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Home , Appaloosa (novel), Back Story (novel), Bad Business (novel), Blue Screen (novel), Brimstone (Parker novel), Ceremony (Parker novel)

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 ROBERT B. PARKER’S 08 09 BUCKSKIN 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 S32 N33

9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd i 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 The Novels 02 Robert B. Parker’s Old Black Magic 03 (by Ace Atkins) 04 Robert B. Parker’s Little White Lies (by Ace Atkins) 05 Robert B. Parker’s Slow Burn 06 (by Ace Atkins) 07 Robert B. Parker’s Kickback 08 (by Ace Atkins) 09 Robert B. Parker’s Cheap Shot (by Ace Atkins) 10 Silent Night Taming a ­Sea-​­Horse 11 (with Helen Brann) A Catskill Eagle 12 Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland (by Ace Atkins) 13 The Widening Gyre Robert B. Parker’s 14 (by Ace Atkins) 15 A Savage Place Sixkill 16 Early Autumn 17 Looking for Rachel Wallace 18 19 Now & Then Mortal Stakes 20 ­Hundred-​­Dollar Baby God Save the Child 21 The Godwulf Manuscript 22 23 The Sunny Randall Novels 24 Blood Feud 25 Widow’s Walk 26 27 Melancholy Baby 28 Shrink Rap Sudden Mischief 29 Perish Twice Small Vices 30 Family Honor 31 32S 33N

9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd ii 12/21/18 10:45 AM The Novels The Cole/​Hitch Westerns 01 Robert B. Parker’s Colorblind Robert B. Parker’s Revelation 02 (by Reed Farrel Coleman) (by Robert Knott) 03 Robert B. Parker’s The Hangman’s Robert B. Parker’s Blackjack 04 Sonnet (by Robert Knott) 05 (by Reed Farrel Coleman) Robert B. Parker’s The Bridge Robert B. Parker’s Debt To Pay (by Robert Knott) 06 (by Reed Farrel Coleman) Robert B. Parker’s Bull River 07 Robert B. Parker’s The Devil Wins (by Robert Knott) 08 (by Reed Farrel Coleman) Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse 09 Robert B. Parker’s Blind Spot (by Robert Knott) 10 (by Reed Farrel Coleman) ­Blue-​­Eyed Devil 11 Robert B. Parker’s Damned If You Do (by Michael Brandman) 12 Robert B. Parker’s Fool Me Twice 13 (by Michael Brandman) 14 Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues Also by Robert B. Parker 15 (by Michael Brandman) Double Play 16 Night and Day Gunman’s Rhapsody 17 Stranger in Paradise All Our Yesterdays 18 A Year at the Races 19 (with Joan H. Parker) Sea Change 20 Perchance to Dream Stone Cold 21 Death in Paradise (with ) 22 Trouble in Paradise 23 Night Passage Wilderness 24 Three Weeks in Spring 25 (with Joan H. Parker) 26 Training with Weights 27 (with John R. Marsh) 28 29 30 31 S32 N33

9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd ii 12/21/18 10:45 AM 9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd iii 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 02 03 04 05 06 ROBERT B. PARKER’S 07 08 09 BUCKSKIN 10 11 12 kK 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Robert Knott 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS S32 New York N33

9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd v 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 G. P. Putnam’s Sons 11 Publishers Since 1838 12 An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC penguinrandomhouse.com 13 14 15 Copyright © 2019 by The Estate of Robert B. Parker Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes 16 free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing 17 any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing 18 Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader. 19 Library of Congress Cataloging‑­in‑­Publication Data 20 [Insert CIP TK] 21 Printed in the United States of America 22 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 23 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or 24 dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32S 33N

9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd vi 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 ROBERT B. PARKER’S 08 09 BUCKSKIN 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 S32 N33

