Longarm and the Yuma Prison (13 page)

Loretta's two rapists and attackers ran out of beer money and staggered out the door of the Cactus Saloon about eleven o'clock. They were drunk and weaving as Longarm closed in on them from behind. He waited until they were about to pass a dark alley and then he pounced, rushing forward to grab both men by the collars and hurl them into the alley.

Longarm hit the big man in the red shirt first and broke his nose. When he grabbed it, Longarm stepped back and kicked him as hard as he could deep up between his legs. The big man screamed and Longarm turned his attention on the smaller man, who was trying to get out of the alley and run away.

“Who are you?” the man cried.

“I'm the one that's going to give you the worst beating of your miserable life.”

“No! Please!”

But after just having seen the damage these two had inflicted on Loretta's formerly pretty face, Longarm had no pity for either of these men. He went after the smaller one with both fists and when the man started to crumple, Longarm hurled him up against a wall and kept pounding him until he was unrecognizable.

The bigger man was climbing to his feet when Longarm turned around. He had a large knife in his fist and started lurching forward. Longarm crouched and when the big man made a clumsy stabbing motion, Longarm grabbed the man's wrist, twisted the knife around, and drove it into his opponent's groin.

“Ahhhh!”

Longarm twisted the knife in the hope of castrating this man or at least slicing off his penis. Maybe he did, maybe not. Either way, the large man in the red shirt was never going to fully be a man again.

Looking down at him, Longarm said, “If you can crawl, you might want to get back into the street before you bleed out. Doesn't matter to me.”

“Who are you!”

“I'm retribution,” Longarm replied before he hurled the bloody-bladed knife into the darkness and walked away.

Longarm washed the blood off his hands in a horse trough and reentered the Cactus Saloon, then sought out Loretta. She looked at him and then his hands and whispered, “Are they dead?”

“No, but they wish they were.”

Loretta smiled and led him off to the side of the room where they could talk in private and the noise wasn't quite so loud. “Marshal, I'd like to go somewhere and be alone with you now.”

“And leave all these paying customers? I don't pay a woman . . . ever.”

“I don't want your money. You promised you were going to give me a second chance if I testified and I will testify. All I'm asking is that my second chance begins tonight.”

Longarm smiled. “You will have to make some big changes, Loretta. How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“All right,” Longarm said. “We'll go back to my hotel and the first thing you'll do is take a long, hot bath.”

“Tub big enough for both of us?” she asked.

“Just might be. And after your bath you can sleep in my room.”

“In your bed . . . with you?” she asked, leaning close.

She smelled of tobacco, sweat, beer, and rough men. “Loretta, ask me that question later tonight.”

“Oh, I'll ask all right. And I'll keep askin' until you give me the answer I want to hear.”

Longarm understood and so he took her by the arm and guided her out of the saloon and, hopefully, into a new and far better and longer future.

 • • • 

Once back at the hotel, Longarm led Loretta up the stairs to his room. “I'm going to go down to the end of the hallway,” he said, “and draw you a hot bath.”

She looked around at his room. “This hotel doesn't allow women like me up in these rooms. The people who work here know who I am and they may . . .”

“I'll explain that you are no longer working saloons. That you've become a respectable woman.”

“They won't believe that!”

Longarm shrugged. “It doesn't matter what they believe anymore. It's what
you
believe that counts.”

Again, he started to leave but she grabbed his arm. “Are you sure that I won't get killed for testifying?”

“Loretta, we both know that there's nothing sure or certain in this life staying on this floor. But I can promise you that there are three other people besides me who are willing to risk our lives to right the wrong that was done to Tom Ray and to the people of Yuma.”

“Is she next door with Mr. Hamilton?”

“You mean Mrs. Jessica Hamilton?”

“Yes.”

“She is,” Longarm said.

“I heard that she was shot and nearly killed.”

“That's true, but she's doing much better now. She, her husband, and her husband's brother are all in the rooms on this floor, and tomorrow we are going to set the wheels in motion to give Tom Ray a new trial. He'll have Peter Hamilton on the bench and new jurors. And, Loretta, we'll have your sworn testimony that Tom Ray acted strictly in self-defense.”

“Mr. Lang and the marshal aren't going to let this happen,” Loretta said quietly. “They won't . . .”

Longarm placed a finger over her lips. “You need a bath. There's soap and shampoo for your hair. After that you ought to get a good night's sleep. I know that you're hurt and tired and frightened. But tomorrow the sun will shine, we'll get a new trial under way, and you'll give your testimony before the week is out. Then, we'll all leave this town on the train.”

“Mr. Hamilton and his bride are leaving Yuma with us?”

“Yes, along with the federal judge. They've decided to relocate to Santa Fe where their parents live and need assistance.”

Loretta nodded. “I heard that Santa Fe is a real nice place to live.”

