Free East of the River by J. R. Roberts Page B

and found a young man with a deputy’s star sitting behind the desk.
    â€œHelp ya?” the boy asked.
    â€œI was looking for Sheriff Perry,” Clint said.
    â€œWho are you?”
    â€œClint Adams.”
    The deputy rocked back in his chair. “Whoa! He told me you was in town.”
    â€œDo you know where he is?”
    â€œOut and about,” the young man said. “Makin’ his rounds.”
    â€œHe does that a lot, huh?”
    â€œThat’s his job.”
    â€œOkay,” Clint said, heading for the door.
    â€œCan I tell ’im what you wanted?”
    Clint turned and looked back at the deputy.
    â€œJust tell him I was here looking for him,” he said. “That’s all.”
    â€œWill do.”
    â€œUh, you wouldn’t know anything about a man named Doyle, would you?”
    â€œDoyle?” the deputy said. “I heard that name.”
    â€œWhere? When?”
    â€œToday,” the man said, “earlier today. Some girl wearin’ a gun came in and asked the sheriff about a man named Doyle.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œAnd he told her about you.”
    â€œThen what?”
    â€œShe left.”
    â€œAnd after she left, is that when he went out on rounds?”
    â€œYeah,” the deputy said. “Funny thing, too.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œShe went out the front door,” the deputy said, “and he went right out the back.”
    â€œWas he in a hurry?”
    â€œNow that you mention it,” the deputy said, “yeah, he seemed like he was in a big hurry.”
    â€œAnd he didn’t specifically say where he was going?” Clint asked.
    â€œNaw,” the deputy said, “he just said he was goin’ on rounds, and I was to stay here.”
    â€œOkay, Deputy . . .”
    â€œGibbons.”
    â€œDeputy Gibbons,” Clint said. “Thanks.”
    â€œHey,” the deputy yelled as Clint went out the door, “what’s goin’ on?”
    Â 
    Clint came back in the Ox Bow and yelled, “Eddie in the back, Newly?”
    â€œYeah, but—”
    Clint kept going, got to the back door, and opened it. Randle looked up from his desk. He had a ledger book open in front of him.
    â€œBusy?”
    â€œDoin’ the books,” Randle said, closing it. “Gotta make this place look legit. What’s on your mind?”
    â€œYou ever heard of a man named Doyle?”
    â€œDoyle,” Randle said. “That a first name or a last name?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Clint said. “I just heard the name today.”
    â€œDoyle,” Randle said, again. “I don’t know it, but then I haven’t seen any wanted posters in months. What about him?”
    â€œI just heard the name today, too,” Clint said. “There was a woman in here looking for him.”
    Clint explained about Hannie Welch, told the undercover marshal her story.
    â€œSo she’s killed three men and is lookin’ for the fourth,” Randle said. “What’s that got to with what we’re doin’?”
    â€œNothing,” Clint admitted. “Just coincidence, her being here looking for man while you’re here.”
    â€œWhat’s such a coincidence about that?” Randle asked. “This woman isn’t good-lookin’, is she?”
    â€œOh yeah,” Clint said. “She is.”
    Randle opened his ledger book again.
    â€œMaybe we should keep our mind on business, Clint,” Randle advised.
    â€œClose the book,” Clint said.
    Randle closed it.
    â€œI went out to the Archer ranch, and I had a look around the Archer store.”
    â€œYou tell them who you were?”
    â€œNobody saw me at the ranch,” Clint said, “but yeah, I didn’t see the harm in telling Thomas and John who I was.”
    â€œAnd what’d they do?”
    â€œNot much. They were pretty nice, let me look around the store.”
    â€œWhat about