Ariel Tachna - A Summer Place by Ariel Tachna

Author:Ariel Tachna [Tachna, Ariel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

why the change in venue?” Matthew asked as Johnny led him, William, and Joseph to the caretaker’s cabin.

Chapter 14

“SO why the change in venue?” Matthew asked as Johnny led him, William, and Joseph to the caretaker’s cabin. “It’s safer,” Johnny replied simply.

“Safer?” William repeated. “Did something happen?”

Johnny nodded. “You’ll have to ask Philip for the details, though.”

“He didn’t mention anything on Saturday,” Joseph said. “He wouldn’t,” Matthew reminded them. “We’ve always had to pry his troubles out of him, no matter how willing he is to help us with ours.”

Johnny thought that sounded a lot like someone else he knew, but he did not make the comparison aloud. The other three men did not know Mr. Wells and to talk about him seemed disrespectful. Rapping lightly at the door, he opened it and gestured for the others to go inside.

Carl, Eric, and Philip called greetings immediately before Philip introduced his friends to the overseer. They settled around the table, Joseph handing the deck of cards to Eric to inspect before they started. With a nod, Eric examined them and then started to deal. “Ante up.”

They all looked down at their hands, evaluating, making decisions. Philip tossed in his penny and waited for the bets to make their way around the table. With eight of them playing rather than four, the pot grew faster than usual, even the minimum bet bringing it to almost a dime already. He looked at his hand. A pair, but a low one, and a Jack high. Not much of a hand, but better than some he had played – and won with – in the past. Studying the faces of his friends, new and old, he debated how to play the hand. “Give me two,” he decided after a moment, tossing in another penny.

At Philip’s left, William tossed in his second penny, taking two cards, and turned to his friend. “So what happened that we’re playing here instead of in your tent?” He scowled down at the cards and looked to Philip for an explanation instead.

“Somebody vandalized my gear in the tent,” Philip explained uncomfortably. “We decided it’d be safer for me here, with a door that locks.”

“First your house, then your gear!” Joseph exclaimed, folding his cards and setting them aside. He had nothing but junk anyway. “And there’s been another murder, too!”

“I know,” Philip replied, watching as one by one, the three crew bosses added their pennies and took more cards. “The sheriff came and told us Thursday night,” Nicolas added, waiting to see what the others still playing would do. His flush would hold against enough hands to make it worth betting again.

“Thursday?” Matthew repeated, looking at the bets on the table and at his own hand. He had a pair of nines with an ace high, enough to make it worth another round anyway. Tossing his penny in and taking two more cards, he looked expectantly at Philip to see what the blacksmith would do.

Philip looked down at his cards again, biting back a smile.

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