Troubleshooter

by Alan David

  ‘More killing? I can’t stand by and let you go on the rampage, Chet. You know that.’

  ‘I ain’t gonna kill anyone else unless I have to. I’ve got a lead I wanta follow up. Will you keep it quiet about me killing those two for a spell? There’s an outside chance I can bring Yaro into the open.’

  ‘Okay!’ Chilvers spoke without hesitation, but there was disbelief on his face. ‘I’ll give you a little time. But keep me informed, huh?’

  ‘You’ll be the first to know anything that breaks,’ Manning promised grimly. ‘But you could do me a favour. I ain’t got time to go to the depot to check if there are any messages for me. Will you go along? I’ll be back here in about thirty minutes.’

  ‘Sure will. Anything to help out that might bring Yaro in.’ Chilvers hitched up his gunbelt. ‘Where are you going, just in case you get into trouble?’

  ‘The Big Chance. I wanta talk to Monte Hudson. But don’t come over there, Hank. I’ll see you back here.’

  The marshal nodded and set off towards the station, and Manning went on to the saloon. He found the establishment open but deserted, and crossed to the bar, his boots echoing on the boards. Helping himself to a drink, he sank a couple of whiskies and then went to Hudson’s office, opening the door without knocking. Monte Hudson was at his desk, checking his books, his jacket hung on the back of his chair and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked up quickly, then grinned a trifle uneasily.

  ‘Chet! Hell, you startled me. I didn’t hear you knock.’

  Manning closed the door and paused to regard the saloon man’s smooth face. Hudson frowned, got to his feet and came around the desk to confront him.

  ‘What’s on your mind, Chet? You look like you’ve had trouble. Is that fresh blood on you?’

  ‘Yeah. You saw those two hardcases in here last night? I heard tell their names were Creed and Penner.’ Manning described them and Hudson nodded.

  ‘I noticed them,’ he admitted.

  Manning explained how he had killed them, and saw Hudson’s face pale, but a wariness came into the saloon man’s eyes.

  ‘Yeah,’ Manning grated. ‘You got good reason to look scared, Monte. Glory was the bait to get me into the trap. Now you better tell me how you came to be in Miller’s Crossing with her, just waiting for me to show up. It wasn’t no coincidence, huh?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Hudson protested.

  ‘Then I’ll make it simple for you. Where did you meet Glory?’

  ‘She came into the saloon asking for a job.’

  ‘Outa the blue, just like that?’ Manning grinned. ‘Did she show up here or while you was at Miller’s Crossing yesterday?’

  ‘Miller’s Crossing.’ Hudson was mumbling now, and Manning clenched his right fist and threw a punch without warning, slamming his raw-boned knuckles deep into Hudson’s paunch. The saloonman doubled up and crashed to the floor, rolling upon his back and gasping for breath. Manning reached for him, dragging him to his feet, and there were tears streaming down Hudson’s cheeks. His face was pale and he had difficulty getting his breath.

  ‘I know when a man is lying, Monte. You gotta do better than that. I was near killed this morning, and someone is gonna pay for setting me up. Now tell me about Glory. Who is she and where did she come from? Better than that, tell me how you got mixed up with her.’

  ‘I don’t know a damn thing, Chet! For God’s sake! I have trouble with my gut. Don’t hit me again.’

  ‘Must be all that cheap rotgut,’ Manning retorted mercilessly. ‘Start talking or I’ll spill your guts all over the floor.’ He doubled his hand into a fist again and raised it threateningly.

  ‘Hold it, for Chrissakes!’ Hudson cowered. ‘Hell, it’s more than my life is worth to open up to you, Chet. We done each other some good turns in the past.’

  ‘Hell, there’s nothing personal in this.’ Manning grinned. ‘I’m just trying to get at the truth. I wanta know what the set-up is. I like you, Monte, and always have, but I’ll kill you if I have to.’

  He slammed his fist into Hudson’s belly again, and the man jack-knifed as if he’d been poleaxed, falling to the floor, vomiting and choking. Manning walked to the desk and picked up a whisky bottle. He removed the cork with his teeth, spat it into a corner, and drank deeply.

