14. Without doubt
Bill hated it to play for time. But this time, the time was against them.
As fast as they could, they rode through the dark desert.
"I had never thought that he would lie," Stump said against the wind.
"I will never trust a postman anymore," Kinski agreed.
"Don't babble," Bill cried at them. "Just ride."
"What do you think, are we doing the whole time?" Chorizo asked
"Shut up. Ride."
"All for that stupid lizard, which can't take care for itself."
"We can discuss about that later! - Stop!"
Bill made a sharp braking so that the others had almost ridden against him.
"That's it."
Kinski, Stump and Chorizo craned their necks.
A flat area with many fences surrounded stretched for miles in front of them.
Suddenly Kinski grabbed Bill's arm.
"What?"
But Kinski said nothing and pointed ahead to the left side.
The Gila monster followed his pointer, where a shadow swung gently in the wind on a tree. Silently they stared at the decomposed corpse of the mortal remains of a roadrunner stealer.
Around his neck hung a wooden sign. "Roadrunner stealer be warned."
"Nice welcoming," Stump said and was going to turn around. But Bill grabbed the reins and pulled him back.
"We don't have to go through the bird-filled pasturage."
"Why so?"
Bill pressed a finger on Kinski's cheek and moved his face to the right side, where a big white countryside villa lay not far away at the foot of the hill.
"Nice-looking cottage," Chorizo commented.
"Do you think our little friend could be there?"
"There is just one way to find out."
With that Bill climbed down from his roadrunner. The others followed his example. Bill controlled the area with his tongue, then he waved his hand that they should follow him. Together they walked down the hill closer and closer to the white house. It was a really big house with white wooden walls, white curtains in the windows and a big terrace. Around the house grew some junipers, decorative cactuses and nice ornamented ways with little stones. All in all, everything didn't give the impression that a blackmailer would hold someone captive.
They were just few meters away when Stump surrendered his bad feeling.
"Bill?" he whispered from behind. "Do you really think we should risk that?"
Before Bill could retort, Chorizo shared his worries. "McNelly hates guys like us. He is his own judge…"
"And hangman," Stump added with a hoarse voice.
"What are you?!" the lizard hissed. "Scaredy-cats, or what?"
"And what if we are wrong and Mr. Postman didn't tell the truth?" Kinski added for consideration. "Never trust a postman, became one of my life wisdoms."
All three men froze when Bill started a hissing growl. "He should never dare that."
Kinski took his hat and waved it over his head. "True that - but what if – just in case. I don't want to risk my neck for nothing."
"I thought, we're agreed," Bill growled. "I don't wanna go back after that dirty work we did."
"More what I made for a dirty work," Kinski muttered.
"Come on."
Without listening Bill sneaked up on the villa until he reached the house wall and pressed himself against it. The others watched him, then they walked ahead. After they had lined up behind their leader, they listened, but everything kept quiet.
"Alright, very slow," Bill whispered and lurked along the house. There was no light in the windows. Was its owner in bed?
Bill was so busy to watch the windows, that he had almost overseen a dark obstacle.
"Watch out!" Kinski hissed and managed to grab the Gila monster before it could hit it.
"What's that?" Stump asked in a whispering sound.
Carefully, Bill touched the dark thing what was the half-size of him.
"Just a garbage can."
The three sighed with relief. But Bill didn't want to waste more time.
One after another passed the can, until Chorizo touched something which looked out of the garbage. Carefully, he opened the barrel and pulled it out.
"Hey, Bill! Look."
They turned around. Chorizo held up a jacket and a jeans. The Gila monster flicked his tongue over them and caught a very familiar smell.
His friends watched him curiously.
"Is it…"
"Him? Yes, without doubt."
Stump clapped with his hands. "That means, we are on the right place."
"Another life wisdom which comes true," Kinski muttered.
"What kind of life wisdom?" Stump asked.
"Look through someone's rubbish and you will find out what kind of person he is."
"Sherlock Holmes?"
"Nope. Garfield."
"Nice," Chorizo said and rolled the clothes together. "But how should we come in the house?"
Bill threw his hands over his head. "Damn! What happened to us?! We robbed banks, ranches, mugged many people in the last few years, and we are riddling about how we should come in a simple house? We are outlaws. Did you forget?"
They exchanged glances. "Oh, yes, we are."
"And what's your order?" Kinski asked.
