Killer Take All

by William W. Johnstone; J. A. Johnstone

  “I have no problem with it at all.” Heckemeyer smiled. “In fact, it’ll be good to have a backup count.”

  “All right. Let’s bring ’em in!” Elmer called loudly.

  Prodded by the drovers, the cows started in through the gate, which was only wide enough to allow four at a time to enter.

  Just over half an hour later, Feeler gave his report. “I counted seven hundred and fifty two.”

  “Does that match your count, Miss Parker?” Heckemeyer asked.

  “I have exactly seven hundred and fifty.”

  “It could be that I counted a couple of them twice. Thank you for your honesty, young lady.” This from Heckemeter.

  * * *

  The First Bank and Trust of Cheyenne was but one block north of the Union Pacific Depot on 16th Street, and there Duff presented the draft Heckemeyer had given him for the cattle. The draft was for sixty-five thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars, and Duff asked for one thousand dollars in cash, the remaining money to be transferred by wire to the Bank of Chugwater.

  “Gentlemen, ’tis thanking you I am for a job well done.” Duff said as he gave each of the drovers one hundred dollars apiece. For the three men who worked for him full-time, the one hundred dollars was a bonus in addition to their regular salary. He gave Wang two hundred dollars. Fifteen percent of the money actually belonged to Elmer, and he, like Meagan, left the money intact to be moved by wire transfer to the Sky Meadow account at the Bank of Chugwater.

  “We’ll see you when you get back,” Elmer said as he and the others started back to the ranch.

  Duff and Meagan weren’t returning right away. They had taken a room in the Interocean Hotel and were going to stay one more night in Cheyenne to attend a performance at the Cheyenne Opera House.

  “Your share comes to a little over sixty-five hundred dollars,” he said later that evening as he spread butter on his roll during dinner in the dining room of the hotel. “You’ll be for putting it in your shop?”

  “I will do no such thing,” she replied. “Didn’t you say that you needed a new barn and corral fencing at the ranch?”

  “Aye, but there’s nae need for you to be for spending any of your money for such a thing.”

  “You forget, Duff MacCallister, that ten percent of that ranch belongs to me. And as I am taking ten percent of the profits, then I’ll be responsible for ten percent of the expenses as well.”

  “Will you be now? ’Tis glad I am to hear you say that, Meagan, for it makes me think you’ll not soon be wantin’ to be for runnin’ away from me.”

  Meagan put her hand on Duff’s hand and smiled across the table at him. “Duff,” she said in throaty voice. “We have taken only one room at the hotel. How far can I run?”

  “Aye, you make a good point,” Duff agreed.

  “I’m really looking forward to attending the opera,” Meagan said. “I picked up the playbill. Let me read to you what it says.

  “Olivette is a comic opera in three acts. It is a romance story about a young woman named Olivette, who is in love with Valentine, but is engaged to a sea captain, who she refuses to marry. When Valentine secretly weds Olivette, the sea captain declares that Olivette is his rightful bride and he has Valentine is arrested. Olivette is disowned, but eventually her marriage to Valentine is upheld.”

  “Och, I can tell you from my time at sea, you dinnae want to get involved with a sea captain.”

  Meagan smiled. “And here I’ve always thought that a sea captain would be quite a romantic figure. But you’re right. It’s much better to be involved with a Scotsman.”

  “Aye, lass, ’n you’ll nae be for forgetting that.”

  * * *

  “Oh, isn’t it beautiful?” Meagan asked an hour later when she and Duff entered the theater.

  A huge chandelier hung from the very high, vaulted ceiling, with its fifty-two electric bulbs providing very bright lights. The railings were upholstered with plush red silk. The woodwork was ornately carved, and there were three cathedral windows at the rear of the balcony with 600 colored glass panes. The grand stairway to the balcony was built of hardwood, ash, and black walnut. When Duff and Meagan took their seats, they were looking at a drop curtain portraying a Roman chariot race, illuminated by an array of very bright footlights that stretched across the stage.

