A cute, young waitress came over and greeted M.J. by name.”
“Holly, this is Mr. Butler.”
Butler noticed this time she left off the “my friend” part. Wouldn’t want people to continue to get the wrong idea.
They both ordered coffee. M.J. ordered an expensive steak dinner. Hank’s steak was still on Butler’s mind, if it wasn’t weighing heavily on his stomach. He ordered beef stew.
“So tell me,” she said, placing her chin in the palms of her hands, with her elbows on the table, “how did you hear about Ryerson—and what did you hear?”
“He’s a bounty hunter. A good one, but not a very well-known one—by choice.”
“And who told you this?”
“Hank did.”
“And how does he know?”
“He recognized him from a time when they were both in Montana,” Butler said.
“So he’s a bounty hunter, and he’s just passing through?” she asked. “And he decided to help you out of some trouble, even though there’s no money in it for him? Doesn’t sound like any bounty hunter I ever knew. They don’t usually do anything if there’s not a bounty in it.”
“I know,” Butler said. “Makes me even more curious.”
“Me too,” she said, “about whether or not he’s here on business, or is just passing through.”
“Ask him for an interview,” Butler said. “Maybe you’ll be the first to get one. I understand you’re very persuasive, that way.”
“You know,” she replied, “I might just do that.”
CHAPTER 41
Over dessert M.J. told Butler about her desire to work for a newspaper in a big city.
“San Francisco,” she said, “Chicago, New York. That’s where I see my career going.”
“And how are you going to get there?” he asked.
“There will be a story,” she said. “One story that will take me there, I know it.”
“What kind of story?”
“That I don’t know,” she said, “but I will know it when I see it.”
It seemed to Butler that the big stories in Dodge City had been ten years ago. Still, he hoped that it would happen for M.J. With her looks and her drive, he knew she’d go far if she made her way to the big city.
“When we did your interview—which ran today, by the way—you said you were from the East.”
He hadn’t said what city he was from, and he was hoping she wouldn’t ask now.
“Have you ever been to New York?”
“Oh, yes,” he said, “and Cleveland…and Chicago.”
“Where else?”
“Big cities?” he asked. “That’s it, I guess. I’m going to make my way to Denver and, eventually, I’ll get to San Francisco. I’m looking forward to gambling in Portsmouth Square.”
“It sounds so exciting.”
“I think it will be.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” he said, “Since the interview is already in print—you’ll have to give me a copy.”
“I will,” she promised. “What I want to ask you is, with all that’s happened here, with three men trying to kill you this morning…why would you not just leave Dodge City? Go directly from here to San Francisco?”
“It’s not just about going to San Francisco,” he replied. “It’s about the whole journey. I’ve seen a lot to this point, and done a lot, but there’s more to see between here and California.”
“I suppose,” she said, “but as soon as I have a chance, I’m leaving here and going right to San Francisco.”
He reached across the table and touched her hand. “You’ll fit right in there.”
“Will you?” she asked.
“In San Francisco? Oh, yes,” he said. “That’s a talent I have. I can fit in anywhere.”
“It must be nice to be so confident,” she said.
“You’re confident.”
“I seem confident,” she said. “I’m really not, though. That’s my secret. I’ve been scared ever since my parents died. And I have Lou to worry about.”
“Will you take him with you to San Francisco?”
“I honestly don’t know,” she said. “I don’t think he’d fit in there. He’s more suited to living here.”
“Would he want to go with you?”
She hesitated, then said, “I think so.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“Oh, no,” she said, shaking her head. “He knows nothing about my ambitions. He thinks I’m very happy here.”
“It will come as a shock to him, then,” Butler said. “Maybe you should start preparing him now.”
“I probably should,” she said, shaking her head, “I just don’t know how to.”
“Shall I walk you home?” he asked.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Here I am chattering on and you probably want to get to work. You said that in your interview, right? That poker is your work?”
“Yes,” he admitted, “I did say that.”
As they stood up she said, “Let’s stop by the office first and I’ll give you a copy of today’s edition, with the interview.”
“All right.”
Butler paid the bill and they left the Delmonico.
They stopped at the office to get him a copy of the newspaper and then he walked her the rest of the way home.
“Thank you for the meal,” she said, in front of her house, “and the time.”
“It was my pleasure.”
He took a step forward and impulsively kissed her cheek.
“Please don’t slap me,” he said, backing up. “I just wanted to do that.”
“I won’t slap you,” she promised, “but then don’t you be shocked at me.”
She stepped forward, put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth, softly but soundly.
“I just wanted to do that.”
She blushed before he could say anything, turned and hurried into the house. He touched his hand to his mouth, then smiled, turned, and walked back to Front Street.
He did, indeed, have to go to work.
Kevin Ryerson was shocked when he woke up and saw what time it was. For him to have slept that soundly and that long was unusual. He figured he must be getting old.
He poured some water into a basin and used it to wash his face and torso, scrubbing the gumminess from his eyes and the trail dust from his chest and armpits. After that he dug out a clean shirt and put it on, then checked his gun to make sure it was in good working order. In all the years he’d been a bounty hunter he’d never suffered a misfire on any of his weapons, and this was the reason why. He always checked his weapons before he went out into the street. If he was on the trail, he checked it every morning when he woke up.
When he slid the gun into the holster and strapped it on, he was ready to go outside. His other meal seemed like a distant memory. He wanted another steak, and then a couple of cold beers. Maybe even a woman. He had no work to do tonight. His target was here, and he could wait until tomorrow to go after him. He’d ridden hard to get here and deserved some down time.
He left the room and went down to the lobby, thought briefly about going into the dining room, but then decided to treat himself to the most expensive restaurant in town.
He stopped at the front desk to ask the desk clerk just where that would be.
CHAPTER 42
Butler stopped by the Lady Gay to check in with Jim Masterson and Neal Brown. The place was busy, almost completely full. He saw Updegraff behind the bar, but didn’t approach him. Instead, he scanned the room, spotted Brown, and walked over to where the man was watching a poker game. He stopped next to him. There were five men at the table and he didn’t know any of them.