“So have I,” Longarm told her. “And we can stay over a night or two, and if you decide you'd rather live there than in Denver, that will be fine.”

But Loretta shook her head. “I want to get as far away from all this and my past as I can. I'm sticking with you.”

“That'll be fine.”

“Are you married?”

He almost smiled. “No.”

“Engaged or have a sweetheart in Denver?”

Longarm shook his head.

“Then for sure I'm sticking with you. Marshal, if . . . if I got cleaned, I would look respectable and men used to say I was really pretty.”

“I believe that.”

Loretta kissed his mouth and then she headed for the door. “Do I turn right or left?”

“Right.” Longarm took her arm and unlocked his door. He was still wearing his gun . . . just in case. “But I'm going with you. From now until the trial is over, you're not leaving my sight.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “So are you going to sit on the shitter and watch while I take my bath?”

Longarm thought about that a moment. “It's a real big bathtub, Loretta. I might just join you.”

She winked and gave her hips a little shake and bump, “Now we're talking!”

They were both laughing as they made their way down the carpeted hallway.

It didn't take long for federal judge Peter Hamilton to open court with a new trial for Tom Ray, and everyone wanted to be on the new jury because this was just about the most exciting event in the history of Yuma. Now, it was one o'clock in the afternoon. Tom Ray was in court dressed in his prison clothes and guarded by a pair of very serious guards armed with shotguns. No one expected the prisoner to try to escape but there was a sense of danger in the air and the warden himself had promised to appear later in the afternoon.

A short time earlier Tom Ray had stated once again the circumstances that night when he'd been playing poker in the Cactus Saloon. Having been a United States marshal out of Denver for many years, he was very familiar with court proceedings and gave a creditable testimony. Even more in his favor was the fact that he had been well liked in the community while the two crooked gamblers had been feared and despised.

Much to her anger and frustration, Dr. Kelly had refused to allow Jessica to attend the retrial, and Longarm was glad. He had hired a tough pair of men to guard her hotel room door with strict orders not to let anyone inside except himself, the doctor, and her husband.

“This will all be over by the end of the day,” Kent Hamilton told his wife just before leaving. “Everyone knows that Lang and the marshal stole your mine and plundered it of gold these past several months. There isn't even going to be a prosecuting attorney in attendance.”

“Hopefully,” Jessica said, “when everyone hears Loretta's sworn testimony, there will be a quick ‘not guilty' verdict and my father will be with us tonight.”

“That's the way we see it,” Kent said, glancing at Longarm, who nodded in agreement. “And as soon as he's free, I'm going to ask the court to take a look at how much the gold was worth that was taken from your mine. We'll get a quick settlement that will set us up with a new house in Santa Fe.”

“Are you just going to abandon our Yuma house?” Jessica asked.

“I found someone who will sell it and everything in it. He's getting a commission based on the sale money.”

“But . . .”

“Don't worry about it,” Kent said. “Until I got you for my bride, I didn't have a damn thing worth keeping. We'll make a fresh start and start with new things that we find together.”

“I'd like that very much,” Jessica told him.

“Me, too. When we leave with the money we'll get from the court . . . and I'm hoping it will be at least twenty thousand . . . I can open an office in Santa Fe and with my brother's connections I'll prosper.”

“I don't care about having a lot of money,” Jessica said. “But to be honest, I never wanted to be poor, either.”

Kent laughed. “We're going to do just fine once this trial is over and your father is free. You don't think he'll want to stick around Yuma, do you?”

“My father has a mind all of his own and he'll usually do what is unexpected. But I think he's seen enough of this country to last him the rest of his lifetime. And he once told me that he loved Santa Fe because it's much cooler in the summer and the winters aren't harsh.”

“I hope he comes and lives with us.”

“He won't,” Jessica said with confidence. “Tom will come to Santa Fe and then he'll be off looking for the end of the rainbow.”

“Maybe he'll find a pretty senorita instead.”

“I sure hope so.”

Jessica kissed her husband and then for good measure she kissed Longarm and Loretta. “You two are risking your lives today to help my father and that is something Kent and I will never forget.”

“Justice is its own best reward,” Longarm replied.

“Loretta . . . I can't thank you enough. You're being very brave to take the stand.”

“I'll tell nothing but the truth and when this is over, I'll start a new life with Custis in Denver.”

Jessica's eyebrows lifted in surprise and she stared at Longarm. “Is that right?”

“I'm just going to help her get a fresh start, so don't let your imagination start getting the best of you.”

Longarm knew what she was thinking but decided to just let it pass. Sure, Loretta had been a whore and probably had sex with more men in a month than he'd had in his life, but her slate was going to be swept clean and after a bath and with her hair brushed, she was looking very good. The pair of eye shiners were growing fainter every day and she wasn't even limping anymore. Yeah, he'd be proud to put her on his arm and walk her down Colfax Avenue, and maybe she could even teach him a few new tricks on the train heading back to Colorado and later on in his bed.

