It was a list of several names with notes after some of them.
At the top of the list was Henry Toole. After the name, Marshal Andrews had written,Short. Scarred-up face. Late twenties, early thirties. Short brown hair. Unknown eye color. Surly disposition. Likes to fight. Probably the leader. From what I hear, he’s been wanting to start up an outlaw gang. Maybe this was his baptism by fire.
Glancing at the list, Conn saw names he recognized. It was missing a few, but that was all right. The notes would be helpful.
Conn folded the paper again and put it in his pocket. “Much obliged. This’ll be a help.
“Thought it might be.”
The list brought a question to Conn’s mind. “You riding with us later, Marshal?”
“No, I won’t be able to ride with you today, Mr. Sullivan. I’m sorry, but my job is protecting this community, and I’d hate to think of these boys riding back here while I was away.”
Conn nodded. He wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t ready to brand Marshal Andrews a coward, but he had not been impressed by what he’d seen so far. He seemed honest and helpful but perhaps not equal to this sort of trouble, which was likely the biggest Fairplay had ever seen.
The marshal looked sheepish for a second then added, “If you want the truth of it, Sullivan, I wouldn’t get my hopes up about the others, either. Tom Oley, the one who fell off his horse last night, busted his arm pretty bad, and I think some of the boys who rode out with you got more than they were expecting when they saw Danny Bump on the ground out there. Once the whiskey wore off, I reckon some of their fighting spirit went with it. If you want, I can wire for help, and we might get some folks out here maybe even by the end of the week.”
Conn shook his head. “I’m riding today. Anybody wants to come along is welcome. But I’m not letting the trail get cold.”
“All right,” the marshal said. “I just wanted to let you know where you probably stood was all.”
Conn nodded and said he appreciated it.
Mary looked alarmed. “What if none of them show?”
“I’ll still ride after them,” Conn said.
“You won’t be alone,” Sheffield said.
“Won’t it be dangerous?” Mary said. “Well, of course it will be dangerous. But you know what I mean. If there are only two of you?”
“Let me ask you this,” Conn said. “If it had been me they’d murdered, would Cole let them go?”
“Not in a million years,” Mary said.
Conn nodded. “So I’ll be riding.”
Marshal Andrews stood there looking sick to his stomach.
The waitress came back with their coffee and bacon.
Conn thanked her and asked the marshal if he would join them.
“No, I’d best be running along,” the marshal said. “You folks have a good breakfast.”
Conn sipped his coffee and said, “I’m guessing you want to take Mary’s statement.”
“I do, but it can wait till after you folks eat.”
Conn nodded at that. “I gotta get her a room, too. Those men burned her house. And we have to buy a few things and send some telegrams. After that, she’ll come see you.”
“All right.” The marshal shook his head and looked at Mary almost imploringly. “Ma’am, if I’d ever known the nature of those boys…”
“We can’t change the past,” Mary said. “And there was no way you could have known, Marshal Andrews, I’m sure.”
The marshal frowned and said again how sorry he was for their loss and that he’d see Mary after she and Conn had finished their business. He started to turn away then came back around. “I almost forgot,” he said, pulling a dark handkerchief from his pocket. “Ma’am, do these look familiar?”
He handed her the bundle, and she untied the cloth and spread it out on the table, revealing half a dozen shiny golden coins.