9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd viii 12/21/18 10:45 AM 9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd ix 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 02 03 04 1 05 kK 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 n ­all-​­day celebration had been taking place. The sounds of music, 14 dancing, people talking and laughing echoed inside the jailhouse. The 15 ­blue-A​­eyed kid with a busted lip and bruised face sat on his cell bunk sharpen- 16 ing a spoon handle to a point. He wore a huge sombrero and a short-­ ​­waisted 17 Mexican jacket. He favored the Mexican culture over the American way of 18 living, but he was no Mexican. 19 Ever since he was on his own, he’d spent most of his time drifting from 20 town to town along the border. He preferred the Mexican people. Especially 21 the señoritas, and the señoritas took a liking to him as well. He was fond 22 of the Mexicans’ food and Mexicans’ drinks too—­ ​­mescal was his favorite. 23 And he spoke the Spanish language well, or well enough to get what he 24 wanted. 25 When he was in one place long enough and feeling generous, he would wire 26 or write a letter to the old man. The old man was the only person the kid had 27 any tether to on the earth. The kid was never sure how he ended up with the 28 old man, who the old man even was, or where he came from. The kid had a 29 vague memory of moving from one family to another as a child. Until one day, 30 when the kid could put on his own breeches, an old man came and took him 31 away. The old man took him to the mountains and put him to work. S32 The whistling sound of fireworks interrupted the waltz that played in the N33

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01 plaza. The kid sprang up and stood atop his bunk. He could see through the 02 bars of the cell window the tail end of the skyward firework, then it exploded 03 and brightened the night sky. 04 “Hot damn,” he said. “Hot damn.” 05 Another one launched and exploded. 06 “Damn. I was sure looking forward to this here celebration. I sure was.” 07 “I told you to shut up before I come in there and shut you up for good,” the 08 jailer said. “Shut your mouth.” 09 The kid laughed. 10 “Like to see you try. Like to see you try. I no more than get to town here 11 yesterday, and what happens? You lock me up and for no reason. No reason 12 at all. Two big’ens like you and your soldier-­ ​­blue buddy slapping me around. 13 You should be ashamed. ‘Sides, I was leaving tomorrow. I got to be someplace 14 soon. I told you that. Didn’t I? I have someplace to be, ya see?” 15 More fireworks lit up the sky, one after another after another. A large 16 pinwheel was lit, spewing sparks that cast a bright glow on the kid’s boyish 17 face. He beamed like a child, watching in awe. 18 “You oughta see this. Boy, oh, boy.” 19 He watched, wishing he was part of the fireworks and festivities taking 20 place on the town’s plaza. The band ended the slow waltz and started up with 21 a lively tune that brought hoots and hollers from the crowd. 22 “I should be out there among ’em. Not in here, out there. How about let- 23 ting me out? I should be out there.” 24 “I told you to shut your mouth.” 25 “I should.” 26 He watched for a minute, then said, “Lands alive, food smells good out 27 there. Don’t it? I’m hungry as a bear. If you won’t let me out, why don’t you 28 go out? You should go out, dance and have some fun. Get something to eat 29 and bring me back something, too. No reason to sit in here with lil’ ol’ 30 me. Hell, what am I gonna do? Nothing. That is damn sure plain to see. 31 Nothing.” 32S The jailer was fuming but didn’t glance up from the newspaper he was 33N reading as the kid continued.

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“You know as well as me that it doesn’t make good sense, me being in here 01 and all. Hell, I was doing nothing. I was minding my own business yester- 02 day. I was passing through. I’m heading up north. I got business up north. 03 Important business.” 04 The jailer continued to ignore the kid, who’d been talking nonstop since he 05 got locked up. 06 “I could have danced right off, ya know. I should have, but I didn’t. 07 Know why?” 08 The jailer spoke without looking up from the newspaper. 09 “’Cause you was riding the dead man’s horse?” 10 “I won that horse fair and square. Wasn’t my fault that drunk put his 11 pony on the table ’cause he had no money.” 12 The jailer lowered his newspaper. Then tipped back in his chair so he 13 could see the kid eye to eye but said nothing as he stared at him. 14 “I won that pony, even got a bill of sale.” 15 He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, jumped down from the bunk, 16 and moved to the bars. He held out the paper, waving it at the jailer. 17 “Take a look-­ see,​­ why don’t you? I tried to show you and that other brass-­ ​ 18 ­buttoned bastard this, but you wouldn’t look at it. I didn’t do nothing wrong. 19 Nothing at all. Here, take a look. I didn’t have nothing to do with shooting 20 that fella. Got this telegram, too.” He removed a telegram from his pocket. 21 “Requesting I come as soon as possible.” 22 “Shut up, kid.” 23 “I didn’t. I was nowhere near that cantina where he got shot. I mean, 24 yeah, I had been there earlier, like I said, when I won the pony, but was 25 nowhere near there when it happened.” 26 “Save that crap for the judge.” 27 “You don’t know ­nothing . . . You’re a dumb shit is all.” 28 “What’d you say, boy?” 29 “You heard me.” 30 “Don’t you push me, boy. I’ve had enough of your yapping.” 31 “Or what? What you gonna do?” S32 The jailer stared at the kid. And the kid could tell he was getting to him. N33

