The owner of the hotel agreed, because he was no longer getting any of Red Moran’s money. In fact, Moran was getting his money when he went to the Palace.
The other four men, however—who owned the hardware store, the general store, the café and cantina, and the dress shop—were still getting their share of Moran’s money.
Moran shopped at both the hardware and general stores, he and Crystal ate at the café and Crystal bought her dresses at the dress shop.
The mayor’s proposal was being voted down, four to two.
The mayor decided to work on the owner of the café, Hector Dominguez.
“Hector, what will happen when señor Moran decides to put in a kitchen, or starts serving liquor? Where will you be then? Not only will you not be getting any of his money, but you’ll be losing money”
Suddenly Hector decided to change his vote, but that still left the council at a three to three deadlock.
There was one member of the council who was not present, however, but the mayor didn’t figure he could count of him for his vote.
The other member was Red Moran.
That night in bed Crystal passed on some information she had heard from the dress shop.
“Mrs. Mendez, the owner’s wife, was telling one of the other women that there was a special meeting of the town council today.”
“There was?” Moran asked. “I wasn’t informed about that.”
“That’s because you—and I guess me—were the subjects of the meeting.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Red, the town is getting tired of seeing us get rich and them not getting some of it. The mayor made a proposal that the council talk to us about it.”
“And what was the council’s vote?”
“Three to three.”
“Deadlocked, so nothing will happen.”
“Maybe not, and maybe the mayor will eventually get one more member to go his way”
“So what? Then they’ll come and talk to us and we’ll say no.”
“And then what happens? You don’t want to make enemies here, Red. We’ve got a good thing going and we don’t want to mess it up.”
“Stop worrying. We’re not going to mess it up. What could they do? What could the mayor do. He’s a silly little man who thinks he’s really got some authority. He can’t do anything to us.”
“He could turn you in.”
Moran looked at her and rubbed his jaw.
“That strutting peacock,” Moran said, as if his feelings were hurt by the possibility. “When he needed a sheriff he came to me, and I’ve done a good job.”
“That’s when you were just sheriff, and you were spending your money around town. Now it’s reversed. The merchants in town are spending their money here, and getting nothing back. The women in town are starting to complain.”
“I’ve been thinking about serving liquor,” Moran said, changing the subject. “While the customers are waiting, they could be spending money drinking.”
“Boy, wouldn’t the town fathers love that.”
“Never mind what the town fathers want,” Moran said, taking her into his arms. “They’re all hypocrites, anyway. They spend as much time here as anyone.”
He took Crystal into his arms and said, “Pretty soon, baby, if we want, we’ll be able to buy this town.”
She grinned and said, “Would that make me a town mother?”
Chapter Twenty-eight
When Decker rode into San Louisa he was surprised.
For a town with the hottest new whorehouse anywhere, it did not look very prosperous.
Decker passed by the whorehouse, and saw that other than the sign above the entrance, it looked much like any of the other buildings in town. He wondered what it looked like on the inside.
Later, when it opened, he’d find out.
As he turned his horse in at the livery he realized that he was starting to feel the anticipation he felt whenever he was closing in on his prey. He still had no concrete evidence that Moran was in town, but his instinct told him that he was.
And he had rarely gone wrong trusting his instincts.
As he had done in other towns when he was checking into the hotel, he looked through the register. He found what he was looking for three weeks back.
Red Moran had registered at the hotel.
“I hope you enjoy your stay señor,” the clerk said, handing him a key.
“I’m sure I will.” He started for the steps and then turned back. “What time does Crystal’s open?”
“Eight o’clock, señor.”
“Thanks.”
There were five hours before Crystal’s Palace would open. Decker took the time to walk around town, enter some of the shops and get something to eat. Keeping his ears open, he found out several things.
First, Red Moran had managed to get himself appointed sheriff. Old habits die the hardest. He wondered if Moran had plans to rob the bank.
Secondly, many of the townspeople didn’t like Moran, or the woman called Crystal. They resented the fact that they had opened a successful business and were not turning any of their profits over to the town.
Decker didn’t know if he agreed with that. It certainly wouldn’t make a man popular in town, but why should he turn any part of money he’d earned over to the town, unless it was willingly?
Still, the fact that Moran didn’t seem to have many friends in town, and that he was sheriff, started Decker to thinking.
Moran was clean in Mexico, and Decker would have to take him all the way back to the Rio Grande at gunpoint before he could turn him in. If, as he suspected, Moran’s situation in San Louisa was leading to where Decker thought it was leading, he’d soon make the same move here that he had made in all the other towns.
He’d try to rob the bank.
If Decker could catch him in the act, then he’d be able to turn him over to the law here in Mexico and let them provide transportation to the United States.
All he had to do was wait for the itch. And judging from the length of time Moran had been here, and his present situation, he should start feeling it just about now.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Try as he might Red Moran couldn’t reach the itch. It seemed to be right at the center of his back where he couldn’t reach it from any angle.
The Palace wasn’t due to open for a couple of hours yet, and he was in the sitting room alone. He was looking for something to use to scratch it when he saw Gloria come in.
“Gloria,” he called, “come here a minute.”
Gloria was the newest girl in the stable. She had just come to Mexico from the United States. She was blonde and full-figured and she was the first girl Moran felt tempted to try himself. He hadn’t been with another woman since he and Crystal had met, but that had been by choice. Now Gloria was here—younger than Crystal, and obviously eager—and the itch was starting.
“Yes, Red?” she asked. She had made no secret of the fact that she wouldn’t mind warming the boss’s bed.
“I’ve got an itch I can’t reach,” he said, realizing that the statement had two meanings—both of them correct.
“I’ll be happy to help, Red.”
“Right at the center of my back.”
“A little to the right.”
“Maybe if I put my hand under the shirt it would…feel better?”
“Maybe…”
She pulled his shirt out of his pants from behind and slid her hand beneath it. When she touched him it seemed to burn his skin. She ran her fingers across his broad back lovingly and then used her nails to scratch him. As she did so she pushed her crotch up against his buttocks, and he could feel her heat right through their clothes.
“Oh, yeah, that’s the spot,” he said, closing his eyes as she scratched.