  The orchestra began the overture starting with flutes and drums. Then the sea captain took the stage, singing of how he had come to claim Olivette as his own.

  * * *

  As Duff and Meagan were enjoying the opera, Lou Creech, the employee at Heckemeyer’s Stock Exchange, had invited his friend Joe Rudd to his room in the boardinghouse where he lived.

  “I was there when he brung the cows in, ’n I heard Heckemeyer, Feeler, ’n MacCallister talkin’ ’bout the money. He got near sixty-five thousand dollars for them cows.”

  “Yeah, that’s a lot of money, all right,” Rudd said.

  “’N we’re goin’ to take it from ’im,” Creech added.

  “How we goin’ to do that?” Joe Rudd asked. “I seen ’em bring them cows in. They was at least half a dozen men with ’im, maybe even more.”

  Creech smiled. “No, they ain’t with ’im no more. They all went back soon as the cows was delivered. Only ones that didn’t go back was MacCallister ’n the woman that come with—’em. Pretty thang she is, too,” he added, digressing for a moment. Then he returned to the subject. “Anyhow they’re over in the opry house now, the man ’n woman I mean, a-watchin’ ’em a show. I heard ’im tellin’ Heckemeyer about it. They ain’t plannin’ on startin’ back till tomorrow mornin’. Him bein’ the one that owns all the cows, well you just know that he’ll be a-carryin’ all the money on ’im.”

  “’N you’re a-sayin’ that they’s just the two of ’em?”

  “Yeah, just two of ’em, ’n like I said, one of ’em is a woman.”

  “Damn. We can wait for ’em out on the trail ’n pick ’em off real easy,” Rudd said.

  “That was my thinkin’,” Creech said.

  “Sixty-five thousan’?”

  “That’s what he got paid for the cows.”

  “That’s more money than I ever seen all put together in my whole life,” Rudd said.

  “What you plannin’ on doin’ with all your money when you get it?” Creech asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t stay here with all that money ’cause folks would start to askin’ questions. So I reckon I would go someplace else where they don’t nobody know me, ’n then just start spendin’ the money. What are you goin’ to do?”

  “It’s like you said, they can’t neither one of us stay here once we got all that much money, ’cause folks will start wonderin’ how it is that we come up with it. So what think I’m goin’ to do, is I’m goin’ to go some’ers else ’n buy me a saloon, maybe in Nevada or California or maybe even in Arizona. ’N I’m goin’ to have me some whores a-workin’ there, ’n I’ll be able to drink all the beer ’n whiskey I want, ’n take any ’o the whores upstairs anytime I want ’cause they’ll all be a-workin’ for me, ’n they can’t tell me no, on account if they do I can fire ’em,” Creech said.

  Rudd laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Maybe we ought to go into business together. That way we can get a bigger saloon with more whiskey ’n more whores. ’Course, we got to get the money first.”

  “Yeah, well if we play our cards right we won’t have no trouble a-doin’ that,” Creech said.

  * * *

  After the opera, Duff and Meagan walked through the dark for the two blocks between the Cheyenne Opera House on 18th Street and the Interocean Hotel on 16th.

  “Sure ’n it all came out just fine in the end with the girl getting the man she wanted instead of the evil ship’s captain,” Duff said.

  “What about this girl?” Meagan asked. “Will I get the man I want?”

  “Meagan, when you are ready to be for leavin’ your dress shop so as to become Queen of Sky Meadow, I want you to b
e for knowin’ that m’ heart and m’ doors are open to you.

  “What about tonight?” Meagan asked. “Will your door and your heart be open tonight?”

  “Meagan, innocent lass that you be, I can only take it that you’ve nae idea of the shameful proposal you have just made.”

  Meagan looked up at him with a wanton smile on her lips. “Duff, m’ lad, you are for knowin’ that ’tis not all that innocent I am, ’n ’tis with full understandin’ o’ the scandal of m’ words that I did speak with you,” Meagan said in a perfect imitation of Duff’s brogue. “Sure, for ’tis into m’ own bed that I’m invitin’ you.”