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01 The kid smiled. 02 “You’re just one of those dumb-­ ​­shit soldier boys. One of those that follow 03 orders ’cause you can’t think for yourself. I should have just danced, just 04 danced right off.” 05 “Keep it up and I will come in there and dance your ass around till you 06 quit breathing, save the court money.” 07 “Fuck you, dumb shit.” 08 The jailer slammed down his newspaper. He lifted out of his chair, 09 snatched the keys from the desk, and marched to the cell. 10 The kid moved away from the bars as the jailer fumbled with the keys, 11 trying to unlock the cell. 12 “No need to get all worked up,” the kid said. 13 The kid was small, not tall at all and one hundred thirty pounds soaking 14 wet. He backed away as the cell door opened and the burly jailer charged him. 15 He slapped the kid so hard blood flew from the kid’s mouth and splattered on 16 the wall. He hit him a second time, sending another stream of blood flying 17 in the opposite direction. The next strike came from the kid. It was swift and 18 to the jailer’s throat, and it was the sharp spoon handle that buried into the 19 man’s neck. The jailer felt his neck where blood was flowing. He reached for 20 the kid, but the kid was swift and moved out of his grasp. Then the kid 21 kicked the jailer hard in the groin and stabbed him again, another blow to 22 the jailer’s neck. The jailer stumbled, hurt and bleeding. He dropped on the 23 bunk and the kid stabbed him again and again. Then the kid held up the 24 stabbing tool. He showed the spoon knife to the jailer. The jailer was now 25 weak, and blood flowed from the many wounds to his neck. 26 “This here spoon was from that lousy plum pudding your asshole buddy 27 gave me yesterday. That was all I had to eat. You realize that?” 28 The jailer stared at the kid and blood poured out of his neck and bloomed 29 out across the front of his shirt. 30 “You dumb fuck,” the kid said. “You and him didn’t have smarts enough 31 to make sure you got the pudding spoon back, did you? I was up all night 32S working on this. While you and that Yankee friend of yours were playing 33N checkers with each other like little children. Telling each other lie after lie.

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About how you did this or how he did that, I was working on this. I told 01 you I had business to attend to, didn’t I? Didn’t I? Now look at you. All 02 you had to do was go out like I said and have some fun, bring me something 03 to eat, and this might not have happened. But it’s happened now, ain’t it? 04 Ain’t it?” 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 S32 N33

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9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd 4 12/21/18 10:45 AM 9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd 5 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 02 03 04 05 2 06 kK 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 wo coyotes stood on the road, staring at us as we approached. 15 They were and bleached white by long days of harsh sun. It’d 16 Tbeen hot and ­bone-​­dry all summer. And like most critters enduring 17 the continuing drought, the coyotes were suffering. They were skinny, 18 parched, and ­hungry-​­looking. When we got closer, they moved off 19 the road and into the short brush. The smaller of the two stopped and 20 stared at us as we passed. 21 Virgil and I were riding out of Appaloosa to pay one of two com‑ 22 peting mining camps a visit. There’d been ongoing friction between 23 the two outfits. Ever since the first day they found gold in the jagged 24 hills north of town, there’d been nothing but trouble. 25 Half of the gold discovery was on land owned by a consortium: a 26 group of Appaloosa businessmen known as the Baptiste Group. The 27 other half belonged to two Irishmen, ranchers, the McCormick brothers. 28 The McCormicks purchased the land from the Baptiste Group a 29 year prior to the discovery. The transaction turned out to be a misstep 30 that prompted Henri Baptiste to regret the sale. So much so, he hired 31 gun hands to intimidate the Irishmen. But the move only made the 32S McCormicks hire their own gunmen in case tough talk turned to 33N triggers pulled.

