enjoy their work.
It's going to get much worse unless you stop them."
"Unless we stop them, " Ryan corrected. "You're in this now."
"Yeah, I guess I am.
Did Luke tell you how the people inside died? Did they make them kneel
down? " "No, they were taken into the back room and killed there. The
kneeling . . . that's new. So is the knife." Ryan reached up and
began to rub the knot in the back of his neck.
"Damn, I'm tired." Cole could see how exhausted Ryan was. "You
shouldn't have slept outside in the rain. You're too old for it. "
Ryan smiled. "I'm only a year older than you are."
"How do you know my age? " "I know everything there is to know about
you." If Cole was surprised by the comment, he didn't let it show.
"Why didn't you protect your witness in Middleton? " "I sure as hell
tried to protect him. Honest to God I did, but another robbery was
reported over in Hartfield, and I left to check it out.
Marshal Davidson was put in charge of Luke MacFarland and his family.
" "Besides telling you that he heard laughter, what else did Luke
say?
" "He could only see two men through the seam. One of them took his
mask off, and Luke got a glimpse at his profile. He didn't think he
could point him out in a crowd, though. He did say he was tall,
lean.
" "Anything else? " "No."
"What was Marshal Davidson doing while his witness was being killed? "
"He'd already gotten hit. He's going to recover, but it will take a
long time. The doctor dug three bullets out of him."
"They wouldn't have left him unless they thought they'd killed him."
"Yes, that's what I think."
"Sheriff Norton told me how MacFarland and his wife were killed. A
knife was used on both of them. He thinks they murdered his wife to
send folks a message. He says you're going to have a hell of a time
getting anyone to admit he saw anything. Word travels fast in the
territory."
"Did Norton happen to tell you anything about his background? " "No,
he didn't.
Why do you ask? " "Just curious. Have you ever heard of a gunslinger
named the Laredo Kid? " "Sure, " Cole answered. "He was a legend when
I was growing up. Every one knew what a daredevil he was . . . crazy,
but fast with a gun. Real fast. He's probably dead by now. Did
Norton kill him? " Ryan smiled. "The Laredo Kid isn't dead. Fact is,
he became a sheriff."
"Norton is . . . ? " Cole was incredulous.
"I swear it's true."
"He should have been killed years ago. There's always someone faster
with a gun waiting to prove himself. He's lucky he's still alive."
"I agree, especially with that wife of his cooking for him. Did she
make you eat her fried chicken? It damn near killed me." Cole burst
out laughing. He was surprised how good it felt.