When he eventually returned to full consciousness, he found himself lying on something cool and soft. Putting out a hand, he felt sheets over him. It was still light and he guessed that, unless it was the next day, he had lain there for only an hour or so.
Gradually, memory came back and he recalled all that had happened since he had ridden out of town. With an effort, he lifted his head to look around him and at that moment, the door opened and a voice he recognized said, ‘So, you’re awake at last.’
Anne Everley came into the room and stood beside the bed, looking down at him. There was a faint smile on her full lips. ‘We didn’t know what had happened but one of the boys helped me get you here.’ She paused; then added, ‘I’ve sent one of the hands into Condor to fetch Dr Pearson to take a look at that wound.’
‘Thanks. There ain’t no call to get the doctor. It’s nothin’ more than a flesh wound.’
‘Maybe so. But men have been known to get poisoning from a slug.’
There was a movement behind her. Everley moved to the foot of the bed. ‘You want to tell me what happened, Frank? Your mount was spotted by one o’ my hands and he brought it in. That’s when we figured you’d run into trouble out there. Anne was keepin’ a watch for you in case you came by this way.’
Frank pushed himself up onto the pillow. ‘I reckoned that nobody would look for any trail made by those coyotes after they hit the stage, so I went along to take a look for myself’
‘Did you find anythin’?’ There was a hard note in the rancher’s voice.
Frank nodded. ‘I came on their trail easily enough. It led across the flats towards the hills.’
‘So you decided to follow it.’ There was a trace of sarcasm in the girl’s voice. ‘I suppose you meant to take them all on without any guns.’ Then her tone softened a little. ‘You’re a strange man, Frank Kelsey. This territory is overrun by outlaws, yet you carry no weapons.’
‘He must have a good reason, Anne,’ her father put in quickly. He turned his glance back to Frank. ‘So what happened then?’
‘There was someone following me from town. He was signalling to those men in the hills. I figured I’d better get out o’ there before they came but this bushwhacker was waiting for me among the buttes. He fired a couple o’ shots at me and the second slug did this.’
Everley made to say something more but at that moment, Dr Pearson came in. He placed his bag on the small cabinet near the bed, then bent over Frank, examining the wound.
‘I’ll soon have this fixed up for you,’ he said. Reaching down, he placed his finger on Frank’s wrist, checking the pulse. Then he straightened. ‘You’ve been very lucky,’ he said, reaching for his bag. ‘Once I clean it up and make sure there’s no infection, you’ll be fine.’
‘Any chance o’ riding back to Condor tonight, Doc?’
Pearson pursed his lips, then nodded. ‘I don’t see why not, but I’m sure that—’
‘There’s no call to go tonight,’ Everley said from the doorway. ‘Better if you were to stay here. If you’ve got to go back, surely it’ll wait until mornin’.’
‘Thanks for the offer, but I have this gut-feeling that somethin’ is about to break in Condor.’
Pearson gave him a sharp glance, but said nothing.
‘Then why do you have to get mixed up in it?’ Anne asked. ‘This has nothing to do with you, unless you’re thinking of getting even with whoever shot you.’
From near the door, Everley said, ‘If you’re all fired-up on goin’, take my guns and gunbelt. There ain’t no sense in goin’ up against these critters with nothin’ more than your fists.’
‘Mebbe, but that’s the way I mean to do it.’
Everley shrugged his shoulders in obvious exasperation. ‘Then I guess there’s nothin’ more I can do. If you’re set on getting’ yourself killed, so be it.’
Frank gave a brief smile. He could understand the other’s attitude. No man in his right mind rode into outlaw territory such as this without a gun. Once more, he wondered at the quirk of fate which had brought him here. If he had not stumbled upon that stage, he would be miles away from here, still heading west.
Once the doctor had finished with him, he swung his legs to the floor and stood up. This time, the light-headedness he had experienced before did not materialize. Everything around him remained steady.
‘Mind if I ride back into town with you, Doe?’ he asked.
‘If you wish.’ Pearson nodded.
As he walked towards the door, Anne laid a hand on his arm. ‘Be careful, Frank,’ she said in a low murmur. ‘I have the feeling you’re heading into big trouble. There’s already been one attempt on your life and these men won’t stop until you’re dead.’
‘I’ll watch myself,’ he promised. ‘There’s something these men haven’t figured on.’
‘What’s that?’ Everley asked.
‘I know how these killers operate better than they do themselves.’
There was a puzzled frown on Anne’s features at this enigmatic remark, but she remained silent as she followed him into the courtyard where the stallion stood waiting at the rail.
Swinging up into the saddle, he waited until the doctor had done likewise, then raised his hand to the girl. The last thing he saw as he rode out with Pearson beside him was her slender form standing in the doorway, her gaze following him as he made for the trail into town.
