Hardcase Law

by Neil Webb

  ‘Thanks, sheriff. I’ll never forget this.’ Latimer picked up the sheriff’s Colt and checked the weapon. He thrust it into his empty holster. ‘Now I’ll go settle with Rand.’

  ‘Wait.’ Walsh turned to the desk and picked up a badge. He held it out to Latimer. ‘Your badge,’ he said. ‘Do this with the law’s blessing.’

  Latimer smiled grimly as he pinned the badge to his vest front. He limped to the door and stumped onto the sidewalk, favouring his right leg as he hobbled along. The shadows were deep where he passed under awnings along the walk. In the street the sun was bright upon the dust.

  The town was quiet. The street was deserted, except for a few horses tied to various hitch rails. The silence was intense. Latimer felt light-headed and unsteady as he moved towards the hotel. The brightness of the sun hurt his eyes. A man came out of a store as he passed.

  ‘Be careful,’ he was warned. ‘Rand is up there near Stott’s body.’

  The man ducked back into the store and Latimer went on. He could see the huge figure of Kenton Stott stretched out by the hitch rail in front of the hotel, and Glory Stott was bent over her father. Latimer tried to hurry his pace, but he was still a dozen yards away from the hotel when Colley Rand emerged and started down the steps to the street. Glory Stott came upright like an uncoiling snake, and she was still holding the gun she had taken from Latimer’s holster. Rand halted on the bottom step of the sidewalk.

  ‘You’ve killed my father!’ Glory screamed hysterically. ‘You cold-blooded murderer! But you’ve done your last killing!’

  Latimer stepped off the sidewalk and emerged from the shadows. He felt the bright sunlight warm him. He kicked through the thick dust to the centre of the street; half a dozen yards behind Glory and well to the girl’s left.

  ‘Leave this to me, Glory,’ he called.

  The girl flashed a quick glance over her shoulder. Her eyes were wild. She swung back to face Rand, who stood immobile on the bottom step, his feet a few scant inches above the dust of the street. The big gun in Glory’s hand hammered and a window in the hotel behind Rand tinkled and shattered. Rand smiled. He ignored the girl. His left hand lifted his coat, exposing the black butt of the gun in his waistband.

  ‘I knew it would come to this, Latimer,’ Rand said sharply. ‘Make your play.’

  Glory fired two more shots, both of which missed Rand by feet. Then the girl started running towards the gunman, screaming and cursing at him. She moved between Latimer and Rand, directly in their line of fire. Latimer saw Rand’s elbow move as the man drew his gun. He palmed his own Colt, and all he could see of Rand was the man’s head and shoulders above Glory.

  Rand’s gun hammered once and Glory cartwheeled in the street. Latimer thumbed off a single shot as Rand turned his weapon and lifted the muzzle. Gun-smoke drifted. Latimer’s bullet took Rand squarely in the stomach. Rand rocked backwards, then pitched forward flat upon his face in the dust. Latimer paced forward. Rand scrabbled in the dust. His clawing fingers caught up his gun and he tried with all his fast waning strength to level the weapon at the advancing Latimer. Latimer thumbed off another shot which took Rand between the eyes. Rand’s skull split wide under the battering slug and its gory contents splattered over the wooden steps behind him.

  For a long moment Latimer stood listening to the fading echoes. Sunlight glinted on the silver badge on his chest. Tension had built up to suffocation point inside him. He expelled it was a long, shuddering sigh.

  Aggie came running up to him as he bent over Glory. Glory was dead with Rand’s bullet through her heart. Latimer eased the girl’s head in the dust. He closed her staring eyes with a gentle thumb. Then he stood up and went to Kenton Stott. The rancher was also dead, his head twisted to one side, his eyes glassy and staring and his jaw slack.

  Latimer shook his head sadly. He turned to Aggie as the girl reached him. The townsfolk were coming out now from their hiding places. The sheriff was approaching along the sidewalk. The street was suddenly filled with a crowd of excited, gesticulating people. Aggie helped Latimer on to the sidewalk and he dropped wearily upon a seat, his strength almost gone. People streamed by. Sheriff Walsh stopped beside them. There were tears in the old lawman’s eyes.

  ‘You alright, Latimer?’ the sheriff queried, and Latimer nodded. ‘Good. Now I think we’re all square. I kept your real identity secret while you were in jail. It was difficult to keep Barr’s mouth shut, but I did. You’re free, and you can always count on me, anything you want.’

  ‘Thanks, sheriff.’ Latimer straightened himself. ‘Would you take care of the bodies?’

  ‘I always have,’ Walsh replied. ‘Ever since you rode into town.’ The sheriff turned and walked towards the scene of the shooting.

  ‘At last it is over,’ Aggie said. ‘I hope you won’t have to draw a gun on another man as long as you live. Come on, let’s get you to the hotel. You’ll have to spend at least a week in bed.’

  Latimer did not feel like arguing. He stood up, feeling strange inside, clean-washed like a steer climbing up and out of a river crossing. He leaned heavily on Aggie as she helped him towards the hotel. A man come up on Latimer’s left side. It was the lawyer who had visited him in the jail with Stott.

  ‘I’d like to serve you if I may,’ the man said. ‘I took great care of Kenton Stott’s affairs.’

  ‘I’ve got nothing for you to handle,’ Latimer said wearily. ‘And I’m pulling out of this neck of the woods next week.’

  ‘What about KS?’ the lawyer asked. ‘Will you sell it?’

  ‘Sell it?’ Latimer stopped short. ‘Me?’

  ‘You’re the new owner now.’ The lawyer smiled ingratiatingly. ‘Both the Stotts are dead so the property passes over to you like Kenton Stott wished it. I’ll get the affairs in order and have a statement prepared. Will you go out to the ranch or stay here in town?’ Latimer looked at Aggie. He shrugged his one good shoulder. Fate had finally overwhelmed him. But he felt too ill to care now. He waved an unsteady hand at the lawyer.

  ‘I’ll be staying in town until I can get on my feet again,’ he said. ‘There’ll be some cowboys coming in shortly; the new crew that Stott was expecting. Make the most experienced one of them the foreman and send them out to KS. Come and see me tomorrow for orders. I guess I’ll need plenty of assistance. Cattle ranching is one business I’ve never dabbled in before.’ The lawyer nodded respectfully and turned away. Latimer and a speechless Aggie mounted the steps to the hotel. On the top step, Latimer paused and looked down at the three dusty bodies in the street. A pang struck through him.

  ‘Well, it’s come about,’ he said slowly. ‘I bought into this trouble because you wouldn’t let your fences be torn down. But I think it’s fitting that they should come down now, Aggie, don’t you?’

  ‘On a fifty-fifty basis,’ the girl said as they passed into the hotel, and Latimer agreed.