Killing Time In Eternity - Edge Series 4 by George G. Gilman Page B
Authors: George G. Gilman
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only saw something, Travis. You can’t be sure you know any of the details. Only what Billy chose to tell you afterwards.’
Hicks gestured for her to remain silent and explained to Edge: ‘It was one of the few times that Billy and me were having a beer in the saloon together. Lee Baldwin and a couple of other Colbert hands came in and said they needed to talk with Billy in private.’
‘Travis, I’m not so sure that Mr Edge wants to know very little thing that was – ‘ his wife started.
He shrugged. ‘Next day I asked Billy about what happened with Baldwin and he claimed he’d made a loan to the guy in a card came. That Baldwin had promised to pay interest at the time, but he tried to go back on his word when he came up with what was owed. But Billy claimed he got his due in full in the end.’ Hicks looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth as he added: ‘I never believed a word of it. But it wasn’t none of my business.’
Annie said: ‘It was the next day when Billy cursed me in the telegraph office and Travis came running and got himself a black eye for the trouble. Four weeks or so before the boy was killed.’
Her husband augmented: ‘That’s about all we can tell you, Mr Edge.’
‘Did you tell the marshal?’
Hicks made a dismissive hand gesture. ‘No. I just told him how it was Billy and me got into the fight. For the way he cussed Annie. It was all the marshal asked about.’
‘Ward Flynt is a man who’s easily satisfied as far as doing his job is concerned,’ Annie said scornfully. ‘On account of how he’s such a lazy, good-for-nothing so-and-so. But if he don’t know about Billy Childs and Olivia Colbert pitching woo one time, he’s the only person in Eternity who doesn’t, I reckon.’
Edge rose from the comfortable chair in front of the warm stove, put on his hat and said: ‘Much obliged for the information, feller. And you, too, ma’am’
Annie got up from behind the desk and Hicks heaved himself reluctantly out of his chair with a bleak eyed look at the papers strewn over his desk.
61
‘Was a pleasure, Mr Edge. Anything’s a pleasure if it gets me out of reading and writing damn fool dockets for a spell.’
‘At least you do your job as it ought to be done,’ his wife excused. ‘You maybe do it late sometimes but you don’t shirk it like some folks I could name.’
‘Did Billy Childs do a good job?’ Edge asked as he went to the front door and peered out through the now rain-spotted window at where a newly risen wind was swinging and squeaking the depot signboard on its rusted brackets.
‘Best telegraph operator there’s ever been here in my time up until a few weeks ago. And he was pretty damn conscientious to boot. The way he took the wires out to whoever they were meant for, regular as clockwork.’
‘And sometimes he’d visit when he didn’t have no messages for them,’ Annie said pointedly from the rear doorway of the office.
Edge paused beside the front one. ‘How’s that, Mrs Hicks?’
‘Billy had a regular run twice a day. Just like a big city mailman. Times when he’d shut up his office and go out to deliver the messages to those folks that didn’t stop by to see if there was anything for them. That’s how we first got an idea about him and Olivia. It seemed that most days he’d go out to the Colbert place. And everyone knew there weren’t that many telegraphs for the Colberts or the men who work for them.’
‘Why, woman, I recall a time when I’d make any excuse to visit with you,’ Hicks said with a nostalgic grin. ‘The boy was smitten by Olivia and it was only natural he – ‘
‘Oh, get back to your dockets, Travis,’ his wife chided with a brighter smile. ‘As I recollect, it wasn’t so much me you made excuses to come to the house for. More often than not it was for my ma’s cooking.’
Hicks looked at Edge and broadened his grin. ‘Well, a growing boy needs sustenance if he’s to perform his duties in every
Hicks gestured for her to remain silent and explained to Edge: ‘It was one of the few times that Billy and me were having a beer in the saloon together. Lee Baldwin and a couple of other Colbert hands came in and said they needed to talk with Billy in private.’
‘Travis, I’m not so sure that Mr Edge wants to know very little thing that was – ‘ his wife started.
He shrugged. ‘Next day I asked Billy about what happened with Baldwin and he claimed he’d made a loan to the guy in a card came. That Baldwin had promised to pay interest at the time, but he tried to go back on his word when he came up with what was owed. But Billy claimed he got his due in full in the end.’ Hicks looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth as he added: ‘I never believed a word of it. But it wasn’t none of my business.’
Annie said: ‘It was the next day when Billy cursed me in the telegraph office and Travis came running and got himself a black eye for the trouble. Four weeks or so before the boy was killed.’
Her husband augmented: ‘That’s about all we can tell you, Mr Edge.’
‘Did you tell the marshal?’
Hicks made a dismissive hand gesture. ‘No. I just told him how it was Billy and me got into the fight. For the way he cussed Annie. It was all the marshal asked about.’
‘Ward Flynt is a man who’s easily satisfied as far as doing his job is concerned,’ Annie said scornfully. ‘On account of how he’s such a lazy, good-for-nothing so-and-so. But if he don’t know about Billy Childs and Olivia Colbert pitching woo one time, he’s the only person in Eternity who doesn’t, I reckon.’
Edge rose from the comfortable chair in front of the warm stove, put on his hat and said: ‘Much obliged for the information, feller. And you, too, ma’am’
Annie got up from behind the desk and Hicks heaved himself reluctantly out of his chair with a bleak eyed look at the papers strewn over his desk.
61
‘Was a pleasure, Mr Edge. Anything’s a pleasure if it gets me out of reading and writing damn fool dockets for a spell.’
‘At least you do your job as it ought to be done,’ his wife excused. ‘You maybe do it late sometimes but you don’t shirk it like some folks I could name.’
‘Did Billy Childs do a good job?’ Edge asked as he went to the front door and peered out through the now rain-spotted window at where a newly risen wind was swinging and squeaking the depot signboard on its rusted brackets.
‘Best telegraph operator there’s ever been here in my time up until a few weeks ago. And he was pretty damn conscientious to boot. The way he took the wires out to whoever they were meant for, regular as clockwork.’
‘And sometimes he’d visit when he didn’t have no messages for them,’ Annie said pointedly from the rear doorway of the office.
Edge paused beside the front one. ‘How’s that, Mrs Hicks?’
‘Billy had a regular run twice a day. Just like a big city mailman. Times when he’d shut up his office and go out to deliver the messages to those folks that didn’t stop by to see if there was anything for them. That’s how we first got an idea about him and Olivia. It seemed that most days he’d go out to the Colbert place. And everyone knew there weren’t that many telegraphs for the Colberts or the men who work for them.’
‘Why, woman, I recall a time when I’d make any excuse to visit with you,’ Hicks said with a nostalgic grin. ‘The boy was smitten by Olivia and it was only natural he – ‘
‘Oh, get back to your dockets, Travis,’ his wife chided with a brighter smile. ‘As I recollect, it wasn’t so much me you made excuses to come to the house for. More often than not it was for my ma’s cooking.’
Hicks looked at Edge and broadened his grin. ‘Well, a growing boy needs sustenance if he’s to perform his duties in every
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