Роберт Паркер - Robert B. Parker’s Blackjack

He unlocked and opened the office door, then looked over the top of his spectacles at us.

“You look like you want something.”

“Looking for the Englishman,” Virgil said. “Lawrence LaCroix.”

“He’s not here,” Doc said. “He was, of course, but he is no longer here. Why?”

“Any idea where he is?”

Doc shook his head

“He might have left,” he said. “Here. Appaloosa. He wanted to leave the moment he got here. He could not get out soon enough. He was, however, in a lot of pain and it hurt for him to move, so he might still be here, I don’t know. He wanted to get out and I had no reason for him not to get out. Free country... He might be at his hotel. I don’t know.”

“Know what hotel?” Virgil said.

Doc shook his head

“No,” he said, “sorry, I have no idea... He walked out of here on a pair of crutches and I’ve not seen him since.”

“When was that?” I said.

Doc thought for a moment.

“Two days ago.”

“Anyone been here looking for him?” Virgil said.

“Nobody but you,” he said. “Might I ask, who or whom are you looking for?”

“Bill Black,” Virgil said frankly.

Doc stood up tall and looked at us over the top of his spectacles.

“Bill Black?” Doc said.

“Yep,” Virgil said. “He got out.”

“He escaped?”

Virgil nodded.

“And you believe he would come here?”

“Maybe?”

“To complete what he started?”

“Could be...” Virgil said. “Who’s been working here this morning? Anyone but you?”

Doc shook his head.

“We don’t have anyone staying here at the moment in need of night care, so no.”

“So nobody else?” Virgil said.

Doc shook his head.

“We have my two nurses that are here when they are needed, and they work doing this and that when not needed, but they are not here. There is Buck, though. You know Buck, he keeps the place clean... opens up in the morning, closes, that sort of thing, but I’ve not seen him yet this morning... He’s here somewhere, though...”

Virgil nodded and looked to me.

“Let me see if I can find him,” Doc said. “Might be hauling trash, let me see...”

Doc turned and walked to the back of the lobby toward the rear of the building and called out the open door leading to the back section of the hospital.

“Buck,” Doc said.

He waited a few seconds and there was no answer, then Doc called out louder, “Buck!”

Buck answered, “Yes, sir.”

“Come here, will you. I want to ask you something.”

Doc turned and walked back toward us.

“Bill Black is out,” Doc said. “That is certainly one way to get a stay of execution.”

“For the moment,” Virgil said.

“I would ask you how he escaped, but I won’t,” Doc said. “I don’t imagine that is a topic worth discussing.”

We heard Buck coming up the hall. He was a big jovial ex-slave we all knew from working odd jobs around town. He came through the back door with a mop in his hand and stopped in his tracks when he saw us. He had that wide-eyed look of surprise that made me think he just might have thought we were looking for him.

“What is it?”

“You see anyone this morning when you opened up?” Doc said.

Buck looked at each of us in turn, then shook his head.

“No, sir,” he said. “I ain’t...”

Doc nodded, then looked to us.

“Sorry,” he said.

“But,” Buck said, “I can tell you this, there sure ’nough was someone here ’fore I got here this morning.”

“What?” Doc said.

“Sure ’nough,” Buck said, nodding.

“How do you know, Buck?” Virgil said.

“The back door was open,” he said.

“You sure you didn’t leave it unlocked last night?” Doc said.

Buck nodded and said, “I’m real sure... Someone got in the back door... there was dirt on the floor.”

“What?” Doc said.

“Yes, sir. When I got here, I come up the back steps back here, like I always do, and I got out my keys to open the door and it was wide open.”

“Who all has a key?” I said.

“Buck, Nurse Crain, and me,” Doc said.

“What about her?” Virgil said.

“She was here yesterday, but she for sure left before me,” Buck said.

“You sure?” Doc said.

Buck nodded.

“Nobody was here. She was gone and I locked it, Doc. Not sure how it was unlocked, but it was wide open, and there was, like I say... bits of dirt on the floor and on the stairs.”

“Anything missing?” Doc said.

“No, sir,” Buck said. “Not that I can tell.”

“Were there any windows left open?” Virgil said.

“No,” Buck said. “I do my routine when I leave here. Them windows all got locks on them and I lock ’em when we are gone, no matter how hot it is out.”

We had a quick look around the hospital to see if there was some kind of sign that would give us helpful information regarding the break-in, but found nothing that stuck out.

When we left the hospital, Chastain was the first out the door. He stopped on the top step, looking off down the street.

“Oh, shit...” he said. “Lookie here.”

“Here we go,” I said.

Marching up the street came the Denver contingent. Every one of them: Payne, Banes, King, McPherson, and they were being led by the chief of police. Brady Messenger.

“I don’t imagine they are none too happy,” I said.

“No,” Virgil said. “I don’t imagine, either.”

“News travels fast,” I said.

“The whole unit,” Chastain said.

“Damn sure is,” I said.

“Only a matter of time,” Virgil said.

We descended the stairs and turned in their direction. We walked toward them a ways, then stopped in the middle of the street in front of a row of mining tool shops and waited for them to get to us. It was obvious the chief was agitated and intense as he strutted purposefully toward us.

“Ain’t that a sight,” Chastain said under his breath. “He looks like a lit’ ol’ Banty rooster.”

We waited as they neared, and when they were within conversation range Virgil tipped back his hat.

“Good morning,” Virgil said.

Chief Messenger waved at the salutation like he was shooing a fly in front of his nose.

“We just heard the goddamn news,” Chief Messenger said.

“What news?”

“How could you have let this... this fucking happen?” Chief Messenger said.

Virgil glanced at me, then looked back to Chief Messenger.

“What?” Virgil said.

“Don’t fuck around with me, Marshal Cole,” Chief Messenger said, holding up a bony finger. “I am not in the mood, nor am I ever someone you want to fuck with.”

Virgil smiled just a little, but did not respond right away. If he had feathers or the inclination to ruffle them, which he had neither of, this damn sure would have done it. But Virgil Cole was not a man that engaged in another man’s ignorance, disdain, or discord. Fact was, it was these kinds of ignoble instants, moments of another person’s righteous, self-obsessed importance, that made Virgil the noble man that he was.

“What news?” Virgil said.

“Goddamn it,” he said. “Bill Black escaping, of course.”

Virgil said nothing and all I could think about was what Valentine had told us about Messenger’s church life and how right now he seemed to be about as far from a pulpit pounder as you could find.

Chief Messenger looked behind us to the hospital.

“What were you doing there?” the chief said with a point. “Was he there at the... the hospital?”

“Why would Bill Black be at the hospital?” Virgil said.

“What?”