Redemption by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2011-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

13

Once they had Teddy at the undertakers, Doctor Morelli set to work on him, and discovered that Abe Todd’s slug had taken him right through the heart. This explained the lack of blood flow to Jason, anyway. Abe didn’t seem as if he much cared, one way or another, because all he said after Morelli made his announcement was, “So now we only got Davis to fret about.”

He didn’t even bother to turn around. He just stood by the window, amid stacks of chairs and tables and other things (the undertaker also being the town’s furniture maker), and stared out into the street.

“We need to get back over to the office,” Jason said, lifting his eyes from the corpse. It really was a shame, he was thinking. Teddy Gunderson had his whole life ahead of him, but he’d chosen to throw it away. He shook his head. He turned to Doc Morelli, who was washing his hands in the basin. “You’ll wait for the undertaker, Doc?”

Morelli shook water droplets from his hands, then picked up a towel. “That I will, but he’d best hurry. I need to get up to see Solomon and Rachael’s baby.”

“How is she, anyway?”

“Not good, the last time I saw her.”

“Whole town’s prayin’ for her, Doc.” Well, most of it was, anyway.

Morelli nodded. “Let’s hope it helps.”

Jason and Abe crossed the street, went into the office, and took seats on either side of the desk before they realized they had company. Rafe Lynch sat on a bunk in the first cell. His head was hanging down, and Jason said, “Rafe?”

Rafe looked up. “’Fraid so. Heard the shot and figured it might be a good idea to get my butt over here. Was I right?”

“You were.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Rafe Lynch, meet—”

Rafe stood up and Abe turned toward him. “Abe Todd!” He broke out into a big grin. “Spiders and snakes, it’s been a coon’s age!” He walked toward them. Abe stood up and met him in the middle of the floor, and they pounded each other’s backs like long-lost friends instead of a marshal and an outlaw, Jason thought. He found himself on his feet, too.

“Hold your horses!” he said, breaking up the gabfest. “What’s goin’ on?”

Rafe, still grinning, said, “Why, me and Abe, here, are old buddies!”

“Knowed him since he was in diddies,” Abe said.

“Thanks for admittin’ how much older’n me you are.”

“You better watch your step, you punk kid!” Abe joked.

Rafe gave him a friendly punch in the arm.

I don’t need this, Jason was thinking. He was becoming more confused by the hour about where the line between good and evil lay. And he was beginning to think that Jenny was right. Maybe he should just go across the street to the boardinghouse and put a slug between Davis’s eyes. It’d sure make things easier. Maybe the citizens should vote in a new marshal, too. Like, for instance, Rafe. That’d be about their speed.

Abe said, “Grab a chair, Rafe. Let’s all sit down and take a load off.

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