Karla’s lips parted. But for a moment she stared, saying nothing. “You’re sure?”
“She said I could do anything I wanted with it-if I used it on Willis first.”
“It’s hard to believe a woman-”
“Listen, I was standing right in front of her and I had trouble believing it.”
“But you took the gun,” Karla said.
“Of course I took it. I wanted to get out. I would have promised to shoot President Cleveland if she’d asked me. That kind of promise doesn’t mean anything.”
Karla said, “Have you told Willis?”
“No. That’s what’s bothering me. But he saw me come in here with the gun and he even guessed how I got it.”
“Maybe he thinks there’s something between you and Lizann.”
“I don’t know. Maybe he does.”
“Is there?” Karla asked hesitatingly.
“Because we were standing so close that time?”
“That would seem to suggest-”
“Karla, she wasn’t taking any chances. If I didn’t feel sorry for her enough to do it, then maybe she could make me like her enough to.”
“I wasn’t going to ask you that,” Karla said. “It just came out.”
He watched her eyes and the clean line of her nose and her mouth. “It’s something, isn’t it? We’ve only talked together twice before this.”
Karla nodded looking up at him and was silent for a moment. “What are you going to do?”
“Now?”
She smiled. “What would you do after. If-”
“After, I was planning to visit Willcox. I’ve got a friend there in the mining business. He doesn’t mine there, but that’s where his office is and where he ships out of. He’s been after me to join him for a long time. In fact, I was on my way there when I met Earl.”
“That’s where my mother is,” Karla said. “My sisters are in school there.”
“You’ve got sisters?”
“Two younger ones.”
“I could look them up.”
“It isn’t far. I go down every once in a while.”
“We could sure get to know each other, couldn’t we?”
“But,” Karla said, “it seems a long way off.”
“Now we’re back,” Bowen said.
Karla smiled faintly. “I’m glad we did that.” She paused. “Are you going to tell Willis?”
“I don’t want to. Even if he suspects her, knowing it is something else.”
“Maybe she’s sorry now.”
“Maybe she is. I don’t know.”
“You’d think they would have parted before this.”
“Renda wouldn’t let them.”
“What if Willis still likes her?” Karla said.
“That’d be something.”
“Corey…don’t tell him. If he already suspects her, he must be on his guard-”
“Or else he doesn’t care.”
“At least wait and see how this comes out. If there’s a hearing, then you know she’ll take the opportunity to leave him.”
“But if Renda wins there won’t be a hearing and everybody’ll be right back where they started.”
“Don’t let him win,” Karla said earnestly.
“Karla, I keep going over it and going over it-I can’t just use a gun on him. If I killed him I’d be back in jail-or worse-and Willis wouldn’t have to say a word. If we hold Renda and force a hearing, we can’t prove anything unless Willis testifies.”
“But Lizann would,” Karla said.
“You can’t count on her. She might keep still, afraid the plan to kill Willis would come out. Or she might just run off.”
Karla nodded. “So Willis is the only hope.”
“And he knows he’ll go to jail if he speaks up.”
“Corey…what will you do when he comes?”
“I wish I knew.”
There was silence before Karla said, “He doesn’t know Willis is here. Every other time Willis has gone to Fuegos. Sometimes he stops for a drink on the way. But this time he stayed…and Renda couldn’t know that.”
“Your father mentioned it. I don’t know how it can help us-” Bowen stopped. “Unless-”
“Unless,” Karla said eagerly, “you can make him tell what he did to Lizann in front of Willis! He won’t believe it from us-”
“He doesn’t want to believe it,” Bowen said.
“But he’d have to believe Renda. And in front of all of us we’d have to do something-that’s what I mean!”
“If I was Willis I wouldn’t much care.”
“But you’re not Willis! He said he didn’t believe us…not he didn’t care. That’s why I’d be willing to bet anything he still likes her.”
“You sure have a feeling about people.”
“I was right about you, wasn’t I?”
“You and that Mimbre would get along fine.”
Karla frowned, but she ignored this and said, “Is it worth a try or isn’t it?”
“I suppose it is,” Bowen said slowly. Then, “Tell your father to keep Willis out of sight when Frank comes, but close enough to hear.” Bowen shook his head. “I don’t even know what I’m going to say. Your father gave me an envelope to pass off as the one Frank’s looking for, but I don’t know how I’d work that. I’ve got all kinds of tricks and I don’t know how I’m going to spring any of them.”
“You could pretend to make a deal with him,” Karla said eagerly. “Renda gets the letter if he lets you go. At least you’d have a chance of getting away from here.”
Bowen shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Karla smiled up at him. “You’ll think of something.” Turning away she said, “I’ll bring your coffee now.”
But within thirty seconds the coffee was forgotten and there was no time to think of what he would say. As Bowen looked out across the yard again, he saw Frank Renda ride out of the willows.
Bowen drew the Colt from his belt, pressing himself against the wall next to the window. He looked across the room seeing Karla and her father in the kitchen, then waited until Demery turned from her and started into the front room.
“He’s here,” Bowen said. He nodded toward Falvey, saw Falvey turn from the bar as Demery started for him, then Bowen’s gaze returned to the window.
Renda came at a walk, moving easily with the motion of the big chestnut. The shotgun was across his lap and his eyes remained on the adobe as he approached.
Behind him, Bowen heard Falvey’s voice. A protest. Then steps going into the kitchen. Bowen moved three steps along the wall to the next window as Renda drew closer. He watched Renda come to a stop five or six yards out from the door. Now he’ll call, Bowen thought.
But there was no call. Renda waited, apparently listening, then reined the chestnut to the left and started along the front of the open shed.
Bowen pressed close to the window, then came away from it suddenly. He saw Karla in the kitchen doorway, motioned to her and moved quietly to meet her. “He’s going around back. Get Willis’s horse out of sight-quick!”
He stepped to the window again, saw Renda nearing the end of the shed, made sure he was turning the corner, then hurried to the kitchen. Karla was already outside. Demery, standing behind Falvey who was seated at the table, raised his eyes inquiringly.
“He’s coming around,” Bowen said.
“What’s Karla doing?”
“She’s all right.”
Bowen moved to the wooden sink and pressed against the drainboard to look out the window. He saw Karla holding the dun close to the bit, her left hand on its nose, leading it along the stable shed that extended out from the house and almost to the corral. She reached the end of the shed and rounded it a moment before Renda came into the yard.
As Renda looked toward the house, Bowen stepped away from the window. Then, hearing the horse’s hoofs again, he moved along the wall to the door and looked out, edging past the side frame.
The chestnut was broadside to him, facing the shed, ten yards out and directly in line with the door. Renda sat motionless, half turned from Bowen and staring off toward the end of the shed. His right hand was on the shotgun and he seemed to be listening.