A Good Day To Kill Read Free Page B

back, facing them, with her arms folded and a smug set on her lips. “I want to meet him.”
    â€œYou have a deal, my friend.”
    â€œYou know those two girls have husbands now. I don’t have to slave in that café anymore to make work for them two if—well, if I had a good man to support me.”
    â€œIt might work, Jenn,” Marge said with a grin.
    â€œBest thing is what Marshal Virgil Earp told me. The big man who came by to talk to me,” said Chet.
    â€œYes, we figured he was law, too.” Both women agreed with nods to each other.
    â€œVirgil is a town marshal. Behan had a real problem with me that Israel Clanton’s mother had not been notified of his death.”
    â€œWe saw the hassle he gave you.”
    â€œAnyway, I asked Virgil about Behan being so anxious to notify Mrs. Clanton about her son’s death. He said the information might be worth a toss in the hay with her.”
    The women shook their heads in disapproval and then laughed.
    â€œBehan is a real peacock,” Marge said, and Jenn agreed.
    Chet had made some plans he intended to tell them about later. He wanted to go home, rest some at the ranch, and in two weeks go back to Tubac to let some of his married men run home for a week. That should work.
    Back at the Doc’s house, he sent word by messenger to Dodge to meet the three of them at Nellie Cashman’s Restaurant for supper at six thirty. Jenn smiled, pleased, when he told her his plans. Marge agreed. Blevins’s telegram came after the light lunch the women fixed.

    CHET
    GLAD YOU ARE BETTER. SOUNDS LIKE THE TASK FORCE IS REALLY GETTING LOTS DONE. I AM COMING ON THE STAGE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A FEW THINGS. NO REPLY NECESSARY. THANKS. BLEVINS.

    Later that afternoon, they took a taxi downtown to supper. Tombstone’s boardwalks were loaded with prostitutes, drunks, filthy dust-coated miners, and muleskinners. It was no place for his two ladies to tramp through to get to supper.
    He told the taxi man to be back around eight thirty to take them home. The man agreed, and he told him he’d pay him then for both ways.
    They had not heard from Dodge before they left the house, but, all dressed up, he met them in the lobby. He was very attentive to both women, and they were shown to their table. Chet had a notion the tall blond-headed Jenn had intrigued him some. This could be interesting.
    The evening went fine and the two of them—Jenn and Dodge—were talking almost in private the last half of the meal. Dodge finally pulled himself away a little from her to tell them, “I plan to be in Preskitt in a week. I have some work to do up there.”
    â€œYou must stay at our house,” Marge said.
    â€œThe company pays all my expenses. I’ll take a room at the hotel.”
    â€œThen you must come out to the ranch one evening and have supper with us. I can send my driver, and Jenn can tell you all about the countryside coming out there.”
    â€œWhat do you think of that?” Dodge asked Jenn.
    â€œSounds like I have already been appointed as your tour guide.”
    â€œWonderful. I accept.”
    Chet had to admit, though Jenn was a rather buxom lady, she still had lots of appeal. The fire had been lit. Might work. He sure hoped so. Onward, he must go. It would sure be good to smell those pines up there again. And be home.

    Marshal Blevins arrived in Tombstone the next day by stage. They met on the porch and spoke in low voices. “I know you knew that Clanton boy who was killed was the old man’s nephew. And when we delivered them, Behan complained that we hadn’t notified his mother.”
    Blevins nodded. “You know the old man has lots of political sway in the territory.”
    â€œI have no doubt. Are you telling me we have to step around him?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œGood, ’cause I was about to tell you to stick this job in your ass. I haven’t challenged him, because he