A Time For Hanging by Bill Crider

Author:Bill Crider [Crider, Bill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crossroad Press & Macabre Ink Digital
Published: 2010-07-11T06:00:00+00:00

21.

After he left Bigby's office, Vincent decided he'd better go looking for Paco. He was worried about that bunch that had left the jail, but he thought they were likkered up and probably wouldn't do anything foolish. They might try to work themselves up to it, but in the end they were decent men who would do the right thing.

He didn't take into account the possibility that they might meet up with another group of like-minded men. Had he done so, he would have gone by the saloon to check on them. He knew that while one or two men might think about doing something foolish, they would rarely act on the thought, whereas a bunch of men got braver in proportion to their numbers.

He also didn't realize that Roger Benteen was in town and would be one of the group. Benteen was the kind of man who could easily sway men to one side or the other on an issue.

So, not having any idea of what was going on in the saloon, Vincent went down to the stable and saddled up for his ride out to the Morales place without worrying too much about what might happen. What was worrying him was whether Paco was guilty or not.

There was that business about Charley, for one thing. If there was anybody that had a reason to kill Liz Randall, it was him. Marryin' Benteen's daughter was the best thing that Charley could ever have hoped for from life, and considerin' how Lucille was takin' the news that Charley had just been seein' the girl, she wouldn't like it worth a damn if she found out the girl was pregnant.

Vincent tightened the girth. By God, he thought. What if she did know? If she was shootin' at Charley, intendin' to miss, what might she have done to the woman?

He swung up into the saddle, wondering if he should go by the hotel and ask her, but he thought better of it. If she did know, he'd find out sooner or later. If she didn't, he damn sure wasn't goin' to be the one who told her.

He'd better ride by the jail, though, and let Jack know where he was goin'. That Jack was a case, now, standin' up to those men they way he had. As far as Vincent knew, that was the first time Jack had ever done anything like that. He was shy about his face, about his eye and all, and it made him hesitate to use his authority.

And that gave Vincent another thought. Jesus God, could it be possible? Hell, in this mess, anything could be possible. He'd better get to the jail and talk to Jack about it, though he didn't see how he could bring the subject up.

#

It turned out to be easier than he thought it would. It took him a while to work up to the subject, but he got it done.

"Jack," he said, "I been thinkin' about when that girl was killed."

The two men were in the jail again, Vincent seated at the desk.

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