The Quiet Gun - Edge Series 1 (18 page)

‘Next time I get the chance to sleep, I’ll do it easier knowing you feel that way, feller.’

McCall snarled softly through gritted teeth: ‘With all else I’ve got on my mind, smart cracks from somebody I’ve figured I can trust are just what I need. You kind of asked me and I told you, damnit!’

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Edge said: ‘It’s good you believe me.’ Then, squeezing the aggressive sarcasm out of his attitude, he shrugged and went on: ‘All right. After your ladyfr . . . after Kitty Raine stole my horse, I started back for town. Then decided the Drayton farm would be a better place to hole up.’

He went on to give McCall a full account of all the events with which he had been concerned since the posse rode out of town early Saturday morning. Including how he killed Kress and got his money back. Then finding the brutalised body of Drayton so he knew for sure that it was something more valuable than farm tools he had brought down from Tucson.

McCall was no longer enjoying the cigar and he carefully nipped out the glowing tobacco and returned the butt to a case before he sighed and allowed: ‘Okay, it’s my turn now. I can only guess, but it seems Shannon and his partners doubled back south after giving us the slip. Or maybe before we got to within a lot of miles of them. And by accident or on purpose they rode for Drayton’s place. Made him tell them the hard way about the gun running.’

He scratched his thickly bristled jaw line, a pensive look on his face and nodded that he had convinced himself this is what happened.

Edge asked: ‘Did you know at the start the wagon I drove down here was loaded with guns and shells bound for Mexico?’

McCall grimaced. ‘The territorial marshals who handed Shannon over to me said there’s mischief brewing across the border. And when Shannon shot down the big wig politician it struck a mighty hot spark. Every peace officer in the borderlands has been alerted to look out for any kind of activity that could maybe fan the flames of big trouble down in Mexico.’

‘And a small time farmer like Drayton taking delivery of a whole wagon load of tools set you to thinking?’

McCall shrugged his narrow shoulders. ‘I had my suspicions, Edge. But with a cold blooded killer locked up in my jailhouse, I figured him as my first priority. And since I was expecting the Mexican government men to come for Shannon at any time I put the Drayton matter to one side. Then, after he was busted out of jail, Shannon was even more my main problem.’

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The lawman had been sure of his ground until now. But as he took out the case to retrieve the part smoked cigar there was doubt in his slate grey eyes when he shot an inquiring glance at Edge, who said evenly:

‘It’s no use asking me if you were right or wrong, feller.’

McCall cleared his throat and nodded. ‘Sure, this whole lousy mess is a damn long way from being cleaned up. And as the only law around here it’s my job to see it through the best way I can.’

Sometimes while they talked Edge’s mind had been host to images of Kitty Raine. Alone or with the sheriff forming part of the backdrop. Now he re-introduced her into the exchange. ‘Will the lady be able to get help from the army?’

McCall nodded. ‘In time. And the military have a duty to assist civilian citizens in this kind of fix. But it’ll take Kitty awhile to reach Fort Reed. Then for the troopers to get here. Figure a day and a half – or even a couple of days – at the earliest.’

He shook his head reflectively. ‘When she showed up and told us what happened back here . . . About the men getting themselves gunned down, there was near panic.’

A deep sigh accompanied the shaking of his head this time. ‘They were losing heart for the job by then anyway. There was no sign to track and I’d been following a hunch for a lot of miles. The men had been wanting to turn back for quite a while, sure we’d never find the Shannon bunch.’

Now he shrugged. ‘So when Kitty told us what happened here, they were all for heading back to Dalton Springs as fast as their horses would carry them. But I managed to talk them out of that. Sent Kitty to Fort Reed with a message the town was in the hands of a bunch of murderers and needed help. Then sold the men on the idea I should sneak back into town and find out what Shannon had done since Kitty left. At last he stabbed the part smoked cigar in his mouth but did not light it. ‘If they were gone, it’d be easy. If they were still here, I’d signal and . . . Well, you saw it. I know it was a risky trick to pull on a man as dangerous as Shannon, but we got away with it, didn’t we?’

