Robert Randisi - Bullets & Lies

Dave Hampstead got off the train and looked around. Roper told him what to do, how to act, and what to look for. By following his instructions, he noticed the men watching the train without being noticed himself. He was nervous, but he kept walking and got himself outside the station safely.

There was a hotel across the street from the station. Roper told him not to get a room there. Don’t stay at the hotel nearest the station, or the next nearest. Get to the third one, and take a room there. Then rent a horse.

Roper wanted Hampstead to watch the station, spot the men who would probably be watching the trains. He’d already done that. Hampstead didn’t think he had time to get a room at a hotel. Instead he went right to a livery and got a horse and buggy. When he got the buggy, he tossed his bag into it, then climbed aboard and snapped the reins at the single horse.

Roper had told Hampstead where they’d be riding into town. All he had to do was follow the directions. He was worried he’d get lost, but Roper’s directions turned out to be perfect.

He reached the meeting point and reined the horse in. He lit a cigarette and settled down to wait, nervously—very nervously.

“Hampstead may make a mess of things,” Sally said. “He’s a bundle of nerves.”

“He’ll be okay,” Roper said.

They were riding side by side, ahead of the others. They had all gotten off the train at the station before Hurricane and ridden the rest of the way. Roper was sure the station in town would be watched, so he took advantage of the fact that Hampstead had stayed on the train.

“He knows what to do when he gets to the station,” Roper said.

“I don’t like nervous people,” Sally Bando said.

“Normally, neither do I, but I think Hampstead will be just nervous enough to be careful.”

“Hope you’re right.”

Two hours later Roper was surprised to see a buggy up ahead of them. He expected to have to find Hampstead in a hotel. Instead the man was there, standing up in a buggy and waving.

“Well, well…” Sally said. “Look who’s here.”

When they reached him, Hampstead said quickly, “They’re at the train station. I saw them!”

They surrounded him, remained astride their horses.

“Take it easy, Davey,” Templeton said.

“Mr. Hampstead,” Roper said, “calm down and tell me what you saw.”

“Well, like you said, men, and all they were doing was…watching. They weren’t waiting for anyone, or waiting for the train. They were just…watching.”

“How many did you see?”

Hampstead hesitated, then said, “Four.”

“If they were equals, they’d all be looking at the trains, and the people. If one of them was the boss, they’d be stealing glances at him.”

“That makes sense,” Hampstead said. “They were looking at this big man—tall, broad shoulders, lots of red hair…”

“Pale skin?” Roper asked. “Big knobby hands?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“Boss?” Sally said.

Roper looked at Bando, and Dexter.

“Kilkenny,” Roper said.

“Jesus,” Dexter said.

“Who’s Kilkenny?” Hampstead asked.

“A killer for hire,” Sally said. “Big rep. If he’s after you, you’re dead.”

Hampstead swallowed hard and sat down.

“Have you ever seen him?” Dexter asked Roper.

“Seen him, yes, met him, no.”

“Gone up against him?” Templeton asked.

“No,” Roper said, then, “not yet.”

“What do we do now?” Hampstead asked.

“Go to town?” Wilkins asked.

“Go to the station?” Templeton suggested.

“No!” Hampstead said.

Roper looked at them.

“I have a better idea,” he said.

“What’s that?” Wilkins asked.

“You three want to see your old comrade, Howard Westover?”

58

Roper led them all to the Westover house, including Dave Hampstead in his rented buggy. He dismounted and looked at Sally Bando.

“You and Dex stay out here.”

“Rifles?”

“Yes.”

Bando and Dexter took their rifles from their saddles, walked up onto the porch, and took up position at either end.

Roper went to the front door with Wilkins, Templeton, and Hampstead.

“What about me?” Prince asked.

“Cover the back.”

“Yessir.”

As the young lieutenant went around the back, Roper knocked on the door. When the door opened, Victoria Westover was standing there.

“Mr. Roper,” she said. “What are you doing here?” She looked beyond him. “And who are these men?”

“These are three of the men,” he said, “that you hired Sean Kilkenny to kill.”

She stared at him for a few seconds, then said, “You’d better come in, then.”

Victoria led the four men into the living room, then turned to face them.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who are these men?”

“This is Henry Wilkins, Dave Hampstead, and Zack Templeton,” Roper said, making the introductions. “Men, this is Victoria Westover, your old buddy’s wife.” He looked at her again. “These are three of the men whose names were on the list you gave me. Gerald Quinn was dead when I reached him, killed by your man. Vince McCord had died many years ago. You lucked out there.”

“I still don’t know—”

“What I’m talking about, I know,” he said. “That’s why I’m telling you. You told me these men would sign affidavits to the effect that your husband earned his Medal of Honor. Well, they’re not signing. Do you know why? They don’t know anything about your husband being wounded in the war.”

She stared at him.

“Why the lies, Mrs. Westover?” he asked. “Why set these men up to be killed, and why would you want me to find them dead? Why send me traipsing around the country for weeks—months—for apparently no reason?”

“I’m afraid that was my doing,” a voice said.

They all looked toward the doorway, saw a man standing there with a gun in his hand.

It was Howard Westover.

“Now why doesn’t this surprise me?” Roper asked.

“This is wrong,” Kilkenny suddenly said.

“What do you mean?” Harwick asked.

“I’ve been stupid,” the killer said. “Roper’s not comin’ in on the train.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I wouldn’t,” Kilkenny said.

“But you said—”

“I know what I said,” Kilkenny said, cutting him off, “but I’ve changed my mind.”

“Why?”

“Because I would suspect—and expect—an ambush at the train station.”

“So then what is he doing?” the lawyer asked.

Kilkenny thought a moment, then said, “He got off the station before this and is ridin’ in the rest of the way with the men. He might have even sent one man in by train to check out the station.”

“To go where?”

“I’ve got to get my men,” Kilkenny said, ignoring him. “Come on!”

“Where?”

Moving away from Harwick, Kilkenny said over his shoulder, “To see your client.”

59

Actually, Roper was surprised to see Westover up on his feet, holding a gun, only because the man had seemed so frail when he’d last seen him. But the fact that there was a double cross like this didn’t surprise him at all.

“I thought he was flat on his back, dyin’,” Wilkins said.

“I guess that’s what we were supposed to think,” Roper said.

Victoria Westover walked to her husband and placed her hand on his chest.

“Let’s get the word from the man himself,” Roper said. “Why do you want all these men dead, Howard?”

Westover didn’t answer, and his three colleagues all looked away.

“Wait a minute,” Roper said, looking around. “How stupid am I? I’m the only one who doesn’t know the answer, right?”