Perfect Opportunity by Steven F. Havill

Author:Steven F. Havill [F. Havill, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2023-11-13T00:00:00+00:00

EIGHTEEN

The stink of spilled beer and hot hamburger grease reminded Estelle why her stops at the Broken Spur Saloon were usually only in response to bar fights, or complaints about penniless vagrants. Pushing overloaded shopping carts or fat-tired bicycles carrying all their worldly possessions, the travelers sometimes stopped in the Spur parking lot to camp overnight. Local ranchers ignored them. No one locally filed complaints about border-dodging, undocumented Mexicans, either. Once he clambered over the barbed wire out of sight and west of the border crossing, Arturo Ramirez was free to travel at will.

Light-fingered folks being as ubiquitous along the highway as they were anywhere else, Estelle parked the Charger directly in front of the window outside the Spur’s community room where she could keep an eye on the sleek sedan. She locked the doors and set the alarm. In this case, the alarm had been rigged to the raucous air horn, a tool normally used to chase deer and elk off the highway right-of-way.

The saloon was in energy-saver mode, with the four bulbs in each of the two deer antler chandeliers coping with about 40 watts apiece, the rheostat dialed low. One of the antlers haloed the pool table’s less than tournament-grade surface. A double shop light with thin LED bulbs illuminated the bar. A modest sconce added just enough light to each booth along the wall that customers could read the large print on the menu headings.

The swinging door that led to the kitchen had the added attraction of a piece of raw plywood covering where the glass once might have been. Victor Junior could work in peace without customers ogling him or his kitchen.

As soon as she entered the saloon, Estelle veered to the right, through the accordion door leading to the community room, a simple space large enough for five four-top tables, an empty buffet steam table that hadn’t seen steam in several years, and a rack of folding metal chairs. Families – or school-busloads of traveling underage customers – could seat themselves in the dining room, away from the rowdy influence of the saloon traffic.

Maggie Archuleta appeared in the first thirty seconds of Estelle’s arrival, carrying a tall glass of iced tea, heavy on the ice. She beamed at the undersheriff as she placed the tea near Estelle’s right hand.

‘Do you need to talk to me?’

Estelle pointed with her upper lip as she gently moved the tea a little farther from the table edge. ‘Actually, I need to talk with those two.’ Those two were Elliot and Howie Stance, sitting at the two bar stools closest to the kitchen door. EJ was turned just enough to see Estelle’s entrance, and now he shifted a bit to improve his view. ‘If I could ask you to tell them that I’m here?’

‘I think they know,’ Maggie said. ‘But I’ll make sure. Anything to go with the tea? Fries? Carrot sticks? Celery and peanut butter? A nice juicy cheeseburger?’

‘I’m set, Maggie. Thanks.’

‘No wonder you don’t weigh nothing. Do

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