The Complete Adventures of Señorita Scorpion V2 by Les Savage Jr

Author:Les Savage Jr
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: pulp, A&A, western, annot
Publisher: Altus Press
Published: 2014-02-04T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter VI

LIGHTS BEGAN TO poke yellow holes in the evening along Main Street. Si Samson’s livery doors groaned as he swung one shut against the rising chill. I stood at the window, hearing the creak of saddle leather as Striker and his boys mounted in front of the hitchrack below. Striker swung off north toward his home in the hills out there. Jack and Hammer trotted their animals around onto Second and out of sight. The jail was over there.

“I thought for a moment they were going to make a play,” said Avarillo, still sitting on the bed. His eyes dropped to the walnut handle of my Cloverleaf. “They say Jack is a dangerous man. Even Hagar had a healthy respect for him.”

“I got his number,” I said.

Avarillo chuckled. “I was beginning to lose my faith in you when you talked like that in Cecil’s. I think now, however, I perceive a pattern. You thought she would pass it on?”

“Didn’t you see Jack sparking her when we passed?” I said.

“And you think Striker found out what was in that wire you sent?”

“I hope he did,” I said. “TSA has their headquarters in Waco. That’s where I sent the wire. I asked the marshal’s office to have a government auditor check over TSA’s books. The Scorpion gave me that idea. If Striker did have the influence to find out what was in the wire, and TSA’s books were shaky, I figgered it would put a bee in his bonnet.”

“His sombrero was buzzing pretty loud when he came here,” said Avarillo. “But why didn’t you tell him where you really found Wylie?”

“He would know where I stand,” I told the Mexican. “This way, he might figure I’m lying about Wylie, and that I really found Wylie with those mustangs, and suspect Wylie’s connection. But he ain’t sure. He’s confused. Have you ever seen a steer when it’s confused? They get boogered and stop figuring their moves. Then you can haze them just about anywhere you want. I figger we’ve hazed Striker right into our Blocker loop.”

We had. I went downstairs and sat in the lobby of the Lodge where I could look out on Second Street. There was a Mexican cantina next door to the jail. In about fifteen minutes, Jerry Hammer came out and unhitched his own Copperbottom and Jack’s stockinged black, leading them across to Si Samson’s stable. He came out of the stable and went back to the jail. The lights in the front room of the jail went off in a minute. I went out and crossed Main, going between two houses on the opposite side of the street to an alley behind. There, under a cottonwood, I waited. In another ten minutes, Hammer came up the alley farther down and went in the back door of the livery barn. He came out riding his own horse and leading Jack’s.

“A childishly elaborate plan to deceive us,” said Avarillo by my side. It caused me to jump like a snake-spooked filly.

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