“Evening! I notice you swerving a bit back there. Everything good?”
“Yeah! Bug in my face caught me off guard.” Directly next to Boone now he took a good look at the officer. “Duke Yaeger? When did you become a cop?”
“Been an officer for two years now. Ever since my uncle Wyatt was gunned down. You’re the tattoo artist, aren’t you?”
“Gunned down? I just saw Wyatt two… ” He would have said two weeks ago but realized that only made his story look worse. “Yeah! I miss ole’ Wyatt. He was one of the good ones.”
“You obviously didn’t know my uncle. Crooked bastard! I hate to say it but he got what he deserved.”
“Copperheads involved?”
“No snakes! He was taking money from some shady oil companies. Anyway it got the best of him in the end.”
“Oh! I meant the biker gang. The Copperheads! Jake Korso’s bunch of snakes in leather.”
“Korso? Jake runs a body shop over in Lackluster about forty miles from here. He fixes our squad cars. I don’t even think he owns a motorcycle.”
“What? He rode with Roadkill and Beastro. Whirlwind too!”
“You must be mistaken. Have you been drinking?”
“I had a few nips earlier with my girl Beatrice.”
“Oh, yeah! I heard you hooked up with a college gal. Does tats with you now, right? She any good?” He paused a bit in his enthusiasm, “Art wise! Before you think I was asking about her abilities in bed. I will shut my moth now.”
“Both!” Boone grinned hoping to avoid a ticket. “Swing by the shop and I’ll have her hook you up. Almost said tie you up.” Boone chuckled! Knowing Duke was almost hinting helped his case.
“I might just do that.” The twenty-four-year-old laughed. “Where you headed?”
“Needed fresh air in my face is all. No real destination. Hey! Do you by chance recall a girl by the name of Sadie Lynn Outlaw? Busty redhead with tattoos all over her. Tits included!”
“She a stripper over in Daltry? There’s a gal fitting that description dancing at Wildcats.”
“She was in the Army.”
“Naaa! Can’t be her this girl is trailer trash. Between you and I she sucked my dick right there in the club for fifty bucks.”
“Sadie would have bitten it off. Anyways, I was just thinking about her and wondered if you recalled her, she grew up around Kinship.”
“There’s nobody with that Outlaw last name around here that I know.”
“All good! Thanks for chatting Duke. Like I said stop by sometime and I’ll have Beatrice draw something on you.”
“Does she do penis art? I hope that’s not to personal?”
“You just want a hand job.” Boone shook his head. “Don’t make me scalp you Yaeger.”
“I meant like, you know, a hundred-dollar bill around the girth of my cock tattoo.”
“Same thing! She would have to keep you hard and hold onto it to tat it up.”
“Good point! Might hurt like hell anyway.”
“She can kiss it and make it all better.”
“Damn, Dude! Hey! You drive safe. No warning even.”
“Thanks, Duke!” Boone started up his Jeep and slowly left the side of the road. About a mile down he spotted the turn off to the Outlaw ranch where Mary Outlaw was now living with some other man and going by a different name. Tempted to turn in he stopped just long enough to talk himself out of it. Using the road however to turn around in, he shined his headlights up the road and saw of all things a mountain lion run across the road and vanish.
“Grandfather would say that was a sign if I ever saw one.”
It wasn’t a black cat but still in the family.
“Let’s go home and fuck Beatrice again. If I’m stuck with her, I might as well enjoy some… pussy.”
He had a hell of a lot to think about.
********
1876! Dallas, Texas! Two days before Sadie Outlaw’s arrival on the mesa. Let the countdown begin!
Bushytail Saloon was lively in the after dark hours. Doves in abundance, the ladies of the evening were scattered about looking for a dime to set aside for retirement. Meaning the night! Normally rowdy, the denizens were less than troublesome for some reason. Perhaps it was due to a party of five Texas Rangers sitting at a table dead center of the activity. The doves did try to gain attention from them but with business at hand come morning they were waved away. One more drink and they had plans to turn in for the night to be refreshed once the rooster crowed. At least that was the plan.
“How many times are you going to read that letter, Jessup?”
“What does it matter to you Doubleday. I’m a new pappy. A job like mine you need all the good news you can to keep going. When are you going to find a nice God faring woman to settle down with?”
“I like sewin’ my oats too much. One of these days though.” Ivan Doubleday looked toward the entrance at the swinging doors. “You by chance notice that woman over there lookin’ our way without coming inside.”
“I did! No women allowed in here so she’s either looking for her man or looking for A MAN. There’s your chance Ivan. She’s dressed like a Sunday School nag.”
“Huh! She just made a face as if she heard you put her down.”
“Over this piano music I highly doubt that.”
“If her man is in here, he must be upstairs with a pretty little dove because she’s been loitering’ since we set boot in here.”
“Before that!” Ranger Ethan Hurley chimed in after polishing off a juicy steak and dabbed the corners of his mouth with a cloth napkin. “I noticed that woman when we were still at the hotel. She sure is circlin’ us like a hawk.”
“Maybe one of you stRANGER Ranger’s ought to go ask her what she’s up to.” Jessup grumbled! The man in charge did have that authority.
“I’ll go introduce myself and compliment her on her dress.” A fourth Ranger by the name of Crusty Duchamp real name Chester stroked his over the lip moustache and stood up to stretch. “Never know! She might be lookin’ for some fun herself.”
“Don’t go bedding down any gal Crusty.” Jessup folded his letter and stashed it inside his coat pocket. Dressed stylish the burley man with red hair looked dashing. “Rest your weary bones before our next ride.”
“I’ll do what my heart tells me Outlaw.” Crusty pointed with a playful sneer. “Not all of us have a lady waiting on us to change a baby’s potty drawers.”
“Right!” Ranger Dennis Rumsey the fifth in his group chuckled! “I bet yer gal is using yer best Sunday shirt for that.”
“I can always buy me a new set of duds if’n she does.” Jessup grinned for once. “Hurry it up Crusty.”
“On the prowl my good man.” Twenty-seven-year-old Chester put his Stetson on and tried to appear as if a gentleman and took a stroll across the saloon. Seeing him coming the woman in a blue dress with lengthy petticoat bulged her eyes and stepped back out onto the boardwalk. Even at night the people were mingling the streets with wagons and horses. Trying to look proper the woman heard her visitor clear his throat. “Pardon me Ma’am!”
Turning the brunette aimed to appear in good spirits. “Why hello!”
“Chester Duchamp at your service.” He took his hat off out of respect. “Me and my associates have noticed you’ve been eyeballin’ us since we arrived here. First at the Winslow Inn and now here at Bushytail’s Saloon. Anything we can do for you?”
“Oh! You’ve caught me I’m afraid. My… significant other Brandon is here in the city and I’ve been searching for him.”