The Fires of Blackstone by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2022-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

The next morning, Trammel stood in front of city hall, checked the Bank of Laramie clock tower, and saw it was just a minute or so before nine o’clock. Judge Carlisle Littlejohn’s train was due to arrive any moment. Although he wanted to be available when it did, he had no intention of meeting the jurist at the station. He did not require that kind of deference.

His presence making sure no one tried to shoot the man, Trammel could feel an uneasiness had settled over his adopted city, though he could not tell what. The Clay protestors had given up their vigil in front of the Rose of Tralee around midnight, but he could still hear the echo of their cries in his mind . . . “We want Clay. We want Clay.”

Some of those same people were trudging along the boardwalks as they hurried off to work by the time the clock struck nine. Other townspeople moved about the boardwalks, too. The Morning Birds, as he had come to think of them. Those early risers and insomniacs who were on the street each morning to not simply go about their business, but also to gossip with their neighbors. They usually huddled in close groups, sharing whatever secrets they had with each other.

Trammel imagined he had been their topic of conversation the previous week.

Something appeared different on that particular morning. Those same people stood in open groups with their backs against buildings. They looked around at who was coming and going as if they were afraid someone might be listening.

Watching, Trammel felt it was about more than just the memory of the Moran killing. It was as if they were waiting to see what happened next. He knew how they felt.

Blake cleared his throat as a way of announcing himself. “Morning, boss.”

“It sure is,” Trammel agreed. “Don’t know whether it’ll be a good morning or bad.”

Blake looked up at the clock tower. “Guess we’ll find that out as soon as the judge gets here. You boys ever have a spectacle like this up in Blackstone?”

“Only when shooting started,” Trammel said. “Either nothing happened or everything happened at once. Not much middle ground up there. Still isn’t, last I heard.”

Blake let out a long breath and watched the plume disappear in the cold Wyoming air. “Guess you’d have Hawkeye standing with you at a time like this. Sorry you’ll have to make do with me.”

“I’m glad to have you.” Trammel meant it. “But Hawkeye wouldn’t be next to me. He’d be set up somewhere across the street with a rifle to cover me.”

“Take a look up at the rooftop of the hotel,” Blake suggested.

Trammel squinted in that direction and saw Brillheart on the roof with a Winchester. He felt like a fool. “I should’ve seen him up there.”

“He just got up there about five minutes ago,” Blake told him. “Got Welch up on the roof here at city hall. They’ve got a good view of the town from up there.”

It was nice to not have to do all the thinking for once.

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