Calamity Jane 10 by J.T. Edson

Author:J.T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: war between the states, piccadilly publishing, pulp westerns, jt edson, westerns ebook, westerns 1800s, belle boyd rebel spy, historical western thriller
Publisher: Piccadilly

Ten – I Know How They Were Damaged

‘What is this?’ Ernst Kramer growled indignantly, glaring at the discolored and partially melted coins which he had poured from the second of the canvas bags on to the table in front of him. Raising his eyes, he scowled at his visitors and the Germanic timbre of his harsh voice became even more pronounced as he went on, ‘You’re not expecting me to accept these, are you?’

‘What’s wrong with them?’ “Father Matthew Devlin” demanded, with well simulated innocence, although he knew the answer. ‘They might be disfigured, but they’re still acceptable legal tender.’

‘And they’ll be noticed anywhere I pass them,’ Kramer countered. ‘I’m not accepting them!’

The time was just after half past eleven. Having arrived to keep an appointment of great importance, Vera Gorr-Kauphin and the bogus priest were finding themselves faced with the problem they had anticipated.

On receiving the message sent by the surviving member of the trio who had accompanied Raoul Fourmies to the Streeterville Municipal Hospital, the couple had held a council of war. They had been compelled to do so by the alarm Phineas Branigan had displayed over the news, particularly that Lieutenant Edward Ballinger was at the hospital. Having questioned the driver of the fringe-top Surrey, they had concluded that either the artist’s disguise had been penetrated or—considering the amount of time that had elapsed between him entering and the commencement of the shooting—that his purpose had become suspected. Taking into account the behavior of his escort, they were inclined to assume it was the latter contingency. The comment about Fourmies having to take his chances had implied that the survivor was unable to see what had happened to him. If he had been arrested, or shot, the man would have mentioned it. The general consensus of opinion—including that of the actress, despite the victim being her brother—or rather the hope was that Fourmies had carried out his task successfully before being discovered, but had not been taken alive.

It had been apparent that Branigan and his men had no intention of waiting at O’Malley’s Grand Emerald Isle Theater until the survivor returned. Vera and “Devlin” had agreed with him that there was an urgent need to depart. Not only had they much to do that evening, they realized that the theater was the first place Ballinger would come to look for them if Fourmies, Gorr-Kauphin, or even Marcel Tinville—who still had not been located by Branigan’s men—had fallen into his hands.

Of the three, the actress and the impostor had been least concerned over the possibility of Tinville being apprehended by the police. While he knew something of their plans, he had not been present when the real Father Devlin was murdered. Nor had he taken part in the disposal of the body. Knowing the artist and Gorr-Kauphin, the couple felt sure that neither would have told him about the incident. They would have no wish for him to possess such incriminating knowledge, as it would give him a powerful hold over them.

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