“Hell, I was raised in these parts,” said Coffin. “And raised some hell o’ my own too, if you know what I mean. Ain’t many folks around here who don’t know me.”
An unsettling suspicion struck Longarm. “Just how long have you been a Ranger, Coffin?”
“Nigh on to six months now. Sheriff Sanderson suggested I might want to join up with ‘em. There was this little, uh, misunderstandin’ over some cattle that disappeared from a rancho on the other side o’ the border.”
Longarm closed his eyes and tried not to groan. He had been stuck with somebody who was not only a novice Ranger, but also probably a former rustler to boot. What the hell had Major John B. Jones been thinking when he sent Coffin down here to Del Rio on such a delicate assignment?
“All right,” Longarm said with a sigh as he opened his eyes again. “We’d better get a few things straight between us. This is a federal matter, so you’re just here to give me a hand. I’ll be in charge of the arrangements.”
Coffin’s bearded jaw tightened, and he looked as if he wanted to argue the point. But after a moment, he nodded curtly. “That’s what the major said. I reckon I’ll follow orders—long as they ain’t stupid.”
“You’ll follow orders,” Longarm said flatly.
Coffin’s brawny shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, and Longarm figured that was as close as he was going to get to an agreement. He moved on. “We both keep our mouths shut about what we’re doing. There’s been too much talk already. I’d rather we hadn’t both stood there in the middle of the room and announced that we came here on an assignment, but I was a mite addled after that tussle with you.”
Coffin took hold of his chin, moved his jaw back and forth, and winced. “You pack a pretty good punch, all right, Long. I wasn’t thinkin’ neither. Sorry.”
Longarm drained the rest of his drink. “It shouldn’t matter. I’m not expecting any trouble. We’ll ride herd on those fellas from Washington and Mexico City for a few days, then they’ll go home and so will we.”
“What about El Aguila? I’ve heard tell his bunch is raidin’ again.”
Longarm shook his head. “This meeting shouldn’t interest an owlhoot like El Aguila.” He didn’t mention it, but the man who had tried to kidnap the diplomats in Arizona had been an ex-military officer with a grudge against the government. That was a far cry from some minor border bandit, whose sights would likely be set a lot lower.
Still, Longarm couldn’t ignore the possibility of trouble, so he continued. “Since you grew up around here, what do you know about El Aguila? That means The Eagle, doesn’t it?”
“Yep,” said Coffin with a nod. “I never saw the man. Nobody really knows who he is, ‘cept maybe some of the Mexes along the river. They claim to know, but they’re mighty close-mouthed whenever the subject comes up. El Aguila’s got a reputation for hornin’ in on schemes that other folks come up with, but he ain’t never run with a gang of his own until now.”“You’re sure he’s ramrodding this bunch?”
“That’s what the reports the major’s gotten say. I figure when this business here in Del Rio’s over, I might take a few days ‘fore I head back to Austin and try to help Sheriff Sanderson catch the skunk.”
“More power to you,” said Longarm. “Just make sure this job is over and done with first.”
“Sure, sure,” Coffin said with a wave of his hand. He slurped down some of the beer, then surprised Longarm by saying, “No hard feelin’s ‘bout that fracas earlier, right?”
“No hard feelings,” Longarm agreed. “We’ve got to work together, so we might as well try to get along.”
“Yeah.” Coffin looked sheepishly down at the table. “I didn’t really mean all those things I said to Anna Marie. I think she’s really mighty sweet, and she sure is pretty. It’s just that ... well, when you’re a big ol’ galoot like I am, folks sort of expect you to bull around and raise a ruckus. You savvy?”
Longarm shrugged. “Whatever you say, Coffin. That ain’t really any of my business neither.”
The big Ranger grinned. “Like I said, you pack a wallop. You reckon Anna Marie’s still mad at me?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Longarm said.
Coffin put his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet.
“I’m goin’ up to her room and find out. See you, Long.”
“Be at the hotel first thing in the morning,” Longarm reminded him.
Coffin nodded his head to show he had heard, but didn’t look back. Longarm chuckled tiredly. Coffin had his mind set on Anna Marie again, but Longarm figured he would be lucky if the redhead didn’t bust something over his skull when he came knocking on her door. She had a temper to match her hair.
Longarm stood up and headed for the door of the saloon. He intended to go back to the hotel. It had been a long day, and he was tired. And as soon as those diplomats arrived in the morning, he was going to be responsible for their safety, so he wanted a good night’s sleep.
Even though he was confident there wasn’t going to be any trouble, it never hurt to be careful.
Chapter 3
As soon as he reached the door of his hotel room, Longarm knew that a good night’s sleep was going to be postponed, at least for a while. The second-floor corridor was lit by lamps that hung at each end of the hallway, and while the light wasn’t particularly good, it was bright enough for Longarm to see that the match he’d wedged low down between the door and the jamb was no longer there. Instead, he saw the end of it peeking out from underneath the door, where it had fallen unnoticed when somebody had opened the door. An uninvited guest had been in the room—or maybe was still there.
Longarm’s hand went to the butt of his gun. He had hesitated for only a second when he noticed that the telltale match had been disturbed, and he hoped that that pause hadn’t been detected by the person who was waiting inside the room, if indeed the intruder was still present. Longarm drew the gun as he used his left hand to slide the key into the lock and turn it. He didn’t try to be quiet about it. Stealth would just give away his suspicions. Instead he threw the door open suddenly and went diving through it, rolling and coming up in a crouch with the Colt leveled and his finger on the trigger.
Anna Marie gasped, drew back against the headboard of the bed, and pulled the sheet higher around her. But not so high, noted Longarm, that the big brown nipple of her left breast was covered up.
“What in blazes are you doing here?” Longarm asked harshly.
The redhead conquered the fear that had gripped her at Longarm’s abrupt entry into the hotel room. “What do you think, Custis?” she asked. “I came to see you.”
“That fella Coffin is looking for you,” said Longarm as he holstered his gun. “I just left him over at Kilroy’s, heading up to your room.” Anna Marie made a face. “Then he will be disappointed, won’t he?”
Longarm’s eyes strayed back to that insistent nipple as he said, “Seemed to me like maybe the two of you were ... involved.”
She shook her head emphatically. “No. I have known Lazarus for a long time, and he has always been in love with me. But the feeling is one I do not return.”
“He’s got a funny way of showing it. He was downright mean to YOU.”
She shrugged, and the sheet she clutched in her hands slipped enough so that the nipple of her right breast peeked out too. “That has always been his way. He treats me badly, then he is sorry and tries to make up for it. Tonight, though, when he grabbed my wrist, was the first time he has actually hurt me. Always before he just said cruel things.” She looked down, no longer meeting Longarm’s gaze. “I know what I am. He does not have to call me those ugly names.”