Whiskey Rose (Fallen)
Read Whiskey Rose (Fallen) Online
Authors: Melissa Jones
Whiskey Rose
By Melissa Jones
Whiskey Rose © 2013 Melissa Jones
This ebook is for your personal enjoyment and may not be resold.
All Rights Reserved.
All characters, locations, and situations in this book a fictional and products of the author’s imagination.
Table of Contents
No one should ever have to look into a rough pine box and see a friend, or a loved one for that matter. Matt Harrison had seen his share of pine boxes. He had filled his share of pine boxes. None had ever hurt the way this one hurt. Ben Jenkins, good naturedly known as Benji, was his best friend. That
was
took on a significant meaning now. He did
n’
t move as he stared down into the box. He would
n’
t cry. Rangers did
n’
t cry but he felt an ache deep within where no other emotion existed.
The man in the box looked nothing like Benji and yet it did. Benji lived in
his hat, a dirty, sweat stained and sun bleached brown cowboy hat. It never left him. Matt had seen him bathe in that hat and sleep in the hat. But the hat was gone now. Benji’s hair was neatly combed, it was probably the first time since childhood, and he was dressed in a black suit with a string bow tie. It was as far from his usual wardrobe as you could possibly get. He even looked freshly shaved and his bushy fu manchu mustache was trimmed. Matt’s cool blue eyes narrowed slightly and he finally looked away from Benji’s pale form back to the undertaker.
“
Why does he look like h
e’
s headed to Sunday service
?
”
“
You should look your best when you meet your maker, do
n’
t you think, son
?
” Matt glared at the tall morbid looking man, he was wearing a similar black suit and he wondered briefly if the man had a side business dealing single use suits. That was
n’
t what had him glaring. If anyone was going to call him son it had better be his mother and she had been gone a long time. This man was maybe five years his senior and certainly had
n’
t earned the right to call him son.
“
I am not your son
,
” he said coolly. The man standing against the wall cleared his throat and stepped forward.
“
Matt why do
n’
t we go back to my office
.
”
Matt glared at the undertaker a moment longer before he relented and followed the other man out.
“
What happened Jack
?
”
“
I wish I knew
.
” Jac
k’
s spurs jingled as he crossed the dusty road. He was the local sheriff now but he still wore the unofficial uniform of a Ranger. Although he supposed the shirt and vest were really just the uniform of a lawman.
“
What do you know
?
”
“
Found him in Round Rock. Someone cut his throat. I wish I could tell you I go
t‘
im but the truth is I got nothi
n’
. No witnesses, no unrest in the area. He was
n’
t wearing his badge if I had
n’
t known him I might not have been able to identify him at all
.
”
“
Wher
e’
s his hat
?
”
“
What
?
”
“
Benj
i’
s hat, it might as well have been his left foot. Where is it
?
” Jack stopped walking and looked at the ground before he looked up and met Mat
t’
s eyes.
“
I did
n’
t find his hat. I did find his badge and the rest of his belongings in a rented room
.
” Jack started walking again.
“
Round Rock, we took down Hardin in Round Rock could this be a two year old retribution
?
”
“
I do
n’
t think so. We took out all the power at the same time as Hardin. There is a whole new regime moved in there now, the Cannon boys. I
t’
s still a pretty rough place but if anyone had a score to settle I would think he would have come for me first, after all I am still fairly local. Do you have any idea what he was working on
?
”
“
No
.
”
“
You going to go find out
?
”
“
Right after I brief the Captain
.
”
“
You know h
e’
s not going to let you work the case
.
”
“
I do
n’
t plan on asking his permission
.
”
Jack made a sound that sounded like the beginning of a chuckle but it fell short. Apparently even Mat
t’
s career sabotaging choices were
n’
t as amusing when they were burying a friend and comrade.
“
Anything you nee
d
… anythin
g
… you let me know
.
”
“
I will
.
”
Matt stood on the boardwalk across the road from a local saloon. It wasn’t the only one in town. In fact this town had more saloons than anything else. This one was definitely the liveliest. The sign read Whiskey Rose. The road in front was bathed in light and noise that was spilling out despite the late hour. This was his starting point. Jack had told him that Benji had been found in the alley behind the saloon. That didn’t mean he had been here but it certainly gave him a reason to start here.
