You look to be deep in thought, Miles,” came the voice of Doc Jones as he pulled out a chair to sit with me.
I looked over at him, ready to get up for coffee when Molly came around with a cup for him and refilled mine then she sat down with us. “Ah, you know me Doc. Just ponderin’ last year and wonderin’ about what’s ahead. Not worried mind you, just thinkin’.”
Molly gave a little laugh, “No, he lets me do all the worrying.” Doc chuckled along with her.
“Well, you and Charlie did well with that last gang. Three dead, two wounded, and you brought the bank’s money back. That’s what I call good work,” uttered Doc after taking a sip of the hot coffee. “If you hadn’t pulled that piece of steel from the one man, he’d be dead by now. As it is he’s fighting infection now, hopefully he’ll pull through.”
I was shaking my head. “With the gatherin’ for Thanksgivin’ they thought they pulled the perfect holdup. Fortunately much of the townspeople were here and none were hurt,” I said then smiled. “They didn’t know much to do with dynamite. It’s a wonder they didn’t blow the whole buildin’ down.”
Doc grunted before replying. “We found pieces of the safe throughout the lobby, in the wall, in the ceiling, in the counter. They were lucky that only one of them was hit by the flying debris. By the way, when is the trial?”
“Judge Klaser is out of town visiting relatives, isn’t he?” asked Molly.
“Yeah, it won’t happen until he gets back and I’m not sure when that is supposed to be. Charlie complains about them takin’ up cell space and eatin’ on the county’s expense and Lucas isn’t too keen on being their babysitter,” I responded smiling.
“The one I worked on was Rich Samuels. He didn’t say much, pretty somber as I sewed him up.”
“From what they told me, they were part of the Cloyd Martin gang. Biff, his younger brother, is the other one down at the jail. He’s the one I shot in the hand forcing him to drop one of the satchels of money. The other two men were Les Fuller and James Polque. I have a poster on Polque for murder in Louisiana and Texas.”
“One thing for sure,” Doc stated, rubbing his chin then wiping his mouth with his fingers. “That Biff fellow won’t have much use for that hand anymore. The bullet hit dead center and splintered most of the bones in the hand.”
Molly had been listening as she sipped her coffee. “Shame, that folks go bad that way. I don’t really understand why.”
“Men’s hearts are bent on evil,” I replied. “Unless they find Christ, there is no hope for them. Now, I’m not sayin’ that they’re aren’t good folks who don’t serve the Lord, I’ve known several, but they still need a heart change.”
Doc grunted while Molly swirled the last little coffee remaining in her cup around. She reached over to pat my arm. “At least you made it back before Christmas.”
Christmas had been good. The last couple of years Molly and Marta along with Emelda helping cook made handpies and little burritos then went through the poorer areas of town, the barrio, and to the jobless miners to hand them out on Christmas morning. Then Doc and Edith, the Golds, and the Ramirez family joined us for dinner at the diner. This year Rev. Chapman and his wife Betty joined us. I enjoy the time, even though I’m a person who normally likes to be alone. Days like Christmas make me a little melancholy and I contemplate like I was doing before Doc came in.
“So when’s the trip?” questioned Doc.
I gave him a puzzled look. “Trip?”
Molly laughed, “He’s forgotten already.”
Doc scowled at me, “You promised Alejo and Enrique that you’d take them hunting. So, I’m asking when are you going?”
I had forgotten about it. I twisted the end of my moustache then blurted. “Next week if the weather holds.”
Doc and Molly looked at each other then both started laughing. I thought about what I had said and didn’t see much humor in it.
Molly then got up to check the coffeepot on the stove behind me. “I need to see how much coffee there is in the big pot in the kitchen and make some more for this one. The noon rush will be starting. I told Marta to take off to spend some time with Charlie and not to come in until 11:00.”
She had just walked with the coffeepot back to the kitchen when through the entrance walked Lucas…