The Ghost's Redemption

Chapter 3

Ethan

I step down from my stud bay horse as I finally arrive to the town where I was assigned my next job. I was not told who I would be tracking down, only that Sheriff McNeily needed a efficient bounty hunter and I was the man for the job. I have not heard much about about Sheriff McNeily, which is either a good or bad thing, I hope to figure it out soon. 

I looped the reins around the hitching post then walked to the front door of McNeily's department. I wasted no time walking into the office, seeing a drunken plow boy in the locked up cell, two deputies playing with cards, and the man with the badge sitting with his legs on his desk. "Afternoon." The man greets me. 

"Afternoon," I say as I take my hat off, running my fingers through my hair, "You Sheriff McNeily?" 

"That's what it says don't it?" A deputy retorts at me, earning an unimpressed look from me and the sheriff. 

"Shut it Butch.. What can I do for you?" Butch goes back to playing cards with an annoyed look on his face. 

I shrug it off and turn fully to the sheriff, "I'm Ethan Hill, I was sent by Marshall Dugger." I say, then the sheriff stands up and holds out his hand for me to take. 

I grasp his hand and firmly shake it, "Henry McNeily. I'm happy to see you, sit." He offers me and I gladly sit down down on the plush seat. My ass feels immediate relief instead of a uncomfortable leather saddle. 

"So," I start, "Who's the lucky man?" I sigh as I look at the sheriff. 

"That's the spur, no one knows if it's a man or woman." I was surprised to hear this, a possible female outlaw? This will be a first for me. 

"It's a girl." A voice says from behind us, I turn to see the other deputy looking at us. 

"You don't know what you're talking about Earl." Butch mumbles as he studies his cards. 

"The hell I don't." He bites back, "I saw the hair fall from under her hat, long black hair. And unless you know of any men that have that long of hair, I'm saying it's a girl." He says confidently and then goes back to playing his hand. 

"Long black hair, do we know anything else about this person?" I ask the sheriff. 

He looks beat, "Nothing much. Just that he or she is called The Ghost because one moment you see him or her, and the next moment they're gone."

"So he's quick minded and fast footed?"

"She!" Earl thinks to correct me, but I pay no attention to him. 

"Yes, but incredibly good at hiding. He or she is absurdly smart, never leaves tracks or anything that could give away their identity."

I scrunch my eyebrows at the sheriff, "So no one has seen their face?" 

"She wears rags to cover her face, you can barely see her eyes." Earl speaks again. 

Fed up with his intruding, I turn in my chair to look at him, "And how do you know so much about this ghost, deputy?" 

"I got an encounter w'her, mister." Earl defends himself, but then Butch chuckles to himself. 

"Whoever it is, tied him to a tree." A slight smile appears on my face, it's pretty hard to be tied to a tree if conscious. 

"She's strong for a girl." Earl defends himself as he slams his card down on the table. 

I turn back to Henry, "Do you have any suspicion to who it is?" I ask him with a business tone.