Shot in the Back (11 page)

Jesse and Billy dismounted in front of the livery and were met by a thin, white-haired man with a prominent Adam's apple.

“Wantin' to put your horses up, are ya?”

“Yes. Probably, just for the night. Unsaddle them, but just leave the saddles in the stall with them.”

“That'll be a dollar for the two of them.”

As Jesse gave the man a dollar, he was startled by a woman screaming. The scream had come from the saloon across the street, and he looked toward it but the scream was quickly followed by an outbreak of laughter.

“Pay no attention to that,” the stableman said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “That's more'n likely Screamin' Lily.”

“Screamin' Lily?”

“She works over there at the Wet Mouse. She's always screamin' and cacklin' 'n takin' on so that that's what she's called.”

“Well I guess we'll have to check it out,” Jesse said.

With their horses put up at the livery, Jesse and Billy walked across the street to the saloon known as the Wet Mouse. It was suppertime, which was peak business time for the saloon, so it was full. At the back of the room a man wearing a vertical striped shirt with sleeve garters, a bow tie, and a bowler hat was grinding away at a scarred piano. A beer mug sat on top of the piano, about one-third filled with coins.

There were seven or eight saloon girls working the customers, and when one of them suddenly cackled out loud, Jesse was able to identify Screaming Lily.

“Two beers,” Jesse ordered, sliding a piece of silver across the bar. The man behind the bar drew two mugs and set them, with foaming heads, in front of Jesse and Billy. The long ride had made the men thirsty, and they drank the first one down without taking away the mug. Then they wiped the foam away from their lips and slid the empty mugs back toward the barkeep.

“That one was for thirst,” Jesse said. “This will be for taste. Do it again.”

Smiling, the bartender gave them a second round.

With the beer in his hand, Billy turned his back to the bar and looked out over the saloon. One of the girls pulled herself away from the table and sidled up to the two. She had bleached hair, was heavily painted, but behind her tired eyes was a suggestion of good humor. She smiled at Billy.

“What a handsome devil you are,” she said. “I'll just bet you've broken many a poor girl's heart.”

“I've bent them around a few times,” Billy replied with a broad grin. “Don't know as I ever broke any.”

“You aren't going to bend Dolly's heart, are you?” the girl asked.

“Dolly? That would be your name?”

“You guessed it, cowboy. What's your name?”

“Joe. My name is Joe,” Billy said. Billy turned toward the bartender. “It looks to me like Dolly needs a drink.”

“Coming right up,” the bartender said, filling a glass from Dolly's special bottle.

As Billy was visiting with Dolly, another of the bar girls came to visit with Jesse.

“Hello. My name is Sheila.”

“Hi, Sheila.” Jesse hesitated for a moment, then called upon a name he had used in the past. “My name is Tom.”

“I like you, Tom,” Sheila said.

Jesse chuckled. “I don't have that effect on everyone. And, I'm a little old for you, aren't I?”

“No, not at all. I have a thing for mature men. Why, you're much more handsome than your little brother here.”

“How do you know he's my brother?”

“Because you two look exactly alike.”

Jesse laughed. “If we look alike, how can I be a lot more handsome?”

Sheila laughed as well. “Let's just say that when your brother gets to be your age, he'll be more handsome.”

Jesse turned toward the bartender. “How about you give Miss Sheila here whatever it is she likes to drink. And tell me where might be a good place to eat around here?”

“I'd recommend Dewey Gimlin's place, right next door,” the bartender answered.

“Joe, what do you say we go have some supper? I could eat a horse.”

“Don't say that around Dewey,” Dolly teased. “You never know but what he might take you up on it.”

Those close enough to overhear laughed.

Billy looked at Dolly. “Will you be here when I come back?”

“Honey, in case you ain't noticed it, you've done got my comb red,” Dolly said. “I'll be here waitin' for you, just anytime you're ready.”

Dolly's directness caused Billy to take a quick breath.

“On second thought, Pa—uh, Tom, why don't you go on over there without me?” Billy suggested.

“I thought you were so all-fired ready to have supper?” Jesse said.

“Yeah, well, I've got somethin' else in mind right now.”

“All right. I guess I can eat by myself.”

“You don't have to eat by yourself, Tom,” Sheila said. “I was about to go over to Gimlin's for supper my own self, and I would be glad to go with you. That is, unless you don't want company.”

Jesse smiled. “Well now, how can I turn down an offer like that? I'll even buy your supper, if you will allow me.”

“Well, that's just real sweet of you, Tom. Now you see why I prefer more mature men.”

Billy watched the interplay between Sheila and his father, then he turned his attention back to Dolly. “So, what do we do now?” he asked.