  ‘Don’t waste my time, Monte,’ he warned, watching the saloon man trying to sit up. ‘I’m in a helluva hurry. If you got anything to say then spit it out. I promise you that if you’re not actively involved against the Railroad then it won’t go any further between us. You’ve got a lot to lose. How many saloons do you own in our Area?’

  ‘God, Chet, help me into a chair.’ Hudson could not get to his feet, and Manning went to him, hauling him upright and half-carrying him to the desk, where he thrust him into his seat. ‘Listen, you know the way Ben Yaro operates. I had to go along with him or he would have run me out of business or killed me.’

  ‘That’s nice to know. You also understand that if you don’t go along with me I’ll do the same as Yaro, only worse.’ A harsh note crept into Manning’s voice. ‘We know someone on the Railroad has been tipping off all the gangs who robbed us, and Yaro is no exception. He’s got the same contact.’

  ‘I don’t know anything about that. Jay Kelly is the contact with Yaro. They put pressure on me to let Glory use my place. I didn’t even know why she was in town.’

  ‘But she asked to meet me, huh?’

  Hudson nodded reluctantly. ‘They said it wouldn’t take long,’ he admitted.

  ‘You must have guessed they were gonna try and wipe me out. I’m surprised at you, Monte. You’ve gone down in my estimation. Okay, so that cheap gambler Kelly is Yaro’s contact. Who is it on the Railroad side who meets Kelly?’

  ‘Chet, I swear to God I don’t know. You don’t figure they would let me in on that deal, do you? You’ll have to ask Kelly about it. He has got a source of information. That’s how come the gangs know which train to hit.’

  ‘That much we’ve got figured out.’ Manning nodded. ‘Okay, Monte, I’ll take your word for it now, but I will find out if you are lying or holding back, and if you are I’ll come back and open up your guts. Is there anything else you can tell me? It’ll be too late for you once I’ve left the place.’

  ‘You’ve got it all, Chet. I swear it.’ Hudson sagged in his seat, groaning and holding his stomach.

  ‘Okay. Now do me a favour. I figure you owe me one’

  ‘Anything you say!’

  ‘Don’t warn Kelly that I’m wise to him. Don’t say a word about me coming here to talk to you. If there is a leak about this I’ll blame you whether you’re responsible or not, and if I have to come for you then you’d better have your prayers said. You got that?’

  ‘Don’t worry. I’m staying out of this. I don’t want no part of it. But watch out for Kelly, Chet. He’s a snake.’

  ‘They’re all snakes.’ Manning turned to the door. ‘I’ll be seeing you, Monte. Just keep your lip buttoned.’

  Leaving the saloon, Manning walked back to the law office. Hank Chilvers was coming along the street from the depot, and Manning entered the office to await the marshal’s arrival. He sat down on a corner of the desk and considered the situation. Should he brace Jay Kelly or not? He had a chance of busting this crooked business wide open. But would Kelly talk and, if he did, who would be exposed? He shook his head. Matters were building up to a climax, and there would be a lot of trouble for someone. Only one thing was certain, to his way of thinking, and that was his own salvation. He would prove himself a match for Ben Yaro and wipe out the disgrace which faced him over the massacre at end of track. If he lost his life in accomplishing success it would not matter. He had always been ready to die for the Railroad. His father had done so, and he, in his turn, could do no less.

  ‘Chet, there sure has been some bad things done at end of track,’ Chilvers said, entering the office. ‘Several messages have come through for you. Most of the
m contain news about what happened, and Asa wants all the supplies that can be found sent out there. The construction work will have to go ahead. Ike Mozee might live. The Doc has been real busy, but they’re already cleaning up. Asa says you’ve got to keep an eye on town here and make sure nothing else happens.’

  ‘How in hell can I do that?’ Manning protested. ‘There’s no way of stopping Yaro from striking. He can pick and choose his time and place. It’s impossible to lay an ambush for him unless we feed him false information.’ He paused, clenching his teeth, and considered Jay Kelly again. ‘Hank, you know Jay Kelly very well,’ he mused.

  ‘Sure do! He cheats at poker but I can’t catch him.’