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The two groups had camps on opposite sides of the discovery, but 01 they had to share the same road coming or going. Virgil and I had 02 not encountered any of these men. We’d heard about them and about 03 reports of skirmishes on the road, but that was it, only reports. We 04 figured it’d be a matter of time before we had the pleasure of making 05 their acquaintance. 06 And sure enough, now, on this sweltering day in mid­ -​­August, 07 Virgil and I were riding out to get our introduction. 08 Two days previously we moved some convicted felons down to 09 Yuma. When we returned and stepped off the train in Appaloosa, 10 Deputy Book was waiting there to meet us. He let us know one of 11 McCormick’s men had been missing for three days. Book informed 12 us that the missing man was not one of the hired gunmen but rather 13 one of the miners. 14 The McCormicks, of course, suspected the Baptiste outfit and 15 threatened retaliation. 16 Virgil and I had paid a visit earlier to Baptiste’s office and the 17 hotel where he resided in Appaloosa, but we did not locate him. Nor 18 did we find any of his business partners, so we took the short ride out 19 to the mines to see what we could find out. 20 When we arrived at the Baptiste location, the foreman, Frank 21 Maxie, walked out of the office to greet us as we neared. He was a 22 grizzled old­ -​­timer Virgil and I had known for years. Frank was a re‑ 23 tired man of means who knew the gold­ -​­mining trade likely better 24 than anyone in Appaloosa. 25 Before taking a position with the Baptiste group, he’d made a 26 considerable amount of money. He’d worked for decades operating his 27 own strike in Laverne that played out a few years ago. 28 He stepped off the porch and shook his head as we came to a stop. 29 “Well, well, well, if it’s not Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. I’d ask 30 you what I did to deserve the pleasure of being visited by you mar‑ 31 shals of this here territory, but I won’t, because I know why you S32 are here.” N33

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01 “You do?” Virgil said. 02 “Not dumb,” Frank said, squinting up at Virgil. 03 “No?” Virgil said. 04 Frank smiled. 05 “Henri Baptiste here?” I said. 06 “No, too dusty out here for Henri . . .­ Now and again he comes, 07 but not much.” 08 “Know where he is?” Virgil said. 09 He shook his head. 10 “No. I’d offer you some coffee if it weren’t hotter than a well dig‑ 11 ger’s ass.” 12 “So, what can you tell us?” I said. 13 “Come down, let’s go inside.” 14 When we entered the office Frank moved around a small table 15 covered with maps and papers. He poured Virgil and me a glass of 16 water. We sat across from him as he dropped his big frame into a 17 swivel chair. 18 “I come up here to show these nincompoops how the cow ate the 19 cabbage,” he said. “I know my veins.” 20 “And?” Virgil said. 21 “And that’s it. That is the extent of my business here. I don’t know 22 a damn thing about what happened.” 23 “What did happen?” Virgil said. 24 Frank took off his hat and dropped it on the table. He leaned to‑ 25 ward the rear wall in his chair then put his big hands on top of his 26 baldhead. He grinned as he looked back and forth between Virgil 27 and me. 28 “Look, I told him, the Frenchman, not to hire no gun hands. I told 29 him. I’m not saying they had anything to do with the McCormicks 30 missing a hand. But I warned Baptiste and them other dumbasses 31 working with him to not go and get greedy.” 32S “Meaning?” I said. 33N “Meaning, let the McCormicks work their side and we work ours.

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I don’t have to tell you boys gold makes people crazy. It just does. 01 Like giving an Apache corn liquor, they can’t handle it, can’t handle 02 the rush. Don’t forget I started on the big one, in California back in 03 the day, and I know what gold does to a man’s soul. It eats it up.” 04 “How did you know about the McCormick hand that was 05 missing?” 06 “I heard about it from one of my miners. He said he was drinking 07 beer at the Rabbit Inn and he heard about it from some of the other 08 fellas. Shit happens, people talk.” 09 “What do you know about these men Baptiste hired?” I said. 10 “Very damn little.” 11 “What little do you know?” 12 “They don’t come around here, really.” 13 “But they’ve been here,” Virgil said. “You’ve met them?” 14 “Met? No. Been here? Yes. They come and go.” 15 “More than once,” I said. 16 “Yes, more than once. They make themselves known, then go.” 17 “How many are there?” 18 “For sure there are seven of them. As far as I know . . .­ Just talk 19 to Henri Baptiste. He’ll tell ­you . . . Well, maybe.” 20 “Oh, we will,” Virgil said. 21 “Like I said. I told Baptiste and the others to leave well enough 22 alone. But that’s gold for ya.” 23 “Know where these seven gun hires live?” Virgil said. 24 “No,” he said. “Appaloosa, I imagine.” 25 “Lot of good they are doing there,” I said. 26 “Fine with me,” Frank said. “We have guards here to guard. So do 27 the McCormicks. The gun hands are just chest puffers, ya know?” 28 Virgil nodded. 29 “Know the gun hands’ names?” 30 “No. Well, know one. Heard one’s name and ‘spect he’s the leader, 31 too. Bart, he was called. Looks to be the oldest. He’s a tall, skinny S32 fellow, meaner than a windblown grass fire, too. He put one of the N33

