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“Leave us for a few minutes,” Victor Greystone said with an exasperated sigh. “Then these two can sort out their little misunderstanding.”
Marshal Ken Dagwood and Corbin Metz sneered at each other, suggesting that even if they were left alone for the rest of the year, they’d still be at loggerheads. So the deputy marshals Eddie Bishop and Richard Crane turned to their boss for guidance.
When he nodded, they left the railroad office, which encouraged the dismissed railroad men to troop out after them. The three men left in the office didn’t move until the door downstairs closed.
Then Victor sat on the edge of his desk while Corbin stood by the door. Marshal Dagwood went to the window that overlooked the town of Bear Rock.
“Perhaps now we’re alone, we can stop mincing words,” Dagwood said.
“Sure,” Corbin said. “This is a railroad town filled with railroad workers. The town marshal should be sympathetic to our concerns.”
“Except we know this isn’t a dispute about which one of us controls railroad security. It’s really about your boss, a man who achieved his position with intimidation and bribes.” Dagwood bunched a fist. “I’m the law in Bear Rock and I’m noting everything he says and does. One day soon I’ll use it against him.”
“As we’re talking freely, I’ll say that every man has his price. I’ve yet to find yours.”
“You’re wrong. You’re talking to the only man in town who can’t be bought.”
Dagwood turned from the window and then flinched. While he and Corbin had been trading taunts, Victor had drawn a six-shooter on him. Dagwood’s wide eyes showed he was surprised Victor had dared to act so openly.
He shook his head, seemingly confident that Victor wouldn’t carry out his threat, but Victor fired, blasting a deadly shot into the marshal’s heart. Dagwood stumbled to the side clutching his chest.
Then he keeled over backward, hitting the window in the center and disappearing from view in a shower of glass. A thud sounded outside as he slammed down on the ground.
“Then we have nothing more to say to each other,” Victor said with a smirk. Then he deposited his gun in a drawer and pointed at the door. “The next few hours will be difficult, Corbin. I need help to explain this away.”
“I’ll round everyone up,” the dutiful Corbin said before he hurried from the room.
Corbin took the back stairs so he avoided Bishop and Crane who came hurrying up the main stairs. They burst into the office with guns brandished to find that Victor was standing at the broken window. He didn’t appear to register that they had arrived until they joined him at the window.
“What happened?” Deputy Bishop asked.
“The argument between Corbin and our marshal got out of hand so Corbin shot him,” Victor said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Then he ran, but you can rest assured that I’ll do everything I can to help you bring him to justice.”