Close Call

by Clinton Spurr

  “As far as I can see there is no evidence that would do just that,” Lassiter said slowly. “That’s why I ran out, Judge.”

  “And a good thing you did, or you would have been hanged before this,” the judge retorted.

  Lassiter shook his head. “I don’t get this,” he admitted. “I never figured you would be on my side, Judge.”

  “I am on the side of the law,” came the smooth reply. “I have always taken great pains to ensure that the letter of the law is observed. Justice will be served in the end in your case. I will admit that but for my daughter I wouldn’t have taken this step, but as she so ably pointed out, there’s little we can do to help you after they have hanged you, so we have to be certain before you come to trial that you are innocent or guilty.”

  “So ask your questions,” Lassiter said, feeling more at ease.

  “You killed Buck Beutel?” There was a sharp note in the Judge’s tones.

  “Yes, I killed him. He accused me of cheating and pulled his gun. I beat him to it, but he made the first move. His gun was half out of his shoulder holster before I went for mine.”

  “Shoulder holster?” The Judge looked surprised. “The dead man was wearing a shoulder holster?”

  “Sure he was. Beutel was never unarmed. He was a professional gambler. Everyone in town knew he carried a gun in a shoulder holster, Judge.”

  “Perhaps this is the fact we want,” the Judge said, and Lassiter leaned forward eagerly.

  “Why, what happened after I skipped town ahead of that posse?” he demanded.

  “Sheriff Milton came to me asking for a warrant for your arrest on a charge of murder. I questioned him at some length to find out what evidence he’d got, and he said, among other things, that he had witnesses to swear that Beutel never put his hands under the table at any time. There was no reason for you to think Beutel might have been going to draw his gun.”

  “He wouldn’t have to put his hands under the table to haul a gun out of a shoulder holster,” Lassiter said.

  “Exactly.” The Judge smiled thinly as he nodded. “The sheriff said he’d checked Beutel’s holster and found the gambler’s gun still in it, the thong still over the hammer.”

  “A man doesn’t put a thong on the hammer of his gun in a shoulder holster,” Lassiter retorted.

  “That’s right. I raised this point, and the sheriff informed me that Beutel was wearing a gunbelt. He was not carrying a shoulder holster.”

  “But I saw his hand go under his coat, and I saw the butt of his gun in his hand as he pulled the gun. I jumped up as I drew, and I nailed Beutel as his gun came clear. It was close, Judge. I almost didn’t make it.”

  There was eagerness in Lassiter’s face now. He stared at the older man as if expecting a miracle to materialise. Hendrik was staring intently at him, his face showing deep thought.

  “I wonder if it really is as simple as it appears?” the Judge said softly. “There were four other men at that card table, Dane, and each one of them has sworn that he did not see the start of the shooting.”

  “They’re lying,” Lassiter rapped. “You’ve sat at a card table yourself, Judge, many times, and you know that if someone starts trouble at least one of the other players will see what happens. I heard that there was a witness who swore I made the first move.”

  “That’s right! I don’t know who that witness is, but I know the names of the other men at that table the night the shooting took place, and I think they will have to be questioned very carefully.”

  “What do you suggest?” Lassiter asked. “I can’t ride around the county asking questions. The law would soon be on to me, and I’d either have to shoot it out with them to avoid capture, or surrender to them. I’m not keen to do either, although I’ve got this tag of murder against me, and I know I’d hang if I ever came to trial.”

  “Snap will ask the questions,” the Judge said quietly. “We’ll go into this matter now we have something to work on. It shouldn’t be too difficult to bring pressure to bear in the right places. But you must stay out of trouble until we have this sorted out, Dane. If you do become involved in anything else there will be little I can do to help.”

  “I understand that, Judge, but you must understand that there is something crooked going on around here. That night I killed Beutel. He was after me for a long time, trying to get me to lose my temper and draw. Someone put him up to it because I never had trouble with Beutel before that night. They figured to get me killed for some reason, but I nailed Beutel instead. Now my father is dead! It’s all leading to the same end, Judge.”

  “I am aware that there are undercurrents in this county, and that’s why Snap here is working with the law. The sheriff doesn’t like having him around, but he’s tolerating Snap to please me and to keep up appearances. Snap mainly takes care of the law office and the town, so he doesn’t get many opportunities to do any investigating. I plan to put him to more use now, but it may take time to find out what we want. In the meantime you’ve got to make yourself scarce, Dane, and leave the work to us.”

  “It goes against the grain to leave the dirty work to someone else,” Lassiter retorted. “But my hands are tied while this murder rap is against me.” He sighed heavily. “I’ll control my impatience, Judge, if you figure you can come up with the real answers. It’ll be worth waiting for. Then we’ll uncover this crookedness and find out what’s been going on.”

  “There’s a lot of trouble in the county,” Snap Wyman said. “I handle some of the complaints that come in. The law department isn’t coping with it, either. A great many people aren’t getting any satisfaction. Something must be done about it before very long. If it boils up much more there’ll be an almighty explosion.”

  “It seems like I’ve come back just in time,” Lassiter said.

