Christ on a stick. He hadthe brains God gave a peacock some days.
Making himselfpresentable took some time, but he found himself at the Elephant’sbar before eight had chimed on the fancy grandfather clockdecorated with the bar’s titular animal. Behind the bar stood theElephant’s proprietor Elijah Young, his dark skin and darker eyesfresher than anyone had a right to be this early in the morning.“Coffee?” he asked.
Jake nodded. “And mightygrateful for it. My thanks.”
Young poured him a cupand slid a newspaper his way. “This morning’s edition.”
“My thanks,again.” The proprietor made sure the paper was available for himeach morning, knowing he liked to peruse as he slowly regainedlife. He glanced over the lead stories, about a new coal seamdiscovered north of Deadwater, and the establishment of a new bank.Raising his mug to his lips, his gaze fell upon theadvertisements.
“Son of abitch!” Coffee sloshed over him, the hot liquid searing his skin.He paid it no mind, though, his total focus on the advertisement inthe paper, second from the top and in bold lettering:
WANTED
A Gunslinger ofRenown
To find a Heinous andTerrible man
$500 retainer
Final sum to be Negotiatedupon Discovery
Apply to H.McElroy
Richmond Hotel, MainStreet, Deadwater
Christ Jesus, what foolidea had planted itself in the woman’s head? Banging his coffee mugagainst the bar, he stormed from the Elephant, the protest in hishead drowned by his anger.
The Richmond weren’t fiveminutes from the Elephant, and the owner stood behind the desk evenat this early hour, cringing as Jake approached.
“McElroy,” hedemanded through gritted teeth.
“Room five,”the man stuttered, offering no more than a tokenprotest.
Taking the steps two at atime, Jake made note to have a conversation with the man about theease he gave his guests information, especially pretty young womenwho weren’t all that smart for all they pretendedotherwise.
Tarnished metal in theshape of the number five proclaimed the room to be Miss HopeMcElroy’s room. Jake banged on her door. The sound exploded throughhis head, and he placed a hand against its spearing fingers amoment before using the same to bang some more. Halfway through abang of particular force, and while he cursed himself for hisconcern, the door opened to reveal her, Miss McElroy, brows drawnand colourless hair in a loose braid over her shoulder.
He crossed his arms. “Yougot an advertisement in theStar?”
Brow clearing, she pulledher wrap tighter around her. “I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t bebegging my pardon. Do you have an advertisement in the town’snewspaper for a man to take you to find Callihan?”
Her chin lifted. “Ido.”
He started to swear.“What possessed you to do such a fool thing?”
“It is not afool thing, Mr Wade.”
He pushed past her intothe room. “You’ll get yourself killed, and harmed before they’redone with you. Don’t you got the brains God gave apeacock?”
“I’ll thankyou to cease with your insults, sir. I have reached the age ofthirty-two without kowtowing to a man and I don’t intend to startnow.”
She was older than he’dthought. Must be fine living that kept her skin so smooth andsoft-looking and touchable, though now he were close to her, hecould see a fine smattering of freckles across her cheeks, as if atsome point in her life she had lived outside in the sun.
“I’ll alsothank you to leave my rooms,” she continued. “You’ve no call to behere. I have not invited you, and it is ridiculously early in themorning. Frankly, I am surprised you were allowed past the frontdesk.”
“And that’sanother thing. You’ve chosen a shoddy place to rest your head. Thedesk manager gave me your room number with no hesitation. You ain’tsafe here, not specially now you’ve announced your presence andyour wealth to all the villains throughout Deadwater and threetowns besides.” Frustration made him pound his fist into his thigh.“And I ain’t never said I weren’t taking the job. I said I neededtime to think. You were giving me until today.”
