“Okay, but—”
“If we can’t get someone to get this done, Al,” Peacock said, “you and me might have to strap on our guns and do it ourselves.”
“That’d be okay with me—”
“Well, it wouldn’t be okay with me.” Peacock kept his voice down because he could hear Masterson, Brown, and Butler in the saloon. “Take care of Brown, get rid of Butler, and Masterson will have to stand alone. Got it?”
“Yeah, I got—”
“Good. Then do it.” Peacock slammed the door in Updegraff’s face before the man could take another good look at the welts rising on Carol’s ass.
CHAPTER 35
Ryerson bothered Butler.
It didn’t make sense. All the man did was exactly what Butler did that first day for Jim Masterson. He noticed something suspicious going on, followed up, and saved Butler’s ass.
Well, he helped him, anyway. He had saved Butler the way Butler had saved Masterson. After all, Jim had killed one of the men from the balcony, and Butler had taken another one. So Ryerson had been helpful, but what he did wasn’t lifesaving.
But just the fact that he was there to help didn’t feel right to Butler, and he didn’t know why. Maybe what he needed to do was talk to the man. What he didn’t know was that wouldn’t be easy to do.
Ryerson left the Lady Gay knowing he’d done the right thing, even if it had exposed him earlier than he’d planned. He was going to go and have the meal he was looking forward to, and then go to his hotel for some shut-eye. He was going to have to be fresh to be able to do what he had to do.
After Butler left the Lady Gay, Neal Brown looked over at Jim Masterson.
“What?”
“We’re gettin’ him involved in our affairs,” Brown said.
“He got himself involved when he took a hand the other night,” Masterson said. “He knows what he’s doin’.”
“I hope so. I hope we all do.”
“What’s that mean?
“Why are we stayin’ around here, Jim?” Brown asked. “They don’t want us here.”
“I got a business—”
“Sell it,” Brown said. “Sell out to Peacock. Goddamnit, let him have it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t turn tail and run just because they took my badge,” Masterson said.
“Why not? Bat did. It ain’t hurt his rep any.”
“I ain’t Bat,” Masterson said. “I can’t be Bat.”
“Jim—”
“You can go, Neal,” Masterson said. “Any time you want. No hard feelings.”
“Naw,” Brown said. “Look what happened to Hickok when Charlie Bassett left him alone for too long.”
“I ain’t gonna get shot in the back, Neal.”
“Yeah, you ain’t,” Brown said. “Not as long as I’m around. So forget it. If you’re stayin’, I’m stayin’.”
“I’m gonna get dressed,” Masterson said. “If that idiot Updegraff comes back, don’t let him leave.”
“I’ll shoot him in the foot if I have to.”
As Masterson went back upstairs, Neal Brown moved around behind the bar and got himself a beer.
Ryerson had disappeared.
He wasn’t on the street and Butler didn’t know what hotel he was staying at. He recalled the man saying he wanted a meal, but he didn’t see him in the Delmonico or the Dodge House. He’d have to check into him another time.
Or maybe not…
When Butler walked into the Dodge City Times office M.J. Healy looked at him in surprise.
“Do you have more information on those men?” she asked.
“No,” he said, “I’m not interested in the dead, I’m interested in the living.”
“Like who?”
“Fella named Ryerson, Kevin Ryerson. Ever heard of him? Read anything about him?”
“No, and no,” she said. “Do you want me to do some research for you?”
“What will it cost me?”
“Nothing,” she said, with one of those smiles he felt to his toes. “I’ve got your interview and it’s comin’ out tomorrow. I’ll just do this to try and help you.”
“Okay,” he said. “That’s nice of you.”
“It’ll cost you another meal,” she added suddenly.
“That’s a price I can pay,” he said. “I’ll check back with you later in the day.”
“Isn’t he the man who helped you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you asking about him?”
“Because I don’t know him, or anything about him,” he said. “Why would he help me?”
“Why did you help Jim Masterson that night?”
“Because it was the right thing to do.”
“And this Ryerson,” she asked him, “his reason couldn’t be the same?”
“How many men have you ever know who did something just because it was right?” he asked.
She thought a moment, then asked, “Other than you?”
“Yes.”
She thought again, then said, “I’ll try to have somethin’ for you by this evening.”
“I’ll be back.”
He turned to leave, realized she was alone.
“Where’s your brother?”
“I’m wonderin’ the same thing,” she said. “If you see him tell him to get his sorry ass back here. I need him.”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “See you later.”
With Mary Jane Healy doing the research on Kevin Ryerson, Butler went looking for Ben Thompson. He checked his room at the Dodge House but he wasn’t there. Neither was he eating there, in the dining room. It was still too early for the saloons to be open for business, so he was at a loss as to where to look for him. He was going to have to settle for catching up to him whenever he could, and hope that his back didn’t need watching before then.
CHAPTER 36
When Butler reentered the Lady Gay he found Neal Brown behind the bar, nursing a beer.
“Want one?” Brown asked.
“Why not?” Butler said. “I’ve already had whiskey for breakfast.”
Brown drew him a beer and set it on the bar.
“Where’s Jim?”
“Gettin’ dressed. Did you locate Thompson?”
“No, I’ll talk to him later. I was, however, trying to find Ryerson, but couldn’t.”
“Why him?”
“Because he came and went so fast,” Butler said. “I’d like to find out something about him.”
“Like what?”
“Like where he’s from. Where he’s going and why he stopped to help me? Do you have any idea who he is?”
“No, I never saw him or heard of him before.”
“Never saw a wanted poster on him?”
Brown thought a moment, then said, “Not that I can remember. What makes you suspicious of him?”
“I’m just naturally suspicious of everyone,” Butler confessed, “especially when they pop up out of nowhere to help me.”
“But that’s what you did.” Brown reminded him.
“Yeah, but I’m not suspicious of myself.”
Brown was confused, but decided not to pursue it any further. He had enough of his own troubles to keep him occupied.
“Neal, what do you think about whatever’s between Jim and Bat?” Butler asked.
“I think it’s their business.”
“If Jim sent Bat a telegram asking for help, would Bat come?”
“In a minute.”
“Then why doesn’t Jim ask?”
Brown shrugged.
“You’d have to ask him.”
“Why don’t you send a telegram?”
“Because Jim would kill me if he found out. Besides, there’s nothin’ goin’ on here that Jim and I can’t handle—with a little help from you, that is. I mean, the other night.”