“Who’s that?” Fenmore asked.
“How the fuck do I know?” Joe Lester asked. “Besides, I don’t hear nothin’.”
“Over there,” Fenmore said, pointing his rifle, his finger tensing on the trigger.
“Don’t start shootin’ at shadows, Fenmore,” Lester warned.
“Hey, you guys,” a voice called.
“Jesus,” Lester said, “don’t shoot. It’s the boss.”
Dennis Mahoney appeared from out of the darkness. He had come directly from the whorehouse.
“Anything?” he asked.
“Nothin’ until you got here, boss,” Lester said.
“Okay, well, I’m going to stay here awhile with you fellas,” Mahoney said.
“That mean we can leave?” Fenmore asked hopefully.
“I said with you, not instead of you,” Mahoney said.
“You ain’t got a gun, boss,” Lester said.
“I never carry a gun.”
“Maybe you oughtta start,” Lester said. “There’s probably one in the office.”
“Okay,” Mahoney said, “I’ll go and have a look.”
• • •
Clint told Sarah she could stay in his hotel room. “I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?”
“There’s just something I have to take care of,” he said, strapping on his gun.
She pushed the sheet down to her waist so he could see her big breasts. Her pink nipples were still hard, puckered.
“Come back soon,” she said.
“I will.”
He forced himself to walk out the door.
• • •
Clint left the hotel and walked to the mine office. It was dark and locked. Blanchard had told him where the mine was, outside of town. Not too far to walk, but it was dark. He’d probably get lost.
He walked to the livery, found that it was also locked. Eclipse was inside. He could have broken in, but was it necessary? Blanchard had told him he’d have two men on watch at the mine tonight. He should probably just let them do their job. In the morning he’d find the two men who worked for Avery Kendall and talk to them.
He decided to just go back to his room, where he had a warm woman waiting for him in a warm bed.
• • •
He woke the next morning with his cock in Sarah’s mouth. She was sucking him avidly, wetly, making slurping noises that he found only increased his excitement. He reached down to hold her head lightly as it bobbed up and down on him, faster and faster, one hand holding him at the base, the other fondling his testicles.
When he exploded into her mouth, he was sure the entire town must have heard him . . .
• • •
“You gonna be stayin’ in town awhile?” she asked as she got dressed.
“A few days at least,” he said, watching her.
“Good,” she said. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“Well,” he said, “I sure as hell am not done with you either, lady.”
Her breasts and butt disappeared beneath her clothes and then she leaned over to kiss him. He grabbed her and held her so that the kiss went on a long time.
“Bastard,” she whispered against his mouth. “I have to go now.”
“Come back to bed.”
“Tonight.”
“We could all be dead tonight.”
She straightened and stared down at him.
“What’s that mean?”
“Just that we should grab what we can while we can.”
“Do you know somethin’—”
“I don’t know anything,” he said. “I was just trying to get you to come back to bed.”
“You are a bastard, aren’t you?” she said. “Come by the saloon tonight.”
“Okay.”
“And then, when I finish work, we can come back here.”
“That suits me.”
“Maybe,” she said, “I can convince one of my girlfriends to come with us.”
“Really?”
She slapped his face lightly and said, “Gotcha,” and left.
• • •
After Sarah was gone, he got up, washed and dressed, and went down to find some breakfast. The hotel had a small dining room, so he decided to try it. If it was good, it would come in handy.
“Steak and eggs,” he told the waiter.
“Comin’ up.”
“And coffee, strong.”
“Only kind we serve.”
It turned out he was right. The coffee was good, and it was strong. When the waiter brought the steak, it was cooked perfectly. And he brought a basket of biscuits, hot.
Clint was tucking into it all when Dennis Mahoney walked in. He looked like he’d been up all night.
“The desk clerk told me you were in here,” he said.
“Sit,” Clint said. “You look like you could use some coffee.”
“You’re right.”
Clint waved to the waiter for another cup. When he brought it, he said, “And bring my friend the same thing I’m having.”
Mahoney didn’t argue. Clint poured him some coffee from the pot, and went back to eating.
“Ben told me you’re going to question the two men from the Kendall ranch today.”
“That’s right.”
“I want to go with you.”
Clint studied him, then said, “All right.”
“No argument?”
“No argument.”
The waiter brought a platter for Mahoney, and he started eating.