  ‘Have you seen him specially friendly with any of the Railmen in town? You know we’ve got a leakage of information somewhere high up, and I believe that Kelly is the go-between. This you better keep to yourself for now. I don’t even want Asa to know about it.’

  ‘If you’ve found that out then you’re really pushing things along,’ Chilvers said thoughtfully. ‘But I ain’t seen him hobnobbing with anyone in particular. If he is getting information then it’ll be in some dark corner, huh?’

  ‘You’re right.’ Manning sighed and got to his feet. ‘I’ll be around town. I’m going to Asa’s now to scrounge some grub. But I got a lot to do around here later. Did Asa say when he’d be coming back? I expect he’ll hang on at end of track with Ike Mozee being out of it.’

  ‘Yeah. He’s running the camp, and he’s hopping mad. He’s gonna wage all-out war on Yaro, and I wouldn’t wanta be in that crook’s boots for anything.’

  ‘He’ll have to work fast if he wants to get in ahead of me,’ Manning retorted, moving to the door. ‘I’ve got a big score to settle with Yaro, and I’m moving closer to the day when the reckoning will come. See you later, Hank.’

  ‘Watch your step,’ the marshal warned, and Manning grinned and departed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was the day after the raid on the construction camp when Willard received a wire from Asa ordering him back to Buffalo Junction to run the office there in his father’s absence. He was reluctant to obey for the night before Ben Yaro had given him explicit instructions on what he had to do for the gang. He waited for the midday train north with growing uneasiness, for he realised that he was completely out of his depth with Yaro. In the past, giving information to two-bit crooks like Delmont, he had merely assisted in stealing money from the Railroad. But Yaro was dealing in wholesale death and destruction, and even Willard’s mean, narrow-minded attitude was shocked by what was happening now. And worse was to come, judging by Yaro’s further orders. He had to go back to Buffalo Junction as soon as possible and gather information about S & W’s plans for hitting back, and also to plot the best way for Yaro to hit the regular lines of the Railroad in order to bring the entire Company to a standstill.

  The midday train arrived two hours late, and Willard boarded it for the short run north. He sat slumped in his seat, thinking deeply about the whole affair, wondering if he should cut his losses and make a run for the East before Yaro finished him completely.

  He detrained at Buffalo Junction and asked the telegraph operator for a run-down on the latest situation. The only thing that pleased him was the news that Chet Manning was in bad trouble for the attack on the camp and practically suspended from duty. He learned that his father was due to return later to check upon the requisitioning of further supplies for end of track, where work on salvaging what had not been destroyed was going apace.

  ‘I’ll be in my father’s office,’ Willard told the operators. ‘That’s where you’ll find me if you need me. But first I got to go home for a few minutes.’

  ‘Okay,’ the operator responded without much enthusiasm.

  Willard crossed the street to the house. Netta was in the parlour, and she started nervously at sight of him. He saw the fear which came to her face and smiled grimly, for Netta and he would have an encounter which had been ordained by destiny, and the time for it was near at hand. He felt the stirring in his loins and clenched his teeth as he considered how he was always thwarted. But there was a glitter to Netta’s gaze which he had not seen before, and he frowned as he studied her intent features before deciding that she was probably still shocked by the news from end of track.

  ‘You’re back,’ Netta said needlessly.

  ‘Don’t sound so disappointed. I know you’re not glad to see me.’

  ‘Is that surprising?’ She spoke with unaccustomed spirit. ‘I think it would be better if we kept out of each other’s way, Willard.’

  ‘Just as you like.’ He feigned disinterest, but a pang nagged through him and he glanced away so that she would not see the lust which flamed in his eyes. He clenched his hands. ‘Where is Manning? I heard that he’s in a lot of trouble.’

  ‘You needn’t sound so pleased. There aren’t many people you like, Willard. But what have you got against Chet?’

  ‘I like you,’ he retorted boldly, ignoring her question. ‘Where’s my mother got to?’

  ‘She went to the store.’

  Willard wondered if he had enough time to take advantage of the situation but decided against it. He didn’t want his mother walking in on them. The experience of many years ago, when his father had caught him groping Netta, came back to him, and his soul seemed to writhe under the mental agony it invoked. He sighed.

