Killing Time In Eternity - Edge Series 4 (3 page)

‘Marshal Ward Flynt don’t set too much store by what the doc thinks,’ Segal said flatly.

Shelby glowered at the bartender while Childs chose to ignore him. ‘Maybe I won’t either, Charlie. But I’m sure willing to listen to whatever a troubled old friend has to tell me. And ready to lend a hand if I’m able.’

A bleak smile spread across the haggard face of the grieving father, then a tear escaped his left eye and he wiped it from his sunken cheek with the back of a bony hand, finished his drink and signalled for another round.

Shelby seemed about to protest he didn’t want more whiskey, but maybe decided it was best not to distract Childs. Then his own attention was diverted when Olivia Colbert rose abruptly to her feet and announced:

‘I’m feeling somewhat better now, Arthur. And the weather sounds to be easing up. So it’s time for you to drive me home, I think.’

Her brother was clearly reluctant to leave, but after an anxious double take at the commanding figure of his sister he hurriedly swallowed the heeltaps in his shot glass, moved quickly after the woman and lengthened his stride to reach the doorway first. Only Segal called goodnight and was ignored by the woman then acknowledged by Arthur with a gesture of his free hand as he ushered Olivia out into the night. The doors closed behind them and Edge rustled the newspaper as he turned a page and folded it to a more convenient size for reading.

‘What about you, mister?’ Shelby demanded.

Edge looked up with a quizzical frown. ‘You talking to me?’

‘Seems like you’re taking one heck of a long time to read that journal. Or maybe you’re just pretending to read it? While you listen to me and my friend talking of something that isn’t any of your damn business? Or then again – ‘

Childs hurried to interrupt: ‘It’s all right, Ethan! Edge has a store here in Eternity. He’s anxious to sell it and I was about to buy it for Billy when the boy was murdered.’

Shelby remained disgruntled as Edge told him evenly: ‘That about sums it up, feller. So unless you and him start to talk shop there’s nothing you can say will interest me.’ He returned his full attention to the newspaper as he finished: ‘Because now Billy Childs is dead, I’ve still got my own business to mind.’

13

CHAPTER • 2

_______________________________________________________________

THE STORE that Edge needed to sell was the Eternity branch of a nation-wide
chain that traded as Quinn and Son, Tailors of Distinction. Which was offered to him in lieu of cash by a newly appointed lawyer acting for the estate of the late Nicholas Quinn. The previously highly trustworthy lawyer of the wealthy businessman had taken cold-blooded advantage of the suicide by his client after the murder of Quinn’s wife and daughter to abscond with every cent of liquid capital left in the dead man’s estate. Which had denied Edge a two thousand dollars reward pledged to him for tracking down the killer. That was a little over six months ago: which was how long it had taken for an honest lawyer to clear up Quinn’s affairs to an extent where it was considered the chain’s Eternity branch was the one that most nearly approximated two thousand dollars cash worth. And so it was that Edge had come to Eternity to look over the business and see if he was willing to accept the deal.

He reached town four days ago and decided to take the offered store even after he discovered the only prospective buyer to have shown an interest in the property had been killed a week earlier. And immediately placed a
For Sale
advertisement in the edition of the weekly newspaper that was published today, a copy of which he had brought into the saloon to check that his notice was printed. Which, as Shelby’s lawman’s instincts had prompted him to accurately presume, Edge had latterly only pretended to be reading while he eavesdropped on two old friends talking about how the son of one of them had been violently killed: because it was a death that to some extent concerned Edge. Segal delivered the fresh drinks and Childs began to respond to Shelby’s invitation as rain splattered constantly on the windows of the small saloon and occasionally was hurled at the building with vicious force by a gusting wind. While the only other customer left in the saloon smoked a cigarette and sipped at his second beer of the evening.

