They made some more small talk; Stella gave him some pointers on improving his game. When their drinks were almost gone Decker said, “You didn’t invite yourself down here to talk about poker.”
She paused, then said, “No, I didn’t. Duke tells me you…hunt people for a living.”
“I’m a bounty hunter,” he said. “Let’s not make it sound like anything else.”
“All right, fine. You’re a bounty hunter. Would I be able to hire you to find someone?”
“No.”
She frowned.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t hire out.”
“You do find people for money, don’t you?”
“I hunt people for the bounty on them,” Decker said. “There’s a difference. What you need is a private detective agency, like Pinkerton.”
“No.”
“I wish I could help you, Stella—”
“Do you only hunt people that you can kill to bring the bodies back, then? Is it because I want my…this person brought back alive?”
“You’re upset,” Decker said, “and you’re saying things you don’t mean.”
“Yes, you are probably right,” she said. “This is very important to me, Decker. I would pay you a lot of money to take this…this job.”
“I’m sorry, Stella,” Decker said, with genuine regret. “I wish I could help you.
“Yes,” she said, coldly, “so do I.” She stood up, threw some money down on the table for her drink and said, “I’m sorry I took up your valuable time.”
“Stella—” he said, but she stormed away without looking back. On the way out she passed Duke, who paused to say something to her, but was ignored.
As Duke approached Decker’s table Decker said, “I thought you were dealing.”
“I brought in the relief man when I saw you and Stella leave together. What did you do to her?”
“Nothing.”
“Something’s got her all riled up.”
“Did you know that she was going to ask me to find someone for her?”
“Someone? Who?”
“I don’t know who,” Decker said. “Don’t you?”
Duke sat down and said, “You mean, like a missing person?”
“I suppose so.”
Duke shrugged and said, “Why would I have any idea, Decker?”
“She said you were the one who told her I find people.”
“I told her what you do for a living, sure. That’s no secret. If she took it the wrong way, that’s her problem. Does she want you to find somebody with a price on his head?”
“I don’t know. All I know is she asked if she could hire me to find someone.”
“And you said no?”
“Of course. I don’t hire out, Duke. You know that.”
“Sure, I know that.”
“I hope I haven’t put you in bad with her by refusing.”
“Not me, but do you know that you probably could have had that lady in your bed tonight, if you had said yes?”
“Fortunately, my morals and yours have never been introduced.”
“All right,” Duke said, shrugging helplessly, “if you don’t want a woman who looks like that in your bed.”
“I certainly wouldn’t kick her out of bed,” Decker said, “providing she came there of her own free will in the first place.”
Looking injured Duke said, “I have never taken a woman to my bed who wasn’t willing to go.”
“Your kind of ‘willing’ and mine are just not the same thing.”
“If we’re so different, how come we’re friends?” Duke asked.
“I always need a father figure,” Decker said, standing up.
“Ouch!”
“I’m turning in.”
“How about having a drink with me?”
“I’m too tired.”
“Who’s the father figure now?” Duke asked.
“In the morning I’d like you to give me some idea where I might start looking for my con lady here in San Francisco.”
Duke made a face.
“Are you getting on that again?”
“It’s what I do, Duke,” Decker said. “It’s what I should have been doing all along instead of playing these games. Well, game time is over, and it’s time to get back to work.”
“If that’s the way you want it.”
“It’s not the way I want it, Duke,” Decker said, “it’s just the way it is.”
Chapter Nine
“What have you got for me?” Decker asked Duke at breakfast.
Actually, he asked him that question after breakfast. During breakfast they talked about the poker game.
Duke looked very tired this morning and Decker figured that he had gone back to the game after he’d left him the night before.
“What time did you deal ‘til?”
“I don’t remember. Four? Five?”
“Did Stella go back to the game?”
“No, and I thought that was odd. It’s not like her to quit while she’s behind.”
“Is she doing badly?”
“Not too badly.”
“Who’s the big winner?”
“Eddie Black. He’s such a straightforward card player that even when he does bluff, nobody believes he’s bluffing. Every so often he springs a big one.”
“Who’s the best player?”
Duke grinned and said, “We could debate that one all day, but my guess is Luke Short—and when Clark Howard shows up, he’s almost as good.”
Once breakfast was out of the way and they had a second pot of coffee on the table, Decker asked his question.
“Still determined?” Duke asked. When Decker didn’t answer Duke sighed.
“Okay, it’s pretty cut and dried where she’d be if she’s here in San Francisco.”
“Where?”
“The big hotels. If she’s got money, she’s going to want to enjoy it.”
“And if she’s not here?”
“If she’s not here, she could have gone the other way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Back east. New York, maybe.”
“You think that’s likely?”
“No. There’s more gambling here.”
Decker started to think that maybe he’d made a mistake coming here. He was more comfortable following a trail on horseback, no matter how faint it was. Here in San Francisco there were just too many damned people, and too many places to hide.
