18

“We have to get rid of Slocum,” said the female voice. The room in which they met was dark, and she was sitting in shadow. “And we have to be clever about it. There can be no mistakes.”

“You have some idea?” Rowland said.

“He’s sweet on Brenda,” she said. “If you get Brenda, he’ll come looking for her.”

“But he and the other two are watching every move we make.”

“You ride out of town,” she said. “Slocum will follow you. While he’s busy watching you, your three boys can snatch Brenda. There’s an old line shack out on our ranch. I’ll draw you a map. Have your boys take her there. After you’ve kept him out of town long enough, turn around and ride back. We’ll have a note sent to Slocum. We’ll tell him to come by himself if he wants to see her alive again. You can be waiting to ambush him along to the way.”

“All right,” Rowland said. “We’ll do it. There’s only one thing. Our cash is running low, and—”

She tossed him an envelope. He opened it and looked inside to see a stack of bills.

“There’ll be more when the job’s done,” she said.

Rowland stood up and left the room.

 
Sitting by the window in the sheriff’s office, Stumpy said, “Hey, Rowland’s riding out.”

Slocum hurried over to the window and looked out. “He’s by himself,” he said. “You stay here. I’ll follow the son of a bitch.”

“Be careful,” Stumpy said.

“What if the others make a move?” said Speer.

“Watch them,” said Slocum. He hurried out the door and hustled down the street to the livery to get his horse. Soon, he was on Rowland’s trail.

 
Cowley and Zeb Naylor strolled out on the sidewalk. They rolled cigarettes and smoked, looking around nervously. Inside the sheriff’s office, Stumpy watched them. “I think they’re up to something,” he said. “They just look kind of suspicious like.”

Speer walked over to the window to join him in staring at the two culprits. “They ain’t doing nothing,” he said. “Where’s the other one?”

“He must still be up in the room,” Stumpy said.

But Beebe had gone out the back door of the hotel and walked the back way to the livery, where he got their horses and one extra. He had them all saddled, and he rode the long way around to Brenda’s Place, where he left the horses behind her building. Then he walked the long way back, went back in the back door of the hotel, and walked out the front door.

“There he is,” said Speer.

“Yeah,” Stumpy said. “And there they go.”

“They ain’t going far on foot,” said Speer.

“They’re just going for a bite to eat,” Stumpy said. “Looks like they’re headed for Brenda’s.”

Out on the road, Slocum had gotten close enough to Rowland that he could keep his eye on him. He was careful, though, not to let Rowland see him. He was curious about where Rowland was going all alone. He recalled that Rowland’s hired men apparently did not know who they were working for, and he thought that Rowland might be on his way to see his boss. He hoped so. It would be great to find out who it was. But he was not riding in the direction of the two ranches, Mix’s or Ritchie’s. If he was riding to meet his boss, it must be someone they had not thought of. Slocum was mighty curious.

 
It was almost closing time, and there were just a few customers in Brenda’s Place when the three outlaws went in. They found a table and sat down. Brenda brought them coffee, and they ordered meals. She went back in the kitchen. One by one, the other customers finished their meals and paid. Soon, the three were the only ones left. Brenda brought their food. There were no witnesses around. Beebe stood up and pulled out his six-gun. He leveled it at Brenda.

“What is this?” she said. “A robbery?”

“We ain’t going to steal nothing but you,” Beebe said. “Head for the back door.”

The other two stood up and stared hard at her. She thought for only an instant. She had no choice but to do as he said. She turned and walked through the kitchen, followed by the three hard cases. The went out the back door, where four saddled horses stood waiting. Cowley and Naylor mounted up. Beebe gestured toward the extra horse. “Climb on,” he said. Brenda swung herself up into the saddle, and Beebe mounted his horse. He glanced at Cowley and Naylor. “You two ride behind her,” he said. Then he looked at Brenda. “Follow me close.” He started riding the long way around town toward the ranches.

Rowland stopped his horse and dismounted beside the road. Back on his trail, Slocum stopped. He found a spot where he could keep his eye on Rowland and he watched. The man sat down on a flat rock and took out a cigar. He lit it and puffed for a while. Then he got a bottle and a glass out of his saddlebags and poured himself a drink. He sat back down. Slocum thought that this must be his meeting place. Rowland was sitting casually smoking and having a drink. He must be waiting for someone.

 
Stumpy glanced at the clock on the sheriff’s wall. “Speer,” he said, “Them three ought to have come out of Brenda’s by now.”

