Legend With a Six-gun (9781101601839) (42 page)

“This was the money Gregor was given by the
Okhrana
to finance our mission. It occurred to me that I needed it more than he did.”

“Looks to me like that'll do you for a while. But won't Gregor be chasing after you, to get it back?”

“No, no. When we send no new reports, the
Okhrana
will send men to look for both of us. Where Gregor will hide, I do not know or care. As for me, your West is big, and there are many places where I can disappear.” She smiled. “Denver is big enough, no?”

“Wouldn't be too hard for you to keep hid there, I imagine.”

Ilioana came closer to Longarm. “This is what I think, too. You understand, Longarm, what I have done before was in the service of my motherland, to please the Tsar. Now, what I do will be what pleases me only.”

*   *   *

When Longarm walked into his chief's office early the next afternoon, Billy Vail looked up from the papers heaped on his desk. His face wore its usual disapproving frown as he looked at the clock.

“Godamighty!” he grunted. “Can't you ever get here on time?”

“Now, Billy, the limited just pulled in from Dodge. I got here as fast as I could.”

“Like hell.” Vail sniffed the heavy scent of musky perfume Longarm had brought with him into the office. “You took time to stop at a barbershop. Well, tell that barber of yours to change his brand of macassar oil. You smell like you just left Mattie Silks's place.”

“Now, you know I don't play the sporting ladies, Billy. All a man's got to do is be patient, and a filly comes along who doesn't set a price on what she's got. And that kind knows how to pleasure a man better, too.” Longarm smiled, then suddenly grew serious. “Now then. I sure hope this new case you wired me about ain't watching an election. Like I said, that's a job for a nursemaid, not a lawman.”