There was no hurry. She had several minutes. So she sauntered across the street, quietly climbed the boardwalk steps and took a position adjacent to the bank’s doors.
She’d told Jacob she was taking Millie out for a ride.
“Where you going? Want me to come along?”
“I’ll take her into the woods. It’s always been our secret sanctuary. Where we’ve gone to relax and blow off steam. And no, I’d prefer not to have company, if you don’t mind.”
The truth was, Jacob did mind. He knew it was dangerous for Red to be out and about alone.
Savage had killed two of his own hit men. But that didn’t mean there weren’t others.
He didn’t like it. But he’d sooner lasso the moon than change Red’s mind once it was made up.
So he merely said, “Please be careful.”
Red almost never lied. She disliked people who did, so she tried not to do it herself.
Lying was almost second nature to some people. They could spin a tale a mile long and not feel bad about it.
Red, on the other hand, felt dirty and almost ashamed when she did.
So she left extra early that morning. And she did indeed take Millie through the woods where they’d sought peace so many times before.
She didn’t stay long in the woods before leaving and going on her true mission. But she enjoyed the detour and so did Millie, and actually going where she told Jacob she was going eased her conscience a bit.
While she’d waited for the bank’s door to open she scanned both ways up and down Main Street. She saw several people, in the distance, watching her intently. Across the street at Widow Spencer’s house she saw a curtain move.
It struck her that this was not unlike the scene she’d seen in some of the old westerns she once watched with Butch. The whole town knew something was brewing and wanted to get a ringside seat to the show.
But at the same time they wanted to be far enough away not to be inadvertently struck by an errant gun shot.
When the door opened and she put her foot in the doorway she caught the look of surprise on Tad’s face. And even though he wore a sidearm, as did pretty much every man in Blanco not named Luke the naked guy, he didn’t reach for it.
He’d recognized Red immediately and knew she was no threat to him.
Savage, on the other hand, looked terrified.
Tad was the first one to speak, for Savage had suddenly lost his tongue.
“Well hello, Red. How are you doin’?”
“Oh, I’ve never been finer, Tad. Although Mr. Savage there is turning a bit green. Are you okay, Mr. Savage?”
The portly banker couldn’t eek out even a simple word.
A bead of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead though.
He looked almost apoplectic.
“He don’t look so good, Red.”
“Oh, he’ll be all right, Tad, as soon as I get him inside to sit himself down.”
“Want me to hang around a bit?”
“No thank you. We’ve got some personal business to discuss, but we’re okay.”
She turned to Savage.
“Aren’t we, you old toad?”
Savage still said nothing. He couldn’t.
His mind, though, was running a mile a minute. He was wondering if he was living his last minutes on earth. Wondering if there was a way out. Wondering whether he could bargain with her.
Wondering how he was going to die.
-30-
Tad wondered for a moment whether he should intervene.
He decided not to. For one thing, Red was one of his best friends, and the whole town knew he’d been sweet on her for a very long time.
Also, he wasn’t a law enforcement officer. Savage was.
The mere thought of an ordinary citizen coming to the rescue of a police chief who in theory should be able to defend himself was ridiculous.
Red wasn’t even threatening the “old toad.” For all Tad knew, she was only there to pass the time of day.
He really knew better, of course, but thus far the incident hadn’t devolved into anything threatening. At least nothing that could be proven in a court of law.
He tipped his hat to Red and said, “See you around, Red.”
“Yes, you will, Tad. Yes indeed you will.”
Tad walked away, whistling a happy ditty.
Red placed the palm of her hand directly in the center of Savage’s chest and pushed him back, into the bank, then closed the door behind her.
She hadn’t drawn her gun to this point because it wasn’t necessary, and because she didn’t want Tad to be implicated in any way in whatever was about to transpire.
Now Tad was gone, and so were all pretenses. She drew her weapon and pointed it at the big man’s chest.
Tad fairly skipped down the street, eager to tell everyone he knew of what had just happened.
For days, since word had gotten around that Red had returned, the town had been almost giddy with anticipation. The townsfolk were chomping at the bits to see Savage finally held accountable for the evil things he’d done.
They were anxious to finally get out from under his thumb, and glad that Red would finally get the revenge she’d been seeking.
Every last one of Blanco’s fine citizens couldn’t wait to hear the word they’d been longing for: that John Savage was no longer a man but rather a corpse. That his soul was now residing in hell where it belonged. That he was dancing the dance of a sinner, complaining about the heat and begging for mercy from a devil who was laughing in his face.
In the bank, the old toad finally found his tongue.
“Red, you can’t just come barging in here…”
“Yet I did, didn’t I?”
“Please don’t shoot me. I don’t know what you heard or who lied to you, but I’m innocent.”
“You are?” she said sarcastically. “Well, I wish you’d told me that sooner. I could have saved a lot of time I wasted waiting to make you pay.”
She paused for effect.
“But… I didn’t accuse you of anything. Exactly what do you think you’re suspected of doing?”
