Free Longarm and "Kid" Bodie (9781101622001) by Tabor Evans Page A

necklace and some gold nuggets, now would you?”
    â€œNo sir.”
    â€œWhat I’m trying to tell you,” Longarm continued, “is that there could be a lot of money in a will and you could be killed for it.”
    â€œI’ll sell this jewelry and buy a new gun and repeating rifle,” Bodie told them. “And I’ll learn to shoot fast and straight.”
    â€œCustis, this is getting worse by the minute. Take Bodie over to see his grandmother and aunt, then come back and I’ll have your ticket and travel money ready. But you’ll have to check in on that little matter in Reno I spoke to you earlier about.”
    â€œSure, but what about
Bodie’s
ticket and expenses?”
    â€œIf Mrs. Ida Clark won’t pay for it, then Bodie sells the jewelry and buys his own ticket. I’m just not sure how you’re going to talk the railroad into letting him take the dog.”
    â€œI’ll figure out something,” Longarm promised.
    â€œI’m sure you will.”
    Billy shook Bodie’s hand, saying, “I hope you find out that your mother is alive and doing well.”
    â€œThat’s not too likely.”
    â€œProbably not, but I want to wish you good luck, Bodie. It’s going to be helpful to have you leave Denver before Sheriff Miller gets his hooks into you. If that happened, we’d have a serious problem.”
    Bodie nodded with understanding.
    * * * 
    Longarm walked Bodie and Homer over to Center Street, thinking he should have cleaned and dressed the kid up a little before meeting his grandmother and aunt. But Bodie probably wouldn’t have stood for being cleaned up and made to look respectable; too bad that the boy and the dog stunk so bad. Longarm just hoped that the two women on Center Street would not think the pair disgusting and refuse to take them into their home.
    â€œWhat are they like?” Bodie suddenly asked as they approached the yellow house.
    â€œThey’re very kind.”
    â€œJudging from the house, they must be rich.”
    â€œMaybe not rich,” Longarm said, “but comfortable.”
    â€œRich,” Bodie insisted. “If you live in a big house like that, you gotta be rich. They have anyone else livin’ with ’em?”
    â€œNot that I know of.”
    Bodie glanced at Homer. “No dogs or cats?”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    â€œGood. Homer don’t much care for either. It would go real bad if my dog ate any of their pets.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œWhat the hell am I supposed to say to ’em?”
    â€œWhatever you want to say, only don’t cuss. These are ladies.”
    â€œSure. Do I tell ’em about the letter I got from ma with the bloodstains?”
    â€œYou can if you want, but I don’t think it would be a very good idea.”
    â€œMaybe not. Might be too much for real ladies to take on top of everything.”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œLet’s just get this over with,” Bodie said quietly as he started toward the fine yellow house.

Chapter 10
    â€œMrs. Clark, this is your grandson,” Longarm said as he and the kid stood on the front porch. “And that’s his dog, Homer.”
    Ida and Rose took involuntary steps backward, clearly shocked. Rose broke an awkward silence by saying, “Bodie, it’s a pleasure to meet you and . . . and your dog.”
    â€œYes,” Ida blurted, recovering quickly. “We’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
    â€œProbably none of it good,” Bodie said, taking off his battered felt hat and wringing the brim in his dirty hands. “I come from a long way off and things ain’t been too easy for me in Denver.”
    â€œWe’ve heard about your troubles,” Rose said. “And we’d like to help you out.”
    â€œNot much you can do for me and Homer except feed us. We can’t be here for