Роберт Паркер - Robert B. Parker's Revelation

Rutledge was pleasant enough as he rambled on with unnecessary bluster. Once he was sure his importance was properly acknowledged and secured, he pulled back one side of his coat and put his fist to his hip.

“I hope the three of you have it circled on your calendar, the big event. The upcoming convivial cotillion?” Rutledge said. “A ball destined to bring the who’s who of Appaloosa together. Two weeks from today.”

“We do indeed,” Allie said.

“We do?” Virgil said, looking at Allie.

“Yes, we do,” Allie said as she beamed up with bright eyes that she batted at Rutledge. “It’s the talk of the ladies’ social. Everyone is putting together their finest for the event. We wouldn’t miss the party, let me tell you. Not for the world.”

“For the world? Well, good,” he said. “That’s what I like to hear. I think the entire best of Appaloosa will be there. It will be the grandest party to happen here ever.”

Virgil looked to me.

“It is just so exciting,” Allie said. “I know all the ladies will be looking for new fineries, so I hope to have my store open and stocked soon so I can help make the festivities as grand as the parties they have in faraway countries.”

“Wonderful, just wonderful,” Rutledge said. “But the faraway countries will have nothing on us, Mrs. French.”

“Where you gonna throw this shindig?” I said.

“The new Vandervoort Town Hall, where else.”

“Wouldn’t know,” I said.

“It’s the only place big enough. Vandervoort was kind enough to offer the place to me. It’s a fabulous structure. It will be the Town Hall’s maiden voyage. My idea, of course, but Vandervoort decided to bring in an orchestra all the way from Boston.”

“It’s so exciting,” Allie said.

“Good, good,” he said. “Until then, if not sooner.”

Rutledge and his two shoe-tying associates made a move to go, but then Rutledge turned back. He smiled some as he leaned in toward Virgil like they were best friends.

“Almost forgot... What’s this I hear about a prison break, Marshal Cole?”

Virgil glanced over to me. Then he rested his hands on the table and looked to Rutledge with a steady gaze.

“You tell me?”

Rutledge looked back and forth between Virgil and me like a boy knowing he’s about to be scolded.

“Oh... sorry... Marshal Cole, I... I was in contact with one of my business partners who resides in Yaqui and that was how I received word... I didn’t know it was something I, um...”

“It’s all right, Mr. Rutledge,” Virgil said. “But why don’t you do what you can to help us by not pulling the cinch too tight on this.”

“By all means, Marshal Cole, by all means. My apologies. We will see you at the gala.”

Rutledge nodded, then backed away from the table and the threesome moved off and out of the dining room.

Virgil looked to me.

“Something about him don’t sit,” Virgil said.

“What?”

Virgil shook his head a little.

“Don’t seem like the party-throwing type,” Virgil said.

Allie took a drink of wine and shook her head back and forth a little.

“How many escaped, Virgil?”

“We don’t know.”

“My word,” she said.

Virgil nodded.

“We just don’t know the details yet,” he said.

Allie nodded slowly and took another sip of wine.

“Well, what about me? What about my shop?”

Virgil looked at me across the table, then looked back to Allie.

“Your shop?”

“Yes.”

Virgil squinted his eyes a bit, looking at her.

“What about your shop?”

“But why, Virgil?”

“Why what?”

“The prison break, you have not said a word about it.”

“Well, I’m not keeping it from you.”

“What are you doing if you’re not?”

“Hell, Allie, we only found out about it this afternoon, after we saw you at your shop.”

Allie took an unladylike gulp of wine.

“And besides, that don’t got nothing to do with you and your shop, Allie.”

“Of course not, Virgil, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I meant what about us, all of us, the people of Appaloosa, our safety, that is what I’m talking about.”

“The fact that there was a break,” Virgil said, “don’t mean the escaped men are going to come here to Appaloosa and cause trouble and such.”

Virgil looked to me and I nodded.

“Many men who escape just want a better life,” I said. “Many take their newfound freedom and just hide, or do their best to stay out of trouble. Hope they don’t get sent back.”

“Many is not all,” she said.

“I won’t deny that.”

“Main thing is, Allie,” Virgil said. “You have us.”

“I have been around you, the both of you, long enough to know exactly what this means. You and Everett will go out and pursue these convicts that are running loose, one way or another. That is just how it will be that is inevitable.”

Virgil looked at me.

“Regardless of our duties, Allie,” I said, “or where our duties take us, you and the good people of Appaloosa will be looked after.”

Virgil nodded.

“With Sheriff Chastain and Deputy Book,” I said, “and the team of worthy deputies to look after everyone, you have nothing to be concerned about, Allie.”

Allie looked at me and took another little sip of wine, then rested her hands in her lap.

“How far away from us?” Allie said.

Virgil looked to me.

“’Bout two hundred miles.”

“My God,” she said.

“What?” Virgil said.

“That’s close,” she said.

“Hell, Allie, everything is close or far, depending how you look at it.”

“Well, it’s a bit too close for comfort, if you ask me.”

I leaned back in my chair and saw Book enter the hotel. He caught my eye, then crossed the lobby and entered the dining room. He removed his hat as he got to our table.

“Mrs. French,” Book said with a nod, then looked to Virgil.

“Sheriff Stringer got back to us and he’s got more information...”

Book looked to Allie.

“More information,” Book said. “Um... regarding the...”

“The prison break?” Allie said.

Book looked at her and smiled a little, then looked back to Virgil and me.

“Sheriff Stringer said he’d be back to the office there within the hour so you could communicate.”

Allie took another sip, an even more unladylike sip, and drained her glass.

After dinner we walked Allie back to her shop. She said she was not in the mood to go home alone while we went about our marshaling business. She said she’d prefer to continue with getting her shop ready.

“Smells like rain,” I said.

“Does,” Virgil said.

“If it does, Everett will pick me up in his buggy, won’t you, Everett?”

“Most assuredly, Allie,” I said.

“Everett, I said this before, but I will say it again. You are forever the gentleman,” Allie said.

“Sure he is, Allie,” Virgil said. “You don’t think I would have someone work with me who was not a gentleman, do you?”

“Well, I do what I can, when I can,” I said.

“Oh, you do far more than that,” Allie said as she unlocked the door to her shop.

She insisted we help her move a few trunks and hang a dressing mirror before we left. A necessary gesture on her part so as to let both Virgil and me know who was in charge. After we got the mirror hung, we left Allie standing in front of it, looking at her backside. When the door closed behind us, Virgil glanced back at Allie for a moment, then looked at me and smiled a little.

“Got a burr,” Virgil said.

“Happens.”

“Does.”

“Don’t think she has that cornered,” I said.