  Duff laughed then reached out to put his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to him as they approached the front of the hotel.

  “’Tis a wanton lass you be, Meagan Parker, ’n with a Scottish brogue, too. ’N I’ll have you be for knowin’ that ’tis every bit to my liking.”

  Chapter Seven

  Chicago, Illinois

  TRAIN ARRIVES CHEYENNE 11PM

  THURSDAY STOP HAVE MEN READY

  Just short of one thousand miles east of Cheyenne, the Pacific Flyer, which had left Grand Central Depot in New York two days earlier, was pulling out of Chicago. Jake Poindexter, who had a private compartment on the train, was sitting at a table in the club car, looking through the window at the dark outside. He could see the squares of light projected from the windows as they slid along the ground, matching the better-than-thirty-miles-per-hour speed of the train.

  A man approached his table. “You’re Jake Poindexter, aren’t you?” He was clean-shaven, and wearing a black broadcloth suit.

  “Yes, I am. Do I know you?” Jake asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

  “I remember you from the football game we played. I was with Michigan. You played for the Harvard eleven.”

  “Yes, yes, I remember that game. It was the first western team we had ever played. We beat you, I believe.”

  “And beat us rather thoroughly, I’m sad to say. We were a lot of inexperienced players without teamwork, depending entirely on individual play. Our halfbacks, I believe, were equal to any we met, but our line was weak, the men being light and having little experience. Most of us had never played in a match game and some of us had never seen a copy of the rules.” The young man extended his hand. “My name is Collins, Ed Collins. It’s an honor to meet you, without having to tackle you. As I recall, that was rather difficult to do,” he added with a friendly smile.

  “Well, I’m happy to say that my days of getting tackled are well behind me. Say, Ed, why don’t you join me for a drink?” Jake invited.

  “Thank you. I would glad to,” Collins said, sitting across from Jake.

  Jake raised his hand to signal the porter.

  “You are from New York, I believe,” Collins said. “What are you doing this far from home?”

  “I’m going to Chugwater, Wyoming.”

  “Chugwater? That sounds interesting, but I must admit that I’ve never even heard of the place. Why are you going to such a remote location?”

  “You might say that it is my last leisurely experience before I settle down. Oh, wait, that’s not entirely true. As it turns out there will be very little leisure in this adventure. I will also be building a railroad.”

  Collins chuckled. “Don’t you mean your father will be building the railroad? I am very familiar with Mr. Preston Poindexter and the Poindexter Railroad and Maritime Corporation. Everyone is.”

  “Well, let’s just say that I will have my father’s backing, but I am proud to say that it is I who will be building the railroad. However I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say that I’m also feeling some apprehension over the project.”

  “So you’re going to be building the railroad, are you? I must confess that I’m having a difficult time picturing you out in the hot sun, swinging a sledge hammer,” Collins said.

  Jake laughed. “Oh, heavens, when I say I’m going to build a railroad, I don’t mean that I am physically going to be laying track.”

  “Then I don’t understand. How will you be building a railroad if you aren’t actually building it?”

  “When the time comes to start the actual construction I’ll hire people to lay the rails and swing the hammers. But there’s a lot to be done beforehand in securing the financing and acquiring the right-of-way. And I’ll be able to do that with this.” Jake took an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to Collins.

  “What is this?”

  “It’s a letter appointing me as my father’s surrogate in all business deals, especially in securing government grants and the power of eminent domain.” Jake pulled the letter from the envelope. “Here, perhaps this will explain.”

  POINDEXTER RAILROAD AND MARITIME CORPORATION

  Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.

  PRESTON C. POINDEXTER, President

  Assignment of Authority

  Know you all by these presence that I, Preston Clark Poindexter, President of Poindexter Railroad and Maritime Corporation, do appoint the holder of this letter, my son Jacob Byron Poindexter with power of attorney to exercise eminent domain, acquire government land grants, deposit and withdraw funds from the Poindexter account at the Bank of Chugwater, and do all such as must be done in the building of a railroad from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

  My hand and seal:

  “Tell me about this eminent domain and government grant thing. What does that have to do with your building a railroad?”

