Toward what end, Marshal? Hightower asked.
If you declare a state of emergency, and request official assistance from the federal government, I will be empowered to step in and take whatever emergency measures I deem necessary. Without that declaration, Im afraid I wont be able to help seek the men who dynamited your bank and stole more than seventy thousand dollars from you.
You wont?
Longarm shook his head. I was assigned to this case on the basis of a tip that said the payroll was to be stolen from a mail car on a chartered railroad, gentlemen. Theft from the mails is a federal crime, and it was within my jurisdiction to block that if I could. As we all know, that planned crime did not take place. The money was transferred out of the mail car without incident and deposited in your local bank. Correct me if Im wrong, but the bank here was locally chartered, is that right?
Two of the supervisors nodded. We issued the charter ourselves, Jones added.
It isnt a federal crime to steal from a locally chartered bank, gentlemen. Nor, for that matter, is murder a federal violation unless an employee or representative or ward of the United States government is the victim. As far as I know, none of those requirements was met in the bank robbery and resulting deaths this evening.
But we need help, Bright said. He pointed toward young Frye. We cant depend on him to recover our money, you know. And Lord only knows whether the bank carries insurance sufficient to cover our loss.
It does not, Hightower said flatly. I happen to be on the board of directors, Howard. Cash on hand in the vault rarely exceeds seven or eight thousand dollars at any given time. We, uh, chose to insure against loss up to
uh he looked embarrassed five thousand dollars.
So between us we could be on the hook for nearly seventy thousand out of our own pockets, Vance?
Hightower nodded unhappily.
Jesus! Bright blurted.
And that is not a federal crime? Jones asked.
Thats right, gentlemen. The way things stand right now, I cant do a thing here but look for my own federal escapees, Paul Markham and the woman known as Jessie.
But with this declaration of emergency?
If you do that, gentlemen, and specifically request federal assistance on an emergency basis, Ill be able to take whatever steps are necessary to find my prisoners and your White Hoods.
And recover our money as well?
Yes, sir.
Hightower frowned. You say you shall be empowered to take unspecified but presumably necessary steps, Marshal. What, exactly, do you mean by that?
Longarm smiled at the man. Hightower, it seemed, was stuffy but not stupid. He had picked up on that unspoken but very large point. Things that I can almost guarantee you wont like at all, sir, Longarm admitted.
Such as?
If you really want me to tell you, I will. But I think the voters around here might be happier with you three gentlemen if you can honestly plead ignorance. He grinned.
After Im gone, boys, I wont mind a bit if the folks around here cuss an call me names. It might be better if you can point fingers at me and cuss right along with the rest of them.
This time Hightower smiled. You are no stranger to the realities of political life, Marshal.
No, sir, Id have to admit that I am not.
So you want us to pass this declaration of emergency and in effect write you a blank check to do as you wish in our community, is that it? Bright asked.
That is exactly what Im asking, sir.
And our alternative? Jones asked.
Longarm shrugged. You go your way and I go mine, gentlemen. I worry about finding Jessie and Paul Markham, while you and Charlie here hunt for the White Hoods and the missing money.
All three supervisors glanced toward their thoroughly cowed young deputy. Charlie Frye wasnt even old enough to shave on a regular basis, but he was all the local law that was left in Thunderbird Canyon now. Not that Markham and Mayes would have been any better, really, but Longarm refrained from saying so.
Hightower harrumphed and straightened his tie. He leaned forward and rapped his knuckles on the table. Gentlemen, I call this emergency meeting of the Board of Supervisors to order. Do I hear a motion for approval of a Declaration of Emergency?
And a request for assistance from the United States Government, Longarm added.
Yes, uh, and that too.
So moved, Jones said.
Second, Bright added.
Roll call vote, Mr. Secretary.
Bright was acting as secretary, Hightower apparently as president
Bright. Aye. Jones?
Aye.
Hightower?
Aye.
The motion is carried, Mr. President.
So ordered, Mr. Secretary.
Thank you, gentlemen. Longarm stood. Lordy, but he was tired. But there was no help for that. Like the old saying went, he could catch up on his sleep next winter. Right now there was work to do.
Chapter Twenty-Five
At 3:45 A.M. the three men representing the security forces of the three Thunderbird Canyon mines arrived. There was Phil Neal from the Huckman, Dan Sawyer for the Tyler, and a badly shaken Arnold Batson for the Arrabie. Batsons boss Jack Thomas had died in the explosion, and his second-in-command had not yet had time to get used to the idea that he was now in charge of things for the Arrabie. All three men had had to be pulled away from the rescue efforts still going on at the bank site.
Thanks for coming, boys, Longarm told them.
You better have a damn good reason for bringing us here, Neal said. Theres a chance somebody could still be alive under that shit.
Of course there might be, Longarm said evenly, not believing it for a moment. But you men being there wont make the difference. I need you here.
You need? Who gives a fat crap what you need, mister?
Its Marshal, not mister, and as of thirty-five minutes ago, Mr. Neal, you care what I want. The county supervisors have declared a state of emergency, and as of now Im in charge of this canyon and everything that happens in it. More particularly, Im in charge of everything that goes out of it.
You dont mind if we check up on what you say, do you? Sawyer asked.
Of course not. Longarm produced the signed proclamation Hightower had given him, and let each of the three inspect the document.
All right, Sawyer said. Neal frowned but voiced no objection. Batson acted like he was in too much shock to care about much of anything else for the time being.
Im going to need your help, Longarm said.
Rounding up the White Hoods? Sawyer asked hopefully, and for the first time Batsons expression indicated some degree of interest in the conversation.
If this involves throwing down on those fuckers, Batson said, You can count on me and my crowd for anything we can do to help.
And ours, Sawyer said.
Longarm looked at Neal and received a quick nod of agreement.
I was hoping youd feel that way about it.
We do, Sawyer assured him. Aside from the money part of it, those were some pretty good boys who died in that explosion. We want those sons of bitches.
So do I, Longarm told them. I also want the former sheriff and the madam known as Jessie.
That brought a spurt of questions from the security men, none of whom had heard about the sheriffs arrest. Longarm had to explain it to them.
Jesus, Neal whispered.
Right. So while were looking for the White Hoods, were also looking for Markham and the woman. And the first thing I want done, before we waste another minute sitting here, is that I want a guard posted on the railroad tracks down where the canyon squeezes into those narrows. I want you to send two men from each mine, every man armed and equipped to stay a while. The orders are that no one, and I mean no one goes past them.