Longarm and the Town Full of Trouble by Tabor Evans

Author:Tabor Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2013-05-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

“I thought you said I’d only be here overnight,” the prisoner complained the following morning when the on-duty deputy—Longarm did not know him—unlocked the cell to let the man out.

“I did, but like the saying goes, shit happens. Now, put your hands behind your back. I want to put cuffs on you,” Longarm said.

“Can I tell you something, Marshal?” Curen asked.

“I suppose so.”

The prisoner smiled. “Marshal, you look like shit your own self.”

Longarm grunted. “Two nights without sleep will do that to you.”

“Oh.” Curen thought for a moment, then grinned and said, “Lucky streak?”

“You could say so.” Longarm’s eyes were gritty with fatigue after two nights with the energetic—and very imaginative—schoolteacher. He did not regret the time spent with her, but now he wanted to get on his way back to Denver and a job that would surely be more interesting than this one. Almost any other job would be an improvement over playing nursemaid to a dull-witted, easygoing prisoner like this one.

He yawned and stepped out of the way so Curen could pass in the narrow aisle outside the bars.

“How are we going from here?” Curen asked.

“Stagecoach down to Frisco, railroad after that. We should get to Denver sometime tonight. You’ll be put up tonight in the federal holding cells, then in the morning you’ll be taken over to the courthouse for arraignment.”

“And after that?”

Longarm shrugged. “After that, it’ll be up to whatever judge you draw. Some go easier than others. For theft from the mails, you’re looking at, oh, five to seven years, I’d think, so bail might be set kinda high. Won’t matter. Your papa is surely good for it.”

“What about my lawyer? Will he be there?”

Longarm shrugged again. “You’d have to ask him that. He’s certainly allowed to be. Normally would be, I’d think, but I can’t tell you that for certain sure.”

Curen sighed. “This is all so different from what I woulda thought. Say, could I ask you something else?”

“You can ask. Might or might not get the answer you want.”

“Could you put these handcuffs in front of my belly, please. It feels awful awkward in the back like this. I’ll promise not to give you no trouble.”

Longarm pondered that for a moment, then nodded. The man had been no trouble so far. There was no indication he intended to change that now.

Longarm got his handcuff key out, unlocked one bracelet, and brought the man’s hands around to the front, then snapped the other cuff on again.

“That’s much better. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Ready to go now?”

“Yes, sir, wherever you say.”

Longarm motioned Curen ahead of him through the narrow corridor and down the steep flights of stairs to the ground floor.

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