Chapter 11 – A Visit from John Law

Bret was just getting back to the hotel room as Bart was getting up. "Interested in breakfast, Brother Bart? I'm buyin'."

Bart yawned. "Never let it be said I turned down a free breakfast. As long as you don't make me go down barefoot."

"Nope. Put yer boots on first."

"You are in a good mood. Musta won last night."

Bret chuckled softly. "Not only did I win last night, I got no meetin' to go to today."

"Good God, a free day. What are ya gonna do with all that spare time?" Bart was curious.

"See if I can keep you outta trouble."

Bart shook his head as he finished with the second boot. "Oh no. I've got things to do today. I've got dinner with Julie Maxwell tonight, remember?"

"So? Ya take a bath, put on a clean shirt, and rent a buggy. Do you suppose she owns a dress?"

"Who cares?" Bart asked as they left the room. "After what I saw last night, she can wear jeans anytime she wants to."

"You, Brother Bart, are incorrigible," Bret said, then thought to himself 'Thank God. At least he's not moonin' over Domino anymore.'

"Bret, I been thinkin'. There's gotta be a way outta this mess. Maybe if we – "

"What, Bart? Go to the law? What can they do? Naw, I got us into this mess, I gotta get us out."

"And how are you gonna do that?"

"I don't know just yet."

Their breakfast was an odd mixture of Bart talking and Bret sighing. The older brother would think of something, decide it was too risky or wouldn't work, mentally discard it, and start all over again. The younger brother was of a mind that things had gone well last night at the meeting; any doubts that they were the Radson brothers had been properly dismissed by Bart's display of Henry's temper. Finally Bart stopped talking and they sat in silence for several minutes, until Bret looked at his brother and asked "What?"

"I think you need some sleep."

"Of course I need sleep. I was up all night."

Bart shook his head. "No, I mean you really need sleep. Whatever's goin' on in your head is not goin' well."

One more sigh, this time one of resignation. "I know. I just can't see any way around this mess I helped create."

Having been in the same position more than once, Bart reached over and patted Bret's arm. "Don't worry about it so much. We'll work it out."

"Before or after we're dead?"

That got a laugh out of Bart. "Won't matter much if we're dead, will it?"

"Maybe you're right. I need some sleep. Things might look better later."

'Or not,' thought Bart, but he kept the thought to himself. Bret paid the bill and headed upstairs, Bart lingered over another cup of coffee. Just as he was getting ready to get up, Jack Templeton wandered in.

"Mr. Maverick, you got a minute?"

"You think that's wise, Templeton, us talking out here in the open?"

The Ranger chuckled a bit and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "I can fix that." Before Bart had time to blink the cuffs were on him and Templeton's gun was out. "Feel better now? Let's go on down to my office."

"Yes and no."

They walked down the street and Bart saw at least two of the men that had been at last night's meeting. 'Good,' he thought, 'that'll reinforce the idea that we're the Radsons.' Once they got into the building the gambler was most anxious to be free of the bracelets, but the Ranger left them in place until they were in his office and behind closed doors.

Bart reached his arms across the desk before sitting down. "Do ya mind?"

Templeton chuckled again. "Make ya nervous, do they?"

"More than a little." Once the cuffs were off, Bart sat down and rubbed his wrists. "I take it there was a point to the charade?"

"Wanted to find out about last night's meeting."

Bart gave him a full rundown, including who was there and what was discussed. After he explained the gunshot and his remarks a smirk enveloped the lawman's face. "Clever touch."

"Just tryin' to stop the questionin' before it got started. Your little walk down the street'll help that. I saw a couple of last night's participants on the way here."

"So, no decisions yet on what kind of firepower they're after?"

A shake of the head. "Nope. Bret made it perfectly clear that we weren't comin' back until they had a better idea of what they want."

"And that's where you all left it?"

"Yep. But I've got a dinner date with Julie Maxwell tonight."

"Move fast, don't ya?"

"She asked me."

Templeton rubbed his chin. "I don't know if you can find out anything from Julie. She's stayed pretty well outta this whole mess."

"She might not be mixed up in it, but she's there for the meetin's. She hears things. Besides, she's a beautiful girl. Who says this is all for business?"

"Aha. Well, at least we know they're deciding whether to be serious or not. Think your brother picked up anything else?"

"No, I don't. Leave him outta this today, would ya? He's havin' a tough time tryin' to figure a way outta the whole thing."

"You might consider letting him know you're working with us, too."

Bart shook his head. "That'd just give him one more thing to worry about. Better this way for now. And Templeton?"

"Hmm?"

"Tomorrow I'll get down here without the show."

The Ranger nodded. "Good luck tonight."

Bart just grinned. "Luck has nothing to do with it."

XXXXXXXX

Bart got a haircut and a shave (except for the mustache he'd decided to grow), and even got to the nearest saloon to play a couple hours of poker before finally heading back to the hotel. He made arrangements with the desk clerk to have a bath drawn and climbed the stairs to his room, whistling as he went.

Bret was awake and sitting by the window, Bart's regular spot, with a pen and paper, paying close attention to whatever he was in the process of writing.

"Well, I know it can't be a list of your latest girlfriends, cause there haven't been any for a while. So what are you doin'?"

"Keepin' track of everybody that was at Maxwell's house last night."

"Because?"

"Just tryin' to keep 'em straight."

"Okay. I got a bath to go soak in. I'll be back later."

"Mmmhmmm."

Bart walked back down the hallway to the 'bath' room and found everything ready for him. Somehow he couldn't get the image of Bret writing out a list of names out of his mind. 'Hope I get somethin' outta this besides a meal and a good-night kiss,' he thought, 'or Bret's liable to drive himself crazy.'