“A lot worse,” Clint said. “And she’s seen some of the worst on this trip.”
O’Neil nodded.
“Speaking of the worst,” Clint said, “you figure out who sent those jaspers after us?”
“I can only come up with one name,” O’Neil said. “Jock Dewey.”
“Who’s he?”
“My biggest competitor,” O’Neil said. “He’s been tryin’ to absorb my operation for a couple of years. And he hates me.”
“Enough to try and kill two innocent girls?”
“If he thought it would make me easy pickin’s, yeah,” O’Neil said. “Probably figures I’d fall apart if my bride-to-be got killed.”
“So how do you want to play it?”
“Well,” O’Neil said, “I can talk to the sheriff and we can go see him. You’re welcome to come along, if you want.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“Of course, we can’t prove it was him,” O’Neil said, “and he ain’t gonna admit it.”
“Maybe he will,” Clint said, “if he thinks one if his men gave him up.”
“But . . . they both got killed,” O’Neil said. “I thought they didn’t have time to say a word.”
Clint put a thick piece of steak into his mouth, smiled at his friend, and said, “Dewey doesn’t know that, does he?”
Watch for
THE LEGEND OF EL DUQUE
377th novel in the exciting GUNSMITH series from Jove
Coming in May!