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Episode Sixteen
concluded with:
Rance shrugged his shoulders. “Thanks, I
guess. First thing, let’s share our plan with Rush Hunter. We may need the
sheriff’s help down the line.”
“Are you sure this fellow can be trusted?”
“Penelope Castle does, and she knows this town well. I’ll accept her judgment.
On my way here, I saw the deputy doing a round, so Hunter is probably in his
office now--”
“Give me a moment, Rance.”
“What for?”
Hooper lifted the whiskey flask from the bureau. “I need to finish breakfast.”
Episode Seventeen
***
The sheriff
stood in the office of George Conklin and tried to keep his temper in check.
The banker displayed no gratitude for the valuable information Rush Hunter had
just brought him. He still spoke to Hunter as if he were an incompetent
underling.
“So, a
detective is in cahoots with the gambler to bring me down.” Conklin waved his
right hand about scattering small embers from his cigar. “Tonight, I want you
to be at the Lucky Miner, thirty minutes or so after the card game begins. I
will accuse Hooper of cheating. You smoke him the minute I speak. The official
story will be that Stacey Hooper went for his gun.”
“What about
Hooper’s friend, the detective?”
“Bring your
deputy, Slade Pierson, with you. He can shoot down the detective. We’ll say
this Dehner guy was going for his gun to help Stacey Hooper.”
The sheriff
was confused by the reference to Slade Pierson. “Mr. Conklin, Pierson is a
worthless owlhoot, my deputy is--”
“I hired
Pierson last night as a deputy. His gun will come in handy.”
“The town
only allows me one full time deputy--”
“Get rid of
Emery Brown. He could create some real trouble.”
“But Emery
has done a great job, what can I tell him?”
Conklin
once again waved his right hand, this time flinging the embers at Rush Hunter.
“I don’t care what you tell him! Now, get out of here!”
As Hunter
shot out of the office and closed the door behind him, he saw Thorton Weaver
quickly turn his head and begin to shuffle papers on his desk. The two tellers
on duty took similar actions. They hadn’t heard what was being said in the
office, but they heard the boss yelling. They knew Rush Hunter had been cut
down good.
Hunter
could hear laughter as he exited the bank. He thought about turning around and
glaring at the three men but realized it would do no good. The men didn’t fear
him. Rush Hunter was the sheriff, but George Conklin was the real law in Hard
Stone.
Tomorrow: Episode
Eighteen of Last Job
