Chapter 10

Matt had never been any good at waiting around. Standing there and watching Ada ride off to Kenton alone was one of the hardest things he'd had to do. Not only did putting a woman in danger go against everything he'd been taught since childhood, but neither would he have ever allowed any other law officer to ride into that town alone if he could help it.

Dillon had objected strongly when Ada first explained her plan. She was confident she could convince Hicks to recruit Clay Griffin and take him to meet Yarborough because it would make the gambler look good in his boss's eyes. The problem was it would require her to spend plenty of time alone with Hicks in order to "persuade" him. Matt argued late into the night with her, but in the end all she'd done was laugh at his "old fashioned" ideas.

"Women have been using their "feminine charms" to achieve a desired end ever since the beginning of civilization, and probably before. I'm certain it goes on every day in Dodge and it doesn't seem to worry you then. It might seem callous on my part but if I have to do anything "unladylike" to gain Hicks' attention it will just be part of the job. Nothing more, nothing less."

She'd teased him a little as she swung herself up onto the big bay. Her hair was loose and her manner had changed from the serious, confident, all business marshal he'd finally gotten used to and accepted. Now she was an attractive, vulnerable young woman in need of help. A woman who brought a whole lot of new abilities to the badge, he thought.

"Good luck, Ada," he'd mumbled softly to himself as he watched her ride away. She never looked back at him and was soon out of sight.

()()()

Matt rode back to the ridge from where they'd first looked down onto what they presumed to be Yarborough's headquarters. He watched the movements of the men guarding the place. Those who stood at the only entrance to the compound were changed about every four hours. At irregular intervals a second pair of riders would navigate the circumference of the entire compound, checking the fence-line. It confirmed his previous conclusion that this wasn't going to be an easy place to enter unseen.

On the second afternoon the monotony was broken by the arrival of a buggy with two occupants but from his position he couldn't make out any details. After an hour the buggy left again. He thought the passenger was a woman - possibly Ada - but he was too far away to tell for sure.

A day later he cleared the campsite where he and Ada had stayed that first night, then mounted up and rode for the town of Kenton.

()()()

The boarding house behind The White Buffalo Pool Hall was definitely not a place that any self-respecting woman would visit. That in itself didn't deter Ada. Somehow she needed to play the part of the downtrodden saloon girl who was easily intimidated by the likes of Hicks. She knocked diffidently on Hicks' door and stood back waiting patiently for him to answer.

She heard footsteps from inside, then the door opened and Hicks reached out to forcefully pull her inside. He was reluctant to turn her loose and held onto her wrist while he checked the hallway outside before closing the door.

"You can sit there," he said and pushed her roughly to the bed. She noted that the mattress was hard and unforgiving. The bed covers had been there for a long time and hadn't been laundered in a coon's age. She watched as Hicks poured cheap whiskey into two not so clean glasses then handed one of them to her.

She took a very small sip of the raw liquid. "All part of the job" she told herself while it burned her throat as it went down.

Getting her breath back she looked up at him. He was standing there gloating over her.

"You said you'd help protect me from Clay Griffin," she reminded him.

"And you told me you didn't have any money. I need some form of payment if I'm to help you."

She thought he was about to force her to submit to him, but he didn't. Instead he walked to a small washstand and opened a drawer. He pulled out a cigar and began the lengthy process of lighting it. At least the smell of the smoke would disguise the other odors that lingered inside the room. She stood up from her seat on the bed as he turned back to face her.

"How much do you know about this man, Griffin?"

She looked meekly at her feet. "Not a lot Mr. Hicks. He's a tall man and he's like lightning with a gun. I had no idea he was about to kill that boy - he was only about 13 or 14 years old. Not even old enough to shave. It was a terrible thing to watch." Ada tried to produce a few tears just to show how scared she was before continuing.

"The Pinkerton man had been tracking Griffin after a really vicious robbery. Griffin told the agent to leave him alone or else he'd kill the boy. I don't know much more. I only learned that from local gossip." She managed a sniffle to emphasize her distress at the whole story.

