Longarm showed Earl the unusual cigarette paper. "Have you ever seen anything like it before?"
Earl did not deign to touch the cigarette butt, but his eyebrows jerked upward and when he glanced up at Longarm, his face was animated with excitement. "That's a British cigarette. It's called Royal Crown. It's rather expensive, and the tobacco is said to be of the highest quality. You won't find a working cowboy buying those cigarettes."
"Where can they be bought?"
"At certain tobacco shops. They would be sold at a tobacco shop in Cheyenne, and there are two tobacconists who sell them in Denver."
"I see." Longarm studied the butt. "Look, Earl, if you see anyone smoking these things, I want to know about it right away."
"We always have a few guests here who smoke Royal Crown cigarettes. But I'd not want them to be... accosted."
"I promise I'll be discreet. They'll likely never even realize I was investigating their whereabouts on the night that train was wrecked."
Longarm leaned forward across the desk. "Earl, you know that I'm not a wealthy man but that I am generous."
"You have always been very generous to us. You are one of my favorite guests. I mean that in all honesty."
Longarm knew that this was going to cost him thirty or forty dollars, but if the broken horseshoe proved to be a dead-end trail, this was his only hope and it was no time to be pinching pennies.
"I'll continue to be generous," Longarm said, patting Earl's shoulder. "Now, if I could have a room and a hot bath?"
"At once. At once!"
Longarm dined in the hotel that night and he ate very, very well. Buffalo steak, sourdough bread, fresh trout sauteed in mushrooms, asparagus, and a peach cobbler with cool, sweet cream. Longarm even allowed himself to finish off the meal with a good cigar and two glasses of French brandy.
"I haven't eaten so well," he confessed to the waiter, "since I was here last. Compliments to Chef Pierre."
"He knows it is you, Mr. Long, and so he made everything extra special."
"He did indeed."
The waiter beamed, and Longarm settled back with contentment. He'd been shaved, and was wearing a fresh change of clothes and underwear. He almost felt civilized, and was in no hurry to leave the warm and pleasant surroundings where he had spent many a happy evening.
"Hello!" the woman purred, leaning over the table so that the upper portions of her large breasts dangled like overripe melons. "My dear, dear deputy. I didn't expect you to be back so soon!"
"Well, Milly," he replied, "neither did I. But there was this train wreck on the mountain just to the east of us, and ever since my life has sort of gone to hell."
"You look pretty happy right now." Milly slid into the chair and laid a familiar hand on Longarm 's muscular thigh. "I think that I can make you look even happier with almost no effort at all."
"Milly, you vixen!"
"Buy me a drink?"
"Sure."
Longarm ordered them both brandy, and then he told Milly about the train wreck, Eli Wheat's escape, and the manhunt.
"And you think they are hidin in Laramie?"
"At least some of them, but probably not all."
"If they have money, they might be coming my way," she said. "Tell me how I would know they are the ones you want."
Longarm told her the same things that he had told Sheriff Cotton and Earl. "You need to keep a sharp eye out for that cigarette paper and for the money."
"I always watch for money, you know that."
"Yeah, I know. That's why I've always wondered why you waste time with a poor federal lawman."
Milly's hand slipped higher until it rested over Longarm's flaccid manhood. "You know why I don't think spending time with you is wasted. Or do I have to remind you right now?"
"Stop it." He laughed, feeling himself start to swell. "I'm not up to that tonight and you need to be circulating. The men I seek might well be just passing through. I can't catch them if I'm making love with you."
"What a shame." Milly sighed. "Well, then I had better get to work. There are guests here tonight who have both time and money."
"Look for those Royal Crown cigarettes and let me know what you find."
"I will," Milly promised. "But I can't imagine some rich Englishman riding with a gang of train robbers."
"No," Longarm conceded, "that does not sound very likely, but one never knows. I've seen people I thought to be rich as kings turn out to be thieves. We all put on a little show--even you, Milly."
"Show?" She laughed and brazenly cupped her breasts. "They're not show, Deputy. You of all people know that they're for real--or do you need to be shown all over again right now?"
"Stop it, Milly!" he said in mock anger because he knew that she was simply trying to tease and embarrass him. Milly was actually a very educated and well-read woman, and that was why she of all the women was the only one allowed in the Outpost Hotel to mingle with the rich Eastern guests.
"Bye, honey," Milly said, "I just saw another gold mine come waddling in the door."
"Sure," he said.
Milly, hips swaying provocatively as she crossed the dining room, turned every man's head in the place, even those with wives and girlfriends. Longarm watched with admiration as Milly targeted an older, corpulent man who had all the appearance of wealth.
Longarm shook his head with wonder. Milly had once told him that she had a bank account that was large enough to buy a small cattle ranch or a ten-room whorehouse decked out like a doll cottage. And now, watching Milly ingratiate herself with the rich old man, and seeing the way his nose began to twitch with all the excitement of a bird dog, Longarm was a believer.
CHAPTER 7
Longarm went to bed that night thinking that he had plenty of baited hooks in the water and wondering which one would land the first fish. It felt wonderful to drop off to sleep in a feather bed with clean sheets and not have to worry about getting rained on in the night or waking up with a stiff back.
He was sleeping like the dead when he was suddenly jarred awake by a loud banging at his door. Longarm reached for his holstered Colt hanging from the headboard.
"Who is it?"
"It's me!"
Longarm relaxed. "Aw, Milly, go away! I'm still asleep."
"Too asleep to talk about an Englishman who smokes Royal Crown cigarettes and has a lot of money to spend on pretty women? Well, if you can find me, we can talk about him sometime. Night, night!"
Longarm blinked rapidly in the darkness. "Wait a minute!" he called, bounding out of the bed and staggering to the door. When he finally got it unlocked, Milly was already descending the stairs to the lobby.
"Milly, dammit, come on back here!"
She turned and looked up at him with a loose smile of amusement. He could see that she was a little tipsy and her hair and lipstick were mussed. Milly had been working and was not in the mood for insults.
"Milly, I'm sorry," Longarm said. "It's just that I've got a lot of sleep to catch up on and I was... I was dreaming of you."
"Aw, bullshit! Come on, Longarm, I'll bet you can do better than that!"
Longarm knuckled his eyes. "What time is it?"
Milly shrugged. "Who cares? I guess it will be daylight pretty soon, but I'll manage to be asleep by then and thankfully avoid it."
Longarm yawned. "Would you come on back and talk to me? Otherwise, I'd have to hunt you down and wake you up in a few hours."
"And risk getting shot? That wouldn't be a very smart thing to do, honey."
"Come on," Longarm said, "this is a respectable place. I can't stand out here begging in my almost natural state."
"Say please."
"Please."
"Say that you'll reward me handsomely."
Longarm yawned. "I'll reward you handsomely."
"And scratch my back and kiss me to sleep and-"
"Milly!"
"Oh, all right. I'll settle for the handsome reward," she said, coming back up the stairs and giving Longarm a kiss before she took his hand and led him back into his room.