us about it."
"You don't have the right to tell us what to do, " a man near the edge
of the crowd shouted. Cole recognized him. He was the reporter from
the Rockford Falls Gazette who didn't want the bodies covered with
sheets.
Cole had taken an instant dislike to the man.
The reporter took a step forward. His eyes darted back and forth from
the crowd to the marshals. "This is a local matter, Marshal. Sheriff
Sloan ought to handle it."
"Federal money was stolen, " Ryan shouted.
"And that makes it our business. Do as Marshal Clayborne ordered. Go
home and let us do our job."
"I'm not going anywhere until I talk to those women, " the reporter
shouted.
Cole wasn't in the mood to argue any longer. Quicker than the man
could blink, he drew his gun and shot the hat off the reporter's
head.
"You had no right to do that, " the reporter screamed.
"Sure I did, " he answered. "Marshal Ryan explained I can't be tried
for murder now that I'm a U. S. marshal, so the way I figure it, I can
shoot every one of you and get away with it. This is the last time I'm
going to tell you. Go home."
"Cole? " Ryan whispered his name.
He kept his attention centered on the crowd as he answered. "Yeah? "
"I made that up." Cole smiled. "They don't know that." The marshals
continued to stand their ground until the crowd ran out of steam.
Grumbling to themselves, the mob dispersed. Then Ryan let the ladies
out.
Ten minutes later Sloan came slinking around the corner. He had
escorted the ladies home and was returning with a proclamation from
themţif they were to suffer an inquisition, it was best to get it over
with tonight so that they wouldn't have to worry about it any longer.
Ryan and Cole decided to accommodate the women. They started with
Rebecca James.
She was staying at the Rockford Falls Hotel, where Cole and Ryan had
also taken rooms. The old, four-story building was located one block
north of the jail on Elm Street. A veranda circled the hotel on three
sides. One of the housemaids was sent up to tell Rebecca the marshals
were waiting for her on the porch.
The sunlight was fading, and a cool breeze was a welcome respite after
the blistering heat of the day.
"We won't learn anything important, " Cole predicted. "We already know
all three of the women were spotted in the bank earlier in the
afternoon. Talking to them is a wasted effort. What could they have
seen? " "We won't know the answer to that question until we talk to
them. It shouldn't take long." Thirty minutes later, he had to revise
his estimate. Rebecca kept them waiting until well after eight
o'clock. Cole paced around the veranda.
Ryan was sprawled out in one of the wicker chairs when Rebecca finally