“I'm sure something will . . .”—Dolly paused and looked pointedly at the front of his pants—“come up,” she said, emphasizing the last two words.

Billy laughed. “I'm sure it will.”

Dolly turned and started walking away, glancing back over her shoulder to let Billy know that she intended for him to follow her. They went up the stairs and along the second-floor hallway.

“Sheila, I believe you said something about supper,” Jesse said, turning his attention back to the young woman beside him.

“I did, indeed,” she said.

Jesse offered her his arm.

 

 

The china, silver, and crystal gleamed softly in the reflected light of more than a dozen lanterns. Gimlin's Restaurant was an oasis of light in the darkness that had descended over the little town. Jesse led Sheila to a quiet table in the corner.

“What do people do for a living around here?” Jesse asked. “When I rode in I didn't see any cattle or anything under cultivation.”

“You didn't see it, because there isn't any,” Sheila said, and Jesse thought he detected some bitterness in her voice.

“Why is that?”

“Marcus Daniel Culpepper.”

“Culpepper? You mean like the name of the town?”

“This town wasn't always called Culpepper. When I was growing up, it was called Red Bluff. Isn't that a pretty name?”

“Why Red Bluff? I didn't see anything that looks like a red bluff.”

“You wouldn't. Culpepper took that down long ago, with his coal mining. After he got control of everything, including the mayor and the city council, he decided to change the name of the town to Culpepper.”

“You sound like you don't like Culpepper.”

“How can I like him? His coal mine has poisoned the streams so there is no water for the livestock, and the ranchers can't make a living. I know this, because I grew up on Trailback Ranch.”

“So your father is a rancher?”

“He was a rancher and so was my grandfather before him. When Culpepper took over Trailback, he got a ranch that had been thriving since Texas was part of Mexico.”

“I don't understand. If the ranch was doing that well, why did your father sell out to Culpepper?”

Sheila looked up sharply. “My father didn't sell Trailback,” she said. “He had it taken from him.”

“How was that?”

“Culpepper got Trailback the same way he got all the other ranches and farms. He started a bank and gave crop and stock loans to the farmers and ranchers, just as they had taken out every year from other banks. Only they were so proud that Red Bluff had a bank, they wanted to keep the business in their hometown.

“What they didn't realize is that the coal mine was going to kill all the farming and ranching, and when the notes came due, Culpepper foreclosed on them. After my father lost his ranch he was a broken man. I . . .” Sheila stopped talking for a moment and her eyes filled with tears.

“We had no way of making a living, so I took this job. But my father couldn't face what had happened to us and he . . . he put a gun to his head and he . . .” Again, Sheila paused in midsentence.

Jesse reached across the table and put his hand on hers. “You don't have to go on,” he said.

“I'm sorry,” Sheila said. She forced a smile through her tears. “Here I was supposed to be pleasant company for you while you ate.”

“While
we
eat,” Jesse said, and at that moment the food was delivered to the table.

“So,” he said a few minutes later, “Culpepper owns the bank, does he?”

“Yes. There was an investigation a while back, something about how he was using the bank to finance improvements in the mine, making loans to the mine, then collecting on the interest. It's all very confusing, but it eventually came to nothing. And as far as improvements on the mine, the miners who come into the Wet Mouse are always talking about how dangerous it is, because he cuts corners on safety.”

“And the law does nothing about it?”

“Are you kidding?” Sheila said. “Marcus Culpepper is the law.”

 

 

Jesse and Sheila had just finished eating and were about to leave the restaurant, when Billy came in.

“So, how was supper?” Billy asked. His words were jaunty and his mood was ebullient.

“Well now . . . Joe,” Jesse had to pause for a moment to remember what name Billy had used, “you sure look all full of vinegar.”

“Do I? Well, a little lady named Dolly might have something to do with that.”

“So it appears. I'm glad to see that you decided to take the time to eat,” Jesse teased.

“Believe me, after what I've just been through, I need to eat,” he said. “I have to get my strength back.”

Sheila laughed, and Billy suddenly realized that he was being a bit ribald. He smiled, sheepishly, and put his hand to the brim of his hat. “I beg your pardon, ma'am,” he said. “I sure don't mean to say anything out of line, I mean, being as you are a lady 'n all.”

“For heaven's sake, Joe, you certainly don't have to apologize to me,” Sheila said. “From what I have heard, Dolly can be a most energetic woman.”

“Yes, ma'am, I'll vouch for that,” Billy said. Then, to Jesse he asked, “Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I'm going to walk Sheila back, then I'll get us a room at the hotel.”

“How will I know which room? Or, are you goin' to wait in the lobby?”

“Just ask for Tom Howard,” Jesse said. It had to be over twenty years since he last used that name, so he was sure it was safe to use now.