“Be careful,” Jessica warned. “Be very, very careful. Mitch Lang has something planned and—”

“We'll be careful,” Longarm interrupted. “Just rest easy and don't worry. The two men I hired are very capable and they won't run out on you if there is trouble.”

“All right,” Jessica said. “Good-bye and good luck. I can't wait to see and hold my father once more.”

“Are you both ready?” Longarm asked Kent and the visibly frightened Loretta as they descended the stairway into the lobby.

“Ready as could be,” Kent said tightly.

“Me, too,” Loretta whispered, “Custis, just stay real close.”

“I will.”

Monty waved from behind the hotel desk. “Good luck, Marshal! The whole town is cheering for Tom Ray!”

“Thanks,” Longarm called as they headed outside and walked across the street, heading for the courthouse, which was only a block away.

“Just relax,” Longarm said, feeling how tight Loretta's arm felt against his own. “This won't take long and once you've testified, you won't be in any danger at—”

The shot from the rooftop punched a round, neat hole through Longarm's hat brim and blasted dirt into the air. An instant later, Longarm hurled Loretta behind a horse-watering trough and dove in after her. Jessica's husband landed tight against them as more rifle shots boomed.

“Someone is on the roof!” Longarm growled.

“I caught a glimpse of his face. It's Marshal Beeson,” Kent whispered. “What are we going to do?”

“You and Loretta are going to stay where you are. I'm going after him. Don't move until I call out that this is finished and you're no longer in any danger.”

Two more rifle shots riddled the wooden trough and twin streams of water began to pour over their heads. Longarm drew his pistol and poked his head over the trough bringing another fast bullet that narrowly missed.

“He won't stay up there,” Longarm decided. “Beeson is on the bank's rooftop, and now that he realizes he's missed his best chance of killing me and Loretta, he'll be running.”

“Be careful!” Loretta whispered.

Longarm wasn't listening but instead was rolling fast toward the sidewalk, and when he was out of Beeson's rifle sights, he burst into the bank and shouted, “Is there a stairway to the rooftop!”

There were two people in the bank and one of them was Mitch Lang. Longarm just caught a glimpse of the banker as he scuttled out of sight and then there was the crashing sound of a door slamming from the back of the building.

Longarm jumped over a desk and went after the crooked banker. He found the back door to the bank and kicked it open yelling, “It's over, Lang! Same for you, Beeson!”

He heard the pounding of feet across the bank's rooftop. Longarm looked around and then spied a rusty ladder attached to the building. He began to climb, knowing that if the marshal of the banker were thinking straight, they would have hurried over to shoot directly downward at him. His heart was pounding and it seemed to take forever to reach the rooftop, but he rolled over the edge, yanking out his pistol.

The rooftop was empty but Longarm saw empty shell casings from a Winchester, and when he rushed to the far edge of the rooftop, he caught a glimpse of Marshal Beeson and Mitch Lang sprinting down a back alley. Lang was the faster and smaller man, but the heavyset marshal was close on his heels. Having no clear shot, Longarm watched them disappear.

He drew a deep breath and holstered his gun. He had a choice to make . . . he could either chase after the pair or he could make sure that Loretta was safe and able to testify in court.

Take care of Loretta,
he thought.
Then after her testimony go after those two. You gave everyone your word you'd protect them and that, along with seeing Tom Ray go free, is the most important thing you can do now.

Longarm climbed back down the bank's ladder and slapped rust from the palms of his hands. He hurried around the building to see Loretta and Kent still lying flat on their bellies with twin streams of water still pouring over them.

“It's okay to come out now,” he yelled as he trotted over to join the pair.

Kent helped Loretta up and they were both covered with mud.

“I can't go into the courtroom looking like this!” Kent complained, furiously wiping his face and the front of his coat and pants but only making things look worse.

“And I don't want anyone to see me on the stand looking so awful!” Loretta wailed.

Longarm understood. But sometimes you had to do what you didn't want to do and this was one of those times.

“Here,” he said, pulling out his handkerchief and dipping it in the water trough. “Wipe the mud off your faces and let's get over to that courthouse. Justice for Tom Ray can't wait until we look respectable.”

“Easy for you to say,” Loretta told him as she smeared mud across her pretty face while scrubbing furiously. “You're a man!”

Longarm didn't understand what being a man or a woman had to do with having a muddy face and clothes, but he decided he had more than enough on his mind already so he let the remark pass.

Despite the years of being mistreated and humiliated, Loretta still had a bit of a defiant streak in her because she placed both of her muddy thumbs on Longarm's cheeks and drew a couple of lines that looked like Comanche war paint.

“There,” she said, looking satisfied, “we'll
all
look the same now.”

“Okay by me,” Longarm said, taking her hand and heading for the courtroom.