Ada intentionally drew a slow breath while she stood and moved away from the bed. Casually she picked up an unopened deck of playing cards she'd spotted on the small battered table standing next to the bed. She turned it over looking at it for any indication of where it had come from but there were no special markings anywhere on it. She set it back down and continued with her version of events.

"I'd been working in a small town up on the Republican River. The Pinkerton Agent and his son happened to be there at the time."

She paused for effect and to focus on the few facts Matt had been able to tell her. As far as the Kansas marshal knew Griffin had ridden into town and seen the agent and his son together. He got off his horse and crossed the street while calling out to the agent. The man tried to protect his son, but before he could even get his pistol out Clay had callously shot the boy, mounted up and headed out of town.

She continued with her story. "I'd just left a little mercantile where I'd gone to get some pink ribbon for a new dress. I was standing right close to the agent and his son but didn't know what had happened till afterwards. I'd looked right into the face of that killer as he fired the single fatal shot. I was so close that the bullet grazed my cheek on its way past." She lifted her hand to her face to feel for an imaginary scar. "He had a hard evil face, Mr. Hicks. He saw me standing there and has been following me ever since. The Sheriff warned me to be careful. He said Clay Griffin doesn't leave witnesses alive."

Hicks was listening to her from behind the fog of cigar smoke he'd created.

"I can help you," he told her. "In fact I know someone who'd like to talk to Clay Griffin."

"You mean that Mr. Hicks?" She put on a pleading tone of voice.

"As I see it, I'd be saving your life so I do need something in return."

"I told you I have no money."

"Tomorrow I'll take you to a man who can arrange all kinds of help for you. But there is a price. Tonight you'll stay here and do me some favors."

Ada looked up at him, knowing what was coming next. She didn't care. She would play her part well, while thinking of what they did to Tom and how she would do anything to avenge his death.

()()()

Sunrise was coming to the town of Kenton and Ada finally decided it was safe to leave the dealer's bed. He was snoring lightly and as she lay there looking at his face in the first light of dawn she decided he wasn't as much of the hardened gambler as he painted himself to be. He hadn't been as rough with her as she'd expected. In fact he became quite the gentleman at random moments. It certainly hadn't been a pleasure, but she'd found the situation to be more easily managed than she thought it would be. She'd got him to drink several shots of the rotgut whiskey he'd been pouring without taking too much herself. When at last he'd collapsed onto the bed he demanded that she lie next to him. As he reached out his hands towards her, she began to talk to him. She started by asking him questions about himself. Where was he from? What towns had he worked in? How did he become so skillful with a deck of cards? She used all the interrogation techniques she'd ever learned during the course of her chosen career. Gradually the effect of the alcohol he'd consumed, together with the few intimate moments she'd allowed him, took their toll and he fell asleep.

Quietly Ada slipped from the bed and put on enough clothes to head safely back along the Main Street to her own room. She figured Hicks would sleep for at least another hour or two, which would give her the necessary time to change clothes and fix herself up before he arrived to collect her.

She'd promised him a few more nights of her attention in return for taking her to see this man who would help her escape the clutches of Clay Griffin. Ada felt she'd played her part well and by now had the gambler hooked for sure.

She was ready when he showed up outside to collect her. He didn't seem to remember much about the night before and she silently gave thanks for the effects of alcohol. She figured he'd rented the buggy and even thought to bring a blanket for her to throw over her legs. She wore a tan colored skirt and an ivory blouse she'd carried stuffed in a saddlebag for a long time. It was creased up a good bit when she'd pulled it out, but fortunately with the aid of a flat iron borrowed from one of the other residents it didn't look too bad now. She fixed her hair back in a single ponytail and tied it with a piece of ribbon that matched her skirt. It looked as if she'd made an effort and she hoped it wouldn't go unnoticed by Hicks. It would serve to further persuade him to keep his promise.

Strangely Hicks took the time to help her climb up into the buggy before getting himself settled. He picked up the reins and encouraged the horse to move forward. She noticed that he didn't attempt to use the whip, instead he flicked the reins a few times then clicked his tongue and soon they were moving forward at a steady trot. After a few minutes he transferred the reins to his right hand and placed his left arm around her shoulders. She decided he wasn't the worst man she'd ever met and didn't object.

