At Harper's Ferry

  *

  Ezra held Clem’s bridle as they rode down the dirt street leading to Brinker’s boarding house. Jack rode next to them with his pistol held low and pointed at the kidnapper’s back. When they reached the house, his partner dismounted first to cover the prisoner.

  “Now Clem, you make sure to take it real easy and slow there. I have both barrels ready to fire if you try anything tricky,” Ezra said sharply.

  The big man nodded grimly and pulled himself off of the horse. Jack followed suit.

  Ezra waited in the street while Jack used the butt of his pistol to knock on the door of the boarding house. “Brinker,” he shouted up toward the windows. “We want to talk to you.”

  A window on the second floor squeaked upwards. The fat face of the money-lender could be seen looking down at them, the moonlight glinting off the circles of his spectacles.

  “Clem told us everything and we are here to get Lawrence Hanson,” Jack lied. “Now open this door before I break it down!”

  “I didn’t tell them anything,” Clem said pleadingly, his eyes pointed up towards Brinker. “You must believe me, boss.”

  Ezra tapped him in the back with the barrel of the shotgun. “That’s enough out of you.”

  “Keep it quiet! We don’t need the whole neighborhood to know about this,” Brinker hissed at them. “Just wait a second, I’ll come down and let you in.”

  A few moments passed as they waited for the door to open. The street was nearly empty this time of the night, but their shouting was starting to attract some attention with a few lamps being lit from nearby windows.

  The bolt slowly turned in the lock, but Jack had his hand resting on the doorknob. Before the money-lender even had a chance to open the door, Jack wrenched it open. There was the money-lender, his chubby hand shakily holding a pistol. Jack was too quick for him and struck the hand with a downward blow. The pistol clattered loudly down on the wooden floor.

  “We’ll have none of that,” Jack said sharply. “Take us up to your room so we can discuss this in private, otherwise I’ll be shouting your business to the rest of the street.” He then motioned the fat man back with the Starr.

  Brinker gasped and took a step backwards. His breath came in rasps as he massaged his bruised hand. “Fine,” he sputtered. “I just hope you have brought the money with you.” His thin tongue passed nervously over his lips. He then led the way up the stairs, looking over his shoulder fearfully as he went.

  “No more tricks,” Jack warned. “I don’t know if my trigger finger can hold out much longer.”

  Brinker opened his door, and Jack pushed him roughly into the room. The others followed, making the cramped room seem even smaller. Ezra was closest to the door, and still held his shotgun on Clem, who had sunk into a nearby chair. The money-lender waddled over and sat behind the desk, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

  “I’ll get right to the point, Brinker. I understand that Lawrence Hanson is still alive and you know where he is,” Jack said. “Your bodyguard here told me that you had him safe.”

  A question came into his eyes. “What happened to Tiny?” he asked.

  “He’ll be fine in a day or two. Once we’re done here, one of you can go get him, and put him to bed.”

  Brinker seemed to control himself once again. He said, “Why yes, I found out where Lawrence Hanson was after I talked to you the other day. I can get him out of hiding if you can part with that money I requested - all one thousand dollars of it.”

  Ezra leveled his shotgun at Brinker. “Two days ago you assured us that you had never met Hanson and now you tell us that you know where he is?” he asked, incredulous.

  Brinker grinned, baring a set of yellow teeth. “Well, yes, I decided to interest myself in this affair. I thought maybe a man in my position could find things out.” His scalp glowed with perspiration as he looked eagerly from Ezra to Jack.

  “Go on,” Jack growled impatiently.

  “And so when I came across this information regarding his location, I wanted to offer it you, in exchange for a most reasonable amount of money.”

  Jack fixed his eyes upon Brinker with a cold stare and said, “I’m not here to offer you any money. I’m here to find out where Lawrence is. Either you have him, or you don’t. Which is it?” He was tired of hearing Brinker talk and thought briefly about pushing that fat face into the desk. “Now no more games. Where is he?”

  The money-lender played nervously with the ink blotter on his desk and looked away from the stare. He seemed unable to answer.

  Jack slammed his fist against the desk. “I’ll be more than happy to work you over. If you want to wake up in a hospital tomorrow, you can keep your mouth shut. If you start talking, then maybe tomorrow you’ll be able to walk.”

  The sweat began to pour down Brinker’s heavyset face. “Now let’s not get hasty, Mister Blackwood. I’m sure we can make an arrangement that is satisfactory to the both of us.”

  “This is not about your needs. No deals. No more stories. Just tell us where Hanson is right now, or I’ll jam this Starr into your face and pull the trigger.”

  Brinker licked his lips and continued to stare at the gun. After a tense moment, he started to talk, the words coming out quickly. “I thought I could get some money out of the Hanson family. When I saw you yesterday, you seemed extremely interested in trying to find out what happened to this Lawrence. I thought if I played this right, I could get his family to believe that it was I who had him kidnapped.”

  Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. “So you’re just wasting our time then.”

  “I may not have him but I know who does.”

  “Who?”

  “I asked some questions around town and spread the word that I was looking for Lawrence. If you give me some money, I’ll tell you what I heard.”

  Brinker’s insistence impressed Jack in spite of himself. He might be a weak man, but he would never call this money-lender a coward since he was still asking for money in the face of a gun. Jack spat out, “No money. Just tell me what you know and we’ll be on our way. If you don’t, then I can still put a bullet in your head.”

  Brinker’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “It seems that your friend was involved in something dangerous. Too dangerous for my taste. He was seen with that man Abbott. I heard from some locals that they were both seen at the Gay Lady Saloon the night Lawrence disappeared. I had a hard time finding this out since no one wants to cross Mister Abbott. Anyone who messes with him usually winds up dead.”

  Jack and Ezra quickly glanced at each other. It was Tinen who had recently died and only for being suspected of being an informer.

  Brinker continued. “If you want to find your Lawrence, then try talking to Abbott. Just make sure you don’t mention my name to him.”

  Jack lowered his gun and stepped back from the desk. “Brinker, I suggest you stay far away from the Hanson family. And stay far away from my business as well, or next time I won’t give you a second chance. You’re a two-bit operator, so don’t even try to get involved in this game.”

  Brinker spread his hands apart, his head slightly bowed, “Very well, detective,” he said resignedly.

  “C’mon, Ezra, let’s go.” Jack turned and walked out of the room.

  His partner followed, walking backwards out of the room with the double barreled shotgun still covering the two men. He said, “Now you two be nice and don’t give us any more trouble.” With a friendly wave of his free hand, he shut the door and followed Jack down the stairs and out of the house.