‘Seems like you did. But now what?’ Edge took out the makings.

‘Up to Shannon. And the Mexicans if they have any say in the matter. Hope is that all of them will pull out soon, if they believe the army’s on it’s way from Fort Reed.’

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He replaced the part smoked cigar in his case once more as Edge finished rolling a cigarette and said absently: ‘Been trying to quit. And figured I’d almost made it until this happened.’

He hung the cigarette at the side of his mouth, lit it and shrugged. ‘Seem to be starting up again with a lot of things that used to come naturally to me.’

The lawman fixed Edge with a quizzical gaze.

‘Something, sheriff?’

‘I’m pretty sure I can trust the people of this town not to do anything else that’ll put themselves and others at risk. After they saw what kind of vicious wild animal Luke Shannon is. And when the boys who were in the posse have spread the word I’m back here and intend to – ‘

‘I’ll go along with the waiting game you’ve got in mind,’ Edge cut in on the man beating about the bush.

‘Even though it seems to me that by nature you’re something of a loner.’

‘When I have business of my own to take care of, I do whatever I can to take care of it my own way.’

‘I see you’re wearing a gunbelt now?’

‘Like you said, Shannon’s a killer who – ‘

McCall cut in: ‘When you don’t have need of it, you carry it in the carpetbag.’

‘Sure.’

‘And when you have need to I guess you can handle it as good as the best? As well as I’ve been told you used Jake Slocum’s Winchester to take care of your business with Kress?’

Edge showed a glinting eyed smile that had little to do with good humour. ‘I rarely make claims for myself, feller. Consider I’m the quiet type.’ He brushed the butt of the holstered revolver with fingertips. ‘Same as this Colt has stayed quiet for a long time. But when something needs to be proved with a sixgun for a good reason . . . ‘ He left the sentence unfinished and now briefly cupped a hand over the butt of the .45 as he shrugged. 117

After a reflective pause, McCall allowed: ‘Okay. But I’ll need to look into the Kress killing later. And you better not use that sixshooter or any other kind of weapon without a damn good reason while you’re any place in my jurisdiction, mister.’

After Edge failed to offer any acknowledgement he hardened his tone without raising his voice. ‘You understand me?’

‘I can understand a threat when I hear one.’

‘So understand, too: I don’t make threats or promises lightly. And something else?’

‘What’s that?’

‘Kitty Raine?’

‘Yeah?

‘She took the horse and left you in the lurch out at the old Tremaine place on the spur trail. Put you to a lot of trouble by doing that, I guess?’

‘I was there, so I don’t have to guess.’

‘Awhile back you said Kitty stole the horse. Way she sees it, she paid you two hundred and fifty bucks with a promise of as much again to find the posse and warn us.’

‘We had a deal something like that.’

‘But you were sleeping on the job when she took off on to her own. Way I see it, you were overpaid for what little you did for her. And Kitty’s no horse thief, that’s for sure. Like you killing Kress, it’s a matter to be looked into and taken care of after some more pressing business is over and done with?’

McCall sent another of his pointed double takes in the direction of Edge. Then he suddenly looked deeply weary from the trials and tribulations that had beset him of late. But there was still hardness behind the exhaustion, like a signal the man was ready to put forward an aggressive argument on behalf of the absent woman if need be.

‘No sweat. Later will be fine.’

McCall sighed, nodded and moved away from the counter to the display window: peered anxiously out into the night shrouded, brightly moonlit and deeply shadowed street. He remained there but looked quizzically over his shoulder when Edge said:

‘While you and me are making deals, feller?’

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‘Is that what we’re doing?’

‘Seems to me.’

‘So, what’s on your mind?’

‘I have a score to settle in the matter of the gunrunning I was suckered into being a part of?’

‘It was a man a lot of miles from here who tricked you into that business, Edge. One hell of a long way outside of my jurisdiction.’

