The Gunsmith 387 by J. R. Roberts

Author:J. R. Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2014-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-THREE

Clint decided to give Eclipse the treat he’d promised and took him for a ride on the beach. That meant he’d be riding him past Avery Castle’s house.

He had not meant to be such a frequent visitor to his friend’s house, but it really was a beautiful place to live, and Avery had such an air of happiness about him that he was a pleasure to be around, as was his wife, Lita.

This time, however, his intention was only to ride by, perhaps wave to Avery if he was out on his deck. However, after he turned Eclipse and rode back again, Avery was on the beach waiting for him.

“Come up for a drink,” he said as Clint reined in. “That beautiful horse will be safe down here.”

Clint nodded, dismounted, didn’t bother to tie Eclipse off. The big gelding would not be going anywhere.

He followed Avery up to his deck, where his friend left him seated at the table, went into the house, came out with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.

“I don’t drink much anymore,” Avery said, “but Lita allows me to have a glass with a guest.”

“Ah, so this was a selfish invitation,” Clint said, accepting a glass.

“Totally.”

Avery sat down and sipped his whiskey.

“Well,” Clint said, “maybe not totally.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’ve been checking into Sheriff Vazquez.”

“And?”

“What I’m finding out isn’t good,” Clint said. “He seems to be a competent lawman, but not a good man in general.”

“Who is?” Avery asked.

“You are.”

Avery laughed. “You’re forgetting about my past.”

“No, I’m not,” Clint said. “I’m just leaving it where it belongs, in the past.”

“That’s not always easy to do.”

“Well, we’re not discussing the past now,” Clint said, “we’re discussing the present. And from what I’ve heard, Vazquez has the town under his thumb. They fear him, and are so afraid they won’t even try to fire him.”

“Who have you been talking to?”

“Some locals,” Clint said. “A man who owns a café, the hostler . . . Carmen, the waitress.”

“Your waitress?”

Clint nodded, draining his glass. “Apparently, she is Vazquez’s sister.”

“You did not suspect this?” Avery asked.

“I never knew her last name.”

“Ah.” Avery poured more whiskey into Clint’s glass, then refilled his own. “And why are you so interested in the sheriff?”

“Well, for one thing, he’s interested in you,” Clint said. “For another, he’s been trying to recruit me for some ‘trouble’ that he feels is coming. He wants to be my friend.”

“And he is not the kind of man you would take as a friend?” Avery asked.

“Well, I usually make up my own mind about that,” Clint said. “Now, here I am talking to other people about him.”

“Maybe you should go back to making up your own mind.”

Clint finished his second glass of whiskey, waved off a third, and said, “Maybe you’re right.”

“What about the priest?”

“What about him?”

“The sheriff is interested in him, too, isn’t he?” Avery asked.

“Another case of a man trying to leave his past behind,” Clint said.

“But the sheriff is interested in him as well.”

“And I warned him,” Clint said.

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