“Look,” he groused, popping up from his desk, “if you’re wanting to know where my prisoner is, I can’t tell you. I’ve already had some real unpleasant visitors.”
“Well,” Sophie said, “you must know since your deputy is also missing.”
“But I don’t,” he protested. “I just told some of Ford Oakley’s friends the same damn thing. They had this little surprise party all worked out north of town. You can imagine how pissed off they were when the Elko stage came through and there was no Ford and no Marshal Long.”
“My heart bleeds for them,” Molly said. “So what did you tell that bunch of cutthroats and thieves?”
“I told them the exact same thing that I’m telling you. I don’t know where my deputy is and I don’t know where that federal marshal went to.”
“I think,” Sophie said in her nicest way, “that you’re telling a little fib.”
Wheeler blustered, “What you think, Sophie, doesn’t matter to me.”
“It did once,” she said sweetly. “It meant about everything to you.”
Wheeler blushed and dropped back down in his desk chair. Agitated, he began to rearrange some old wanted posters on his desk.
“Abe?” Sophie said, walking up to the desk and leaning over it so that he could see some cleavage.
“I… I got to get back to work,” he stammered, trying to keep his eyes on the papers. “You ladies better run along. I got nothing more to tell you about Ford Oakley, my damned deputy, or Marshal Long. Now that’s all that I’m going to say. So… go on now.”
Sophie batted her long eyelashes. “Anything YOU say, Abe, honey.”
The marshal blushed even more deeply, but he kept his hands busy and nailed his gaze to the papers as if he were staring at the eighth wonder of the world. “Well,” Molly said, “good-bye.”
“Yes,” Sophie said, “good-bye.”
“Good-bye, ladies!”
They went outside. “What do you think?” Molly asked as soon as they shut the office door.
“He’s lying through his teeth.”
“I know that,” Molly said. “But can you make him talk?”
“I’m sure that I can. Did you see the way I got him all flustered just now?”
“Of course! The man is crazy for you, Sophie.”
“That’s true, but making love to him now would be like coupling with a frog.”
Molly laughed. “Oh, come on now! You and the marshal had quite a thing going a few years back.”
“He’s changed a lot and none for the better,” Sophie said. “He’s really gotten hidebound and crotchety. He’s starting to look old enough to be my father.”
“Maybe he is your father.”
They both laughed, and then Molly said, “We really do need to know where Custis took Ford. Without a few friends, that federal marshal doesn’t stand a chance of getting Ford to Elko and that eastbound train.”
“I know,” Sophie said, looking back at the door. “But I really would prefer not to …”
“It wouldn’t take long,” Molly assured her. “I’d do it myself except that you’re the one that lights his fire.”
“If he’s got one left,” Sophie said.
“Ah,” Molly scoffed, “I’ll just bet that he will surprise you. Might be why he’s gotten so crotchety these past few years. It’s common knowledge that Marshal Wheeler and his fat old wife sleep in separate rooms and she’s as mean as a teased snake. I almost feel sorry for the man.”
“Me too.”
“Be a Good Samaritan,” Molly urged. “I’ll watch the door to make sure that you’re not interrupted.”
“Oh, all right,” Sophie finally agreed. “But this had better not take long.”
“It’s all up to you,” Molly said. “I’d just tell him right up front what the deal is. Information for … well, whatever you think you have to give.”
“Probably whatever the old goat wants,” Sophie groused as she opened the door again, went back inside, and turned the key in the lock.
Marshal Wheeler glanced up at Sophie. “I told you that I couldn’t help you, Sophie. Now will you please … what are you doing!”
What Sophie was doing was placing one heeled shoe on the seat of Deputy Trout’s empty chair and slowly pulling up her skirt to reveal her lovely thigh encased in some very expensive black silk stockings.
“Stop it!” Wheeler croaked, his eyes bugging a little.
Sophie reached up and undid her garter belt, then began to roll down the stocking to reveal her milky white thigh. “Abe, I remember how you used to lick me starting right here,” she said, pointing to a place inside of her knee, “and then all the way up to here.”
Sophie placed her hand over the soft place between her legs and licked her lips. She began to sway back and forth, lightly stroking her black silk panties.
“Sophie,” he begged, leaping to his feet. “You gotta get out of here right now!”
But Sophie wasn’t listening. She just smiled, then opened her eyes and removed her other stocking and all of her underclothing from the waist down. She giggled as Wheeler came charging around his desk to stand before her puffing like a steam locomotive ready to roll. She giggled even more when his hand reached out against his will and he stroked her leg and then spread his feet apart as his manhood began to rise.
“What the hell are you doin’, drivin’ me crazy like this after these last few years?” Marshal Wheeler wheezed.
He expelled a deep, shaky breath. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve dreamed about you coming to me and doin’ something just like this?”
“Dreams sometimes come true,” Sophie whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders and spreading her feet apart.
Wheeler gulped, and his hand unbuckled his cartridge belt. “I could lose my job if someone walked in here right now.”
“The door is locked. We always locked the door when I came by for a visit, remember?”
He was so excited that he wasn’t listening. “Sophie, I’m real worried. You see, Ford’s friends almost shot me because I wouldn’t tell them where the marshal took him.”
“I won’t shoot you,” Sophie said. “I promise. You’re going to shoot me like you used to. Oh, Abe, I’ve really missed it. Missed it a lot.”
“You have!”
Sophie unbuttoned his pants, and his shaft jumped out to stand rigidly at attention. She took it into her hands and stroked it until the marshal quivered like a bird dog.
“I can’t wait,” he moaned, reaching for her.
Sophie stepped back. “First,” she said, “the information. Where are they?”
“Probably in Lone Pine,” he breathed. “If Ford’s friends haven’t found’em yet.”
“On horses?”
“No,” he said, bunching her skirt up above her waist and then hoisting her onto the top of Deputy Trout’s desk while swiping everything on the desk onto the floor. “They’re traveling in that old medicine wagon that was sitting out in back of the alley!”
Sophie lay back and spread her legs. Marshal Wheeler did have a fire left in him after all, and now, as he climbed onto her and began to pump furiously, Sophie lay back and sort of felt glad that the old badger still had plenty of ripe sap in his long timber.
Fifteen minutes after she’d gone inside, Sophie stepped back out of the marshal’s office.
“Oh, my heavens!” Molly said. “Your face is all flushed and you’re wearing a big smile!”
“Am I?”
“Yes, you are. I’d say it’s pretty obvious that Marshal Wheeler still has some life to him.”
“Yes,” Sophie said, smoothing her skirt, “he does.”
“I feel so sorry for the poor man. Will you start something up with him again?”
“If he collects that big reward I might.”
Molly laughed. “I swear that you are a mercenary devil, Sophie Flanigan!”
“A girl,” she said, “has to do the best she can with what she’s got while she’s got it.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Molly said, taking her friend’s arm. “Now, where did Marshal and Deputy Trout take that damned Ford Oakley?”