Speer looked at the clock from behind his desk. “You’re right,” he said. “Let’s go over there and see what’s going on.” He got up and grabbed his hat. Stumpy stood up and followed him out the door. They walked fast over to Brenda’s. The door was unlocked, and they walked in, but they found the place empty. Speer walked into the kitchen. “Brenda,” he called out, but he got no answer. He walked back into the main dining room. “She ain’t here,” he said. Stumpy was standing beside a table with three plates on it.

“Looky here,” he said. “They ain’t been touched.”

 
Rowland stubbed out his cigar on the rock he had been sitting on, stood up and replaced the whiskey bottle and the glass in his saddlebags, and mounted his horse. Watching from his spot down the road, Slocum was puzzled. No one had showed up to meet with Rowland, and now Rowland was riding back toward town. Slocum pulled his horse into the brush beside the road and waited till Rowland rode past him. He waited a little longer. Then he mounted up to follow.

 
Rowland rode straight back into Hangdog, left his horse at the livery, and walked to the hotel. Wondering what the hell was going on, Slocum rode to Speer’s office. He found Speer pacing the floor and Stumpy slumped in his chair beside the window.

“Slocum,” said Speer, as Slocum stepped inside, “They got Brenda.”

“What? Who’s got her?”

“Like you said, we watched them three,” said Stumpy. “We seen them go into Brenda’s. We waited, and they never come out again.”

“So we walked over there and found the place open and no one inside.”

“There was three plates of food that no one had touched,” said Stumpy.

“Them three bastards had went in there and ordered food,” Speer said, “waited for everyone else to leave, and then they must have snatched her and went out the back door.”

“Damn,” said Slocum. “Did you look out back?”

“Sure,” said Speer.

“Did you see any tracks?”

“None that was clear.”

“Come on,” Slocum said. “Let’s go back over there.”

He rode and the other two walked behind him as fast as they could go. When they reached Brenda’s Place, Slocum was already out back checking the tracks.

“Can you tell anything?” Speer said.

“Not much more than what you already said. The ground’s pretty hard here. I’d say there was three, maybe four horses, but I can’t really tell which way they headed when they left here.”

“It’s obvious that she was took away against her will,” said Speer. “There’s them three plates, and the door’s unlocked.”

“They got her all right,” said Slocum. He ran outside and mounted his horse.

“Where you going?” said Speer.

“After Rowland.”

Slocum hurried over to the hotel, the other two following him on foot again, and he quickly dismounted and rushed inside. He ran up the stairs and down the hall to Rowland’s room, where he reared back and kicked open the door. Pulling out his Colt, he rushed inside, but the room was empty. He looked around. Then he started back down the stairs. He met Speer and Stumpy about halfway down.

“He ain’t there,” he said. He did not slow down. He continued rushing down the stairs. Speer and Stumpy turned around to follow him again. Outside, Slocum was about to mount up again.

“Hold on,” said Speer. “Where you going now?”

“I don’t know,” Slocum said, “but I got to find her.”

“All right. All right,” Speer said. “I want to find her too, but let’s think this thing through. Why would anyone kidnap Brenda?”

“Why?” said Slocum.

“Yeah. Why?”

“I ain’t the brains around here,” said Stumpy, “but I say they done it to get to you.”

“All right,” Slocum said. “That makes sense.”

“If they done it to get to you,” Speer said, “they’ll have to get in touch with you some way. Won’t they?”

“Yeah,” said Slocum. “I guess so.”

“Then you don’t want to go running off till they’ve got word to you,” Stumpy said.

“I guess you’re right,” said Slocum. “But where the hell is Rowland?”

“Let’s check at the livery,” said Speer.

“He just dropped his horse off there,” said Slocum. “I seen him do it.”

“Come on,” said Speer. “Let’s check anyhow.”

They walked down to the livery. Dyer was shoveling horse shit. He looked up when the three men came in. “You want horses?” he asked.

“No,” said Speer. “Where’s Rowland’s horse?”

“He come and got it,” said Dyer.

“He just dropped it off,” said Slocum.

“Yeah,” said Dyer. “He dropped it off and went away somewheres, and then he come back and got it again.”

“Which way did he ride out?” said Speer.

“Damned if I know,” Dyer said. “I got work to do. I can’t be watching everyone who rides out of here.”

 
Sitting in the line shack off the road, Brenda stared hard at her three captors. “All right,” she said, “just what do you want with me?”

