“That’s all I need, Belinda.”
She looked at Lloyd. “How about you?”
Lloyd grinned, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “I just wanted a drink.”
All three of them walked out.
“Do you think she’s telling the truth, Pa?”
“We’ll find out.” Jake untied his horse and led it farther up the street to a large tent with a sign out front that read The Dusty Hollow, Lloyd and Jeff following close behind. “I don’t want to be too obvious,” Jake said as they retied their horses. “Do you play poker, Jeff?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’re going to sit down to a game and not even mention Marty Bryant, understand? If this Trudy woman knows something, I have a feeling she’ll come to us when she realizes who we are. Sometimes if you ask flat out, they get too scared to offer any information. Belinda didn’t hesitate, because she didn’t really know anything, but this woman might have a lot more information. Let her give it to us on her own.”
“Pa, be careful. Some of the men in there might be part of the gang Marty hired.”
“I am well aware of that.” Jake started inside.
“Wait!” Lloyd told him. “Look here.” He stood beside the horse that was next to his own. “Look at the brand.”
Jake walked over to see a capital B beside a small t. He glanced at Lloyd. “Jackpot.” He headed inside again. “Remember what I told you, Jeff.”
Jake walked up to a makeshift bar consisting of boards on sawhorses and ordered two bottles of whiskey. Everything got quiet as he turned and set a bottle on one of the tables. “My son, this other deputy, and I are wanting to play some poker,” he told the men at both tables. Without asking if he was welcome, he sat down to one of the tables and handed the second bottle of whiskey to Lloyd. “Join the men at that other table,” he told him. “Bartender, bring us some shot glasses.”
Lloyd took the second bottle and took a chair at the other table, nodding toward one other empty chair. “Have a seat, Jeff.”
Trying to hide the fact that he was scared to death, Jeff sat down. The bartender brought over the shot glasses and Lloyd filled two, one for him and one for Jeff. Jake filled his own and downed the whiskey. Lloyd eyed him, a little worried Jake might have to consume a bit too much firewater before he got what he came here for. Whiskey and anger were a poor mix for Jake Harkner.
The entire room grew tense.
“Come on, boys. We’re just here to relax a bit before we head on out to some of the settlements,” Jake told them.
One of the players at Jake’s table dealt a hand. “Marshal, you’re after somethin’.”
“Just a game of cards,” Jake answered. “I’ve been on the trail awhile and need to rest. I’m tired of all the bullshit of this job. Had to come through Hell’s Nest on my way to my next stop, so I figured we’d get in a little card game.”
“Is that your name for this place?” another asked.
“Can you think of a better one?”
“Guess not. It’s just as good as any.” He looked Jake over. “What happened to your face?”
Jake lit a cigarette. “A little run-in with a shovel.”
“Did you fight back?”
“Beat it near to death,” Jake joked.
“More like whoever owned the shovel, I expect.”
“Something like that.”
Jake drew on the cigarette as he studied the heavyset man across the table from him who’d been asking all the questions.
“You fixin’ to give us some of your money?” the man asked.
“Could be,” Jake answered. “Last time I played cards it was with my grandson, so I’m a little out of practice with men who know what they’re doing.”
“You have a grandson?” one of them asked.
“Sure. Two of them, in fact, and another on the way.” He glanced at Lloyd and grinned. “Maybe two more on the way.”
“Pretty big family for somebody with a job like yours.”
Jake threw down two cards and took two more. “The family came first, the job second. I didn’t take it willingly. A judge forced it on me.”
“Back when you wasn’t no better than the rest of us?”
Jake eyed the fat man again as he poured himself another shot and drank it down. “I’m still not any better than the rest of you.” He noticed Lloyd also eyed the man closely. His teeth were brown from chewing tobacco and his eyes a very pale blue. His thinning hair was sticking out in all directions, and his checkered shirt showed sweat stains.
“What’s with the kid over there?” the man asked Jake after passing his hand. “He looks twelve years old compared to you and that big, tall son of yours.”