The Return of Wildcat Kitty and the Cyclone Kid
Page 35
“What?” Simon Price blustered. “How can that be?” He was stomping angrily about his office at the back of the bank. As usual, Flo Baxter was lounging in the leather chair in the corner. She was trying to hide the amusement she often felt when things didn’t go right for Simon.
Peso Martin and Conrad Price were wishing they could hide or at least be allowed to duck out on the outraged banker. When they brought him the news, they knew they would be in for it.
“I don’t know how they did it, but they did somehow,” Peso said. “I know Dalton double crossed us, but I’m sure the Wildcats were in on it.”
“You’re sure you don’t have the real stuff?” Price blustered. He shifted his glare back and forth between Peso and Conrad.
“I’m sure, Pa,” Conrad said. “What we have is the fake stuff we pulled out of the river. The plating was already corroded and the whole shipment wasn’t even there.”
“Then what happened to the real silver? Did you trade it away to the real cavalry? Is it in Denver after all?”
“I doubt that,” said Peso. “I think Dalton and Kitty got away with it.”
“If she did, she’s going to be in big trouble now,” Simon said. He was starting to think all was not lost after all. “Stealing that bullion is a federal offense. She may have gone too far this time. It won’t just be me that’s out to get her.”
He held just a hint of a smile as he thought about the possibilities.
That half smile soon disappeared when Peso said, “How’s the government going to know she stole it?”
“You damn fool, we’ll tell them,” Simon blustered, once again smoothing his sparse hair over the bald spot on the back of his head.
“And just how do you explain to them how you know about it?” Now Peso was amused at Price’s situation. He stifled the urge to smile. He glanced over at Flo and saw amusement flickering in her eyes too.
“I don’t know!” he snapped back. “I’ll,… I’ll think of something.”
“What do we do in the meantime?” Conrad asked dumbly. “Do we keep up the operation, Pa?”
“No, you dimwit,” Price answered. “We don’t dare try it again after this. Besides, there’s not enough ore left in the mine to continue plating. There’s no silver left from the other shipment to use. I’ve turned it all into cash.”
“Then what do you want me to do, now Pa?”
Simon stepped up to his son and got nose to nose with him. He smiled broadly, then said, “What I want you to do, son, is get out of my sight and out of my life, you bumbling idiot.”
“But Pa. I haven’t got any money to go away with.” It didn’t seem to bother him that his father didn’t want him around.
“That’s all right son,” Price said patting his son on the shoulder “I’ll give you enough to go far, far away.”