Sins of the Father by Robert J. Thomas Read Free Book Online Page A

coffee coming, I’ll be just fine. This really smells wonderful.”
“I assure you that it will taste even better. If you need anything at all you just call for me.”
Jess finished his meal and was stuffed. He ate all four large pieces of chicken, a huge helping of mashed potatoes and gravy, a bowl of carrots and two rolls, along with several cups of coffee. He usually didn’t eat that much, but it was so good he couldn’t bring himself to leave anything on the plate. He left enough money on the table for the meal and a very nice tip for Candice.
He walked around town for about an hour trying to work off all the food, but also to check things out. There were plenty of saloons, mercantile shops and gambling houses. Some of the saloons and gambling houses were quiet and some were quite rowdy. He found the Blue Diamond Gambling House and went inside to see if he could find out anything about his father and maybe where he was headed. He walked in and checked his surroundings. There were two games going on and the faro table was busy. There were three men at the bar, all of them wearing six-shooters. It was early in the afternoon and Jess figured this place would be busy in the evening. Jess ordered a beer and the bartender poured it and placed it in front of him.
“Can I get you anything else, mister?”
“What’s your name?” asked Jess.
“My name is Jonathan. What’s your name?”
“Jess Williams.” One of the three men at the bar turned around at the mention of Jess’ name.
“Jonathan, I’m looking for any information on a man by the name of Eddie Sloan. I know he was in a poker game here a few days ago and the sheriff said he left town on the train. Is there anything you can tell me about Sloan or where he might be headed?”
“I can tell you he’s a real bad one, that’s for sure. He killed a man by the name of Jack Stone right where you’re standing in the middle of the poker game. Sloan went right back to the game, like he had just stepped on a cockroach. Mean son of a bitch, that one.”
“Did he say anything about where he was going?”
“Not that I heard. It’s pretty noisy here at night. Why don’t you come back tonight? Some of the men who were at his table will be here tonight. Maybe they can tell you something more.”
“I’ll do that. Who should I be asking for?”
“Gabby Hunt and Willie Hodges. They play here every night and they were both at the table with Sloan. Willie and Sloan had words, but Willie was smart enough to shut his mouth.”
Jess thanked the bartender, paid for his beer, and left Jonathan a nice tip for the information. As he walked out of the gambling house, the one man who had turned around at the mention of Jess’ name watched Jess as he left. None of this was missed by Jess. He simply chose to act as if he didn’t notice. He didn’t know the man, but that didn’t mean that he would not have a confrontation with him before he left town. He went to his hotel room and took a short nap before going back to the gambling house later to speak with Willie Hodges and Gabby hunt.
CHAPTER 6

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    EDNESDAY CAME TOO QUICK for Sheriff Mark Steele. The meeting he had set up between Rance Madden and Henry Thornton had, in fact, bought him a few days of peace. There had been no shootings or attempts on Steele’s life in the last two days. Both of Steele’s deputies, Buck Hern and Tex, had not reported anything out of the ordinary. Sure, a few fights had occurred and a few drunks had been locked up, but that was normal. Neither Madden’s nor Thornton’s men had come to town since Steele told them about the meeting that was to take place today. Steele was in the office when Buck and Tex showed up. Tex had no last name and knew nothing of his family. He had been abandoned when he was three years old, in Mexico, and was raised by a Mexican family for a few years, but he ran away when he was only eight and lived out on the range by himself, going from town to town taking on odd jobs