Slocum and the Storekeeper's Wife by Jake Logan

Author:Jake Logan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Slocum managed at last to sleep, and in the morning, he was up early, dressed and over to the eating place for his breakfast. Along the way, he found a trail of drops of blood. He was drinking his first cup of coffee when Patton and his daughter came in. They spoke to him as they walked by his table. Patricia gave no hint with a look or a sound of what had happened the night before. They sat at a table across the room. Slocum finished his coffee and had a refill as the Glovers came in. They walked over to his table.

“May we join you?” June said.

Slocum stood up and said, “Please do.”

They all three sat down. Glover waved a greeting to Patton, and it was acknowledged. The waiter came over and brought two fresh cups of coffee. He took the Glovers’ order and left again. In another minute, Sheriff Elgie Fletcher came walking in. He strode over to their table and spoke to the Glovers and Slocum.

“Good morning, Elgie,” June said.

“Slocum,” said Fletcher, “you still staying in the back room over to the store?”

“Yeah.”

“Anything happen over there last night?”

“Nothing, Sheriff,” said Slocum. “Why do you ask?”

“Aw, it’s likely not important, but the way things has been, I thought I oughta check. Someone heard a shot late last night.”

“No,” said Slocum. “Nothing.”

The sheriff touched the brim of his hat and went over to another table. In a couple of minutes, Pearly came in and joined him. He nodded at the Glovers and at Slocum as he walked by, a surly nod, Slocum thought.

They finished their breakfasts and went to open the store. Slocum waited for a chance to get Larry alone. Then he spoke in a low voice. “I didn’t want to alarm June,” he said. He told Glover what had happened in the store overnight. “I think I hit the one,” he said. “In the leg or in the foot. I could see him limping, and I found a blood trail on my way over to the eating place this morning.”

“Let’s take a look,” said Glover. The two men walked to the front door. Slocum pulled it open, just as June stepped out. “Oh,” said Larry, “we’ll be right back.”

They stepped out and shut the door. Glover looked down. “Over to the right,” said Slocum, and Glover turned his head. Sure enough, he spotted a splotch on the sidewalk. He looked around some more. “Walk along,” said Slocum, stepping down into the street. They took a couple of steps, and Slocum said, “Right there.” Glover spotted a second splotch. They followed the splotches across the street and between two buildings. The trail ended behind the bank.

“It looks to me like they had a couple of horses tied up here,” Slocum said.

“Can we track them?”

“I’ll try,” said Slocum. “First, do you think I ought to tell ole Fletcher?”

“Well, I—”

“I didn’t say nothing to him at breakfast on account of June being there.”

“Slocum, June knows everything that’s happened up till this.

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