Shadow Shooters by George Arthur

Author:George Arthur [Arthur, George]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

As morning brightened Pearl’s hotel room, Anson Hawkstone sat on the edge of the bed pulling on his boots.

Pearl, propped up on her pillow, smoked a cigarette, one of the ready-mades from South Carolina she kept in a silver case. ‘I need you with us, Anson.’ She wore only a white chemise, looking perky with a young girl shape. Her experienced morning face showed different from perky.

Once dressed, he reached for his cartridge belt and swung it around his hips. He turned to her. ‘Walk away from this, Pearl. It carries a bad smell beginning to end.’

‘You didn’t enjoy yourself during the night?’

‘I did. I conjured up some fine memories, past and present.’

‘But you ain’t changed your mind – memories weren’t good enough for you to bend to me?’

‘Nope.’

‘What if I promised more of the same until the stagecoach is done? And after?’

He looked around the room for his Stetson. ‘I’d be tempted, but not enough. And what if there ain’t no payroll on that stagecoach?’

‘Roscoe says there will be.’

Hawkstone sat back on the edge of the bed and caressed her shoulders and breasts. He’d sure miss her. ‘You believe Roscoe?’

Pearl’s thin face scrunched up. ‘What do you know, Anson?’

He kissed her forehead. ‘You’re the only outlaw I care about. It ain’t no good, Pearl. I don’t want you part of it. Ride on north to your folks and children.’

Pearl squashed the cigarette butt in a whiskey glass on the walnut night stand. She put her hand on the back of his neck. ‘You got to come, Anson. If I can’t convince you, the marshal will find another way.’

‘He can try. I’ll shoot him down when he does. I already reckon he killed Big Ears Kate and Billy Bob Crutch. I buried evidence it was him for Casey Steel. The town marshal ain’t gonna live much longer, girl, and you got to get out of this.’

She kissed him, and he enjoyed the kiss while he caressed her. He hoped she’d soon be gone to other parts, and for a long time – and he hoped it would be soon, like tomorrow at the latest. He thought about telling her Roscoe didn’t know the payroll had been sent, not only the day before schedule, but the week before. There would be no payroll for their hold-up. But he realized she’d just go running to Yates with the information, and the boys would come gunning for him, or worse, tell Federal Marshal Casey Steel that Hawkstone had the payroll money, along with his ten thousand from the Mineral City robbery three years before.

‘Come back to bed, Anson,’ she whispered. ‘I want more of you.’

He stood again and sighed deeply. ‘Listen to what I say, Pearl. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. Get yourself gone. Promise me.’

‘I’ll think about it. You think about how you’ll miss me. I know you’ll miss me.’

At the door, he said, ‘Damned if I won’t. Adios, little girl.’

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