“If I’m not, you’re the one’s going to suffer for it.”
“I don’t think so,” Lizann said. She moved across the room to the table, poured water into a glass from an earthenware pitcher, then sat down. She crossed her legs, sitting sideways to the table and sipped at the glass. “Frank,” she said, lowering the glass, “I’d ask you to stay, but I couldn’t think of anything more unpleasant to have happen.”
Renda moved toward her. “Lizzy, you’re bluffing, aren’t you.”
“About you being unpleasant?”
“About leaving here.”
A smile touched Lizann’s mouth. “Why do you think I’m bluffing?”
“Because you know what I’d do to you if you ever tried.”
“Has it kept you awake-thinking about it?”
“If you’re not bluffing, Lizzy, you’ll wish you were.”
“Frank, stop trying to sound menacing. You don’t frighten me anymore. I’m leaving here…there’s nothing you can do about it, and the sooner you realize it the better.”
He moved to the table, raised his hip to sit on the edge and folded his arms. Looking down at her he asked, “How’re you going to do it?”
Lizann took a sip of water and placed the glass down carefully. She had expected him to show his temper, but he remained calm, deliberately in control of himself. After a moment she answered, “You’d never guess.”
“I don’t have to,” Renda said. “You’re going to tell me.”
“I’ll tell you this, Frank-which I already have-it’s going to happen and you’ll still be thinking about it when it does.”
Renda watched her. As she raised the glass again, his arms uncoiled and he swept it from her hand. The glass shattered against the floor and Lizann went back from the table, straightening, looking suddenly at Renda with shocked surprise.
Renda’s arms were folded again. “I asked you how’re you going to do it.”
Lizann did not answer, though she continued to stare at him and her hand brushed at the wet stain on her skirt.
“Willis didn’t write to anybody,” Renda said. “You haven’t either, because I’ve seen every letter that’s gone out. What other way is there?”
“You’ll have to find out for yourself,” Lizann said. She saw his arms separating and tried to turn away, but she was not quick enough and the back of his hand stung across her cheek.
As she looked up at him again, Renda said, “I’m going to find out, but not by myself. You see what I mean?”
She could feel her cheek burning as she made herself return his stare. “You intend to force me to tell you?”
Renda shrugged. “One way or the other.”
“You’re not a man…you’re an animal.”
“I’m still asking-”
“You can go to hell.”
She was expecting it, but his hand struck so suddenly there was not time to turn from the blow, and as her head came up he struck her again with his open right hand.
“I’m not fooling, Lizzy!”
She brought her arms up in front of her and as he drew back his hand again she left the chair. Renda was on her as she reached the bedroom door. He pushed her inside and against the near wall, held her against the adobe until she stopped struggling, then stepped back slowly.
“The next time I use my fist!”
“I told you-”
He brought his fist back, but at the last moment he opened it and struck her again with the palm of his hand.
“Say it!”
“I have nothing to say.”
Renda stepped back. He shifted his weight and saw her eyes close as he hit her in the face with his fist. Lizann’s head struck the wall and she started to go down, but Renda caught her and held her against the adobe.
“I’ll bust your face wide open. Honest to God I’ll fix you so no man’ll look at you as long as you live.”
Lizann’s eyes opened. She breathed in and out slowly, painfully, and said, “Let me sit down…I’ll tell you.”
“You’re stalling.”
“Let me sit down-”
Renda held her against the wall. “How’re you going to do it?”
“Willis wrote a letter. He mailed it from Fuegos.”
“You’re lying!”
“I swear it’s the truth!”
Renda went back a half step and drove his fist against her cheek.
“I’ll kill you! You understand that!” He moved against her before she could slide to the floor. Close to her face he said, “One more will fix you. One more and even Willis won’t know you.” Her head hung forward resting on his shoulder. He could feel her breathing against him, but she made no sign that she had heard.
“All right,” Renda said. His left hand held her against the wall as he stepped back.
Lizann raised her head. The side of her face was deep red, her cheekbone was skinned and a thin line of blood showed at the corner of her eye. Her eyes remained closed as she said, “I wrote the letter.”
“You’re lying!”
“I did!”
“How could you mail it?”
“I gave it to that girl from the station.” That was it. It was forming in her mind now-something to make him leave, something to give her time-but the pain made it difficult to think and she knew she had to be careful. You gave it to the girl, she thought hurriedly. But she hasn’t mailed it yet. He must think he can still get it. But get him out-for God’s sake get him out!
“When did you give it to her?”
Lizann opened her eyes slowly. “She was here just before you came. A few minutes before.”
“Nobody passed me. Not a soul.”
“Then she came the other way. I don’t know…but I gave it to her.”
“Lizzy, if you’re lying to me-”
“I swear it!”
Suddenly Renda turned from her. There was the sound of a horse outside. He waited. “Stay where you are,” he said then and went out into the front room. The moment he reached the doorway he saw that his horse was gone. He ran out, hearing the running hoofbeats now-two horses, one of them his, both moving through the open gate, then swinging south toward the wagon road.
“Karla!” Renda cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted after her. She did not look back, but he saw her release his horse before she disappeared over a low-swelling rise.
Lizann stood in the doorway to the bedroom. “What did you say? You called something.”
“Karla…she was still here.”
“You’re sure?”
“Listening to us all the time,” Renda said. “Else she wouldn’t be running now.”
Lizann stared at him.
“Now I’ll have to go after her,” Renda said. He looked at Lizann again. “I would’ve sworn you were lying. You’re lucky she was still around. You know I just might have killed you.”
Lizann nodded slowly. She did not trust herself to speak.
They had come down the wagon-road slope keeping in line with the windowless north side of the stage station and now, from the willows, they looked across the open yard to the front of the adobe.
“One horse in the shed,” Manring said.
Bowen was studying it. From this angle they could see only the hindquarters and saddle. “It could be Willis Favley’s dun,” Bowen said. Karla wouldn’t be back yet, he thought. That left her father and whoever owned the dun. That you’re sure of, he thought.
“It could be,” Manring said. “That’d be something if he was inside.”
Bowen’s hand went into the front of his shirt. “We’re about to find out,” he said. As he pulled Lizann’s revolver he saw the look of surprise come over Manring’s bearded face.
“Where’d you get that?”
“I told you, Earl, we didn’t need you as much as you thought.” Bowen turned and as Manring continued to stare at him, moved out from the willows.
He started to hurry across the open yard, then thought: Take your time. He slowed to a walk, keeping his eyes on the door, but not going directly for it. He reached the corner of the building, hesitated, then moved along the front of the adobe, past the two windows, to the screen door. He opened it, felt it open wider as Manring took it, and brought up the revolver as he stepped into the room.