"But I didn't touch it." Ryan also relaxed, until he looked at the
bloodstained floors again. It was a sobering sight.
"You've had time to look around. Tell me what you think happened. "
The laughter was gone from Cole's eyes when he answered.
"I'll tell you what I know didn't happen. None of them fought. There
aren't any signs of a struggle. Hell, they were as meek as sheep.
There are guns in all three cash drawers behind the windows, " he said
with a tilt of his head toward the tellers' stations. "They're loaded,
but they haven't been touched. Now, you tell me something, Ryan. Why
did you come after me? There are better men out there to wear this
badge."
"I wanted you."
"Why? " "It's complicated."
"That's an excuse, not an answer." Ryan sent the chair flying backward
when he stood up and leaned against the desk. Both men ignored the
crash that followed as the chair struck the wall, their gazes were
fixed on each other.
A long minute passed in silence before Ryan made up his mind. "All
right, I'll tell you why I chose you for the job. A long time ago I
started getting curious about you when I heard about the trouble you
ran into down near Abilene and how you handled it."
"I'm sure the story was exaggerated."
"No, it wasn't. I checked it out. You knew what they were going to do
to that woman, and youţ" "Like I said, " Cole interrupted, "the story
was exaggerated."
"You shot through her to get him." "I shot through her arm, that's
all. The bullet didn't touch bone. She only got a nick."
"But that same bullet killed him.
" "He needed to die." 'I can give you at least twenty other
examples.
" "I'm good with a gun. So what? " "You want the best reason of
all?
" "Yes."
"You think like they do."
"Like who? " "The bastards who came in here and killed all those
people."
"Son of a bitch! " Cole roared. "Do you think I could do something
like this? " Ryan diffused his anger. "No, I don't think you could do
something like this. I said you think like they do. You can get into
their minds, Cole.
I've tried, but I can't do it."
"You're nuts, Ryan."
"Maybe, but I need a man who won't hesitate and who doesn't mind
bending the law in certain situations. I also have to trust him, and I
trust you."
"How do you know you can trust me? " "All the stories you say didn't
happen. I rode with your mother on the train to Salt Lake, and she
told me all sorts of saintly things about you only a mother could
believe. Does she know how ruthless you can be? " Cole refused to