Back in his room at the hotel, Frank stood by the window and watched the twilight fade slowly into night. There was the usual activity down in the street below. Several riders had come in from outside of town and were now drifting in and out of the saloons on the far side.
Somewhere out there, among those men, was the killer who had ambushed him along the trail. A man who was in league with that outlaw gang. His thoughts fastened on the deputy, Hawkins. He recalled having seen him in earnest conversation with the banker just as the stage had been brought in that morning.
Several bits of the puzzle were now beginning to slot into place but there were still gaps and, as yet, he didn’t have anything like the full picture. Even though he had hoped to forget them, all of his marshal’s instincts were coming back to haunt him.
If what Ben Sheldon had told him was anywhere near the truth, McDonald would not have tried to kill him. Everything the sheriff did would be strictly according to the law. He would have brought him in for further questioning, but, knowing he was unarmed, would never have shot to kill from ambush.
That left Hawkins and Bellamy. It was just possible that either of those two men had discovered who he was and decided they had to get rid of him before he caused any trouble.
Across the street, the light in the sheriff’s office was suddenly extinguished and a moment later, McDonald stepped out onto the boardwalk, closing the door behind him. Watching closely, Frank saw him step along the street and go into the nearest saloon.
Going down the stairs, Frank went outside; then made his way across the street, pushing open the batwing doors. He saw McDonald standing at the bar a few feet away.
Crossing the floor, Frank went to the bar standing close beside the sheriff. He knew the lawman was studying him closely in the mirror.
‘May I buy you a drink, Sheriff?’ he asked in a low voice.
McDonald half turned his head, then gave a nod. Frank waited until the barman had filled two glasses, leaving the bottle on the counter.
‘You got somethin’ on your mind, Kelsey?’
‘Yeah.’ Frank took a sip of his drink. ‘You know anyone who’d tail me out o’ town and then try to kill me?’ He noticed the expression of surprise which flashed across the sheriff’s features.
‘When did this happen?’ McDonald demanded.
‘Round about noon.’ Briefly, he described what had happened, finally asking, ‘Can you tell me where Hawkins was about that time?’
‘Hawkins? You suspect him o’ this?’
‘I reckon there ain’t anyone else in town who has any beef with me. I only rode in a couple o’ days ago. Yet from his attitude in your office, I get the feelin’ he doesn’t like me much.’
McDonald tossed down half of his drink in a single swallow. His face had assumed a grim look. ‘Hawkins is that kind o’ cuss, I reckon. I’ve had my suspicions about him for some time. Matter o’ fact, I didn’t want him as deputy but Bellamy and some other big men on the Town Committee pushed for him so I finally had no say in the matter. I do know he’s anglin’ for my place but I don’t intend to step down for some years yet.’
He stared down at the rest of the liquor in his glass. Then, keeping his voice down, he muttered, ‘Could be I’m talkin’ out o’ turn here, Kelsey, but I have the feelin’ you ain’t what you seem. There’s somethin’ about you that puzzles me. At first, I had you figured for some kind o’ gunslinger from across the border, but now I ain’t so sure.’
‘I’m no gunslinger.’ Frank told him. ‘I’ve seen enough o’ gunplay in the past. Now I want none of it.’
McDonald’s lips twitched in a mirthless smile. He turned his head to look directly at Frank. ‘You want some advice from an old man? These are lawless times. It’s the same all the way along the frontier. Without a gun and the ability to use it, you won’t live long. Most o’ these coyotes will just as soon shoot down an unarmed man as spit.’
Resting his elbow on the counter, Frank said, ‘You ain’t answered my question yet, Sheriff. Was Hawkins in town all day?’
McDonald rubbed his stubbled chin. It made a faint scratching sound. ‘Now you come to mention it, I didn’t see him for at least three hours after that stage showed up and we took those bodies to the mortuary. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Guess I figured he had business at the bank. This is the fourth stage to be attacked that way in less than a month and I’ve asked him to check on how much gold and money had been taken.’
Changing the subject, Frank asked, ‘Does this man Bellamy have any other close friends in town?’
The sheriff finished his drink and poured more whiskey into his glass. ‘You’re askin’ a whole heap o’ questions for a man who’s just ridden in.’ A new thought seemed to enter his mind. ‘You’re not a federal marshal, are you?’
Frank considered how much it was safe to tell him. Finally, he said. ‘I used to be one but I finished with it.’
‘So I was right. Somethin’ happened to make you change your mind?’
‘You could say that, I guess.’
‘Well, I ain’t one for pryin’ into a man’s private affairs. All I can say is, watch your back while you’re in Condor. As for your question about Curt Bellamy – don’t be fooled by his looks. He’s as much of a snake as those outlaws in the hills. He’s probably the most powerful man in town and that means he’s got a lot o’ friends.’
