Free The Reluctant Pinkerton by Robert J. Randisi Page A

work. If you’re not hired, I’ll let you know.”
    “Fair enough.”
    Orton stood up.
    “You get the job we’ll talk about salary tomorrow.”
    “Yes, sir,” Roper said. “I appreciate that.”
    Orton shook hands with Roper, who then turned and left. He was pretty sure he’d be hired by the next morning.
    *   *   *
    Outside he found the Fixx boys waiting for him.
    “What happened?” Stan asked.
    “I’ll find out tomorrow,” Roper said, “but I’m pretty sure I got a job.”
    “Well, all right,” Larry said, slapping Roper on the back. “We gotta have us some drinks later and celebrate.”
    “I’ll be at the saloon,” Roper said.
    “Which saloon?”
    “The Bullshead.”
    “That’s a good place,” Larry Fixx said. “We’ll meet ya there.”
    “We gotta get to work before ol’ Orton sees us out here,” Stan said.
    “I wanna thank you boys for the introduction,” Roper said. “First round’s on me tonight.”
    “Well, all right,” Larry said, again. “See ya at the Bullshead.”

15
    Roper went back to his hotel, surprised at how well the day had gone so far. That is, for a day that started with him killing two men.
    He sat down on his bed, trying to put everything in its proper perspective. Andy Blake was established with the law as a troublemaker, with the Fixx brothers as one of their own, with Orton as a possible employee. But he didn’t know where he stood with Nancy the saloon girl. How would she take the fact that he’d killed two of her men? And who did she work for? He was going to have to go to the Bullshead and have a talk with her, find out if she was going to be sending any other boys after him. Or if her boss was.
    He walked to his window and looked out. He was about to turn away when he saw Dol standing across the street.
    “Damn it!” he said. He forgot about her. He still had to settle with her and get her out of town.
    He left his room, went down the steps and outside the hotel to do just that.
    *   *   *
    “Don’t be mad,” she said as she saw him coming.
    “Are you crazy?” he asked, barely containing his anger. “Do you want to get us killed?”
    “I just want to do my part,” she said. “I want to prove myself.”
    She was still in her disguise, with freshly applied soot on her face. Roper looked around. There was foot traffic around them, but nobody seemed to be paying them any special attention. Still, he had to get her off the street.
    “Come on,” he said, grabbing her arm roughly.
    “Where are we going?”
    “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe I’ll just take you to the train station and throw you on the first train that pulls in.”
    “Going where?” she asked, her eyes widening.
    “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Just away.”
    “Roper—” she said, but he cut her off.
    “Don’t call me that!” he said. “I don’t want anyone to hear my name.”
    “Okay, okay,” she said, “sorry. What name—”
    “It’s Blake, Andy Blake.”
    “Really?”
    “What’s wrong with that name?”
    “It’s kind of…plain.”
    As they walked, he asked her, “What are you calling yourself?”
    “Jaime,” she said.
    “Jaime what?”
    “I don’t know,” she said. “Nobody’s asked me.”
    “How did you register at the hotel?”
    She didn’t answer.
    “Oh no,” he said. “Don’t tell me you registered at the White Elephant under your real name?”
    “I wasn’t hiding from anyone,” she said. “Not then.”
    “Damn it,” he said. “Are you still there?”
    “No, I checked out.”
    “Good.”
    “I checked into a cheaper hotel.”
    “Well, you’re just going to have to check out again…Jaime.”
    She stopped walking abruptly. He took two more steps, then stopped and turned to face her.
    “I’m not leaving!” she said firmly.
    “Don’t argue with me,” he said. “Not here. Come on, we have to get out of Hell’s Half Acre before somebody sees us together.”
    *   *   *
    They walked until Roper