‘Billy worked as telegraph operator in the office at the depot. I guess I have to admit to being biased, seeing as how he was my son, but he was a fine boy. And real good at his job even though he had gotten not to like it so much lately.’ Childs nodded pensively and sighed with remembered pride. ‘The boy was always respectful to his elders and he was well liked by kids his own age. He never gambled or chased girls over much or put his nose into other folk’s business. He did have the occasional glass of beer in here, but I never did 14

see him drunk and I never heard he got that way. Isn’t that about how it was with Billy, Buck?’

The good looking blond bartender was no longer making any pretence at not eavesdropping while he leaned his elbows on the counter and gazed fixedly at a point on the wall just above the heads of the two men seated together. ‘That’s right, doc. Billy was everything you just said.’

Childs shook his head ruefully. ‘And if nothing had happened to him and I hadn’t felt the need to keep thinking back over the last few weeks of his life, I surely wouldn’t have figured he acted much out of the ordinary. But after he was killed that way: well, it strikes me that the boy was doing a whole lot of deep thinking about something.’

‘Deep thinking?’

‘He’d be sprawled out in his easy chair or sat up at the table, eating. Or maybe doing something out in the yard. And if I spoke to him he needed a moment or two to come out of the mood he was in. I recall asking him once, joking, if he was in love. He laughed that off. And another time I said I thought he could be sick and that I should check him over, but he said he was fine. You understand what I’m saying, Ethan?’

‘Reckon I do, Charlie. I never got married and had any kids myself, like you know. But I came across a lot of young guys of Billy’s age in my job on the force. When they’re twenty or so, boys can sometimes act real strange.’

‘Yes, I know, Ethan,’ Childs agreed with a spark of enthusiasm as he nodded several times. ‘Billy had gone through youthful day dreaming periods before. And if nothing had happened to him, I’d probably figure it was just another one of those pensive times. Maybe brought on by the way he was discontented with his job at the telegraph office and how he was considering the idea of going into business for himself and becoming a storekeeper. But after he was killed the way he was . . . Well, I can’t help thinking those moods of his were caused by something more serious.’

‘You got nothing more concrete than that to go on?’ Shelby’s doubtful tone and expression curtailed Childs’ brief excitement.

‘Only where and how he was killed.’

‘Tell me the details, Charlie.’

‘It happened Monday night last week.’ He glanced toward the doors when they rattled in a gust of wind as rain continued to beat at the flanking windows. ‘The weather was stormy, like it’s been today. It started out just like any other day. We had breakfast together, then Billy left for the telegraph office and I got myself ready to hold morning surgery. I have a room in the house where I consult with patients.’ Childs sipped some 15

whiskey. ‘Billy came home early that evening because he’d arranged to go to the theatre we have here in Eternity.’

‘I know about the theatre.’ Shelby’s tone betrayed just a trace of impatience. Childs expressed contrition. ‘Yes, of course you do. Anyway, every now and then a group of real professional people comes through town to put on a performance. But most of the time local folks act in the plays. And Billy was pretty wrapped up in doing that. He was supposed to have a role in the drama that’s on tonight.’ The doctor realised he had wandered away from the point and corrected his drift. ‘But anyway, that Monday evening he got home early and we had supper together, just like we invariably did. Unless Billy or me had something better to do.’

‘Better, Charlie?’

Childs shrugged. ‘Billy was at the age when he was starting to take an interest in girls. And occasionally he’d visit with one. Take her walking or go to the coffee shop: although more often than not he’d be doing something at the theatre. And as for me, there’s a certain widow lady – Mrs Mary Whittier. Laura died only months after we moved from New York to Eternity, you understand.’

‘Sorry, Charlie, I never knew you’d lost Laura.’

Childs shrugged and sighed. ‘It’s a long time ago now. Sometimes I’d be invited to Mary’s house for supper or I’d ask Billy to make himself scarce if I was doing the entertaining at our place.’

‘Sure, Charlie, I get the picture. But there was no female involved the night Billy died?’

