The Governor's Gun Read online

  “Who the hell is that?” Taylor asked.

  “That, gentlemen,” Clint said, “is Eve’s phony neighbor.”

  “Whataya suppose he wants?” Taylor asked.

  “If you gents will step aside, I’ll find out,” Clint said.

  “This ain’t the Old West anymore, Clint,” Monk said.

  “Don’t tell me, Captain,” Clint said. “Tell him.”

  Taylor and Monk exchanged a glance and a shrug, then stepped to either side.

  FORTY-FIVE

  “Can I help you, friend?” Clint asked.

  “Name’s Barton, friend,” the other man said. “Pete Barton.”

  “We met once before,” Clint said.

  “Oh yeah, I’m the kindly neighbor,” Barton said. “Well, maybe not so kindly.”

  “You kill Jake?” Clint asked. “And Angelo?”

  “Yeah, I did them, but I prefer to do my killin’ like this. Face-to-face.”

  “You’re not making a smart decision here, friend,” Clint said.

  “Oh, I think I am,” Barton said. “See, I think your best days are behind you.”

  “On my worst day I’d put you in the ground, Barton,” Clint said.

  “Well, you’re gonna have to prove that to me,” Barton said.

  “That’s what they all say,” Clint said.

  “I’m through talkin’, Adams,” Barton said.

  Clint waved him on with his left hand.

  Barton went for his gun and Clint pitied the man. The first decent gunhand he had run into would have killed him. Clint drew and fired before Barton could clear leather, which clearly surprised the man. He died with wide eyes.

  “Goddamn!” Danny said from his cab.

  * * *

  Adrienne and Eve Hancock walked out onto the railroad platform with Clint as the train pulled in.

  “We can’t thank you enough for what you did,” Eve said.

  “It was my pleasure, ladies,” he said.

  “And the governor is happy with his gun?” Adrienne asked.

  “Very.”

  Adrienne was hanging on to Clint’s arm. She had spent the night with him in his hotel room, and they had both met Eve in front of the train station that morning.

  Adrienne had decided to stay in Austin and live with Eve. Clint didn’t know what they were going to do about Eve’s profession. That was between the two sisters. His work was done, and he had been in one place way too long. Time to go back to Labyrinth, pick up Eclipse, and hit the trail.

  He kissed Eve’s cheek, and then she turned away to give them a moment while he kissed Adrienne good-bye.

  “Come back this way again?” she asked.

  “Perhaps,” he said with no promise. “You never know.”

  She released her hold on his arm and watched him board the train, knowing she’d never see him—or his like—again.

  Watch for

  THE OMAHA PALACE

  367th novel in the exciting GUNSMITH series from Jove

  Coming in July!