Страница 23 из 41
Minutes later, Karla was riding down the slope that stretched to the convict camp. The gate guard recognized her two hundred yards out. He unlocked the chain and swung half of the gate open to let Karla ride in.
“Is Mrs. Falvey home?”
The guard looked over toward the ramada. “That’s her horse. I judge she’s fixing for a ride.”
“I want to deliver her mail,” Karla said.
“Go right ahead, honey.”
Karla dismounted. She glanced at the bundle of letters as if to leaf through them. “Maybe there’s something for you.”
The guard shook his head. “Don’t take the bother to look.”
“If you’re that sure-” Karla said. She looked back as the guard started to swing the gate closed. He hesitated, squinting out into the glare and she knew he had seen the dust line coming down the slope.
“You might as well leave it open,” Karla said.
Now they could make out the form of horse and rider. Still squinting the guard asked, “Who is it?”
“Your boss,” Karla said. She moved away then, leading her horse toward the main adobe. Reaching the end of the building, she entered the shade of the ramada and moved along the edge of it to the support post where Liza
As she stepped into the doorway, Bowen and Liza
10
“Renda’s coming,” Karla said tonelessly.
Bowen moved to the door. He looked out, then to Karla close to him in the doorway. “You didn’t see anything, did you?”
She shook her head.
“Listen,” Bowen said urgently. “I want to say a lot of things, but there isn’t time. Just promise me you won’t-”
“You’d better hurry,” Karla said. Her eyes moved from Bowen’s. She felt him brush past her. Then, when she turned, she saw him out beyond the two horses, walking across the yard toward the stable, glancing toward the gate as Renda entered the compound.
Liza
Close to her, Karla heard a soft, exhaling sigh from Liza
“You and Corey have met before.”
Karla nodded. “Did you give him the gun?”
“What gun?”
“That’s not the way to help him!” Karla turned as she spoke.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I saw the gun-”
“You told Corey you didn’t see anything.”
“As far as anyone else is concerned.”
“Why do you think I gave it to him?”
Karla glanced through the doorway, seeing Renda approaching, then back to Liza
“You make very little sense,” Liza
“You don’t have to understand it. Just tell him! If you wanted to help him enough to give him a gun then tell him!”
“Tell him what?”
“That the lawyer has found new evidence. Important enough to warrant a new trial. He’s already filed the motion and it’s only a matter of weeks-” Karla broke off hearing Renda’s voice.
“Well…Miss Demery.”
Liza
“Why don’t you come in?” Liza
Renda looked at her. “What’re you edgy about…something this girl told you?”
“She hasn’t told me anything.”
He turned to Karla. “You change your mind about causing a fuss?”
“I told you what I’m going to do.”
“You want me to tell Liza
“If you don’t,” Karla said. “I will.”
“You could be a damn sight easier to get along with.” He looked at Liza
“You know he did,” Karla said.
“So Karla thinks she’s going to make trouble for me,” Renda went on. “Going to tell her father about it. And claims he’ll call in a federal marshal. So if Karla’s going to go to all that trouble, I’m not about to admit reading the letters. Am I, Lizzy?”
“You’re admitting it right now,” Karla said. “In front of Mrs. Falvey.”
Renda’s gaze moved to Liza
Karla began, “When I tell Mr. Falvey-”
“And Willis,” Renda broke in, “will tell the marshal that he read the letters and threw them away when he was finished, and if some girl out for a ride happened to find them, that’s no concern of his. All Willis will know is that he threw the letters away. You see how it is, honey?”
Karla looked at Liza
Renda shrugged. “You’re the only one hearing it. You got no witnesses. I got a man who’ll admit reading the letters and throwing them away for you to find.”
“You’re very sure of yourself,” Karla said.
“Honey, when you’re minding thirty convicts you got to be sure of yourself.”
“I’m still going to tell my father.”
“You go right ahead…And tell him for me, I want to know the day my supplies come in this week. I don’t want them laying around for some stage passenger to drop a cigar butt on. You hear me? Soon as they come in, I want to know about it.”
“You’ll notice,” Liza
“I’ll hear from you in a minute,” Renda said. He looked at Karla again. “You run home now. And remember what I said. Soon as it comes in I want to know about it.”
“I’m dismissed now?” Karla said.
“You’re double dismissed. Ride directly through that gate and don’t let me see your face around here till my stuff comes.”
“Mr. Renda,” Karla said, “you’re a real gentleman.”
Renda smiled pleasantly. “Thank you, Karla. Now get out before I kick you the hell out!” He saw her about to speak and he yelled, “Go on!” then kept his eyes on her until she had left the adobe, mounted her horse and ridden off toward the gate.
Liza
“When somebody talks like that,” Renda said, “I get sick to my stomach.”
“Maybe it’s your conscience backing up on you.”
“A sermon now?”
Liza
Renda moved to the table. He half sat on the edge of it, hooking his leg over one corner, and leaned his weight heavily against the table. Watching him, still sitting in the canvas chair, Liza
“I thought we’d have a talk,” Renda said.
“About what?”
“Willis’s letters.”
“I’m not interested.”
“You want me to think you’re not,” Renda said. “You’re bustin’ to know what was in them.”
“Then keep it to yourself,” Liza