Free The Edge of Town by Dorothy Garlock Page A

banker answered quickly. “Fertile is a quiet, law-abiding town, prosperous—”
     
     
    “Glad to hear it.” Appleby turned then to Ira Brady. “I want you to know, Mr. Brady, that if I accept this job, I have my own firearm.”
     
     
    “If he
accepts
…listen to that.” Amos chortled.
     
     
    Appleby turned cold eyes on the banker. “Would you prefer we not lay all our cards on the table?”
     
     
    “Of course I want honesty. But you don’t seem to be aware that you’re not the only man in the state qualified for the job.”
     
     
    “I never assumed that I was. I was invited here for an interview, but perhaps I’m wasting my time.”
     
     
    “Mr. Appleby,” Frank Adler spoke up. “Mr. Wood is only one man on this council. The other four of us would like to continue the interview.”
     
     
    After a long silent moment, Mr. Appleby nodded his head.
     
     
    Thirty minutes later, the chairman of the council said, “Thank you, Mr. Appleby. Will you wait outside, please? We will come to a decision and be with you shortly.”
     
     
    There was silence again while Corbin Appleby went out and closed the door behind him.
     
     
    Herman Maddock, the undertaker, had not said much except to ask a question or two. Now he was ready to speak his piece.
     
     
    “Mr. Appleby appears to be a responsible man. He seems intelligent, and the marshal feels that he’ll not use the job to push anybody around.”
     
     
    “He pays his bills,” Ron Poole added.
     
     
    “We should have interviewed Evan Johnson. He was in the army and had a higher rank than this bozo.” Amos made the statement defensively. Four sets of eyes turned on him.
     
     
    “Bozo? Is that what you think of a man who fought on foreign soil for his country?” The undertaker’s rarely shown temper was about to surface.
     
     
    “He wasn’t in the trenches, for God’s sake!”
     
     
    “How do you know? Who do you think took charge of the German prisoners? He didn’t get that scar on his face sittin’ on his fist leaning back on his thumb.”
     
     
    “I still think we should have talked to Evan Johnson.”
     
     
    “Evan Johnson wouldn’t have touched this job with a ten-foot pole,” Ron Poole said with conviction. “He’s not hurtin’ for money, as you probably know. He’s not going to risk his life for fifty a month.”
     
     
    “All right.” Ira Brady slapped the table with his palm to bring order. “Let’s get back on track. Anybody else have anything to say about Appleby before we take a vote?”
     
     
    “I think we’re being hasty.” This from Amos Wood.
     
     
    “I think the man would give us his best.” Ron Poole glared at the banker.
     
     
    Herman Maddock spoke. “I move that we hire him.”
     
     
    “So moved,” Ira said without hesitation.
     
     
    “Seconded,” said Frank Adler.
     
     
    “All in favor, say aye.”
     
     
    There was a collective aye from everybody but Amos Wood.
     
     
    “All opposed?”
     
     
    “Nay,” said the banker. “I think you are giving too much authority to a man we don’t know.”
     
     
    “The motion is passed.” Ira slammed his hand down on the table again. “Someone move we adjourn.”
     
     
    “I so move.”
     
     
    “Seconded.”
     
     
    “All in favor?”
     
     
    “Aye.”
     
     
    “Go out and welcome the new policeman to our town.”
     
     
    “I hope to hell he can do something about Walter Johnson before he kills someone,” Herman Maddock said.
     
     
    “The marshal didn’t do anything about him.” Amos slammed his hat on his head. “Don’t expect this bird to do anything, either. He’ll collect his fifty a month, strut around with a star on his chest and get free meals at the restaurant. That’s as much as he’ll amount to.”
     
     
    When Corbin was told that he was hired, he shook hands with each of the council members. Then, not wanting to stay and chat, he crossed the street to the hotel to sit on the porch and