He was
n’
t wearing his badge for two reasons, the first being that there was no law in this town. The nearest law was Jack and he was ten miles away. The second reason was the fact that his Captain had expressly forbidden him from coming here. He did
n’
t have the backing of the Rangers. He was on his own but he would be damned if he was going to let Benj
i’
s killer get off scot free.
Matt walked through the swinging doors and immediately realized what the draw was for this particular saloon. Only two things drew this many men to one place. Women or gold. In this case it was the former. There was standing room only and still the ratio of men to women was better than the average. Even the bar keep was a female. He couldn’t remember ever having seen that before. He worked his way across the room till he could put his back against the wall. The air was charged with anticipation. They were waiting for something. There was a band setting up on the stage but he doubted the band itself would draw this many cowboys. It had to be a woman. At least one, he just wasn’t sure if she was going to be a dancer or a singer.
“
Get you a drink, Sugar
?
” He looked around for the source of the question and found a short black haired woman at his side. The creamy white complexion and light colored brows told him the hair color was
n’
t natural.
“Bourbon.”
She walked away with what he could only describe as a sashay. She was wearing a bright yellow gown that had a number of embellishments but it wasn’t all that revealing. Still he felt compelled to watch the gentle sway of her backside until it was blocked by the crowd. He looked around and noted that none of the women were dressed in anything revealing, though they were all dressed in some of the brightest colors he had ever seen, they were all very pretty to varying degrees but he still couldn’t find the draw for this many people.
A hush fell over the crowd and his attention focused back on the stage. The woman reappeared with his drink along with several others on a tray. A woman with bright red hair stepped up onto the stage and the crowd broke out in rowdy cheering. As soon as the men settled down the woman began to sing. She had a sultry voice that stirred something purely male in him. The sound caused the hair on his arms to stand on end. Two lines into the song the band began to play along with her. The music almost seemed to take away from the voice. It was still like nothing he had ever heard before. For the first time in his life he realized what the sirens song must sound like. The realization snapped him out of his trance. He was here for a reason. He wasn’t going to be led astray by a sirens song. He took advantage of the other men’s distraction
and scanned the room. He never forgot a face. He was looking for anyone wanted, or any known outlaws. Anyone who could have recognized Benji, anyone that Benji could have pursued here. He didn’t see anyone that looked like a potential suspect. He downed the Bourbon and it wasn’t a moment before another woman was there to retrieve his glass. This one was blond and a good six inches taller than the first had been.
“
Can I get you another, hun
?
” She smiled at him and he smiled back automatically.
“
Maybe in a few. Is there a card room here
?
”
“Not on Friday and Saturday. Only Katrina on Friday and Saturday. Let me know if I can get you anything.” She winked at him as she moved away. He watched her collect drink orders all the way across the room back to the bar. He looked back at the stage, Katrina, the woman had said. Katrina had moved on to another song but it was no less entrancing to the crowd of cowboys that was hanging on her every word. He eased his way back through the crowd toward the door. Once he slipped out into the cool night hair he felt a little less like a fly caught in a web. He looked both ways up and down the road but he didn’t see a single soul. Clearly anyone in a five mile radius was here to hear Katrina sing. He slipped between the buildings into a dark alley and made his way silently toward the back of the building. This is why he didn’t wear spurs. He wanted to hear what was around him not his own jingling feet.
The back of the building wasn’t much different than the side. There were a few stacked crates but nothing that could effectively conceal a body. Or a killer for that matter. Whoever had killed Benji hadn’t bothered to hide the crime. It was a crime of passion or rage because it hadn’t been a robbery. Matt walked slowly up and down the alley twice. What had brought Benji here? He could have been following a lead but if he was he hadn’t mentioned it to the captain. In fact as far as the Captain knew Benji was here on personal business. Just one of the reasons he had refused to declare him killed in the line. The other reasons were political. Matt wasn’t going to let it lie though he intended to find out exactly what had happened to his friend and if he had been killed in the line of duty he would see to it that everyone knew the real story even if it cost him his career. The first step was finding some leverage on the Whiskey Rose.