Elfego and I walked slowly over to Knaught’s office, neither of us saying anything. He had come back to town, as I saw his horse tied to the post outside his office. I couldn’t say for sure, but I had a feeling that he went to talk with Stinson. Even if Stinson was behind Knaught’s extortion dealings, it wasn’t what we wanted to arrest him for. He was doing much worse evil in the Territory than a small town extortion ring.
As we opened the door and walked through the doorway, Knaught lifted up his head and exclaimed, “You again! What now?”
“You’re under arrest,” I told him simply and calmly.
“Hmpf, what charge?” he sneered.
“Extortion, among other things,” I answered knowing that the judge would have a full list of legal terms at the arraignment. “Stand up and put your hands behind your back.”
He stood, but kept his hands down by his side. “That’s not a federal crime. You can’t arrest me.”
I emphasized the Greener as I handed it to Elfego to hold, then started toward Knaught. “New Mexico is still federal territory. Anyway, any crime committed I can make an arrest. Turn around!”
His hands were still hanging down by his sides. Oh, how I wanted to give him a thump and was getting ready to do so, when he decided to cooperate. “I’ll be out ten minutes after you put me in jail. I run an insurance agency, providing a service for the merchants of this community. Ask any of them.”
“I already have,” I said, snapping the handcuffs on his wrists, then giving him a shove toward the door.
He jerked his head at me when I made that statement, but didn’t say anything. We walked slowly out the door and down the street toward the jail. Elfego handed me the shotgun as we exited Knaught’s office.
People started to stare at us proceeding down the street. Many stopped to gawk at our little march, and there was a murmur going through the crowd. Knaught would probably get five years or less, but I was hoping he would break and tell us about Stinson. Upon entering the jail, the Judge had taken a seat behind Marshal Udall’s desk and the marshal was standing in the doorway to the cells.
“Bring him to me,” ordered Judge Norris. As Knaught stood before the Judge, who was reading off a list of crimes he was charged with, some I had never heard before, I kept watching Udall. When we entered the jail I had given the shotgun back to Elfego and told him to stand outside.
Knaught stood there with a smirk on his face listening to the Judge. There was a pause and silence as the judge asked how he pleaded. There was a slight move of his head toward Udall and with that Udall pulled his gun.
“Release him!” commanded the marshal.
“You are plenty stupid!” I cried. “These are small time charges, and your name hasn’t been mentioned. Now I reckon I’ll have to arrest you.”
Udall laughed. I reached in my vest pocket for the keys to the handcuffs. I took a step toward Knaught, then tossed the keys. “You want him released, you do it!”
As the keys were in the air, I saw his eyes going to them. That was all I needed to draw and fire. Two shots filled the air, one from my gun, but then I saw the Judge holding a pistol in his hand. Udall fell to the floor, dead with two bullets in his chest.
At the shots, Elfego burst into the office. The shotgun aimed steadily at Knaught. I motion with my hand for him to put it down.
“Lock this man up,” ordered the Judge. I took Knaught by the elbow and guided him over the prostrated body of Udall on the floor. A few seconds later I was back in the office, having tucked Knaught tightly in his new, temporary home.
Coming back to the office I tossed the cell keys on the desk. The Judge still had his pistol out, but it was now laying on the desk in front of him. He looked at me, “Marshal, I told you that Udall would be taken care of in due time.”
Judge Norris stood glancing toward the cell room. “Why don’t you go get something to eat then come to the jail. Let Knaught stew awhile, then you can question him later,” he said then paused. “Do it legal. Then I’ll question him again tomorrow. With the charges we have he’ll serve maybe two years. I’m hoping he’ll give us something to arrest Stinson.”
I stood looking down at the dead body of the marshal shaking my head. “Shame for a life to be such a waste. The good Lord meant for us to be honorable men, especially those of us who wear the badge and stand for justice,” I said looking at the Judge. “Reckon he knows what true justice is right about now.”
Elfego handed me the Greener and we stepped out of the jail into the street…