  ‘Tell her I’ll be in the office at the depot,’ he said curtly, ‘and if you see anything of Manning you can tell him that I’m back and taking over in town.’ He saw the change of expression in Netta’s countenance at mention of Manning and narrowed his eyes. Had the big troubleshooter got in first with this girl?

  He left the house before his desires overcame his control. Crossing the street, he glanced around, and his heart seemed to miss a beat when he saw Jay Kelly coming towards him. He ignored the man’s signal, pretending to look away casually, and hurried into the depot to the office. Kelly would not dare show his face there, and Willard sat down at the desk, feeling nervous, with sweat beading his brow.

  The afternoon passed and he went back to the house later for supper. Aunt Polly was in the kitchen and he forced a smile when she greeted him warmly.

  ‘What a dreadful business at end of track,’ she commented. ‘I’m so glad you were in Broken Rail out of the way. Have you heard anything from the camp? Is your father coming home today?’

  ‘He intended returning to chase up supplies, but when he learned that I’d returned he left it to me. He should be back tomorrow. He’s still got a lot of work to do out there.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re able to step into your father’s boots, but watch out for trouble, Willard.’

  ‘You can’t keep me in wraps,’ he retorted. ‘I got to take my chances like everyone else. But I’m doing my job. That’s more than you can say for Manning.’

  Aunt Polly shook her head. ‘I wish you two were more friendly towards each other. I don’t think it’s Chet. You’re the one with the chip on your shoulder, Willard. I don’t know what to make of you. Why are you so sullen and aloof? Don’t you like your life here?’

  He smiled and turned away. ‘I’ll be in the parlour,’ he said. ‘Call me when supper is ready, will you?’

  She shook her head as she watched him depart, and wished he would confide in her. He had great problems, she knew, but could not put her finger on them.

  Willard entered the parlour, eager to set eyes upon Netta, but paused in the doorway when he discovered that she was not alone. Chet Manning was seated with the girl and they were talking, their heads close together.

  ‘Howdy,’ Manning greeted. ‘Heard you’d got back from Broken Rail. Everything okay out there?’

  ‘Yeah, which is more than you can say for end of track. How did Yaro happen to take you unprepared like that?’

  ‘Yaro is coming to the end of his rope,’ Manning retorted harshly, and Willard felt a pang of fear.

  ‘Are you on to someth
ing?’ he demanded.

  ‘Me?’ Manning chuckled harshly. ‘You’re kidding! I’m practically suspended from duty and kicking my heels around town. It’s your father’s show now, not mine.’

  Willard sat down and remained silent, lost in thought. He was scared that Yaro would be caught and, in the resultant breakdown, his own part in the crooked business might be exposed. Netta seemed awkward in Willard’s presence, and Manning soon arose to take his leave.

  ‘Aren’t you staying to supper?’ Netta asked, dismay plain in her tone.

  ‘Sorry. I got other things to do.’ Manning smiled. ‘See you tomorrow. Asa should be back then and perhaps we can get something sorted out.’

  ‘No need to tell me which way the wind is blowing,’ Willard sneered when the door closed behind Manning. ‘So you’re setting your cap at him!’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she responded, getting to her feet. ‘I’ll go and help Aunt Polly.’

  Willard sat alone until he was called into the kitchen, and by the time the meal was over he had decided not to go out for the evening. He had no wish to see Kelly, and knew the gambler would make a point of confronting him if he showed himself along the street. But he could not avoid the man for long because Yaro would have passed on instructions and Kelly would make it his business to find out what Willard had discovered.

  Yaro really wanted to know which train would be best to hi-jack for a raid south along the line towards El Paso. Willard knew what was in Yaro’s mind. The gang was going to attack each depot along the track, destroying everything of value, and by the time the foray was over S & W would probably be out of business. It was not for love of the Railroad or respect for his father that made Willard reluctant to supply the information. He wanted Yaro to continue robbing the trains carrying valuables so that he could amass enough capital to enable him to head east.

  ‘What’s worrying you, Willard?’ Aunt Polly demanded, breaking into his thoughts. ‘You’re not the same man any more. Is your job too much for you?’