Free Longarm and the Deadly Restitution (9781101618776) by Tabor Evans Page A

did he die . . . quickly or . . .”
    â€œHe died very quickly and didn’t suffer, ma’am.” Longarm swallowed hard. “I . . . I just don’t have the words to tell you how liked and respected your husband was by all of us in the federal office.”
    â€œMichael loved his job and he wouldn’t have considered doing anything else.” She gently placed her hand on Longarm’s hand, and hers felt very cold. “I knew that Michael and Deputy Plummer were going to do something very dangerous together today. Michael didn’t want to talk about it and neither did Henry. So Henry’s alive?”
    â€œYes.” Longarm took a deep breath. “But he is pretty shot up. He’s been rushed to the hospital. He was bleeding pretty badly when I got to him in the bank, but none of the wounds appeared to be fatal.”
    â€œIf he was standing tall beside my husband when the fight began and my husband saved his life, then I need to see him.”
    â€œI’m sure that would be welcomed by Henry,” Longarm said. “But . . . but you need to wait until we know for certain that he’s going to make it.”
    â€œIf he’s going to die, I want to be there before he passes.”
    Longarm looked into her grief-stricken eyes. “Why?”
    She shrugged. “Michael told me that he really liked Henry. Said he was going to make a fine deputy, even though he could have done most anything else because of his father’s money and position as our mayor. The fact that he chose to be sworn in as a federal deputy marshal in that office really meant something to my husband. I’d like to tell Deputy Plummer that to his face, so that he knows that my husband died beside a man he really cared about.”
    â€œI understand.”
    â€œThen let’s go and find where they’ve taken Henry Plummer.”
    The sun was just starting to set and the temperature was dropping fast. “Right now?”
    â€œYes, right now. If Henry has died of his wounds, then I will
still
tell him what I just told you. And if Henry is alive, he’ll want to hear what I have to say so that he isn’t filled with guilt because my husband saved his life today.”
    Longarm pushed himself to his feet and nodded. “All right, Mrs. Flannery, let’s go see where they’ve taken Deputy Plummer . . . to the hospital or the morgue . . . so that we can both pay our respects.”
    â€œThank you, I’ll get my coat because it’s getting very cold out. It feels like it might even snow tonight.”
    Longarm waited, and when Delia returned from inside, he offered her his arm and they headed down the street. “Be careful,” he cautioned, “it’s almost to the freezing point and this street is getting icy and slick.”
    â€œNothing can hurt me more than I’m already hurt.”
    â€œWe’ll just watch our steps,” Longarm told her. “Most likely Henry is at the Denver Memorial Hospital. Maybe we can hail a horse-and-buggy driver to—”
    â€œI’d rather walk with you and breathe in some cold, fresh air, if you don’t mind.”
    Longarm didn’t mind at all, and he sure did hope that the doctors had gotten Deputy Henry Plummer’s wounds to stop bleeding. If the bullets to his body had pierced organs, Henry was almost assuredly dead. But if not, he seemed likely to survive.
    Longarm wanted to walk faster, but with Delia on his right arm and the ice starting to crunch beneath his feet, he needed to walk slow and easy.
    It had been a nightmare of a day, and he’d be going to hell if he let either himself or the beautiful widow on his arm fall.

Chapter 10
    â€œDoctor, is Deputy Henry Plummer still alive or . . .”
    The doctor looked at Longarm and then at the woman on his arm. “And you are . . . ?”
    â€œWe’re