‘Not as far as I know. While we were drying the supper dishes Billy said he’d be going out right after. The rain had let up in the afternoon and he hadn’t thought to bring his slicker home with him. He was going back to the telegraph office to get it in case the weather turned wet again before he was through at the theatre. He went out of the kitchen door and I never saw him again.’ Childs toyed anxiously with his wedding ring and his voice rose as he shuddered. ‘Alive and in one piece.’

‘Easy, Charlie.’

‘Sure. Give me a moment.’

Segal said while Childs composed himself: ‘Billy didn’t show up in here that night, mister. Only a handful of people from the theatre did. It was almost as quiet then as it is tonight. And I can tell you the name of everyone who came to the Second Chance. I remember so well because the marshal asked me to make a list. Which I did, the very next day: while it was all still fresh in my mind. Was just fifteen names on that list for the whole evening.’

16

Shelby nodded absently. ‘What time was it when Billy left the house, Charlie?’

‘It was about six or six fifteen, maybe. Only train that night was westbound. Which came through Eternity at a little after ten: a freight that didn’t stop here. It had to be the one that ran over Billy’s body and mangled it so badly. Near two miles east of the depot.’

‘And the engineer never knew he’d hit anybody?’

‘No, he didn’t know. The poor guy came to see me a couple of days ago. He was still in a state of shock about what happened. Even though it wasn’t his fault, of course.’

‘So that’s it? All anybody knows about how Billy died?’

‘Nobody will admit to knowing anything else,’ Childs corrected dully. ‘I saw Billy leave the house and knew what he said about where he was going. Next morning an eastbound train went through and what was left of the boy was spotted on the rails. The train backed up into Eternity and the engineer reported what he’d found.’

‘What was happening meantime?’

‘I was worried sick when Billy wasn’t back by midnight. And then the storm closed in again as I went to the depot.’

‘Was his slicker there?’

‘It was. Which made it seem like he’d invented an excuse to leave the house early. The theatre and everything else in town was all closed up at that time of night, of course. It’s run for the most part by Sue Ellen Spencer, who happens to be my assistant. Helps me with the paper work and does a little basic nursing when it’s necessary.’ He vented a body shuddering sigh. ‘I knew she wouldn’t mind if I woke her up so late on account of Billy being missing. Sue Ellen told me he never showed up for the play rehearsal. Which had riled her some, because he’d asked her especially to get to the theatre early: at seven instead eight, because he wanted to talk to her alone. She did like he asked, but he didn’t come.’

‘She didn’t know why the boy wanted to talk to her?’

Childs shook his head. ‘Not really, she said. He was having some difficulty with his part in the play. Wasn’t able to concentrate on learning his lines as well as he usually could, Sue Ellen thought. She figured he wanted some extra rehearsal time to help him with his problem.’

Segal put in: ‘Then the doc came here.’

‘That’s right. I came to the saloon next and got Buck out of bed. But he said he hadn’t seen anything of Billy, so I tried at the houses of two girls I knew he had eyes for. And they hadn’t seen him either.’

‘And the town marshal?’

17

‘Ward Flynt was concerned, but I had to agree that it would be hopeless to try to search for Billy that night: the kind of weather it was. I also figured the marshal could be right when he said that Billy had maybe hauled himself aboard the westbound freight when it slowed down to run through the depot. God, if only that had been so!’

‘Now you know that didn’t happen.’ Shelby said unnecessarily.

‘Now I do, Ethan. Anyway, I went home and sat up all night waiting. Then the rain cleared soon after dawn and I joined in searching the town. It would have been no use looking outside Eternity, even if we had an army of helpers, because the rain was sure to have washed out any sign. We knew Billy hadn’t taken his own horse and no other was reported missing. Then we saw the eastbound back up into the depot and I just knew my worst fears had been realised.’

‘That’s about it, Charlie?’

Childs peered at his old friend with doleful helplessness then shrugged his thin shoulders. ‘What else, Ethan? I think I’ve covered everything.’

‘And after you knew Billy was dead?’