Deadly Adversaries by Debra Parmley

Author:Debra Parmley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belo Dia Publishing Inc.

The next morning, Matt was sending up deep snores, the kind that only a man who’d been drinking can send up.

Jake watched him for a moment and then shook his head. He got up, washed at the washbasin and then toweled off before reaching for his boots and the rest of his clothes. Donning them, he grabbed his hat and then stepped out into the hall.

A saloon was a mighty quiet place in the early hours of the morning.

Jake planned to head on over to the land surveyor’s office this morning to look over what records they had on the Truman ranch and have that taken care of before Matt was even awake.

Stepping up onto the porch of the building, Jake removed his hat and shook water off of it before placing it back on his head. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside.

“Good morning,” the man behind the counter said. “Mighty wet out there.”

“Good morning,” Jake said. “That it is.” He nodded. “Are you the land surveyor?”

“I’m the land clerk. Surveyor isn’t in. What can I do for you?”

“I’m interested in the records on the Truman ranch,” he said.

The man hesitated. “And you are?”

Jake showed the man his badge.

The man’s eyes widened. “What is your interest in the Truman ranch?”

“I heard it might be for sale,” he said. “I want to look the records over before speaking to the widow.”

“Well now,” the man behind the big desk hesitated in his answer and in his manner. “It will take me a while to get that information. Why don’t you go on and get some breakfast, or a cup of coffee across the street at Mae Belles Country Cooking, and then come back afterward.”

“All right. I’ll do that.” Jake nodded at him and then stepped outside again.

The man knew something and he was acting nervous.

Jake went into Mae Belles, sat at a table and ordered a cup of coffee. He knew when the little man was watching and behaved as if he didn’t.

The thin little man stepped outside, looked right and then left before hurrying down the street as if he was being pursued.

He’s in a hurry. Seems like I might’ve lit a fire under the man. Jake mused to himself as he drained half the coffee; he left payment, and then went outside.

He followed the man down the street and stepped into an alley when the man turned to go up the steps to the telegraph office. The man glanced up and down the street before stepping inside.

So he’s sending a telegram to someone. And that someone would soon know a Texas Ranger is making inquiries. That should stir things up.

He waited til the man left the telegraph office, again hurrying back toward his office. Then he stepped out of the alley, and went into telegraph office. “I’d like to send a telegraph,” he said.

The telegraph clerk pointed to a pad on a table nearby. “Print out what it’s to say and then bring it to me,” he said. “We charge you by the letter.

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