Don't Poke the Bear!

Chapter 29

"ROSE?"

She steps past me and hits Bose over the head with her gun. It wasn't a skull-smashin' hit, more of a tap, just enough to knock him unconscious again. Then she says, "We need to get him out of here."

"I aim to kill him."

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I won't let you kill him."

"Why?"

She says, "It's too late. They're coming."

"Who?"

She nods to the area where my door used to be. "The whole town."

Rose is right. Within seconds there's thirty people pushin' through the front openin'. I give Rose an angry look. Thanks to her, I lost my one opportunity to murder Bose Rennick in cold blood.

Within moments the town wants to lynch him. I'd be one of 'em sayin' the same thing, 'cept for this cloth badge in my pocket. The badge changes everythin'. I don't know the law as well as some, but I know the badge won't let me hang a man without a trial. I find myself havin' to protect the very man I would a' killed a minute earlier if I hadn't been interrupted.

A lot of things that happened tonight don't make sense. Like how come Bose's gun didn't fire six straight times? And how could mine misfire three? In my entire life-even with wet ammunition-I never saw six, or even three straight misfires. And both at the same time? Impossible. And why wouldn't Rose let me kill him? And what happened to Gentry and Wing Ding? They were both in the kitchen when Bose came through. How could they not have seen him, or remained quiet when I started shootin' in the very next room? Or when the dynamite went off right outside the door? And how could Bose walk right past Rudy without seein' him? Like I say, it don't make sense.

And now, suddenly, Gentry's by my side, and Wing is helpin' me drag Bose Rennick to my indoor jail hole. Who'd a' thought he'd be my first prisoner? I'm not happy about him bein' alive, but the good news is, he ain't goin' anywhere, and he'll be easy to convict.

Before tossin' him in the hole, we clean out his pockets and find a knife, two derringers, sixteen bullets and eighty-eight dollars. After lockin' him up, we go out front to search Sam Hartman's pockets, but learn there ain't enough of Sam to search. After a few minutes we're able to find a few chunks of him, and Wing says his uncle will bury Sam's bones for free if his hogs can eat the meat off 'em. That sounds like a fair trade to me, and when no one objects, that's what we do.

I hire several men to help us clean the main room of the Spur. I can't patch the door till the lumber shipment arrives from St. Joe tomorrow, so that's an issue. Another is Rose. I can't find a private place to talk to her, so I ask her to come with me to Shrug's room. When we get there, somethin' else ain't right.

"Where's Shrug?"

"He left before they got here."

"When?"

"While you were talking to the Murphys."

I frown. "Did you see him leave?"

"What difference does it make?"

"Well, is he okay?"

"He's fine. I made him go."

"Why?"

"I was afraid he'd kill Bose to protect you."

"Where did he go?"

She looks up at the ceilin'.

"What," I say. "On the roof?"

"In the attic."

"He's in the attic now?"

Rose shrugs.

"Why can't I hear him?"

She smiles.

"What happened to Gentry?" I say.

"I cleared her head."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It's like she's awake, but sleeping."

"And Bose?"

"I felt him coming, and fixed it so he couldn't see me, Wing, Gentry or Rudy."

"You fixed it."

"Right."

"And his gun?"

"I fixed that, too."

"And mine?"

"Yes."

"But you let me shoot the first three shots."

"I did."

"You let me kill Sam Hartman."

"Yes."

"But not Bose."

She says nothin' in reply.

I stare at her for a long time without speakin'. Finally I say, "I've known you for years."

"Yes."

I take a deep breath, let it out slowly. "You owe me an explanation, Rose."

She nods.

"Well?"

"It's hard to explain. I'm not sure where to start."

"Start at the beginnin'."

"That's too much to tell."

"Then tell me this. Why did you stop me from killin' Bose Rennick?"

Rose is a beautiful woman. Her hair is black as coal, and her eyes change dependin' on what she wears. Right now they're the color of an almond husk, with a light green tinge around the circle in the center. Her skin is milky white and never darkens, even after months outdoors in the sun. She's slight in size, though well-conformed and proportional. Her hips ain't suited to birthin', but still manage to draw admirin' glances from men and women alike. I notice all this about her 'cause there ain't much else to do till she answers my question.

Which she finally does.

"You and Bose are linked together," she says.

"We're what?"

"Linked. Your destinies. You're tied together in life."

"By what?"

"Common purpose."

"Which is?"

"That I can't tell you."

"Well, you ain't told me nothin' then, have you?"

I can tell she's strugglin' to think of a way to tell me somethin', without tellin' me everythin'.

She bites the corner of her lower lip and starts over.