“So you’re saying you put Big Bill in the hospital?” Jake sat at his desk, scratching his head, glancing between Jasper and Daniel. They’d left the crowd by the fountain and come to the sheriff’s office. Jake had checked the jail and found no trace of Bill.
“Write him off if you ask me, brother,” Jasper said, pulling on his brown cowboy pants adorned with various patches.
“Brother? I’m not your brother.”
“He talks like that,” Daniel said, also slipping into the pants only sheriffs wore. Every house in town had a machine for clothes like the one on the train, but the locals either didn’t see it or weren’t trained to use it. “He calls every friend ‘brother.’ It’s kind of a tradition between us.”
“A tradition, huh?” Jake pulled a cigarette from his cabinet and lit it. He leaned one arm on the desk, his eyes wide.
“Tell me how you took down Bill. I mean, he’s huge.”
“We came looking for you. But instead of you, we found him. And he made the mistake of crossing Jasper.”
“Normally, I’d have to arrest you for that,” Jake exhaled a cloud of smoke, filling the room. “But I won’t. I didn’t like Bill anyway. Just so you know, though, you attacked a lawman.”
“We’re deputy sheriffs now, Jake. You can’t arrest us for that.”
Jake paused to think.
“You’re actually right. You’re my men now. I didn’t like Bill anyway,” he repeated.
“He didn’t seem too pleasant, honestly. I promise we’ll do better.”
“He hinted a few times he wanted my spot. I’ve been sheriff for three years. Before me, it was my father, and before him, my grandfather. Some nobody thinks he can meddle?”
“So no one outside your family can take your place?”
“They can. If they kill me or if I hand it over willingly. But that second one’s not happening.”
“How’d your father die, Jake?”
“I shot him.”
Jasper and Daniel froze for a moment, staring at him. Jake smoked and gazed out the window. For a second, he seemed genuinely human to Daniel. No matter how much he tried to pretend they were just robots, he kept catching glimpses that pulled him back to reality. Sometimes, mid-conversation, it felt awkward and absurd to be chatting with a pile of metal dressed in skin.
“You shot him? You shot your own father?”
“Look, being sheriff takes a lot. And it was a fair duel.”
“A fair duel?” Jasper spoke fast, as he always did when nervous. “Like in the movies? Ten paces apart, turn, and…”
Jake stared at him. Daniel realized the sheriff robot didn’t understand what Jasper was saying but let him ponder it anyway.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Movies? What are you talking about?”
“Forget it, brother,” Jasper holstered his revolver, completing his look. “Is there a mirror around here so I can check myself out?”
“A mirror?” Jake nearly spat out his cigarette. “Mirrors are for fancy ladies. We’re men—why do you need a mirror? If you’re that desperate, go knock on some doors. You’ll find one somewhere. Now that you’re a deputy sheriff, those doors’ll be open to you.”
“And the ladies’ legs inside them?”
Daniel didn’t expect it, but Jake caught the joke and winked, laughing.
The sheriff opened the drawer where he’d gotten the cigarette and pulled out two badges. Both said “Sheriff,” but they weren’t gold like his—they were silver.
“These are your badges. I’ve got one more, but if you’re good enough, I won’t need a third deputy.”
“Oh, you definitely won’t need one. We were big shots in our towns.”
“Big shots?”
“Not sheriffs, but I sold…” Jasper turned to Daniel. “I sold farms and houses.”
“And my friend… well, he fixed stuff.”
Jake didn’t seem convinced.
“So what brought you here?”
“We wanted a fresh start. Plus, a bunch of villagers were after me over their farms. They didn’t pay their taxes, so I had to take their homes and resell them.”
“You’re a straight shooter,” Jake pointed at him with the cigarette, squinting. “And the sheriff? Wasn’t there a sheriff to protect you?”
“We had one, but he was more interested in chasing skirts. Had a wife and kids, too.”
“Bad, real bad. I don’t have a wife, don’t know about kids,” Jake flicked his cigarette. “But I had a love once…”
“Violet?”
“How’d you know?”
“You told us last night, don’t you remember?”
Jake froze, then jolted back to life, like something inside him clicked.
“Oh, I forgot. How’s she doing? How’s Violet?”
“She’s fine. We passed along your regards.”
“What’d she say?” The sheriff leaned forward on his hands.
“She said she’s still mad at you.”
That made him sit back and bury his face in his hands.
“I didn’t mean it, gentlemen. I messed up. But she was a fiery woman. And I needed money. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Jasper and Daniel exchanged a look. They’d already heard the story.
“Jake, what’ll we have to do as deputy sheriffs?”
Jake, as if snapping out of his Violet trance, stood up, took off his hat, and peered out the window.
“Broadly speaking, you’ll patrol the town and handle people’s problems. If something’s too big for you, you let me know.”
“And those who don’t listen?”
“Warn them once. If you have to warn them twice—shoot. Simple as that.”
The sheriff stood still, as if waiting for a reaction. There wasn’t one. They found him more interesting than his words. Then he went on:
“And since Bill’s gone, you’ll need to watch the jail, too. Someone’s got to guard the prisoners.”
“Prisoners?”
“Ha! Don’t think I’m some sloppy sheriff. I’ve got plenty of locked-up crooks. Caught ‘em all myself!”
“When can we see them?” Jasper was eager.
The sheriff grabbed a ring of keys and tossed it on the table. “These unlock almost every important building in town. Even the jail and cells. Don’t let anyone out, got it?”
They nodded.
“Any other questions?”
“Nope.”
Daniel was about to leave the sheriff’s office when he heard Jasper’s voice behind him.
“Reed’s farm, Sheriff. When are you introducing us to Reed?”