Return to Vengeance Creek by Robert J. Randisi

Author:Robert J. Randisi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning
Published: 2018-10-07T16:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-TWO

James reached Nogales on the American side on an exhausted horse—and it was not yet dusk. He rode directly to the sheriff’s office and dismounted. As he entered, a man with tired eyes sitting behind the desk looked up at him, surprised.

“Help you, stranger?” he asked.

“You the sheriff?”

“That’s me.” The man pointed to the star on his chest. “Frank Dewey’s my name.”

“Well, I’m James Shaye, deputy from Vengeance Creek. I’m trackin’ two men, the Fleming Brothers, and my brother, Thomas. He’s also a deputy.”

“Have a seat, son,” Dewey said.

“I don’t have time—”

“You’ll have time for this,” Dewey said. “I guarantee it.”

James frowned, but sat down.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” Dewey said. “We just got the word from Nogales, across the border.”

“What word is that, Sheriff?”

“Your brother,” Dewey said, “he’s dead.”

“What?” James felt cold inside.

“Seems the Flemings shot him.”

“How?” James asked. “In the back?”

“Face-to-face,” Dewey said. “In the street. At least, that’s what people are sayin’.”

James jumped to his feet.

“That can’t be,” he said. “My brother’s alive.”

“Why would you say that?” Dewey asked.

“Because those two wouldn’t have been able to take Thomas in a fair fight,” James said. “He’s too fast.”

“Well,” Dewey said, “Red Fleming is supposed to be pretty quick with a gun, himself . . . and there were two of them.”

“I don’t care,” James said. “I won’t believe my brother’s dead until I see the body.”

“You’d have to go across the border for that. You’d have no jurisdiction, and you might end up dead, too.”

“How’s that?”

“The Flemings are still there.”

“So they’re supposed to have killed my brother,” James said, “and they didn’t leave town?”

“Like I said,” Dewey answered, “you and your brother have no jurisdiction over there, so it’s not like they killed a lawman.”

“As far as I’m concerned,” James said, “a lawman’s a lawman, no matter where he goes.”

“Okay,” Dewey said. “Okay, sit back down a minute.”

James sat.

“You wanna ride right over there and find out what happened?”

“I do.”

“Well, be smart about it,” Dewey said.

“How do I do that?”

“First, take off your badge and put it in your pocket,” Dewey said. “Second, don’t let anybody in this town know you’re the other deputy’s brother. Third, keep your head down. There are people in this town who will send the Flemings a message if they learn you’re a deputy, and then the Flemings will know you’re comin’. Fourth, there’s a sheriff over there named Montoya. He can’t be trusted.”

“He works for the Flemings?”

“He works for himself,” Dewey said, “as I do. But I wouldn’t trust him to do the right thing.”

“And you?”

“Me? I do the right thing about half the time. I have a gambling habit.”

“I see. You’re very honest.”

Dewey smiled. “Like I said, half the time.”

“So what do you suggest I do?” James asked.

“Nothin’ abrupt,” Dewey said. “Somebody saw you ride into town. You’re a stranger. What somebody would normally do is have a drink, maybe a steak, and spend the night. Tomorrow mornin’ you can head over the border at a real leisurely pace.

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