  “Oh, it has everything to do with it,” Jake said excitedly. “Here, let me buy you dinner and I’ll explain it all to you.”

  “Well, that’s very generous of you,” Collins replied. “Thank you.”

  “It must be very expensive to build a railroad,” he said a few minutes later as the two men enjoyed a meal of fried trout.

  Jake explained the concept of government financing to his new friend.

  “So what you are saying is, you can make a lot of money building a railroad,” Collins said.

  “Oh, yes, and the beauty is you can make money while building it, and of course once it is built, you can make money from the operation of the railroad.”

  “No wonder Preston Poindexter is so wealthy,” Collins said. “You are a lucky man to have him as your father.”

  “You’re right. It is just a matter of luck. I’ve certainly done nothing to earn it.” Jake smiled. “But now that I am going to be put in charge of building the C and FL Railroad, I hope to rectify that.”

  “C and FL?”

  “Cheyenne and Fort Laramie.”

  “Yes, C and FL indeed,” Collins replied.

  “I must say, Ed, I’m glad you dropped by. It’s good to have a friend on such a long journey.”

  “It is at that,” Ed replied with a warm smile.

  Cheyenne

  Having breakfast in the dining room of the Interocean Hotel the next morning. Meagan poured coffee for Duff, then for herself. “Thank you for changing your mind and allowing me to come to Cheyenne.”

  Duff chuckled. “Allowing you to come? Sure ’n it seems to me like you had all intentions of coming whether it be with me or by yourself.”

  “Well, that’s true,” she said with a broad smile. “But I’m sure that being included was much better than it would have been if I had tried to bring seventy-five cows all by myself.”

  “Aye, ’twould have been a difficult task for a wee lass such as yourself. ’N after the great pleasure you gave me last night, ’tis more than happy I am that you are here with me.”

  “Duff!” Meagan said, her cheeks flaming red. “That’s not something we should be talking about in public.”

  “Sure, lass ’n I’m for talking about the opera we saw. What do you think I’m talking about?”

  “I . . . uh . . . never mind,” Meagan said in chagrin.

  Duff reached his hand across the table to take hers. “Lass, I’ve nae wish to embarrass you. Every moment we spend tog
ether is a pleasure for me’ ’n I’ve nae wish to ever do a thing that would cause you to be uncomfortable.”

  The expression on Meagan’s face changed from one of chagrin to one of contentment. “I hope the opera wasn’t the only thing you enjoyed last night,” she said with a sensual smile.

  Their intimate moment was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter, bringing their breakfast.

  “Ah, good,” Duff said. “Eat hearty, lass, for ’tis my intention to get all the way back today, ’n we’ll likely have naught but jerky in the saddle for our lunch.”

  * * *

  Having followed Duff from the moment he’d reached Cheyenne, Slocum had stood nearby, watching as the cattle had been loaded into the holding pen. He had been in the bank, ostensibly waiting to convert a twenty-dollar bill into twenty ones, when he overheard Duff making arrangements to send the money back to Cheyenne.

  You’ll never make it back to get that money, he’d thought, even as he’d wished there was some way he could get to it. After learning that MacCallister was staying at the Interocean Hotel, Grant Slocum had taken a room there, as well.

  During breakfast, he studied MacCallister and the woman who was with him.

  They would be returning to Chugwater today, and Slocum intended to meet them on the road. He would have the advantage because the two men had never met. He had started out with the intention only of killing only MacCallister but realizing that the woman would be going back to Chugwater with him, Slocum knew that he would have to kill her as well. A moment later, he decided that she might turn out to be a bonus. After all, she was a very pretty woman.

  * * *

  As Duff and Meagan ate their breakfast and Grant Slocum watched them while contemplating their fate, about eight miles north of town Creech and Rudd were already in position and waiting alongside the road. They had arrived before sunrise, and Rudd was dozing.