Chapter 6

Mordecai Wakefield sat on a blood-coloured lounge with his white shirt open. Exposed was a well-muscled torso complete with bullet scars and a thick mat of hair. On either side of him was a whore dressed only in a corset. One nuzzled his neck beneath his thick beard while the other ran her fingers through his dark hair.

The stub of a cigar was jammed between his lips while he stared disinterestedly into a large mirror that hung horizontally on the far wall. The room was large and had carpet on the floor. The bed was oversized, as was the hardwood dresser against the wall. The luxuriousness of the room was overshadowed by a large set of twin glass-panelled doors that opened out on to the second-floor balcony.

The two girls were from The Pink Palace, an establishment which Wakefield had inserted himself into as partner to Hilary Best, the lady who ran it. That way he was able to share in the profits and the girls. At that particular moment, he had other things on his mind. His thoughts were focused entirely on the stranger who’d ridden into town.

There was a knock on the dark-timber door and Wakefield snapped from his trance and called out, ‘Yeah, who is it?’

‘It’s Gil,’ a voice came through the door. ‘I need to talk to you, Judge.’

‘The door’s open,’ Wakefield told him.

Gil opened the door but at the sight of the two whores said, ‘You want I should come back?’

‘Nope, they’re just leavin’,’ Wakefield explained.

The whore nuzzling his neck pulled back with a confused expression on her face. ‘We were?’

‘Yeah, you were,’ Wakefield confirmed. ‘Now get the hell out.’

They both began to protest but were cut short.

‘Get out!’ Wakefield roared.

They both pouted at him but dressed quickly and left.

‘What is it you want?’ Wakefield asked.

‘There’s a new feller in town,’ he informed his boss, ‘and I think he could be trouble.’

‘Is he a feller dressed in black clothes?’

Gill nodded.

‘Jesse checked him out not long ago,’ Wakefield explained. ‘He said he was just a drifter passin’ through.’

‘I ain’t so sure,’ Gil said doubtfully. ‘I just came from The Aspen and he was askin’ the clerk there some questions.’

Wakefield leaned forward on the lounge. ‘What questions?’

‘About them two marshals that came here,’ Gil told him. ‘If I hadn’t of been there the damned fool would have told him everythin’. I got Luther watchin’ him from across the street and I sent Zeb along to the livery to find out what he can from Foster.’

‘Do you think he’s law?’ asked Wakefield, then snorted at the question. ‘Who am I kiddin’? Of course, he’s damned law.’

‘Do you think he’s the feller that the last federal man told Jesse they’d send?’ Gill proposed. ‘What was his name?’

‘Ford,’ Wakefield informed him.

‘That’s it. Do you think it could be him?’

‘I guess there’s one way to find out,’ Wakefield answered. ‘Get Jesse and Luther and round him up. Bring him here to me so I can talk to him.’

‘Sure, I’ll go do it right now.’

Gil hurried out and left Wakefield sitting on the lounge to ponder the situation. The last thing he wanted was to kill another federal marshal. But if it was necessary to keep their secret then he would.

A plate of steaming food was placed in front of Ford by a young woman with long black hair who smiled warmly. Her gaze shifted to the table beside the door where a man, dressed in his black coat sat, and her smile faded quickly.

‘Don’t worry none about him, Miss,’ Ford tried to reassure her, ‘he’s here for me.’

She smiled wanly and said to him, ‘Enjoy your meal.’

He picked up his knife and fork. ‘I sure do intend to.’

He watched her go as she headed back to the kitchen.

The café was long and narrow with two rows of tables. They ran the length of each side wall and left a central aisle. The tables were covered with tablecloths and sparsely populated with diners. Ford looked at his meal of beef, potatoes, and gravy and just knew it was going to taste good.

The seat he had chosen to sit at gave him full view of the front door of the diner so Ford saw the two black-coated men enter. The man who had spoken to Ford at the hotel was one of them. He placed the knife on to his plate and dropped his right hand below the table and drew the Peacemaker as a precaution and left it on his lap.

The pair stopped at the table that their friend sat at and spoke briefly before all three approached Ford’s table where he was using his fork to eat his potato.

When they stopped, Ford ignored them and kept eating. There was a heavy silence before one of them said, ‘Meal’s over, Stranger. The Judge wants to see you.’

Ford kept eating.

‘Didn’t you hear Jesse?’ another of the trio snapped. ‘He said The Judge wants to see you.’

