Longarm and "Kid" Bodie (9781101622001) (9 page)

Chapter 15

Longarm visited with Sheriff Bolden until five o'clock, and then he walked up the street and stood opposite the lawyer's office. Bolden had described Katie Lund as being a very attractive woman about five feet, two inches tall, with long, dark brown hair, a nice figure, and a “perky” walk, whatever that meant.

At about a quarter after five, Longarm saw a woman who fit that description exit the brick building where Jake Kelsey practiced law. She turned and walked south moving at a brisk pace.

“Gotta be her,” Longarm said to himself as he crossed the street and hurried to overtake the woman. When he did, he said, “Excuse me, are you Miss Katie Lund?”

She turned and looked up at him. “What if I am?”

Longarm removed his badge and flashed it before her face. “I'd like a few minutes of your time, Miss Lund.”

“What is this about?” she asked, not stopping.

“It's about a boy named Bodie, who I think lost his mother and stepfather up in Virginia City. Mr. and Mrs. Burlington? And also the death of Marshal Hugh Parker.”

Katie stopped and turned to gaze up into his face. “I don't recognize you.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Custis Long, and I'm a deputy United States marshal who works out of the Denver office. I'm here on official business concerning the murder of the boy's mother. Reno's Sheriff Newt Bolden said that you knew Marshal Parker.”

“I won't deny it.”

“Could we please go somewhere and talk?”

Katie frowned. “I'm not sure that I can tell you anything that would help you solve Hugh's murder.”

“You might be wrong about that, and it wouldn't take long to find out. Ten, fifteen minutes, Miss Lund. I've come a long way to work on this case and I need your help.”

She thought about it for a second or two and then nodded her head. “There's a little place up the street called Clancy's Bar and Steak House, where I like to stop and have a drink and sometimes a meal before going home. If you buy me a shot or two of good Irish whiskey and a corned beef and rye sandwich, I'll tell you what I can about Hugh and the Burlington murder.”

“It's a deal.”

* * * 

Ten minutes later they were seated at a small, dark table in a fine Irish drinking and eating establishment that was already starting to fill up with the evening's customers.

“I'll have my usual glass of Brannigan's Best,” Katie told the smiling waiter, who sported a handlebar mustache the equal of Longarm's. “And a corned beef on rye sandwich.”

“Very good,” the man said with a thick Irish brogue. “And the gentleman?”

“The same.”

The waiter disappeared but returned in a few minutes with two brandy snifters filled with a richly colored whiskey. “Do you want to eat soon?” he asked.

“Maybe a half hour,” Katie told him. “Thanks, Clancy.”

“My pleasure, dear girl.” The owner of the establishment smiled at Longarm. “New to Reno, are we?”

“Yes.”

“I hope you'll enjoy your stay. You certainly have found excellent company!”

“Clancy is old enough to be my father,” Katie said, but he'd like to be my boyfriend.”

“He's not married?”

“I don't know. If he is, I've never heard him speak of his wife or any children. Clancy is from Dublin, and he came to the Comstock Lode about ten years ago and opened a saloon up on C Street that made him a small fortune. He sold that saloon about three years ago when he saw the writing on the wall and knew that the ore was starting to peter out. He's done very well here in Reno, but he has a wicked mind and a roving eye.”

Longarm raised his glass in toast. The Irish whiskey went down smoothly, and it warmed its way clear down to his stomach. “Excellent,” he proclaimed.

“Yes, isn't it? Now,” Katie said, “what do you want to know?”

“As I said, I have Mrs. Burlington's son with me. Bodie is fourteen, and it now seems that he is also an orphan. He has had a very difficult childhood and was involved in some trouble in Denver. I helped him out, and we found a letter from his mother that was bloodstained, saying she had married Mr. Burlington, found religion, and wanted him to come live with her and her new husband.”

“But then you found out that they were murdered up in Virginia City.”

“That's right,” Longarm said. “And I also need to find out who murdered Marshal Parker and left him to die behind a saloon.”

“It was
this
saloon.”

Longarm blinked. “Marshal Parker died in the alley behind this saloon?”

“That's right. Didn't our sheriff mention that?”

“No. He must have thought it was unimportant.”

“Maybe it was,” Katie said. “Hugh and I used to come here after work, just like we're doing today. We'd have a few drinks and a sandwich or some Irish stew and soda bread. Sometimes corned beef and cabbage. We liked this atmosphere and we liked the whiskey and good food.”

“Easy to see why you liked the whiskey. So what happened on the night Hugh Parker was murdered?”

Katie shrugged. “We had more to drink than normal that evening and the hour grew late. Hugh was pretty drunk and talking loudly. Clancy even had to come over a couple of times and ask him to quiet down a little.”