Still, he’d started this, and he was determined to finish it.
“So then I simply start making the rounds of all the hotels in Portsmouth Square?”
“Not only the Square.”
“She wouldn’t go down to the Barbary Coast, or Chinatown, would she?”
“Let’s examine what we know about this woman, Deck. She’s unorthodox, to say the least. She takes on big odds when she works a bank, or a stage. Would a lady like that be afraid of a Barbary Coast saloon, or a Chinatown gambling den?”
“No, she’d welcome the challenge.”
“That’s right. My guess is if she’s here she’ll dress up to the nines and try everything. You’re looking at one very attractive lady who more than likely is gonna be somewhere where she sticks out like a sore thumb—and you might find her in the Square, with all the other dressed up swells.”
“That’s great,” Decker said. “What you’re telling, me is that she could be anywhere in San Francisco.”
“That’s what I’m telling you.”
“I didn’t need you to tell me that, Duke.”
Duke smiled and spread his hands.
“You’re my friend, Deck. I want to see you relax and have a good time.”
“So you keep me waiting for information I could have figured out myself.”
“Waiting and relaxing.”
“Well, the relaxing is over,” Decker said, “and so is the waiting.”
Decker stood up to leave, and Duke said, “Wait for me.”
“Wh
at for?”
Duke stood up and said, “You can’t go into the Square looking like that. I’m taking you to my tailor to get you a decent suit.”
“What the hell do I need a—”
“If you don’t get a decent suit, Decker,” Duke said, “you’re the one who’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.”
Chapter Ten
Decker was real uncomfortable.
The black broadcloth suit he was wearing cost more than what he’d probably spent on clothes in the past year, and yet he had to admit that Duke had been right. If he’d walked into a Portsmouth Square hotel wearing anything less expensive, he would have been the center of attention.
Besides, Duke had paid for it and told Decker he could take his time paying him back.
Then there was the gun he was wearing in a shoulder rig. A short-barreled .45. It was Duke’s and he’d loaned it to Decker so he wouldn’t walk into one of those hotels wearing a gun on his hip. That was another way of attracting attention.
So dressed the way he was, Decker should have gone unnoticed when he walked into the Alhambra—but he didn’t.
A man playing the roulette wheel happened to look up as Decker entered, and froze. He didn’t even notice when his number came up, and for that reason left the money to ride again, and lost it on the next spin.
Decker didn’t notice the man, and probably wouldn’t have recognized him even if he had.
Decker walked through the casino, examining the women. Some of them examined him back, others turned their heads away, still others did not notice. As far as Decker was concerned, none of these women fit the bill. He had a hunch that he’d know the right woman when he saw her.
“Are you alone?”
He turned in the direction of the voice and saw a pretty young woman with dark hair and a low bodice.
“Yes.”
“Looking for some company?”
“What kind of company?”
“Somebody to help you lose your money.”
He laughed. She probably worked for the hotel as a shill, but he liked her.
“Where would you suggest we lose it first?”
“How about blackjack?”
“Let’s go.”
She linked her arm in his and led him over to the blackjack table.
On the first deal he got blackjack, and had to be paid off immediately. On the second deal it took three cards, but once again he was dealt twenty-one, and was paid off.
“You’re gonna make me lose my job if you keep that up,” she said, pulling him away from the table. Suddenly, she realized what she had said and put her hand to her mouth. “I didn’t mean—”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I figured you worked for the hotel.”
“We’re not supposed to tell—”
“How about a drink?” he asked. “I can’t win any money buying you a drink.”
“All right.”
She walked him through a large, ornately decorated dining room to a long, mahogany bar.
“What will you have?” he asked.
“Champagne,” she said, automatically. “I’m sorry, I’m supposed to—”
“Get the lady some champagne,” he said, “and I’ll have a beer.” He looked at her and said, “It’s all right, don’t worry about it.”
She smiled wanly.
“Are you new at this?”
She nodded and said, “Brand new.”
“First night?”
She nodded.
He leaned over and asked, “First customer?”
She hesitated, and then nodded.
The drinks came and he handed her the glass of champagne, and picked up his beer.
“Here’s to your first night on the job.”
She smiled and sipped her champagne, then wrinkled her nose.
“I’ve never tasted champagne before.”
“What’s your name?”
“Sally Tucker. What’s yours?”
“Decker. How did you get this job, Sally?”
“My sister works here. She talked to the boss. I think she’s sleeping with him.”
“And what about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you prepared to sleep with your customers if you have to?”
“Mr. Van Gelder didn’t say anything about that.”
“Van Gelder. He owns this place?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say was your job?”
“To get the men to spend money, or lose it.”
“But not to sleep with them?”
“No…I don’t think so.”
“You’d better ask your sister about that.”
