Epilogue

Almost five weeks later, Longarm and Bodie stepped down onto Denver’s crowded railroad platform and met Billy Vail, along with Bodie’s grandmother and aunt. While the two women hugged, fussed over, and even cried with happiness over the Kid from Bodie, Longarm and Billy stepped aside to have a private word.

“Custis, you look far more rested than you did when you left here with Bodie.”

“I had a month to loaf around in Virginia City and Carson City waiting for a federal judge at the territorial capital to settle all the legal and financial issues relating to the Burlingtons’ last will and testament. It was locked up in a bank vault, but Darnell Burlington had paid to have a very good forgery made giving him his estranged father’s full inheritance. If John Stock hadn’t arrived here with Bodie and that bloodstained letter we found, I’m pretty sure that Darnell Burlington would have gotten away with a double murder and inherited his father’s fortune.”

“I see.” Billy glanced over at Bodie and his doting relatives. “So I take it that the kid inherits everything?”

“Yes. We sold the mine for a song just to be rid of it. Maybe one day it will become productive again, but that’s doubtful.”

“So,” Billy said, trying to understand, “if the mine was worthless and the family mansion located in Virginia City was nothing but a pile of ashes, what was left for him to inherit?”

“About forty-five thousand dollars and a real nice city lot in Reno that he’s going to hang on to until its value goes up even more than now.”

Billy Vail’s eyes widened. “So Bodie is rich!”

“Yes, he is,” Longarm agreed. “And all the way back from Reno on the train I talked to him about how to save and invest his money rather than squander it on foolish pleasures.”

Billy burst into laughter. “Custis, you’re the last person who could give anyone financial advice or warn him of expensive pleasures!”

Longarm grinned. “Well, that might be true, but I’m pretty sure that between his grandma Ida and aunt Rose, they’ll keep a tight rein on Bodie.”

“Is he going to live with those two doting women?”

“As long as he can stand it. Bodie is a smart kid, and he knows he needs to learn to read and write much better than he can now. He’s also too old to go back to school and learn without the embarrassment of being surrounded by kids half his age. So I told him that his grandmother and aunt would almost certainly be willing to tutor him.”

Billy glanced over at the fawning women. “I’ll tell you this much: Bodie might be rich, but if I was him I’d rather strike out on my own than put up with those two overly protective women.”

“My guess is that he just might do that.”

“Where are you going?” Billy asked.

“I’m going to buy some flowers and visit Gloria’s grave.”

“But what about Bodie?”

“One thing I know for certain,” Longarm called over his shoulder, “is Bodie can handle anything that comes his way all on his own.”

And with that, Longarm grabbed up his bag and walked back into the city that he most loved.