  “If I had been able to talk to you sooner this business might well have been finished by now,” the Judge retorted.

  “That’s true. One way or another, it would have ended, and probably with my neck in a noose.” Lassiter smiled thinly. “But I trust you, Judge. I’ll go along with anything you say.”

  “I’m glad that you do trust me. I’ve stuck out my neck to get at the truth. I don’t have to tell you how it would seem if it came out that I was in contact with a wanted killer!” The Judge’s eyes twinkled for a moment.

  “I guess it would shock the sheriff most of all. He’s been most determined to catch you and hang you, Dane.”

  “Because he wants to get me out of the way,” Lassiter mused. “Is there anything else you want to know now, Judge?”

  “Not now. You can leave this to us. We’ll need to know where to contact you in a hurry.”

  “I’d rather keep in contact with you,” Lassiter said. “There is one favour I’d like to ask before I go.”

  “And that is?” the Judge demanded.

  “I’d like to talk to Paula!”

  “She’s across the hall. Go and talk to her now while I have a talk with Snap. We must make plans and do something immediately.”

  Lassiter stood up, and he felt as if a great burden had fallen from his shoulders. He held out his hand to the Judge, and Hendrik grasped it, smiling thinly as he did so.

  “It is indeed fortunate that Paula insisted I look into this business, Dane. But for that you might have come to trial and been found guilty of murder. There is a conspiracy against you. Of that I am quite certain. So trust me and don’t do anything reckless that might upset our plans to bring justice back into the county.”

  “I won’t,” Lassiter promised. “I’ll contact you every day, Judge, in some way or other.”

  He left the room and crossed the hall, tapping at the opposite door and then opening it. He peered into the room and saw Paula Hendrik seated in a corner, looking through a magazine. The girl looked over the top of the book as the door opened, then lowered it and gasped in shock when she recognised him. She came to her feet instantly, a tall, slim blonde with glistening blue eyes.

 
; “Dane! What are you doing here?” She came across the long room to him, her face set in surprise, and he looked into her eyes and felt a strange emotion strike through him. “Does the Judge know you’re here?”

  “I’ve just been talking to him,” Lassiter said. “He’s trying to help me prove my innocence.”

  “I’m so glad!” She took hold of his hands. “I’ve been hearing some dreadful things about you, Dane.” “None of them were true,” he retorted.

  “And your father! I’m so very sorry about his death. It must have been a great shock to you!”

  “It was, and I won’t rest until I’ve got the man who killed him. But apart from that, I’ve got to keep away from the local law until your father has some idea of what really happened that night. I want to thank you, Paula, for what you’ve been doing. If you hadn’t kept at your father he wouldn’t have looked into it as far as he’s gone. I would have been taken eventually by the law and probably hanged.”

  “You’re still in grave danger, Dane,” she told him worriedly. “I’ve been making enquiries about that night you shot Beutel, and I don’t like some of the facts that I’ve dug up. We’ve got to have a long talk about it.” “Not right now,” he said. “I’ve already had some trouble around here, and the sheriff has got posses out looking for sign of me. But I want to hear all you’ve learned, Paula. Where can I meet you again? I figure it won’t be safe for me to come here to the house. If I am seen around here then it could go bad for the Judge.”

  “What about Blue Ridge?” she demanded. “We spent some fine evenings there, Dane. Can’t we meet there again?”

  “Sure thing. When?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon?”

  “I’ll be there at the usual spot, but make sure you’re not followed from town. There’ll be men out looking for me, and someone is likely to remember that we were good friends in the past.”

  “We were closer than that, weren’t we?” she challenged, and Lassiter caught his breath as he looked into her eyes.

  “We sure were, Paula,” he said huskily, and she uttered a little cry and swayed towards him, pushing herself into his arms.

  “Dane, I’ve been so worried about you!” she said softly. “I have always believed you were only wild and high spirited. I know there’s never been any badness in you. But what’s happened knocked the bottom out of our world. I’ve lived a dreadful life since you killed Beutel. Every day I’ve been scared of hearing that someone had killed you. It’s been like a nightmare. There are bad men in this county and they’re after something, playing for high stakes. For some reason you’re in their way, and they’re trying everything they can to get rid of you.”

  “That’s how I feel about it,” he said unsteadily, his arms around her shoulders. “But for the life of me I can’t figure out what they want. I never did anyone any harm. Sure I’ve been wild, but most young fellers go through that phase and get over it. It took me a time to figure out there was something more behind the reason I got for Beutel taking me on. I agree there’s someone out for something, and I’m caught up in it somewhere, and it’s plain to me it ain’t over yet, not by a long rope. My Pa was killed! The excuse they used was revenge for Beutel’s death. I guess I’ve got to find out what it’s all about, huh, Paula?”

  “You’ll find out, but there’s little you can do until your name has been cleared, Dane. Anyone can shoot you down for that reward on your head. They’ve practically tied your hands behind your back by framing you with murder.”

  He nodded, his mind working over the facts, and he didn’t like what he saw. He was in trouble, and it would need a lot of effort on his part and the part of his friends to prise him loose and put matters right. But he found his attention being distracted by the girl in his arms, and he pulled her close and kissed her gently.

