"You should've known better than to be up there, " Sheriff Lauters said to Bowes. "You should've known better than to listen to that damn breed."
Bowes hung his head. "That's not important, Sheriff. Because what happened up there-"
"Enough!" Lauters snapped. "I ain't listening to your goddamn ghost stories no longer. Christ, Deputy! What's come over you? Before this you were the most level-headed man I knew!"
"I saw what I saw."
Lauters sighed and popped the cork from a fresh bottle of rye. He upended it and gulped, stopping only when he began to cough and gag. " I don't know," he gasped, "what you and that marshal are up to, but it had better stop. Monsters rising from the grave… shit!" Lauters pulled off the bottle again, his hands shook and he made gagging sounds, as if he could barely hold the liquor down.
"I'm sorry, Sheriff, that you think I'm a liar, but I saw what I saw. And the last thing I'm going to say on the matter is that these murders are more than we can handle."
"This country can't throw anything at me I can't handle," Lauters insisted. "Not a goddamn thing.''
There was a blast of cool air and both men turned to see Longtree standing in the door. "Nothing a bottle can't help you with, eh, Sheriff?"
"You sonofabitch," Lauters growled, his hand sliding down to his gun. "You started all this mess, you-"
"I wouldn't draw that unless you wanna die," Longtree said calmly. "Never met a drunk in my life I couldn't outdraw."
Lauters hand stopped. "You threatening me, breed?"
"No, sir, I'm warning you," Longtree said. "I'm warning you that if you ever again try anything as stupid as you did yesterday, I'll fucking kill you. And be within my rights."
Lauters clenched his teeth. "Maybe we ought to settle this out back."
Longtree opened his coat, fingers tapping the butt of one of his Colts. "If you've got the stomach for it, Sheriff."
"All right now," Bowes said, stepping between them. "None of that here. You're both lawmen and you're both doing the same job, so knock it off."
"What do you want here, Longtree?" the sheriff asked.
"A fellow by the name of Jacko Gantz tried to kill me today," Longtree announced.
Lauters just stared, his eyes bulging. A touch of color spread into his cheeks, then fled. He said nothing. He touched his tongue against his lips.
"That's the fellah you were telling me about, wasn't it?" Bowes asked.
Longtree nodded. "His body's outside."
Lauters licked his lips. "You killed him?"
"He didn't give me much choice."
Lauters pushed past him and went outside.
"If I didn't know better," Longtree said, "I'd think the sheriff was disappointed Gantz didn't succeed."