He swallowed hard again but didn’t say anything.
“What… what are you going to do with me?”
“It’s such a nice afternoon, Mr. Savage, that I thought I’d go for a walk. And I thought I’d invite you to go with me.”
She waved the barrel of her gun toward the door and stepped to one side.
“After you, old toad.”
“But… but… where are we going?”
“As I said, we’re just going for a nice stroll.”
Savage was certain he was a dead man walking. That she was going to force him at gunpoint to the courthouse square. The mighty oak tree there hadn’t hosted a hanging in well over a hundred years. But he was convinced he’d soon he swinging from its branches.
They walked into the sunlight and Savage suddenly balked.
“Wait. I have to go back in, to set the alarm. I have to get my keys so I can lock the door…”
“You have to get your gun, so you can try to shoot me down like you shot those two men. Isn’t that what you mean, Mr. Savage? You wouldn’t have a chance in hell.
“And no one will mess with your silly old bank. They all know they won’t have to. Now start walking.”
Savage slowly began walking toward the courthouse square, certain he was going to his date with the hangman.
“Not that way, silly,” Red said calmly behind him. “The other way, toward your house.”
-31-
They walked down Main Street, the two of them, him about ten feet ahead of her and her with her gun aimed squarely at his back.
As they went he tried desperately to find a way out.
“Please. If it’s money you want, you can have everything I have. Just don’t kill me.”
“You’d be very wise not to insult me, Mr. Savage.”
“But… but… the whole town’s watching, Red. You know it’s true. You know the
y’re all peeking through their windows. They can see you’ve got a gun on me, and that I’m defenseless.
“If I die today there will be a lot of witnesses at your trial.”
“Hogwash, you bastard. Everyone is in their kitchen baking cookies or washing dishes. You have no friends in this town. You should know that by now. If you die today the city will not grieve you.
“And if you happen to die by my hand, they will not testify against me. They’re more likely to award me a medal.”
Savage went silent for a moment. For he knew that to be true.
“Where are we going, exactly?”
“We’re going to your house.”
“My house? But why?”
“Because Jesse Luna said something to me a couple of weeks ago that’s been eating at me a little bit.
“He said that you had evidence in your house. Things that would implicate you in the murders of my husband and my son…”
Savage interrupted her, “Red, your family died in an accident. Nobody made that house blow up.”
Red tried hard to keep her cool.
“Now Mr. Savage, I have a .45 aimed directly at your back. Are you absolutely sure that pissing me off is something you want to do?”
He fell silent again.
“Now, as I was saying… Luna told me there was something in your house that tied you directly to the deaths of my family. Unfortunately, he died before we got around to the specifics. So I don’t know what I’m looking for.
“But I’m smarter than the average bear, Mr. Savage. So I’m sure I’ll recognize whatever it is when I find it.”
Red could feel the eyes of Blanco upon them as they walked. Occasionally she’d see a curtain flutter, a blind raise.
Old man Harrison came out onto his front porch and smiled broadly.
The town had the feeling today was a day of reckoning.
Savage had the feeling he was walking down Main Street for the very last time.
They were headed toward the three story Victorian house Savage had called home for many years.
It was the only three story structure in town, and easily the finest house in the county.
It was the closest thing to a mansion anywhere in Blanco.
As they neared it, a new voice shouted out from behind them.
“How come he lives in such a big house, if he has no friends or family?”
Red looked over her left shoulder to see Jacob walking behind her. He sped up a bit to close the gap.
She asked, “How long have you been back there?”
“Since the beginning. I watched you walk into the bank, and hung out on the park bench just in case you needed my help.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t. I guess I’m getting sloppy. I forgot to check my six.”
“I had your six, Red. That’s what friends are for. And you know the whole town’s watching you, don’t you?”
“Yep. I sure do. And I’m not worried, nor am I ashamed.”
“So, like I said, how come he needs such a big house if it’s only him?”
“Some people place more value on how much they own than how many love them. Me, I’d rather have the honest love of just one person than all the houses in the world.”
Jacob could have said something. It would have been a great time to profess his love for her.
But he held his tongue.
Savage was growing more and more desperate by the moment, and tried a new tactic.
“Help me somebody!” he yelled as they walked. “They’re kidnapping me! They’re going to kill me! Somebody for God’s sake do something.”
Red wasn’t impressed.
“What do you know about doing anything for God’s sake, Savage?”
Jacob piled on.
“For that matter, what do you know about God?”
Savage said, “I know that God says killing is a sin. You killing me will make you a sinner.”
Instead of answering him, Red addressed Jacob. “I can’t believe he said that. Can you believe he said that Jacob?”
Jacob, ever the good sidekick, responded, “Nope. I cannot for the life of me believe he found the guts to tell you killing was a sin. But then again, remember he is an expert on the matter.”
“I think he’s trying to piss me off. Is that it, you old toad? Are you trying to piss me off? Because I’ve got to say, you’re starting to achieve your goal if that’s what you’re going for.”
