A Bad Place to Die by Easy Jackson

Author:Easy Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-08-15T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

As Tennie sat with Mike on the bench in front of the jail, he fussed at her for being sneaky. “I know nothing about what you were doing,” he boomed. “Why don’t you come to me for help with your plans? Why go to fancy man Lafayette?”

“I didn’t ask for his help,” Tennie said. “He just showed up.”

“Shorty, he should have come got me,” Mike grumbled. “I could have handled Harden Kane criminal just like that,” he said, waving a big paw.

“Then why were your doors shut?” Tennie asked.

“Because people tell me to shut them, say bad outlaw is on his way to shoot up town. I don’t go looking for trouble like Miss Tennie.”

She laughed.

He wanted to know all the details, what they had done, what they had talked about. She left off telling Mike of sharing with Harden Kane her fears about the town, but told him everything else. Except, of course, the part about the bars in the back window being sawed off. She didn’t mind Jeff knew, but she didn’t want it to get all over town she and her stepsons had desecrated jail property.

She half expected the town councilmen to hand her walking papers—she had, after all, accomplished what they’d hoped, gotten rid of Harden Kane. Although Jeff assured her Maggot Milton probably had a rifle trained on Kane the entire time he had been in Ring Bit. But the councilmen did not come around, and it was only through hearsay she learned they were pleased with the job she was doing.

The problem with Harden Kane had only been a temporary one. The townswomen stayed locked behind closed doors from Friday to Sunday morning, when they felt it prudent enough to walk to church. During the week, they were close enough to be able to judge when things were slow, and it was safe to come out. The country ladies did not have that recourse. Tennie began sitting outside the jail more and walking up and down the sidewalks when she had time. She wondered if it was just her imagination the foul language had diminished, the shooting had lessened, and the daytime drunkenness had decreased.

Much to her disgust, Jeff brought Apache John back in. “Why do they keep picking on him?” Tennie cried once they were back downstairs.

“Maybe to get a rise out of you,” Jeff said. “They know you feed Apache John whenever he comes begging.”

“Well, I’m not settling their arguments,” Tennie said. “Somebody else is welcome to the marshal job if they don’t like it.”

“Pipe down,” Jeff said, laughing at her. “Don’t get your drawers in a wad.”

“Easy for you to say,” Tennie pouted. “Everyone expects me to perform miracles around here.”

Jeff opened the door for her. “Scoot,” he ordered. She walked outside taking a deep breath of the night air. Turning to Jeff as he shut the door, she fell into step with him back to Shorty’s.

“You need a break, gal,” Jeff said. “Winn Payton’s been after me to bring you out there for a visit.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.