  “I don’t figure I deserve this,” he said softly. “Coming back here and finding you still care about me. You do care, don’t you, Paula?”

  “More than you’ll ever know, Dane,” she whispered. “You’ll be careful, won’t you? I shall worry every minute until this has been sorted out.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” he told her confidently. “With your father on my side I can’t possibly go wrong. I’ll be at Blue Ridge tomorrow afternoon around three. I promised to keep in touch with your father every day in case something important comes up. Let him know tomorrow where you’re seeing me, and you can carry messages.”

  She clung to him for a moment, but Lassiter was thinking now of the two men waiting for him outside in the shadows. He told her about them, and she was both worried and pleased by the news — worried for fear that trouble would strike them all, and pleased because he was no longer alone.

  “I’ll see you to the door,” she said softly. “I wish you could stay to supper with us, but it must be dangerous for you around town after what’s happened. It’s a pity you couldn’t have slipped back without anyone knowing you were around. But don’t take any chances, Dane.”

  He assured her that he wouldn’t, and she went with him through the kitchen and out into the darkness behind the house. He took her into his arms and kissed her, and for long moments all the grief and the concern fled from his mind while he revelled in the knowledge that she meant something to him despite the remoteness that had come between them during his last period around town. The murder tagged to him had not affected her, and he was relieved that she believed in him. It strengthened his resolve to get at the truth, and he took his leave of her reluctantly, filled with uncertainty for the future and knowing that now he had even more to fight for.

  He walked through the shadows to the spot where he had left Logan and Shirlton, and their harsh whispers stopped him. He saw their figures move around him, on either side, and he took a deep breath as he prayed that nothing would happen to them. For a few moments he was gripped with fear, and it seemed to him that the whole business was too much for him to handle. But he wasn’t alone, and that was the main thing. He still had some friends, and they were willing to risk everything for him.

  “How’d you make out?” Logan demanded curtly. “Have any luck?”

  “Better than I had hoped for,” he retorted. “But we can’t talk here. Let’s get back to our horses and make tracks. We’ve got to do some planning, and until we do we’re like three boys poking around in the dark.”

  They started out of town, and were on the outskirts when a harsh voice challenged them from the left, calling to them to halt.

  “This is the law,” someone yelled. “We’re checking everyone in town tonight. There’s a killer around we want to get.”

  Lassiter dropped his hand to his gun. He recognised the harsh tones of the man looming up towards them. It was Hank Boswell.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LOGAN recognised the deputy at the same time, and stepped in front of Lassiter, who pulled his gun instantly and started around Logan. The deputy halted a few feet in front of them, leaning forward to peer into their faces, but their hat brims shielded their features, and Lassiter knew it was impossible to identify anyone by sight. They had heard Boswell’s voice, and that gave them the edge.

  “Well?” the deputy demanded impatiently. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Friends of yours,” Shirlton said. He moved forward on the left, and Boswell half turned to keep him in view.

  As soon as the deputy took his attention off Lassiter the trouble started. Logan stepped forward quickly, bringing Boswell back towards his movement, and Shirlton reached out and took hold of the rifle the deputy was holding. Lassiter moved in, hearing Boswell’s lurid cursing as he was seized, and he jabbed the muzzle of his gun against the deputy’s side, stopping the man’s instinctive resistance instantly.

  “Just stay quiet, Boswell,” Lassiter said, “or we’ll forget that we are friends of yours.”

  The deputy let them disarm him. He said nothing, and Lassiter considered their next actions.

  “You look like becoming a nuisance to us, Boswell,” h
e said tightly. “I figure we better warn you to stay out of our way, because the next time we meet you might be sorry for it.”

  “You ain’t got much longer to run free,” came the stiff reply. “Make the most of what time you’ve got left.”

  “You sound too optimistic for my liking,” Pete Shirlton said lightly.

  “Killers don’t get away with it in this county,” the deputy retorted.

  “Looks like the man who killed my father is getting away with it,” Lassiter commented, and he clenched his teeth at the knowledge. “You better take a little walk with us, Boswell. Our horses are tethered just out of town. When we’ve got them we’ll turn you loose, but don’t try to give us any trouble or you’ll be sorry for it.”

  They walked on, Logan holding Boswell’s sixgun and Shirlton carrying the lawman’s rifle. When they came to the spot where their horses had been left, Lassiter sneaked forward to check, and gave a low whistle when he found the three animals exactly as they had been left. Mounting, they stared down at the hapless deputy.

  “Don’t forget what you were told, Boswell,” Logan rapped. “Keep out of our hair or you’ll be sorry.”

  “Let’s go,” Lassiter said curtly, and they wheeled their mounts and rode away from the deputy.

  They hit the trail and continued away from town, and after a couple of miles they changed direction and went on. They were silent, intent upon putting distance between themselves and likely pursuit. When they reined up to give their mounts a breather much later, Lassiter spoke heavily.

  “It’s nice to have friends, but you two are putting yourself in deep on my account.”

  “You ain’t going over that ground again, are you?” Logan demanded lightly. “I figured we cleared that up, Dane!”