The trio reached the steps to Savage’s house and started to climb them when Savage tried a new tactic.
“Wait! I don’t have my house keys! You rushed me out of the bank so quickly I didn’t grab them.
“We’ll have to go back.”
Red didn’t even hesitate.
“No problem, toadie. I’ll just kick out your picture window and drag you inside. I hope you don’t get too cut up in the process.”
When he saw she was serious he changed his tune.
“Oh, wait. I think I have the keys in my pocket.”
“Yeah. I thought you might.”
Jacob asked, “Red, did you pat him down for weapons?”
“No. I’ve been hoping he’d pull one.”
“Hold on a minute.”
Red and Savage pulled up short. Red aimed her .45 at his head as Jacob patted him down.
He pulled a tiny .25 caliber handgun from Savage’s sock.
It was Savage’s last hope. The wind instantly left his sails and his body sagged.
Jacob reached into his front pocket for the keys, then opened the front door.
The house had a stale smell to it.
That made sense, since Savage had been living in the bank for several weeks.
Red let out a low whistle.
“Wow! You’ve been doing pretty well for yourself, Mr. Banker Man. At the expense of Blanco’s citizens, no doubt.”
Red had found a raw nerve.
“On the contrary, young lady. What you see here are things I’ve spent a whole lifetime of working hard to obtain. And I’ve never forced anyone to sign anything. It’s not my fault everyone in this town has a mortgage they can’t pay for.”
“Oh, I disagree. You didn’t cause the blackout. But you’ve been forcing them to pay up in silver and gold.
“Silver and gold you know they do not have.”
“As I said, I didn’t force them to sign their mortgage paperwork.”
“That may be true. But what you don’t seem to understand, Savage, is that this is small town America. And in small town America people watch out for each other. They work things out. They don’t take advantage of each other.
“They’re family.”
“They’re not my family.”
“Well, obviously. Have a seat, Mr. Savage.”
-32-
Savage demanded of Red, “What are you going to do to me?”
“Yeah,” Jacob said. “I’m kind of curious myself, Red. Why are we here?”
“Luna said Savage had some things that would tie him directly to the murders of my Dad and my family. Unfortunately he met an untimely death before we could get down to specifics. But before I kill this son of a bitch I want to make darn sure I’m not just jumping to conclusions. I want to make darn sure he’s really guilty.”
“Of course he’s guilty. Let’s just shoot him and get it over with.”
“No. I want to search for evidence first. I want to make sure Luna wasn’t just feeding me a line to save his own skin. If I find the evidence here I’ll know he told me the truth. That Savage was involved in killing everyone I loved. And had plans to kill me too.”
She looked at Savage.
He was starting to turn pale.
Red suddenly felt lightheaded and a bit nauseated.
Jacob noticed a look of slight panic on her face.
“Are you okay?”
“Um… yes. I need a bit of fresh air. Would you keep a gun on this creep for a few minutes?”
“Sure. Can I shoot him if he tries anything?”
“As long as you just wing him. I will not let you deprive me the pleasure of killing him.”
“Okay. Go ahead. Get some air. He’ll still be here when you get back.”
It had been awhile since Red had had a panic attack. Just after she got out of the hospital and went back to the burned pile of rubble which had once been her home. She’d stopped taking her medication because she needed a clear head to go after Sloan.
After awhile she’d decided she didn’t need the medication anymore.
Perhaps she was a bit hasty in that decision.
She looked at the sky as she sat upon the porch swing on Savage’s deck.
Storm clouds were rolling in.
It figured.
Red had been in a very foul mood all day long, and didn’t realize why until she sat there for a few minutes and closed her eyes.
And let her mind wander.
She thought of her husband Russell, as she often did. And she thought of the time he brought her eight dozen daisies.
The daisies were easy to figure out. It was her favorite flower.
The number of them, though, was a puzzle.
“Why eight dozen?” she’d asked.
“One daisy for every year we’ll be together,” was his response.
Then he proposed.
Red’s eyes came open, and it suddenly dawned on her. She now knew why she was in such a foul mood.
She burst back into Savage’s house and confronted him, her face just inches from his own.
“Today is my anniversary,” she told the quivering bowl of jelly before her.
“Russell and I were married six years ago today.”
She could well have left it at that and walked away from him, but she rather enjoyed watching him squirm.
“Perhaps,” she continued, “this would be a fitting day for you to die.”
A bead of sweat rolled from Savage’s expansive forehead and down his cheek. Red thought that rather odd, for the room was relatively cool.
“Are you nervous, Mr. Savage?”
“Um… no. Not at all. I’m just… isn’t it hot in here?”
“Only for you.”
Jacob busied himself walking around the first floor of the house, closing the drapes. He suspected that Savage didn’t have any friends, as he disliked the man the moment he laid eyes upon him.
No Help From Austin: Red: Book 5 Page 10