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01 others in his place with a fucking bullwhip to the back of his head. 02 No shit. Just like that. Whap!” 03 Virgil glanced at me. 04 “Victor Bartholomew?” I said. 05 Frank shook his head. 06 “Bart was all I know. That’s what they called him. Why? 07 Know him?” 08 “Skinny fucker with a bullwhip?” I said. 09 “Victor Bartholomew,” Virgil said. 10 “That’s not good,” I said. 11 Virgil moved his head from side to side real slow. 12 “No,” he said. “It ain’t.” 13 “Was there another. Looked similar to him, but bigger, taller, 14 older?” I said. 15 “No,” Frank said. 16 I glanced to Virgil. 17 “That’s good,” I said. 18 “That is,” Virgil said. 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32S 33N

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9780735218277_Robert_TX.indd 10 12/21/18 10:45 AM 01 02 03 04 3 05 kK 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 he McCormick brothers and Baptiste had offices on opposite 14 ends of the prestigious Appaloosa Avenue. The avenue was the 15 Tcentral thoroughfare of the city. It was the only road in town made of 16 cobblestone and it was lined with fancy brick buildings that stretched 17 out across three city blocks. Known before as Vandervoort Avenue. 18 But the Vandervoort name was history. Removed from all the previ‑ 19 ous places bearing the Dutch ­namesake—the​­ brick factory, the town 20 hall, the theater, and the avenue. 21 After the death of Vernon Vandervoort, all vestiges of his name 22 were no longer visible. Vandervoort, it turned out, was a criminal and 23 murderer. Less than six months ago, an altercation in the town hall 24 unfolded before a huge crowd. Vandervoort shot and killed his own 25 son and wife before Vandervoort was also shot and killed. 26 Before we paid Baptiste a visit, Virgil wanted to stop in to see Al‑ 27 lie at her dress shop on the avenue. We’d been away a few days, and 28 without my encouraging Virgil, he thought it a good idea to let her 29 know that we had returned. 30 Allie’s shop—­ Mrs.​­ French’s Fine Dresses—­ flourished​­ into a profit‑ 31 able business ever since it had opened its doors. And it was situated S32 N33

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01 in a prime location: the center of Appaloosa Avenue, directly across 02 from the town hall and the theater. 03 As we walked down the boardwalk we could see Allie through the 04 window, setting up a large poster on an easel. It was a colorful poster 05 with big block letters announcing Appaloosa Days. An upcoming 06 street fair with food, shop sales, street dancing, and music. 07 Virgil shook his head. 08 “Appaloosa Days,” he said. “Always something.” 09 “Allie and her ladies’ social pretty much put the whole thing to‑ 10 gether,” I said. 11 “Pretty much all her doing.” 12 “She’s quite the entrepreneur.” 13 “Among other things.” 14 We watched her for a bit. Once she got the poster secured, she 15 retrieved one of the dresses out of the window display. 16 “Successful,” I said. 17 Virgil nodded. 18 “That she is.” 19 “One of these days you can quit marshaling altogether, Virgil, and 20 let Allie support you.” 21 I was watching Allie but I could feel Virgil’s eyes on me. 22 “Could,” I said. “Or I suppose you could work alongside her.” 23 “Alongside her?” 24 I nodded. 25 “Sure.” 26 “Doing what exactly, Everett?” 27 “Oh, hell, I don’t know. Who knows? You might make a good 28 salesperson or hell, even a seamstress.” 29 We waited on a buckboard followed by a buggy and when the 30 buggy was past, Virgil moved on across the street without saying 31 anything. I smiled and followed. 32S Allie opened the door as we neared. 33N “There you are,” she said.