"Tell me where we're going," she asked him, looking into his face and giving him what she hoped he'd see as a seductive smile.

"There's a man, a powerful man that I know. I'm pretty sure he'd like to know about Clay Griffin. I'm going to get him to listen to your story and decide what we can do to help." Hicks was trying to convince her that he was a strong and influential man. She'd work to boost his opinion on that as much as she could.

"You can do that?" She tried to add a tone of admiration to her voice.

"I'll try." He sounded sincere but Ada wasn't all that gullible.

He drove the buggy for over an hour until in the distance Ada saw the valley and buildings that she and Matt had observed a day or so ago.

The dealer pulled the buggy to a stop at the entrance to the compound. He spoke with the two cowboys standing there while she sat still, trying to be unobtrusive. Hicks was talking and laughing with the two men as if they were old friends. Finally they allowed him to drive the buggy forward to the house.

Ada noticed he didn't want to be seen helping her from the buggy. At least that's what she presumed when he told her to get down and follow him into the house.

They entered a small room. Two windows across the front of the house were hidden by chintz curtains, which obscured any direct view of the outside. There were three or four straight-backed chairs lined up along one wall with a small coffee table set in front of them. A ragged looking carpet occupied the center of the floor otherwise the room was empty.

"You wait here a minute, Ada," Hicks told her before crossing to a door that led to another room located at the back of the house. She stood looking around then sat in one of the chairs and tried to relax. It wasn't easy because she had no idea what would happen next but even more so because she hadn't been able to bring her gun. It wouldn't have fit in with the scared little saloon girl image.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before Hicks appeared again.

"The Maestro will see you now," he explained. "You won't be able to see his face but you will be able to tell him about Clay Griffin."

Hicks led her into the room he'd just exited and left her standing alone in front of a large mahogany desk. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship and if it was hers she'd have taken better care of it. Strange that such thoughts should occur to her under these circumstances! Hicks had meantime gone back to stand by the door.

Across the desk from her was a man sitting in a chair but his back was towards her so she couldn't see his face.

"You can sit," the voice from the other side of the desk ordered. He waited a moment while she settled herself before continuing. "Tell me who you are and what you know about Clay Griffin."

"My name's Ada Wittner, Sir." She managed to make her voice shake a little as if she were intimidated by such a powerful man.

"He's out to kill me," she continued, trying to promote the idea that she was scared of the known killer who was after her.

"Why would he want to do that?"

"I saw him kill someone, that's why he wants me dead. It was a horrible thing to see a young boy like that shot down. I'd never seen anyone killed before. I told the sheriff I'd testify in court if I had to. It was the least I could do."

"How do you know he's out to kill you?"

"I've seen him. He's been following me for almost a year now. I was working in Abilene and saw him come into the saloon one night so I ran out the back door and left town. He's followed me to at least three other places since then. It's real scary, Sir."

"So you'd know him by sight?"

"Oh I sure would, Sir," she answered with emphasis.

"Tell me about him. What's he look like and what can he do?"

The man across the desk from her never turned around and didn't move enough to allow her to get a glimpse of even part of his face. He wasn't a big man, she was sure of that and his voice was unremarkable. She couldn't detect any kind of accent.

"He's quite a tall man," she said. Matt and she agreed that she should be as vague as possible. "Mostly you'd notice how fast he is with a gun. I saw him kill that boy - he was faster than any man I've ever seen."

"You help me, and I think I can help you," the man across the desk said. "I want you to stay in Kenton for a while. If this man shows up I want you to point him out to Mr. Hicks then I'll see if I can protect you from him."

There was a brief pause, then "You can go now," the voice from across the desk commanded.

Before Ada had time to study her surroundings in more detail, Hicks stepped forward to lead her back to the same door she'd entered through just a few minutes before. She glanced around briefly in an attempt to note anything remarkable that would give her a clue as to "The Maestro's" identity, but the walls and floors lacked any discernible decoration or character.

They left the farmhouse and drove back to town. The meeting had been very short but Ada knew she'd played her part to the best of her ability. She hoped it had been enough to persuade Yarborough - or whatever his name was - to believe her.

TBC