Bill pointed to the side. "We go through the back door through the kitchen."
"I can just hope that no alarm system is installed here."
Bill gave Stump a little clap on the back of his head, while he tried to open the kitchen door with a picklock.
The hands of the rabbit trembled a little, but he tried to keep his concentration.
Shortly after, a soft click let the door latch snapping open.
Slowly Stump took the false key away.
"Who wants to do the honor?"
With a deep sight, Kinski put his hand on the door handle and pushed it down carefully.
The others held their breaths, always ready for a run.
Gently the rabbit gave the door a little, little push.
"Open."
After he had opened the door completely, they sighed deeply.
"No alarm system. That McNelly seemed to be very sure that nobody would break in his house."
"Whatever," Bill said and peeked inside the dark kitchen. But before he made one step forward, he pulled Chorizo and pushed him into the door frame.
"Check the area."
"Why me?"
"Do it!"
"Oh, damn."
Chorizo wasn't an anxious person, but that unknown kitchen room gave him the memory of a horror movie, where every moment could jump out a monster doll.
With a deep breath, he made two quiet steps forwards, then he stopped and listened.
Everything kept quiet.
A little bit braver, he made more steps and few steps more, until he disappeared in the darkness.
The others craned their necks.
"Uh, are you still okay?" Stump asked carefully.
"Oh my god!"
"What?!"
As fast as they could, they drew their guns and stood in the middle of the dark room.
"What happened?!"
"Cheesecake with chili!"
They froze with their revolver in their hands, which were directed on a munching mouse.
"Tastes good. Do you want a taste?"
"You damn…!"
Bill ran at him and was going to give him a slap, but Chorizo held the cake over his head warningly. "Billy, remember, that's not our house. We mustn't make much noise."
With a loud hissing, the Gila monster lowered his fists. "Alright. But just this time. Come on."
He passed the mouse which swallowed down a full mouth. Until Kinski gave him an angry look and he put the cake away with a heavy heart.
In single file they went through the kitchen.
"It's still a mystery for me why he kidnapped a lousy sheriff," Kinski muttered more to himself.
"I guess it had a special reason," Bill muttered back.
"What reason?"
"Remember what he claimed."
"Water, gold…"
"And the Faberge diamond necklet. I'm sure, that was the main focus, the others were just souvenir."
"How do you want to know?"
"Just a suggestion."
"Aha…"
They froze when a sound echoed through the house.
The bells of a floor clock.
Midnight.
The four gunslingers stood there like stone statues.
Nobody dared to breathe.
"Too late," Stump whispered.
"I don't think so," Bill muttered darkly. "I don't believe that they brought him to the place the delivery of ransom money. In this case we have some reprieve. If we have luck, they have to make a report first."
"Mm. I see we need a lot of luck."
"Shhhh!"
Bill had reached the end of the kitchen and reached out the hand to the inner house parts.
Slowly and carefully, he opened the door and peeked through it.
In the dim light of moon, which was shining through the windows, he could see a big corridor with expensive carpets and other folderols.
A big stairway showed upwards. But nobody was near.
Before somebody could ask, what they should do next, a telephone was ringing.
Shortly after an electric light lightened the corridor, followed by quick footsteps on the stairs.
Quickly they pressed themselves on the wall out of the light. The lizard let the door open a little bit and dared to peek through the door crack.
A man came down the stairs, wearing dark gray pants and a white shirt with a gray jacket. Maybe he had awaited a call. Bill had never seen McNelly before. It was a light brown lynx, not too fat and not too slim, a with mustache over his lips. Without stopping, he picked up the receiver of the telephone which stood on a little table next to the stairway.
"Do you have it?" He asked without greeting. "Mm…"
It was an angry sound.
"Hell! Alright, come back."
He threw the receiver on the phone back and turned around in a rage filled gesture. For a moment Bill lost the view contact. Carefully, he moved and watched how McNelly teared open a door near the back of the stairs and disappeared.
After it had closed, they waited more than ten seconds, then Bill opened the kitchen door. He hesitated a few seconds more, then he gave them a sign to follow him.
On tiptoes, they walked to the door, where McNelly had gone through.
"Bill?" Stump said. "Could be a cellar door."
Bill nodded. Carefully, very carefully, he moved the door handle and opened the door where steps guided down.
"Alright. Let's go."