Ford finally looked up from his meal and stared at the three men with their bearded faces.

‘The Judge will have to wait until I’ve finished my meal,’ Ford said casually as he looked the one called Jesse in the eye. He remembered him from his first encounter as he took in the lynching victim.

Jesse swept back the right side of his long coat and dropped his hand to the butt of a .45 calibre Colt.

‘The Judge don’t wait,’ he told Ford coldly.

From beneath the table came the dry triple-click of the Peacemaker’s hammer going back. ‘Like I said, he’ll have to wait.’

All eyes in the room turned towards the men.

‘There’s three of us,’ Jesse pointed out.

‘I can count,’ Ford said as he shovelled another forkful of potato into his mouth.

‘Do you really want to go up against us?’ Jesse asked him.

‘Especially when we have you outgunned?’

Ford lay his fork down beside his plate and waited until he swallowed before he spoke.

‘Now, I know you might be dumb or even a little ignorant,’ Ford said in an insulting tone, ‘but I sure as hell don’t think you’re deaf. You and I both know that I got me a six-killer all cocked and pointed at your belly beneath this here table. So if you want to make your play here and now, then have at it or let me finish my meal in peace.’

Jesse’s face turned red beneath his beard and his voice took on a slight tremor as he turned to speak to Gil. ‘Go and tell The Judge we’ll be along directly.’

‘But . . .’

‘Just do it, damn you,’ Jesse snarled.

Ford watched as Gil left then turned his gaze back to Jesse. ‘Are you two goin’ to just stand there and watch me eat or what?’

Both men walked over to a vacant table and sat. Ford took his time as he ate, savouring every mouthful. He had to admit that it was one of the best meals he’d had in a long time.

Once his plate was empty, he left some money on the table and stood up. His shadows did the same. As he walked towards the door they stepped in front of him to block his path. Ford smiled at them mirthlessly and said, ‘Let’s go and see your boss.’

‘It’s about damn time you got here,’ Wakefield snapped and glared at the men as they entered.

‘Couldn’t be helped, Judge,’ Jesse informed him.

Wakefield let his hot gaze linger on his man then turned his flinty grey eyes on Ford.

‘Who are you?’ he demanded.

Ford studied the man on the lounge before him. He had a beard like the others, the skin that was visible was lined and Ford guessed he was around six-one tall. He was solidly built and the facial hair made his age hard to pick, but he guessed the man was somewhere in his late thirties. There seemed to be something very familiar about the man that Ford thought he recognized.

‘Who are you?’ Ford asked in response.

‘You can call me Judge,’ Wakefield said curtly. ‘I maintain law and order around here. Now who are you?’

‘Vigilante Law?’

‘My law!’ Wakefield roared.

‘Are all you fellers brothers or somethin’?’ Ford asked him casually. ‘Or is it that you all like the same clothes and facial hairstyles?’

There was movement to Ford’s left from Jesse, but a glowering look from Wakefield stopped him.

‘I’ll ask you again. What is your name?’

‘Josh.’

‘Josh who?’

‘Just Josh.’

Wakefield’s mouth clamped to a thin line. ‘Well, just Josh, what brings you to Stay?’

Ford shrugged as he glanced around the room. ‘Passin’ through.’

‘Why would a man who’s passin’ through be askin’ about two federal marshals?’

Ford paused briefly and said, ‘Nice room you have here. Ain’t seen one like it since I was in Dodge six years back.’

Wakefield said nothing, but Ford saw the slight flicker in the man’s eyes.

‘Were they here?’ Ford asked.

‘Who?’

‘The fellers I’m lookin’ for.’

‘They were,’ Wakefield confirmed.

‘What happened to them?’ Ford inquired.

‘They left.’

‘Where’d they go?’

‘I’ve no idea,’ Wakefield said. ‘I don’t even know why they came here in the first place. I didn’t send for them. Like I said, we take care of the law.’

‘You won’t mind if I ask a few more questions around town then?’ Ford commented. ‘Maybe someone might know.’

Wakefield’s face became hard like granite. ‘You leave the townsfolk alone. They don’t need you harassing them for an answer I’ve already given you.’

The door to the room opened and another man entered. In his left hand, he carried saddlebags. The object that he carried in his right hand interested Ford more.

The man approached the Judge and handed him something. Ford could only guess what it was, but knew that he was right.

Wakefield took the object then held it up. Just as Ford suspected, it was his badge.

He smiled coldly. ‘Hmmm, how about we start again, Marshal.’