‘That’s what I suspected.’ Frank finished his drink and set the empty glass on the bar. ‘Thanks for the information, Sheriff. I appreciate it.’
By the time Frank stepped out of the saloon, it was completely dark. The only light in the street was that which flooded through the doors and windows of the saloons. Somewhere a woman was singing to the accompaniment of an old piano. It was a mournful song, fitting Frank’s mood exactly.
He didn’t feel like returning to the hotel and turning in so early in the evening. There was now a restless feeling inside him which he had hoped to have shaken off long ago. Perhaps what had happened in Dodge City had been nothing more than a tragic accident.
Acting on impulse, he made his way along the street to the livery stables where he found Old Ben seated in his chair near the door.
The oldster had a pipe going and gave a nod as he recognized Frank. ‘Heard you’d had a run-in with some drygulcher along the trail,’ he said by way of greeting.
‘How the hell did you know about that?’
The other man struck a match and sucked noisily on the pipe until he got it going to his satisfaction. Speaking through the cloud of smoke he said, ‘There ain’t much in this town that I don’t get to hear about. Somebody in Condor wants you dead, Marshal.’
Harshly, Frank said, ‘Don’t call me that. I’m no longer a lawman.’
‘Don’t worry, there ain’t anyone around here to listen to what we’re sayin’. I don’t know what it was that made you throw in everything and shuck your guns, but was it worth dyin’ for? I’m just tellin’ you this because that’s what will happen if you don’t start wearin’ them again. Take my word for it.’
‘I know you mean well, friend, but there are some things you wouldn’t understand.’
‘Nope, I guess not.’ Ben bent and tapped his pipe against his heel. ‘Men often ride strange trails in their lives. Sometimes they know why they do it, more often they don’t.’
Frank glanced back along the street. A few more riders came in and tethered their mounts outside the saloons. Then McDonald came out, glanced in both directions before walking back to his office. No sooner had he gone in than Hawkins appeared, emerging from a narrow alley on the opposite side.
There was something furtive about the deputy’s movements which instantly alerted Frank. The groom made to say something more, but Frank waved him to silence. Getting up from his chair, the old man moved forward silently to stand beside him.
‘You see somethin’?’ the oldster asked, in a low, wheezing voice.
‘That deputy, Hawkins. He seems to be actin’ mighty suspicious. He came out o’ yon alley as if he’d been waitin’ there until the sheriff went back.’
Drawing back into the shadows, Frank continued to watch. Hawkins had paused to light a cigarette. Now, hitching his gunbelt a little higher about his waist, he made his way over to the bank. Knocking a couple of times, he waited, clearly ill at ease.
When the door opened, he slipped inside.
‘Seems to me there’s something mighty important goin’ on between those two,’ the hostler muttered.
‘That’s just what I was thinkin’. It ain’t usual to conduct bank business at night. I’d sure like to know what it is.’
‘Could be there’s a way to find out if you’re willin’ to take the chance.’
Before Frank could ask any questions, Ben caught him by the arm, and led him into a narrow, refuse-filled alley running alongside the stables. At the far end, they came onto an open stretch of ground which ran along the rear of the buildings on this side of the street.
Working their way along them, they stopped at the rear of the bank. Here, Ben pointed. ‘We can get in that way if you’re willin’ to try.’
The door which faced them was stout with a heavy lock. ‘How the hell do you figure we can get in there?’ Frank asked in a low whisper.
Without a further word, Ben stepped forward. Taking something from his pocket, he bent and inserted the tip of the thin-bladed knife into the lock. A few moments later, there was a faint click and the lock sprang open.
Staring down at him, Frank muttered, ‘Where did you learn to do that?’
Ben Sheldon grinned. ‘You’d be surprised at some o’ the things I’ve picked up in my life.’
Pushing open the door, he went inside with Frank following close on his heels. The room was obviously a store of some kind, filled with wooden boxes. In the dimness, Frank made out the door at the far side.
Cautiously, taking care where he placed his feet, he moved towards it, his fingers around the handle. Then, sucking in a deep breath, he opened it slightly. There was light beyond it and staring through the narrow gap, he made out the two figures; Bellamy seated in his chair with his back to him and Hawkins standing in front of him.
The lamp on the desk threw everything into light and shadow. Hawkins had one hand flat on the desk and a glass of whiskey in the other. Lifting the glass, he said harshly, ‘After tonight I can promise you there’ll be no further trouble in Condor.’
‘You’d better be right about that,’ Bellamy answered. ‘You’re sure you can pull it off just as we planned?’