“Was he talking about the Burlington murders?”

“Yes. He was excited because he said he had found some evidence that might really prove who the killer or killers were.”

“And people overheard this?”

Katie nodded and emptied her glass, signaling for a refill. “Hugh said that there was a connection between the murder and a legal issue that was being introduced to our court in a few days.”

“What kind of ‘legal issue' was he talking about?”

“The last will and testimony of Chester and Ruby Burlington.”

“I see.” Longarm thought a moment. “Why wouldn't the Story County court hear that issue?”

“Because that court has been shut down, so now all legal matters from Story County are sent down here to Washoe County.”

“Now I understand. Katie, I have to ask you a question that is very important—was your boss, Jake Kelsey, involved in this court case?”

“As of today he is.” Katie accepted her refill and took a deep swallow. “I didn't know that it was going to turn out like this. Hugh and I were friends, and a little more. When he was murdered, I just figured that he got into a fight with someone here after I left and it turned out to be the cause of his death.”

“And what do you believe now?”

She shook her head. “I believe that you believe that Hugh's death and the death of the Burlington couple are somehow intertwined.” She stared into his eyes. “Am I right?”

“Yes,” Longarm said, “you are. Did Hugh Parker say anything that would help me find out who murdered the Burlington couple? I have to find some answers for Ruby Burlington's son, and he might just be entitled to a sizable inheritance.”

“Do you think so?”

“Why not? Did Hugh Parker ever tell you if Mr. Burlington had any heirs?”

“One. Apparently, he has a son that lives in Virginia City who is a gambler and owner of a mine on the verge of being closed down. Hugh said he had met the son a few times and that there was bad blood between him and his wealthy father.”

“I see.”

Longarm glanced away, his mind whirling with possibilities. It made sense that the son might be the person who either murdered the Burlingtons or paid to have someone else do the job.

“What's the boy like?” Katie asked quietly.

“Bodie is a good boy, but very rough around the edges. He had to kill a man in Denver.”

“Kill him!”

“Please,” Longarm said, “could you hold your voice down a little?”

“I'm sorry. But what a shock. You show up with a boy whose mother was murdered and burned to char, and in the next breath you tell me that this fourteen-year-old boy had to kill a man? That's pretty shocking, Marshal Long.”

“Call me Custis. And yes, you're right. It is shocking.”

“So what are you doing with the boy?”

“He's at a hotel close by. I wanted to get a jump on this case today, and then in the morning we'll take a stagecoach up to Virginia City, where I was going to try to find out what I could about the murder of his mother.”

“I met the Burlingtons,” Katie said quietly. “Does the boy know the history of his mother?”

“Yes. But the last letter that she wrote, the one with bloodstains, was filled with happiness. She had found religion and a good husband. If the letter is to be believed, Ruby had changed and her new husband had completely forgiven her sordid past.”

“Does the boy forgive his mother's past?”

“I honestly don't know. What I am sure of is that he will want to visit her grave, and he wants me to find out and bring to justice the one who killed his mother.”

Katie drank and signaled a different waiter to bring another refill and their sandwiches. When the food came, they talked about Hugh Parker, and Longarm had the distinct impression that Katie had dumped the marshal the very night he was murdered.

“Hugh was handsome and fun, but he was a rogue and he was always flirting with other young women. Even when we were together. I could see that he was not the kind of man that I should ever fall in love with.”

“That's pretty much in line with what Sheriff Bolden said about Hugh Parker.”

“I'd like to meet the boy if you spend any time in Reno.”

“Why?” Longarm asked bluntly.

“Because when I was a teenager I had a miscarriage and lost a son.” Katie's words were a little slurred and sad. “And so I have a huge hole in my heart for boys, especially ones who didn't really have a decent mother.”

“Bodie is hard,” Longarm warned. “I think the only thing he cares about is his huge dog, Homer.”

“He brought a dog all the way from Denver?”

“Yeah,” Longarm said between bites of sandwich. “I could tell you a lot of stories about our trip out here on the train.”

“I didn't even know you could take a dog on a train.”

“If you're a federal marshal you can sometimes get things arranged that ordinarily wouldn't happen.”

“Could I meet Bodie after we leave here?”

“Sure. But, Katie, you have to come at him real easy or he'll turn away. He doesn't trust anyone.”

“Not even you?”

“Probably not even me,” Longarm confessed.

Katie reached across the table and laid a hand on his forearm, then squeezed it. “Custis, let's have another round because you're buying, and then let's go see the boy and his dog. I like dogs almost as well as boys.”

