Right between the Eyes by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 31

“Maybe I should just shoot the sonofabitch at the first sight of him,” Bob said, stabbing his fork hard into the slice of ham on the plate before him. “Look at the problems that would solve. All in one swoop, it would chill the range war that’s heating up and it would eliminate the risk of Brannigan ruining our lives by revealing my past.”

Seated across the table from him, Consuela said, “Sure, that sounds like a good idea. While you’re at it, after you shoot Brannigan, why not go ahead and shoot Wardell and Smoky Barnett, his ramrod, too? If you don’t, they’ll only bring in another gunman, maybe more than one. And if you really want to make sure everything stays peaceful, go ahead and shoot John Larkin as well, just in case he has come back to make trouble like so many people believe.”

Bob paused with the piece of ham raised partway to his mouth. Frowning, he said, “Do you really think sarcasm from you is what I need at a time like this?”

“If you keep making ridiculous statements, it’s what you’re going to get,” Consuela answered. “I surely cannot support that kind of foolish talk coming from you.”

Bob shoved the ham into his mouth and chewed aggressively.

Following the meeting with Vandez and his men, Bob had come home for lunch and had related to Consuela how the discussion had gone. In doing so, he’d allowed his frustrations to boil to the surface.

“We both know you’re not going to do any of those things,” Consuela said now, her voice softened. “You’re too good a man for that. That badge you’re wearing has come to mean too much to you. You’re going to confront Brannigan and deal with him the best way you can—the best legal way you can. And you’re going to do the same thing when it comes to a conflict between the Rocking W and the V-Slash.”

“The trouble is, I can’t deal with Brannigan in a legal way because, when it comes to him, he knows better. He knows I’m an outlaw.”

“That was a different time and place,” Consuela insisted. “He can prove nothing. He has no kind of authority here or anywhere else.”

Bob made a sour face. “We’ve been through all this before. He doesn’t have to have any authority to run his mouth. He carries on long enough and loud enough, it’s bound to set some folks to wondering. All it would take from there is for somebody like that nosy newspaperman Dutton to do some checking and raise a fresh wave of interest down in Texas.”

“But everybody down that way thinks you’re dead,” Consuela reminded him.

“If I know Cameron Bell and if he caught even a whiff that I might still be alive, he wouldn’t leave it to chance. He’s bound to have a long memory and a big hate where I’m concerned. And it’s doubly certain that his money has a long reach. If he can’t stir the Texas authorities to

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