A wolfish grin twisted the deputy’s coarse features. ‘Just you keep to your part o’ the bargain and I’ll keep to mine. You’ve got nothin’ to worry about.’
Frank could see nothing of the banker’s face but he noticed that Bellamy’s hand was shaking a little as he lifted the bottle and poured more drink into his glass.
‘I can’t help worryin’, Hawkins. If anythin’ goes wrong and it comes back to me, it’ll mean the rope for both of us. My superiors back East are already askin’ awkward questions about these stage hold-ups, wantin’ to know why those responsible for ’em haven’t been caught and brought to justice.’
Hawkins tossed down half of his drink. ‘So they’re askin’ questions. What of it? There’s nothin’ to tie you in with ’em. You’re takin’ no risks. That’s why I figure I deserve a bigger share.’
Bellamy seemed to be debating that proposition. Finally, he thrust himself forward in his chair, meeting Hawkins’s gaze squarely. ‘You know the deal we made, Hawkins. We stick by it. Don’t forget, he ain’t dead yet and it might not be as easy as you think. If he’s dead by mornin’, I might reconsider. Don’t forget that I’ve got a lot o’ influential men on my side in this town.’
A gust of anger flashed across the deputy’s features. For an instant, his right hand hovered dangerously close to the gun at his waist. Then he forced himself under tight control. ‘I ain’t forgettin’ it, Bellamy.’
Turning sharply on his heel, he strode towards the street door, slamming it behind him.
Frank motioned to Ben Sheldon, indicating that he had seen and heard enough. Moving as silently as cats, they left the storeroom. Deftly, the hostler slipped the lock back into place and closed it with a faint snap.
There was no conversation until they were back at the livery stables. Then Sheldon said hoarsely, ‘What in tarnation are those two planning, Frank?’
‘You hear what they said?’
‘I heard enough to know that somebody is goin’ to get themselves killed tonight and I reckon I can figure out who it is.’ He stared meaningfully at Frank.
‘If Hawkins reckons he’s goin’ to kill me, he might find it more difficult than he thinks. Forewarned is forearmed, old-timer.’
‘Mebbe so, but don’t underestimate him. That man is a born killer. He only got that job as deputy on Bellamy’s say-so. I was at the Town Committee meetin’ when he was elected. Bellamy railroaded the rest o’ the men into votin’ for him.’
Stuffing strands of tobacco into his pipe, he lit it, and puffed furiously on it. ‘Why in tarnation are you so stubborn, Frank? Now you know Hawkins means to kill you. Unless you get some guns, he’ll do it. Goddamnit, man! Are you so blind you can’t see sense?’
‘He’s got to find me first,’ Frank replied.
Sheldon uttered a snort of derision. ‘Find you? He knows this town like the back of his hand. You know nothin’ of it. If you go back to the hotel, there’ll be a couple o’ shots through that window when you ain’t expectin’ it. Believe me, I’ve seen it happen before.’
‘You worry too much, old-timer.’
Shrugging, Sheldon muttered, ‘Seems to me I’m the only one with sense around here.’
Saying nothing, Frank moved out into the street. The last of the stragglers were now leaving the saloons, picking up their mounts, and leaving town. He stood there watching the dust settle.
There was no sign of Hawkins. The deputy had melted into the shadows, into one of the numerous alleys radiating from the main street. Inwardly, he knew that everything Sheldon said was true. Apart from the main street, he knew nothing of Condor. There were plenty of places where Hawkins could hide and get the drop on him without warning.
It was just possible Hawkins was lying in wait, ready to plug him before he got back to the hotel. Keeping into the shadows, he made his way slowly along the fronts of the now-darkened saloons, every sense alert, his keen gaze probing every alley he passed, watching for the slightest movement.
He could feel the tension mounting inside him with every passing second. There was an itch between his shoulder blades, a warning sign he had learned from past experience not to ignore.
Reaching the bank he paused. The place was in total darkness although he had seen no sign of Bellamy leaving. Then a sudden movement at the far end of the street brought him instantly alert. Pushing his shoulders hard against the wall, he saw the figure emerge from the sheriff’s office, then he relaxed a little as he recognized McDonald.
Evidently the sheriff was beginning his nightly rounds of the town. He made to move forward, then stiffened abruptly as the racketing sound of a gunshot echoed along the street. He saw McDonald sway as the bullet took him in the chest, driving him to his knees.
The sheriff hung there for a moment, his hand struggling to reach his Colt. Before Frank could move, he fell forward onto his face and lay still. Running forward, he bent and turned him over. A faint rattle came from McDonald’s throat and then his head went back, eyes staring sightlessly into the darkness.
For a moment, Frank found himself unable to move. Only one thought hammered incessantly through his mind: that shot had come from the window of his room in the hotel!