breast wasn’t particularly big or pretty, but she’d gotten him to look and that had been her purpose. She leaned back and crossed her legs as she downed her drink. “The old witch who runs the joint has a Texas Ranger trapped somewhere around the place. She claims he’s a murderer, and no one here argues with her. Everyone on the wrong side of the law has a relative or friend who was killed by the rangers. The witch, Toledo by name, is holding an auction to see who wants to be his executioner. She calls it ‘helping him get home,’ but we all know whoever takes the ranger won’t be sending him nowhere but to the grave.
“Those who have the money are planning to bid. Those who don’t will bet on how the ranger meets his end. The favorite way is hanging or maybe firing squad, but a few are placing money on the more unusual ways.”
“Doesn’t sound like a bet I’d want in on.” Lewt motioned the bartender to bring the girl another drink. She’d earned it.
He wanted to ask more questions, but he had a feeling her lips were just as loose talking to the guards as to him. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention. “Good food,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be.”
The girl smiled as she took her new drink. “That it is. Toledo found two women wandering around down here about six months back. They said they were murderers on the run. We all thought they were touched in the head. Appears they’re sisters. Walking proof craziness runs in families. Toledo offered them a job in the kitchen ’cause the food was so bad the pigs wouldn’t eat it.” She raised her empty glass and continued. “The sisters were so good, she fired the worthless cook she had and kept them on. Pays them a good salary but charges them for board. They’ll probably never make enough to get out of here, and even if they did, where would they go?”
Lewt smiled as he finished off his meal. “Aren’t you afraid they’ll murder you one day? After all, women don’t usually kill, but once they pick it up, it’s something they tend to make a habit of.”
“No. Even if they thought of it, Toledo keeps a guard in the kitchen.”
“Why?”
The girl shrugged. “I don’t know. None of us have been allowed in there for a week. We take our meals at a table behind the bar. The guards are the only ones allowed to eat in the kitchen, and they take full advantage. Every last one of them is getting fat, and the rest of us feel like all we ever get is the leftovers.”
Lewt didn’t have to ask more. He knew where Duncan was. In this country, Toledo would have wanted him close. In the barn, it would be too easy for someone to steal or kill him. And if she had him here, it made sense there would be a guard near.
“I better get back to the game, honey, but when I finish, I’ll book some time with you if I have enough money left. Until then, why don’t you have a bottle on me and rest a spell?”
“Sounds good,” she said. “I might just call it a night. I’m in room three, so just come on in if you’re interested in a little fun later. If I don’t wake up, leave the money.”
“I’ll do that,” he said, thinking that after kissing Em he never wanted to sleep with a woman who didn’t ask or care what his name was. In fact, even if all he ever did was kiss Em, that would be far better than sleeping the rest of his life with someone like this.
He gave her money enough to buy a bottle and watched the girl go to the bar, pick up a full bottle, and disappear down the hallway to her room. He knew he wouldn’t see her for hours, and when he did she’d be too hung over to remember him or anything they’d talked about.
Lewt stood and returned to the game. He played through the night, losing a little more than he won. He watched everything around him.
The old lady on the walk above disappeared about ten and never returned. The guards became far less interested in their jobs once she’d vanished. A few ordered drink after drink. About two in the morning one of the guards pulled a saloon girl into