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Virgil moved ahead of me, and when he got up the few steps to 01 the shop’s entrance, Allie met him and they kissed. 02 “Welcome back,” she said. “Are you just getting here?” 03 “Got here a bit earlier, but we had to do a few things.” 04 “Before you visited me, you had to do a few things?” 05 “I’m here visiting you now, Everett too.” 06 “Well, I missed you.” 07 “We was only gone two days.” 08 “Well. So? Still, I missed you.” 09 “Missed you, too, Allie.” 10 “You did not.” 11 “I did.” 12 “Phooey.” 13 “Everett missed you, too, didn’t you, Everett?” 14 “I did.” 15 Allie smiled. 16 “You two. Y’all come in, I’m just helping someone.” Allie leaned 17 in to me. “Some someone you might want to meet, Everett.” 18 “We got some business,” Virgil said. 19 “After you already had some business? Now you already have more 20 business?” 21 “It can wait,” I said. 22 She smiled. 23 “Come, I have some lemonade, too.” 24 When we entered, a tall, slender woman was standing in front of 25 the mirror. She was holding up the gray gingham dress Allie had 26 retrieved from the window. She held the dress in front of her, looking 27 at her reflection. She turned toward us when we walked closer and 28 smiled. 29 “Martha Kathryn,” Allie said. “I’d like you to meet, Marshal Vir‑ 30 gil Cole. He’s my . . .­ my companion.” 31 Virgil removed his hat. S32 “How do you do?” N33

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01 “Fine, Marshal Cole,” she said. “A pleasure to meet you.” 02 “And this is his partner, Marshal Everett Hitch.” 03 I, too, removed my hat. 04 “Nice to meet you,” I said. 05 “A pleasure,” she said with a sweet smile. 06 “I take it you are new to Appaloosa?” I said. 07 “Well, not exactly.” 08 “She would be hard to miss,” Allie said. “I know.” 09 “I arrived here about six months ago.” 10 “Six months?” I said. 11 She nodded and I smiled at Virgil. 12 “Appaloosa has gotten way too big,” I said. 13 “It has,” he said. 14 She blushed. 15 “I have been sequestered, I have to say, though. Pretty much the 16 whole time.” 17 “Locked up?” Virgil said. 18 She laughed. 19 “No, I’ve been working in the Appaloosa Theater just across the way.” 20 Virgil smiled and nodded some. 21 “We are in and out of the jail all the time,” he said. “I’m sure we 22 would have caught wind of you being locked up.” 23 “Martha Kathryn is an actress and a singer.” Allie said. “She has 24 been practicing there for the new play.” 25 She nodded. 26 “Rehearsing.” 27 “Yes,” Allie said. “Rehearsing. And I took the opportunity to ask 28 Martha Kathryn if she would perform something for our upcoming 29 Appaloosa Days, and I’m grateful to say, she has accepted.” 30 “That’s good,” I said. “You’re with the traveling theatrical company?” 31 “Yes, that’s right. Our manager heard the theater was not in use, 32S so he rented it out to develop shows for our season on the road.” 33N “Yes, I remember reading something about that,” I said.

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“I saw her a few times on the street,” Allie said. “She caught my 01 eye, let me tell you, but she never came in until last week.” 02 She nodded. 03 “We have been doing nothing but working and sleeping and 04 working and sleeping.” 05 “But all that is about to end,” Allie said. 06 “There’s a show opening,” I said. “Right?” 07 “Tonight,” she said. 08 “I remember reading about that, too,” I said. 09 I could feel Virgil looking at me, but I didn’t look at him. 10 “It’s her opening night here in Appaloosa,” Allie said. “Isn’t it just 11 divine.” 12 “Sure is,” Virgil said. 13 “And we,” Allie said. “We will be there.” 14 “We will?” Virgil said. 15 “We will,” Allie said. “We will be dressed for the theater.” 16 “Allie you don’t need to speak for Everett?” Virgil said. “And there 17 are a few things that need some tending to.” 18 “You have something else you need to do, Virgil?” I said. 19 “He does not,” Allie said. 20 I don’t?” Virgil said. 21 “You do not,” she said. “And neither does Everett.” 22 I smiled to Martha Kathryn. 23 “We look forward to it,” I said. 24 Allie looked back and forth between Martha Kathryn and me 25 then cut her eyes to Virgil. 26 “Lemonade,” Allie said. “Let me get us some lemonade.” 27 Allie started off toward the rear of the shop. She said over her 28 shoulder as she walked, “And Virgil, you will assist me?” 29 “Anything you say, Allie.” 30 He smiled at Martha Kathryn then followed Allie. 31 Martha Kathryn turned to the mirror and held the dress up in S32 front of her again. N33

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01 “What do you think?” she said. 02 I moved behind her to look into the mirror. 03 “Don’t think that is your color.” 04 She smiled. 05 “Really?” 06 “Really.” 07 “And what would be my color, pray tell?” 08 “White, black, yellow. No, not yellow. But not that, not gray, gray 09 is not right for you.” 10 She met my eyes in the mirror and said nothing. 11 I said nothing back as I returned her look. 12 She smiled. 13 I smiled. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32S 33N

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