“That might change when you lay eyes on Homer. He's a wolf dog and he's not real friendly.”

“Dogs and cats take to me right off,” Katie promised. “They understand when a person is good or bad. That's another reason why I was getting rid of Hugh—he hated animals, and the feeling was mutual. Do you like dogs?”

“Yeah. Yeah I do.”

“That's important,” Katie said. “Very important.”

Longarm was lost as to what that meant, but he had a feeling that Katie Lund had never gotten over the loss of her unborn child, and that she was a good person who probably led her life with her heart instead of her head. Much more importantly, she might remember a thing or two that Hugh Parker had told her the last time they'd been drinking Irish whiskey together here in this saloon.

Something that would bring this murder mystery full circle.

Chapter 16

Longarm asked Clancy to make up a sandwich and some fried and deliciously seasoned potato slices for Bodie, along with any meat scraps he had for Homer, while they had one more generous shot of Brannigan's Best.

By the time they arrived back at the Mapes Hotel, it was almost eleven o'clock and Longarm was feeling anxious about having left the boy and his dog alone so late. But he needn't have worried, because both were asleep and their door was locked.

“Bodie,” Longarm said, “this is Miss Katie Lund. She knew your mother and stepfather and is going to help me find out what happened to them up in Virginia City.”

Bodie rubbed his eyes, glanced at Custis, and said, “I thought we were going to have something to eat.”

“I brought you and Homer a sack of food. I think you'll like what you find.”

“Thanks,” Bodie said without much enthusiasm. “Can we go up to Virginia City tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Hey, miss, don't get close to that dog!”

But Katie was already kneeling down and petting the huge animal. To everyone's surprise, Homer seemed to be enjoying the woman's attention, and when she reached into the bag and started feeding him scraps of fat and corned beef, Homer slobbered all over her hand and his big tail began to thump the floor.

“Well I'll be jingoes!” Bodie said. “I've never seen him take to a stranger like that before.”

“Dogs like me because I like them. All of them. Big and small. Fierce and friendly. I own two dogs and three cats.”

“You do?” Bodie was chewing furiously on his sandwich. “Big dogs or little?”

“Both, although my biggest dog isn't nearly as big as your Homer.”

“Homer doesn't like other dogs, and he'll kill cats.”

“Then I'll never have him over to my house,” Katie said. “But I have a pen where he could stay while I make you and Custis a home-cooked steak some evening when you return from Virginia City.”

“Or I could just tie him to a tree or something strong,” Bodie offered. “He doesn't mind being tied up as long as I'm around.”

“That would be fine too,” Katie said. “Custis tells me that you lived most of your life in Bodie. I've never been there. Is it nice?”

“It's okay. Bad water. Lots of dust and wind. I like Reno and Denver a lot better. In Bodie there were no trees, because even the foul-tasting water had to be hauled a long way to the town.”

“I see.”

Longarm sat back, and for the next half hour, he just enjoyed listening to the pair talk about small things. He appreciated the fact that Katie didn't mention Ruby or her death or any other sad things that might upset Bodie. And all the time, Homer laid his massive head on Katie's lap and gazed fondly up into her kind brown but slightly bloodshot eyes.

* * * 

Longarm hadn't expected Katie to accompany him next door to his hotel room, or to boldly step inside and begin to kiss his lips. He hadn't expected her body to be so luscious, either. But when they climbed into bed still slightly drunk and belching vapors of corned beef, he thought that he had just become the luckiest man in Reno.

Longarm made slow, passionate love to Katie, and their session ended with her on top, back arched, hair swinging from side to side as she laughed and then groaned with pleasure. When she finally reached orgasm, he rolled her over onto her hands and knees and entered her from behind. He thrust until his big hands stiffened on her narrow hips and he growled and gasped with release.

“I take it that was as good for you as it was for me,” Katie said a few minutes later, while they were lying on their backs regaining their breath.

“Oh yeah,” Longarm assured her. “It was.”

Katie turned on her side and studied his face. “Custis?”

“Huh?”

“Hugh was a hard, dangerous man, but they killed him all the same. Please be very careful up in Virginia City and down here in Reno. Whoever killed Hugh might already know that you and the boy are here and determined to get to the bottom of the murders. If that's true, they'll make every effort to kill you and also Bodie.”

“I know.”

She kissed his face. “So, do you like Reno as well as Denver?”

“Reno is a very picturesque and enjoyable town.”

“Do you think you might like to stay here for a while?”

He turned to look into her eyes. “Katie, I'm not the man for you. Please don't start thinking about things that aren't going to happen.”

“Okay.”

He kissed her, and then they lay back on their pillows and went to sleep.