“We don’t want a damn thing with you, missy,” said Beebe. “What we want is Slocum.”

“So that’s it.”

“That’s it. That’s all they is to it. So if you behave yourself, won’t nothing happen to you.”

“I can think of something we might want her for,” said Cowley. He was looking longingly at Brenda.

“You better get your mind off a that,” said Beebe. “Remember what happened to Rat’s Ass? You take your rifle and go set outside and keep a watch. Maybe that’ll get your mind off a what you’re thinking about.”

Cowley stood up and stomped out of the shack, slamming the door behind himself. Brenda still stared at Beebe.

“You mean, Slocum’s going to come looking for me, and you’re going to kill him?”

“That’s the idea,” said Beebe.

“And then you’re just going to let me go?”

“Why, sure.”

“If you think I’m stupid enough to believe that, then you’ve got another think coming.”

“Why, how come we wouldn’t let you go? We got nothing against you.”

“I’ll be a witness,” she said.

“Naw,” said Beebe. “We won’t shoot him right here in front of you.”

“I can charge you with kidnaping,” she said.

“Now, why would you want to do that if we ain’t going to hurt you? If you cooperate with us, you’ll be all right.”

“I know what to expect from you,” she said. “I’m no fool.”

Zeb Naylor was at the window. “Rowland’s coming,” he said. In another minute, Rowland opened the door and stepped inside. Cowley was still watching from in front of the shack. When Rowland stepped in, Brenda gave him a hard look. “I knew you were behind this,” she said.

“You just keep quiet,” Rowland said, “and I won’t stuff a rag in your mouth. Zeb, tie her to that chair.”

“Sure thing,” said Zeb Naylor. He found a piece of rope and moved behind Brenda. She struggled as he tried to pull her wrists together behind her back. “Now, don’t give me no trouble, lady,” he said. Rowland stepped up quickly and slapped Brenda hard across the face.

“Set still,” he said. “I could go on ahead and just kill you right now.”

“Go ahead,” she said. “That’s what you mean to do anyway.”

“We might need you alive,” Rowland said. “And who knows, if you mind your manners, you might just live through this.”

Brenda sat still while Naylor pulled her wrists behind the back of the chair and tied them tight. Beebe looked at Rowland.

“What do we do now?” he said.

“You’re going to stay right in here with the gal,” said Rowland. “If anyone besides us comes through that door, hold your six-gun right at her head. But I don’t think they will. The rest of us is going to set up an ambush a little ways down the road. We’ll get him before he gets here.”

“How the hell did Rowland get out of town?” Slocum said. He was stomping around the floor in Speer’s office. Speer, who was every bit as anxious as was Slocum, could hardly stand it.

“Why the hell don’t you set down?” said the sheriff. “You’re making me crazy.” Slocum sat in a chair against the wall. “That part’s easy,” the sheriff continued. “They played us for suckers. Rowland led you out of town while the others grabbed Brenda. Then he led you back to town. When we told you what had happened, and the three of us went tearing over to Brenda’s, Rowland got his horse back and lit out.”

“I’m going to kill that son of a bitch,” Slocum said.

“Yeah,” said Speer, “but not too soon. We got to get Brenda back in one piece.”

“I know that,” Slocum said. “I won’t kill him right off. I might stomp him up some.”

“If we knowed who it was paying Rowland,” said Stumpy, “we might could figure out where to look.”

“Yeah,” said Slocum, “but we don’t know.”

Just then the door opened and Ryan Walter, the clerk from the hotel, walked in. He looked at the sheriff and at Stumpy, and then walked straight over to Slocum. He held out an envelope toward Slocum.

“Someone left this at the hotel for you,” he said.

Slocum grabbed it and tore it open.

“Who left it?” said Speer.

“I don’t know,” said Walter. “I was away from the desk for just a minute. When I come back, it was laying on the counter. I never seen who left it.”

“All right,” said Speer. “You can go on back to work now.” Walter hesitated. “Go on,” said Speer. “Get out a here.”

Walter hustled his ass on out of the office. Speer and Stumpy both looked at Slocum. Slocum read out loud.

“It says, ‘Slocum, if you want to see the woman alive again, follow the enclosed map to the old line shack on the Ritchie ranch. Come alone.’ ”

“Let me see the map,” said Speer. He grabbed it from Slocum’s hand and studied it. “I know where this is. It’s out of the way. Ain’t been used for a spell. Let’s get going.”

“Hold on,” said Slocum. “You heard what the note said. I’m going alone.”