Virgil stopped at the bottom of the steps before entering Hotel Ark and looked at Berkeley.
“Which room is Lassiter’s?” Virgil said.
“Second floor, top of the stairs on the right, first door on the east.”
“And Hobbs?”
“His room is just to the other side of the stairwell, west side. Stairs split the two rooms.”
“What about the governor?” I asked.
Berkeley pointed up.
“Got one room on the third floor. Governor and his wife are there,” Berkeley said.
Virgil looked at me.
“You go through Hobbs’ door. I’ll go through Lassiter’s at the same time. No polite knocking or knob turning; needs to be a surprise.”
“I’ll be right there with you,” Berkeley said, “in case you need backup.”
We started to move.
“One thing,” Berkeley said as he pulled a gold-plated watch from his vest pocket and flipped open the lid. “It’s late.” He looked at his watch. “Or I should say early.”
“They should be sound asleep,” I said.
“They should,” Berkeley said as he slipped the watch back into his pocket, “but I want you to know, they both got trim... So if you would, please be mindful of the merchandise.”
Virgil nodded slightly with his eye on me, and we entered the hotel.
60
We walked into the hotel, moving quietly past the pair of black bears that guarded the entrance, and into the main room. A single lamp was burning on a belayed wagon-wheel chandelier hanging low in the middle of the room. Big Burns stepped out of his small room behind the desk, yawning.
“Need something, Mr. Berkeley?”
Berkeley put his finger to his lips for Burns to be quiet.
Burns looked back and forth between the three of us. Berkeley got close to him.
“Seen anybody come or go?”
Burns shook his head.
“No, sir.”
“Stay put,” Berkeley said. “Make no noise.”
Burns nodded, looking at the three of us.
Berkeley retrieved a small cut-glass finger lantern from a low cupboard behind the desk and lit the wick. Once he got the flame going good, we followed him past the bobcats and walked very quietly up the steps to the second floor.
When we got to the second floor, Berkeley pointed to each of the rooms, identifying first Lassiter’s room and then Hobbs’ room. Then he stepped back, placing his back to the wall at the top of the staircase. I positioned myself with my Colt in front of Hobbs’ door. Virgil leaned the Henry rifle on the wall behind him, drew his bone handle, and got in front of Lassiter’s door. Berkeley pulled out a .38 Smith & Wesson Lemon Squeezer from his belt and nodded that he was ready.
I kept my eye on Virgil.
Virgil looked at me and dropped a sharp nod of his chin.
I moved fast, my shoulder hit Hobbs’ door hard, and in an instant I was in the room. Hobbs was flat on his back, lying naked in the center of the bed. The pretty whore we’d met earlier in the evening was riding him. She had a steady diagonal lope working that was causing Hobbs some toe curling, but she stopped and looked at me as if I was there to borrow some flour or sugar. Hobbs raised his head up like a turtle on its back. What hair he had on his head was pointing in every direction, and his face was beet red.
“Wh-what... What’s the meaning of this?” Hobbs said.
The whore stayed atop of Hobbs, looking at me. A skilled equestrian awaiting instruction.
“Off,” I said.
She responded quickly. She pulled back and slung one leg over him. Hobbs grabbed the crumpled bedding and covered his privates. The whore stayed on her knees, looking at me.
I picked up a crocheted blanket at the foot of the bed and tossed it to her.
“Who do you think you are?” Hobbs said.
“You know who I am, Mr. Hobbs.”
“Damn right I do, and you have no business coming here.”
“Stop talking,” I said. “I’m gonna let you get your trousers on. You’ll have plenty of time for talking, rest assured.”
Hobbs groveled, “Now, see here.”
I raised my Colt a little more toward the center of his eyes, and he stopped talking and shook his head.
“Oh, for the love of God,” Hobbs said. “Rose, get me my unders and trousers.”
Without wrapping herself in the blanket, Rose walked to the corner chair like she had a book on top of her head and retrieved Hobbs’ underwear and trousers. She walked back to the bed and handed Hobbs his clothing.
“Everett,” I heard Virgil call out from the hall, “you got Hobbs?”
“I do!”
Virgil stepped into the room, Colt in one hand, the Henry rifle in the other. Berkeley was a step behind him.
“Lassiter flew the coop.”
61
“Where’d he go?” Virgil said to Hobbs.
“What?” Hobbs said, looking over his shoulder at Virgil as he pulled on his trousers. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Virgil looked at me.
“The woman in the room with Lassiter said he told her to stay put till he came back. Said he left as soon as they got upstairs, over an hour ago.”
Virgil looked back to Hobbs.
“Where did he go?”
“He left?” Hobbs said. “I don’t know. I have no idea. Why?”
Virgil stayed focused on Hobbs but spoke to Berkeley, who was standing behind him.
“Mr. Berkeley, I need you to get our horses out front. The chestnut and the roan; leave the other two.”
“Will do,” Berkeley said, and left the room quick.
Rose picked up the blanket and moved near to me as Virgil walked around the bed and faced Hobbs.
“Tell me about Wellington?”
“Who?”
“I don’t got time for you to dally with my demeanor.”
“Dally with your...”
Hobbs shook his head.
“I do not know what you are talking about.”
“Read the back end of that clippin’, Everett,” Virgil said without looking in my direction.
I pulled the article from my vest pocket, opened it, and read it out loud.
Wellington’s crime gained the state’s attention when three prominent Texas attorneys — Stephen Humphrey, William Mills, and James Lassiter — were also indicted after the ill-fated embezzlement scheme went awry. Charges were eventually dropped on the three due to the lack of state’s evidence. Many believe Wellington was the scapegoat for the others, who were heavy with counsel.
I looked up at Virgil. Virgil was looking at Hobbs.
“Lassiter and you are partners, law partners.”
“Our companies merged less than a year ago.”
“What about Wellington and the trial?”
“I was on a big case in New York during that brouhaha. By the time I had returned it was old news. Being an attorney is a nefarious business, and there is often a thin line between right and wrong, Mr. Cole. I never gave the banking trial involving this Wellington a thought. We firms are always caught in the middle between good and evil.”
“Stealing money ain’t in the middle.”
Hobbs stood up from the bed.
“I never knew this Wellington.”
Hobbs limped slightly to the corner and sat in a chair, where his shoes were on the floor in front of him.
“Wouldn’t know Wellington if he hit me in the face.”
“Who had the relationship with the governor?” Virgil asked.
“You mean who was the idiot who encouraged the governor to invest in the territorial lands, putting him and his family’s lives at stake?”
Hobbs shook his head as he picked up a sock from inside his shoe. He crossed his leg and put the sock on his foot.
“That would be me, Mr. Cole; that would be me.”