‘I know. And when I run into Ezra Franklinn again I plan to take care of my business with him in my own way. Meantime, the guns and shells are right out there on the street. I need to make sure they don’t get to where they can be used by the wrong people.’

‘Very commendable, Edge. Just so long as what you do to achieve that aim doesn’t endanger the lives of any citizens of Dalton Springs.’

‘Something else.’

‘What?’

‘If Shannon and the Mexicans pull out of town in different directions?’

‘Luke Shannon is still my top priority. Same as he is for that pair of Mexican government men, I reckon. If they’re still alive.’

‘So you won’t object if I go after the guns?’

‘Whatever you decide, if there’s a choice to be made. Provided you keep in mind what I said about risking the lives of local people.’

‘Just so long as we both know where we stand, sheriff.’

McCall spread a wan smile across his drained looking features before he turned his head to gaze out of the window again. ‘I’m glad to know that until this business is over and done with we stand together.’

Edge pinched out his cigarette butt as he said grimly on a stream of exhaled smoke:

‘Just hope it doesn’t turn out to be our last one.’

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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CHAPTER • 14

_________________________________________________________________________

The unwelcome visitors to Dalton Springs began to make their preparations to
leave town before sun up.

Edge was awakened by the sounds made by men and horses on the street. And when he raked a narrow eyed gaze around Cassidy’s Feed and Seed Store he saw McCall had already been roused from sleep by raised voices, the stamping of men’s booted feet, the whinnying of horses and the thudding of their hooves.

The lawman was keeping cautious watch from the display window and glanced away for a moment when he heard Edge moving down off the two large sacks of seed on which he had slept.

‘Morning to you. Things are starting to happen out there.’

Edge nodded, stretched and rasped the back of a hand along the bristles on his jaw line as he rose to his feet. Then as he moved across the store to stand beside McCall he saw where McCall had also used bulging sacks of Cassidy’s stock in trade as a comfortable makeshift bed.

But in the grey light of the newly dawned day the lines of exhaustion cut into the flesh of the man’s craggy face were more clearly defined, suggesting sleep for him had been fitful.

Then Edge concentrated his attention on what was taking place beyond the confines of the store. Activity that was centred on the area of the street between the saloon and the law office, accompanied by so much noise the whole town had surely been awakened by it. But no local people showed themselves at windows or doorways, let alone ventured outside their homes.

Minutes later, as the sun inched its leading arc above the eastern horizon, the intruders began to pull out: Shannon allowing the leader of the Mexicans to issue the order to turn the wagon and start down the street.

The group was still some way short of the feed and seed store when Edge and McCall backed off from their vantage point at the window.

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But not before they got an impression of the Americans looking relaxed and well rested, content to be on the move at this early hour. While the Mexicans were grim faced and bleary eyed: plainly suffering the ill-effects of drinking too much free liquor in the Lucky Break.

They spat often, but from the grimaces on their unwashed and unshaven faces it did little to rid their mouths of foul tastes. Or perhaps the way they sent the streams of saliva at the street and their soured expressions were intended to signal how they felt about the community they were leaving.

With which none of its citizens was about to take issue, so long as these men of violence did no further harm to the town and the people in it. At the intersection the driver of the wagon turned the rig on to the start of the south west trail and all the riders moved in the same direction, passing between the store where Edge and McCall were hidden and the undertaker’s premises where so many corpses were awaiting burial because strangers had come to Dalton Springs. When the cruelly smiling blonde haired and full figured Chrissy who rode drag was around the corner a shout rang out from near the head of the column. And the horses in the wagon traces and those with riders in the saddles were urged to a gallop. Then, as the sounds of departure were finally lost to earshot in the distance, it was as if the opening of many doors created a collective sigh of unbounded relief. Before people emerged from their homes and advanced slowly and silently along the street: gazing around at familiar sights and at well known friends and neighbours almost as if seeing them after a very long absence.