Caster grinned, showing his tobacco-stained teeth. “You kind of got a cute little way about you, Mister Long. Tell me,” he said, “did you hear around town that I might be the man to see if you wanted to get some cattle sailed on through in a hurry?”
Longarm shook his head slowly. “No, can’t say I did, Officer Caster. Is that what you call a customs official—officer?”
“Not generally.”
“Well, you was talking about police powers. I didn’t want to be taking too big a chance. No, I just got in town late yesterday evening. Ain’t really had time to talk all that much to anyone except bartenders.”
“You seem to have found Jasper White quick enough.”
“Oh, that.” Longarm pulled a face and brushed at the brim of his hat. “There’s a Jasper White in every town. They ain’t hard to find.”
“So you and him ain’t old buddies?”
Longarm looked up and locked eyes with Caster. “Met the man this morning. Over at a little cafe.”
“The Tejano.”
Longarm nodded. “That’s the one. I was having breakfast. Being so close to the bridge, I figured the owner might know something about how this place operated. I never brought cattle through here before.”
“So you spoke to Raymond.”
“Yeah. Raymond. Got a long last name.”
“San Diego. His brother works for me.”
“Does he now? He a customs official?”
Caster showed his brown teeth again. “Not exactly. He kind of works for me privately. Sort of makes sure things run smooth, if you take my meaning.”
“How would that be?”
“Oh, he just does.” Caster hunched forward and leaned his elbows on the desk. “You said you never brought cattle through here before. Of course I know that—I’d have remembered you otherwise. But this is kind of far to the southeast for a man driving cattle to Oklahoma. What caused you to pick Laredo?”
Longarm gave a whisper of a smile. “Oh, just seemed like a good place,” he said easily. “Get to see a different part of the country.”
“Have a little trouble up north of here, did you? At Del Rio and Eagle Pass?”
Longarm let himself look the slightest bit uncomfortable. “Oh, they could have made matters easier,” he said. “Anyway, this was where the man I’m buying the cattle from wanted to deliver them.”
“Jasper didn’t tell you I could make cows fly, did he?”
“Now, why would he do a thing like that? I told you, Mister Caster, I just met the man this morning. We talked a bit about my business and I wondered if he knew the chief customs inspector. He said he did.” Longarm spread his hands. “That’s the sum of the matter.”
Caster drew his head back a little. “Well, I reckon you can appreciate my position, Mister Long. I’m a government official. Got my duties and my reputation to think of. Wouldn’t want talk getting around town that I can make cows fly.” Caster gave a little imitation of a laugh. “But you say Jasper was the only one you had a talk with?”
“Well, the only one where the talking come to anything. Like him bringing me up here and giving me a howdy-do to you.”
Caster tried for another smile, but his stained teeth wouldn’t allow it. He leaned further forward. “How much money you give him?”
“What makes you think I give him any money?”
“Because,” Caster said dryly, “I know Jasper White. He wouldn’t help an old woman up from a mud puddle ‘less there was something in it for him. How much?”
Longarm frowned slightly. “That kind of sounds like we are talking about my business here. What’s it got to do with you?”
Caster leaned back in his chair, rocking it back and forth slightly. “Oh, I was just curious as to what Jasper’s going rate was these days. I’m gonna guess fifty dollars. Would that be about right.”
Longarm shrugged. “If it suits you to believe that.”
“Did you tell him how many cattle you had? Did you let on or look the least bit desperate? Did you tell him your cattle was due here in a couple of days?”
Longarm shrugged again. “I might have. Though I don’t see what that’s got to do with our business.”
Caster swiveled his chair around so that he was presenting his side to Longarm. “It’s got a lot to do with our bid’ness,” he said. “I don’t know you, Mister Long. Don’t know a damn thing about you. And here you come to the chief customs inspector and the same as ask me to make it easier on your cattle then them as belongs to other folks.” He waved his arm toward the pens outside. “Hell, I bet I’m holding near five thousand head right now. Why should you get any different treatment? How the hell do I know you are who you say you are. And just who are you? Tell me about yourself.”
“Ain’t much to tell, Mister Caster. I been in the cattle business man and boy for thirty years, ever since I could get up on a stump and get a foot in the stirrup. Always operated in Oklahoma. I don’t owe nobody and I never went back on a deal. But don’t take my word for it. You can wire the bank in Broken Bow and ask after me.” Longarm said the last with a careless bravado. But he wasn’t too worried. He didn’t think Caster would check up on him, and anyway, he planned to wire Billy Vail as soon as he could and have him inform the bank in Broken Bow that if any questions were asked about Custis Long they were to say that he was a good and valued customer and a cattleman of the first water.
Caster looked around at him. “I might just do that, Mister Long. I just might. But tell me something else. You got a contract to provide reservation beef. What the hell you doin’ coming all the way down here? Hell, ain’t they no cattle up where you ranch?”
Longarm stared at him for a long moment before he replied. “Mister Caster, you got any idea what the Bureau of Indian Affairs pays for a beef? If you knew, you wouldn’t have to ask why I was buying Mexican cattle.”
Caster chuckled softly. “What are you paying for those cattle you’re having brought up?”
“Well now, there we go again, straying over into my business. Why would that be of any concern to you?”
“Weeelll …” Caster said slowly, “I was just trying to figure out if you had the price to get them cattle to fly over the border. You’re telling me the Indian Bureau ain’t leaving you much leeway. That means you better be buying the cattle on the cheap side. I know what range cattle are selling for in South Texas. It’s clear you can’t afford that price. I’m just wondering if you know what a set of cow wings costs.”
Longarm kept silent for a moment. To cover the lapse he fumbled in his pocket, got out a cigarillo, and lit it. This was the first indication Caster had given him that he’d do business. When he had the little cigar drawing good, he leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. “All right,” he said. “What does cow wings go for these days?”
Caster swiveled back around so that he was facing Longarm. “One thing you better understand is that there ain’t no such thing as flying cows.” He gave a little chuckle. “Them cattle are going to have to stop off with me for at least a week. You can’t take them straight through. I ain’t writing no papers on wet cattle. So they at least got to stop off here for a week.”
Longarm blew out smoke. “Yeah, so I heard. That part don’t come as no surprise.”
Caster straightened up. “I thought you said you hadn’t been talking to nobody.”
Longarm quit looking at the ceiling and lowered his gaze. “I told you I hadn’t been talking around town. That’s a fact. But I know an awful lot of other men in the cattle business. Men who have bought Mexican cattle. After I lost that herd of four hundred I went to asking around.” He looked at Caster. “Know what I mean?”