Longarm and the Scarlet Rider by Tabor Evans

Author:Tabor Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Chapter 12

“So you’re a Mountie,” Longarm said as he shook John Ryerson’s hand.

The Canadian lawman frowned slightly. “I’m a constable in the North West Mounted Police. The term Mountie is not necessarily offensive, but it’s a bit informal.”

“So’s dressing in ragged clothes and pretending to be a drunk,” Longarm pointed out.

Constable Ryerson shrugged. “I thought it best to keep my true identity a secret, especially since I was conducting an investigation outside of my legal jurisdiction.”

Longarm took out a cheroot and put it in his mouth. “Yeah, about that,” he said. “I thought you boys were sticklers for rules and regulations, but there you were down in Montana Territory, pretending to be something you ain’t.”

“As were you,” Ryerson pointed out.

“Yeah, but I’m a deputy U.S. marshal, and last I checked, Montana was still part of the United States.”

Ryerson spread his hands. “Guilty as charged. What more can I say? Except that when I heard about how those women and girls have been disappearing, I wanted to get to the bottom of it as badly as you apparently do, Marshal.”

Longarm frowned and said, “I figured you must know about that.” He struck a lucifer on his thumb and set fire to the gasper clenched between his teeth.

“Indeed,” said Ryerson. “I was in this area when I received word from Inspector Steele that an American peace officer might be entering Canadian territory in the course of an investigation and that I was to render whatever aid you might request, as long as it was in my power to do so. The message also contained a concise summary of the case to which you were directing your attentions.”

“So after you heard all that,” Longarm said, “you took it on yourself to cross the border and do a little undercover work of your own.”

Ryerson stiffened his back and squared his shoulders. “A North West Mounted Policeman is trained to use his own initiative as required.”

Longarm could understand that. The actual number of Mounties out here in the Canadian West was fairly small, and the area they were responsible for keeping law and order in was vast. They wouldn’t have the time to clear every move with their boss before they took action.

Sort of like deputy U.S. marshals, Longarm thought with a wry grin that he concealed by lifting his hand to take the cheroot out of his mouth.

“All right, at least our cards are on the table now,” he said. “What’s our next move?”

“You think we should work together then?”

“Not too close, no.” Longarm gestured toward the distinctive red coat Ryerson wore. “You ride back into Bear Paw wearing that and inside an hour everybody up and down the rail line will know that you’re a Mountie. I don’t plan on announcing just yet that I pack a badge.”

“Perhaps not, but I think that we should still share whatever information we’ve uncovered on the case. As a gesture of good faith, I’ll go first.” Ryerson took a deep breath. “I believe those women and girls were kidnapped so that they could be brought up here and forced into a life of prostitution.

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