Good. Send someone with a tray to pack this meat over to the main table and we'll start feeding them, if you're ready,” he said, looking up at her.

“I'll send someone. This looks great.” She smiled and went back to the food table.

The aroma of the meat cooking was well up his nose. He straightened his stiff back and nodded at all the curious onlookers. “It's coming, guys.”

At long last, his job completed, he sat cross-legged on the ground and cut his meat with his jackknife.

Sheriff Henry came over with his plate and squatted on his boot heels. “Those two women were lucky you came along. Those men would have raped and probably killed them. I had no idea that such outlaws were even in the country. Guess they hadn't been here long. You got anything else to add?”

“No, sir.”

“Well, thanks anyway. I told Emily I'd collect the bounties for the three of you and let them know what I else I found. Thanks again.”

“Sure.” Slocum went back to eating.

By sundown the sheriff and all the men were headed back to Preskit. The dead men were wrapped in canvas and loaded into a wagon that lumbered back toward town. The justice of the peace never did come back over to question Slocum, which was fine with him.

He and the two women sat on the front porch, worn out from feeding the crew.

“Where are you headed next?” Sharon asked him.

“To bed, I guess.”

“How are you going to decide which one of us you sleep with tonight?” She kissed him on the cheek and leaned over to see his expression.

“Damned if I know, ladies.” He put his arm around both of them. “But you're welcome to my worn-out butt.”

“I say we all sleep in the big bed together,” Emily said, then she laughed. “Be like three mink on a riverbank in Missouri. We'll be hopping around all night.”

Sharon couldn't stand waiting a minute longer and clutched his cheeks between her palms as she kissed him. Hard, hot, and hungry was how he'd describe her kisses. He closed his eyes and savored her attack.

*   *   *

Six weeks later in Show Low, Arizona Territory, Slocum picked up his general delivery mail at the post office. Inside the flowery, handwritten letter from the Dodge girls was a money order for five hundred dollars—his share of the bounty on the men they'd killed at the Dodge ranch. He smiled. Quite impressive. He'd told them to keep it, but they split it just as they had his time with them. That period in his life and the scent of their lilac perfume was still strong in his memory. He crossed the dry, rutted street, waiting for a farm wagon to go by, and entered the door marked First Arizona Bank.

The lobby was devoid of any customers as he walked to the teller. Slocum placed the check on the counter and nodded to him. The young man spoke up. “Sir, we will need to telegraph the bank that issued this to be certain it is authentic. Lots of forgeries going on these days.”

“I fully understand.”

“I can issue you a receipt for it.”

“That will be fine.”

“I also need to tell you there will be a ten dollar fee for our services.”

“No problem. When can I collect the money?”

“Is three
P.M.
too late?”

“I'll be back then. Thank you.”

“Please sign it, sir.”

Slocum used the straight pen dipped in the inkwell. Then he blew on the paper to dry the ink before sliding the money order under the grill.

“Thanks,” he said and rode back to his camp. When he came off the hill to the small cabin and farmstead he'd rented, he could see the thread of smoke from the chimney reaching the sky. The wide meadow was rail fenced. Hemmed in by the pine forest on the hillsides, he could see his horse stock raise their heads from grazing to check out Slocum and his horse. The cooler fall air swept by his face. Wouldn't be many more mornings before the first fall frost silvered the grass.

This would be where they would winter. They'd be sitting pretty with the check plus his share of the gold coinage that he'd split with those two Dodge women—no one even knew they had the gold, let alone where it came from. The winter would be a leisurely one spent up there above the rim country.

Rosa came out the door to greet him. Her smile warmed him. A powerful shame that she and Jim Davis hadn't gotten along. But earlier Slocum had found her again in Diamond City—alone.

With his arms locked around her, he swung her around off her feet.

It would be a good winter for the two of them.

Watch for

SLOCUM AND THE HELLFIRE HAREM

406
th
novel in the exciting SLOCUM series from Jove

Coming in December!

BOOK: Slocum and the Diamond City Affair (9781101612118)
13.14Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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