Savage Sunday by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2021-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

After leaving the reception, John went into the Red Bull Saloon for a drink. Instead of standing at the end of the bar out of shame in the way he looked and smelled, he stepped right up to the middle of the bar and was met immediately by the smiling bartender.

“What can I get you, sir?” the bartender asked.

“Hello, Sam. I think I would like a beer.”

Sam got a confused look on his face. “Do I know you?”

“It’s been quite a while since I was last here.” John didn’t consider it a lie. He had come into the saloon shortly after arriving in Cheyenne, and that was before his descent into alcoholism and slovenliness. He’d meant it had been a long time since Jonathan Jacob Cunningham had been there. It was because he looked upon himself as two people—Jonathan Jacob Cunningham, who he was when he’d arrived, and Lonesome John as he had been for most of his time in Cheyenne.

One of the percentage girls smiled and walked up to him, moving her hips provocatively. “Hello, you handsome devil you. Would you like to share a drink with me? And maybe have a short date?”

John smiled. On all his previous visits the girls had stayed as far away from him as they could. “Thank you, Sue, but I’m afraid I’m going to be occupied.”

The expression on the girl’s face was even more shocked than Sam’s had been.

“You . . . you know my name? How is that?”

“Well, you are a very pretty girl. You have no idea how many people you don’t know do know your name.”

“You mean I’m famous?” Sue asked.

“You might say that,” John replied with a smile.

“How about that? I’m famous,” Sue said to herself as, with a big smile, she turned away from John.

Eli Kendrick was also in the saloon, sitting alone at a table in the back of the room. About to leave, he saw John come in, watched him for a moment, and saw him turn away the percentage girl. He decided to stop by and talk to him on the way out.

“Mr. Kendrick,” John said with a welcoming smile.

“Who are you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought Nettie introduced us. I’m John Jacob Cunningham, and as the lady said, Joel and I were very good friends.”

“From St. Louis, you said.”

“Yes.”

“You were in the army?”

“Joel was in the army, not me.” John smiled again. “But then you know that, of course, for you served in the army with him at Ft. Laramie. No, our relationship was considerably less gallant. We shared a love for baseball.”

“That may be so, but you say you knew him in St. Louis. How did you hear about what happened to Joel, and manage to get here in time for the funeral?”

“Oh, it just so happened that I was already here,” John replied.

“That was convenient,” Eli said, his expression rather flat.

“Yes, I suppose you can say that it was.”

“I must get back to the bank. It’s amazing how much paperwork I’m having to go through, even with a bankrupted bank.

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