Роберт Паркер - Robert B. Parker's Revelation

“Who’d Lonnigan murder?” Virgil said. “Who’d he rob?”

“He had been convicted of murdering three people during a robbery that involved other robbers besides him. Apparently it was a big heist worth millions of dollars in cash, gold, and jewelry that was never found.”

I looked to Virgil, then to Tillary.

“Millions?” Virgil said.

“Hell of a deal,” Tillary said. “The robbery took place on a Spanish ship coming to Mexico. My understanding, the gold, jewels, and cash that was aboard the ship was intended as a gift from the Queen of Spain that was to be delivered to the president of Mexico. Lonnigan and his gang somehow got on the ship before it made port and absconded with the loot. But Lonnigan got shot during the heist, three times in the back, and was caught. Prior to serving his time here he was at the previous facility, in Mexico. Apparently he recovered there okay, but then later on he was in need of a second surgery to remove a piece of lead so he got himself transferred here.”

“The others got away?” I said.

Tillary nodded.

“He was the only one caught,” Tillary said.

“Who shot him?”

“The Federales said that he was shot by his own men, his fellow bandits, but you know how the Federales are. Certainly can’t go by what they report. They most likely did it, shot him, blamed the others, and took off with the gold, jewelry, and cash themselves.”

Virgil nodded a little as he thought about what Tillary said.

“Know if Lonnigan ever talked to the law about the other men,” Virgil said. “Offer up information in respect to the others he was in cahoots with?”

“In an effort to make sentencing easier on himself?” Tillary said.

Virgil nodded.

“Not that I know of,” Tillary said. “He never said much. Hard to get a word out of him most times.”

“And none of the others were ever caught?” Virgil said.

“Don’t think so,” Tillary said.

“You ever hear names, who they might be, how many?” I said. “Not that names ’mount to a hill of beans when it comes to robbers and killers, but do you know any details?”

“I do not,” Tillary said.

“He was tried and convicted in Mexico?” Virgil said.

Tillary nodded.

“Yes,” he said.

Virgil looked to me and shook his head some.

“Be better than a good idea for us to follow the path,” I said. “Get ourselves to San Cristóbal and catch the train back to Appaloosa.”

Tillary stood out front of the warden’s home as we mounted up for San Cristóbal.

“I appreciate you fellas being here,” Tillary said. “Not sure how I’d’ve handled this without you.”

“Sure you would have managed,” I said.

“At least you got a few back,” he said.

“Was not without some consequences,” I said.

“No, I know,” he said. “Maybe the governor will let me keep my job. Though, after this, I’m not all that certain I want to keep the goddamn job.”

“I understand that,” I said.

Tillary smiled, I think for the very first time.

“You do?” Tillary said. “You mean there is something better than being out here on the Hot Box on the Hubs of Hell?”

“There might be,” I said.

“I think those two young people had no business being out here,” Tillary said. “The goddamn devil himself got to them.”

Virgil said nothing as he looked off, watching a tornado of dust skitter across the flat land in front of the house.

“I should have new telegraph equipment soon, so please let me know what happens,” Tillary said.

“Will do,” Virgil said.

“What will happen to her?” he said.

Virgil shook his head.

“Hard to say.”

“Shame,” Tillary said.

“Is,” Virgil said.

“She’s in serious trouble,” Tillary said.

“That much we know,” Virgil said. “But what is truth and what is not truth in that letter and her involvement is hard to say.”

“I guess that will be up to a judge to determine,” Tillary said. “If she is lucky enough to get to that. As far as Lonnigan/Driggs is concerned, I don’t give a damn.”

Virgil nodded a bit.

“I think Scholes was most likely accurate in his account of her, I’m afraid.”

“Most likely,” Virgil said.

“I’d say ‘Poor girl,’ but I guess I should not,” Tillary said. “If it is true, she damn sure has to be held accountable.”

Virgil turned his horse toward the road.

“Hope we can catch up with them,” Virgil said. “And follow the process of the law... We will let you know.”

Tillary nodded some as he took a few steps back.

Virgil said, “Mr. Tillary.” Then tipped his hat and started off down the road.

“Sorry for your loss here, Mr. Tillary,” I said. “Take care.”

“Thank you,” he said. “You boys be safe.”

“Do our best,” I said.

I caught up to Virgil and we rode side by side for a bit. I looked back to Tillary standing in front of the warden’s house, then looked to Virgil.

“One thing I did not mention about Driggs,” I said.

Virgil looked to me.

“I didn’t want to say it in front of him back there, but Driggs was also involved with a woman, kind of the same situation. A woman who belonged to someone else, way back when.”

“He’s got a pattern,” Virgil said.

“That woman was our CO’s wife,” I said.

“That’s why he was let go,” Virgil said. “Relieved of duty.”

“No. The reason was for killing Indians, for his ruthlessness.”

“Don’t imagine it helped him none, fucking the boss’s wife,” Virgil said.

“No, it didn’t, but what happened was, later, after Driggs was let go, she was found dead.”

Virgil looked at me.

“He did it?”

“I don’t know. He was nowhere to be found.”

“But you think Driggs did it?”

“Not for sure, I would not have put it past him, but our CO was blamed for it.”

“Maybe the CO did it,” Virgil said.

“Could have, I guess.”

“Damn sure had a motive,” Virgil said.

“He did.”

“Convicted?” Virgil said.

“No,” I said. “But it ruined his career, his life.”

“Seems nothing but bad swarmed around this goddamn Driggs,” Virgil said.

“And then some,” I said.

We rode for a moment and said nothing, then Virgil looked at me.

“What we saw,” he said, “them two walking into the Boston House seemed just like two proper face cards of the same suit.”

“They did,” I said.

“Cards is goddamn tricky, though,” Virgil said.

“Driggs is goddamn tricky,” I said. “That’s a fact. They could be long gone, out of Appaloosa by now.”

“Then again, maybe there was a reason for them going to Appaloosa?” Virgil said.

“Figure we should wire Chastain to let him know he has one of the escaped convicts right under his nose?” I said.

I could tell Virgil was thinking about that, but he didn’t say anything as we rode.

“Don’t think Chastain should be fucking with Driggs, Virgil,” I said.

“No,” Virgil said. “I thought the same thing.”

“I suppose the one exception would be if Chastain found out that Driggs and Eleanor were still there and if they tried to leave town, then and only then should they stop them.”

Virgil nodded.

“Then again, Chastain would have to identify who we are talking about.”

“Not sure that is a good idea, either,” Virgil said.

Driggs had grown very comfortable with the surroundings of Appaloosa and was venturing out freely. He had no care in the world and was not worried about who he might bump into. He was ready for whomever, whatever, whenever, but was — as always — in no hurry.