“Yes’m. Name’s Yocum.”
“He and Dale were together about midnight. I heard him tell Nebraska
that he was going to bed because he had to take the stage out the next
morning.”
Brick studied the toes of his boots for a while.
“He likely meant that he was leavin’ on the stage,” said Brick. “He was
headin’ for Redrock. Kinda looks like he went for his gun and they
nailed him, ma’am.”
Brick turned his head and saw Buck Pelham coming in the door. He glanced
around, saw Brick and came straight to him.
“Just got word from the Redrock bank, sheriff. Their money was intact.
Nothin’ missing.”
“Another Romeo, eh?” smiled Brick, but Buck caught his meaning.
“Maybe. Barely possible that they heard Sawyer comin’ and beat it.”
“They did not,” declared Brick. “Two road-agents are not goin’ to lose a
box of money, after killin’ a man. They’d at least stay and see who it
was, and it’s a cinch that they’d ’a’ stood Sawyer in a corner while
they helped themselves.”
“I reckon you’re right,” agreed Buck. “I hope yuh find the guilty ones,
Brick. I liked Dale. He was a nice feller and drove well and he never
got drunk until last night.”
“Got loaded for bear, eh?”