Silver Creek - G.L. Snodgrass Page 0,25

looking into the death of Tom Johnson.”

The banker nodded as he folded his hands across his stomach. His eyes narrowed, looking for a trap.

“I was wondering,” Luke continued, “if you can tell me anything about this Travers, the man Tom sold the ranch to. You don’t see a lot of cowboys walking around with a thousand dollars in silver. Did he get it here at the bank?”

Tuthill frowned as he studied Luke for a long moment then shook his head. “I’m sorry Mr. Parker. But I normally make it a habit to never discuss bank business. It just wouldn’t be right.”

Luke felt his gut tighten. “Even for a murder, Tom Johnson was a good man.”

Mr. Tuthill shrugged. “I am sure he was. I didn’t know him personally, he didn’t keep his money here in the bank. In reality, the man probably never had enough to make it worth his while.”

A cold tightness filled Luke. That oh so familiar feeling of violence scratching at the edges, begging to be released.

“I am sorry,” the banker continued, “but you can imagine how quickly I would be out of business if people heard I was talking about them.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed and he saw the man recognize the anger building inside of him. The banker swallowed then said, “But … I can tell you. That Travers was not a customer of this bank. In fact, we have never met.”

Luke sighed, it was the most he was going to get from this man.

He thought back to the rest of the discussions he had held with the townspeople. There wasn’t a sense of guilt in their responses. People weren’t hiding things. They didn’t know. Tom had been liked and people out here weren’t exactly the weak type of people who scared easy. There were quite a few theories, mostly gathering around the Feltons. But not any proof, just rumors.

Luke did pick up on the fact that the Feltons had ruffled more than a few feathers. They had become too big, too important, but that wasn’t enough to prove murder.

Once again, he’d hit a wall. The lack of progress was eating at his gut. He was walking past the general store when the door opened and an Indian Brave and his family stepped out. Tall, proud, with long black hair tied off with a leather thong, the man stared at Luke, daring him to say something.

Luke nodded as he quickly examined the beadwork on the woman’s belt. Shoshone, if he had to guess. They were a little far south, but not too far. Maybe they were down from the Duke River Valley area. She held the hand of a small Indian boy and a parcel wrapped in brown paper.

“Ma’am,” he said as he tipped his hat to her and smiled. Her expression didn’t change but he knew she was surprised to be treated the same as any other lady he might meet.

Her husband glared at him for a long moment then said, “You are the man who seeks Johnson’s killer.”

Luke was at first stunned that once again, there were no secrets in this land. Except those that eluded him. Then he was slightly surprised at the man’s grasp of English but he knew things had been changing. More and more of the Indians were learning the language. Once again, he thought about how much he had missed by being away for four years.

“Did you know Johnson?” he asked. “I am an old friend. We walked the same trail together.”

The tall Indian studied him for a moment then touched his chest with a closed fist, “I am Kwe’-Nal, Red Hawk. A friend of Rebec-ca, she of the golden hair.”

A small sense of jealousy filled Luke. This man had spent time with Becky while he was off fighting a war on the other side of the country. Then suddenly he thought about the local Indians. They had more than enough reason to have killed a settler. The horse was missing, another indication it might have been Indians. But something inside of him told him this had been a white man. There were too many coincidences.

“If you know who killed him, I would appreciate it if you told me. I would see that Johnson’s spirit rests easy.”

Red Hawk frowned. “If I knew, the man would already have met his death.” Then nodding with his head, he guided his wife and son down the boardwalk and around the corner of the building.

Luke watched them go and slowly shook his head. It took