“Why…do you want to sleep with me?”
He gave her a frank appraisal. Beneath the makeup she was wearing she appeared to be all of nineteen, but she filled the dress out firmly, with enough creamy cleavage to attract any man.
“I’d have to be crazy not to want to…but that wasn’t what I had in mind when I came in.”
“Aren’t I…attractive enough?” she asked. Just a couple of sips of champagne seemed already to be having an effect on her.
“You’re lovely, Sally. I just have some other business to attend to.”
“I see.”
He couldn’t figure out if she was afraid he’d say yes, or insulted that he’d said no.
“Sally…uh, you’re not a virgin, are you?”
“Of course not,” she said, her face reddening. “Well, not exactly, anyway. I mean, I’ve been with a man…twice.”
“I see.”
“It was back home, in Kansas. Andy Tyler lived nearby, and was always after us—”
“Us?”
“Me and my sisters. The Tyler boys—there was four of them. Andy was the oldest, and they were always sniffing around us. Pa told us to stay away from them, but Annie—she’s my sister who works here—she took all four of them into the barn every once in a while, even the younger one, Johnny—he was only fourteen years old.”
“Your sister sounds like a lot of fun.”
“Anyway, after Annie left and came to San Francisco, the Tyler boys expected me and my other sister—Denise, she’s younger than me by a couple of years—they expected us to take up where Annie left off.”
“And you did?”
“Only to keep them away from Denise,” she said, defensively. “I did it with Andy twice, and then Pa found out and ran them off.” She started to laugh and then said, “He filled little Johnny’s butt full of birdshot.”
He noticed that she was almost finished with her glass of champagne, and was already tipsy. Champagne was certainly new to her.
“Where’s your sister now?”
“She’s in the casino. She said she found a live one, a big heavyset man with a red face and a full wallet.”
“Why don’t you wait here. I want to meet her.”
“You won’t have trouble finding her, she looks like me—only prettier. I’ll wait here and have another little glass of champagne.”
He left her there and went to find her sister. It was none of his business, but he didn’t think Sally belonged in a place like the Alhambra.
Chapter Eleven
Lou Jackman saw Decker come out of the dining room and breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought he’d lost sight of the bounty hunter who’d killed his father. It had happened four years ago, but Jackman remembered it as if it were yesterday. He’d sworn on his father’s grave that he’d find Decker and kill him, but he had never run across his trail—until now.
He pushed away from the roulette table and kept his eyes on Decker.
Decker knew Annie Tucker as soon as he saw her standing at the faro table. She was several years older than her sister, Sally, and very beautiful. The resemblance was strong between the two women—the black hair, the creamy cleavage.
“Excuse me,” he said, approaching her. “Miss Tucker?”
Annie Tucker turned away from the heavyset man whose arm she was holding and
looked at Decker. “Do I know you?” she asked.
“No, ma’am, but I know your sister.”
“Sally?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What about her?”
“She’s in the bar, drunk.”
“You got her drunk?”
“One glass of champagne got her drunk, and if she were with another man, Miss Tucker, she’d probably already be in a hotel room, undressed.”
“Oh?” Annie Tucker said, raising one eyebrow. “But not with you?”
“No, ma’am, not with me. It’s probably none of my business, Miss Tucker, but I don’t think Sally belongs here.”
“Hey, friend,” the heavyset man said, looking past Annie Tucker at Decker, “go get your own girl. This one’s bringing me luck.”
“Take it easy, pal. I’m just talking to her.”
The man turned and pushed Annie Tucker away so that he could face Decker. He was not as tall as Decker, but he outweighed him by fifty pounds easily—and not all of it was fat.
“I know you’re talking to her. I told you to go find somebody else.”
There was a tense moment when Decker thought things were going to get out of hand, but Annie Tucker’s quick thinking solved the problem. She rose onto her toes and spoke into the man’s ear.
“Oh, yeah?” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “I’ll only be a moment.”
“Well, all right.” The man looked at Decker and said, “The little lady just saved you from a beating, friend.”
“I’ll have to thank her for it.”
“You do that.”
“Come on,” Annie Tucker said taking Decker’s arm. “Show me where she is.”
Jackman saw Decker heading for the dining room with another woman. He knew he was going to have to move now. Jackman cleared the roulette table, and drew his gun from his shoulder harness.
The heavyset man at the faro table saw the movement and knew what was going to happen.
“Hey, pal!” he shouted.
Decker heard the shout, and pushed Annie Tucker away from him with his left hand. With his right he dug into his jacket for his gun, but snagged the gun on his jacket.
Decker felt the bullet hit him in the left shoulder as he pulled his gun free. He dropped down, hoping to avoid being hit a second time, and turned quickly. The man was just starting to fire again when Decker pulled the trigger of his gun. His shot struck the man in the throat, killing him instantly.
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