Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{Longarm followed Aggie to the door and past Parson into the next room. His eyesight had returned well enough by now that he could see the guard. Parson had a face that was bum-scarred and twisted. The effect gave him an evil look, although that accidental appearance didn’t necessarily have a thing to do with the way he really was. He might really be a pussycat. Still, such an intimidating look must have been quite an advantage to him in his present line of work.}

_{Beyond the doorway the ceiling was higher. In fact, the room where they now stood was relatively normal, bordering on being quite nice. There were Oriental rugs on the floor, lamps in sconces on the walls, and furniture that was a trifle shabby now but which had once been quite grand.}

_{Mostly, though, the room was dominated by a bloated old woman who seemed to be all fat and face powder. She was dressed in a fluffy pink lace wrap that enveloped her from her ears to the floor and beyond. She looked like she was floating in a pink cloud, with only her heavily powdered face exposed. Even her hands were lost somewhere inside the gown. Her hair was wispy and white. Longarm couldn’t decide what her age might be. Old enough to call Methuselah sonny, perhaps.}

_{“So nice to see you, dearie,” she said to Aggie. Then she transferred her attention to the tall deputy who stood beside the lawyer. She nodded. “Nice to see you again, Longarm.”}

_Ill

_{“Have we met?”}

_{“Not formally.”}

_{“You have the advantage of me, madam.” He smiled and brought his heels smartly together, bowing slightly from the waist as he did so.}

_{“Always the gentleman, aren’t you. I would refresh your memory, love, but I don’t recall what name I might have been carrying at the time. It was in Tucson, I think. Or was it El Paso? No matter. We were not at cross-purposes. And I do remember that I liked you.”}

_{Longarm was damned well positive he had never laid eyes on the old harridan before this moment. He damn sure would’ve remembered her if he had.}

_{On the other hand, it wasn’t at all impossible that she might have seen him. He could’ve been pointed out to her. People who spent their lives on the shady side of things, as he assumed this woman surely did, tended to pay close attention to the lawmen who might someday come after them.}

_{“What can I do for you two children?” the old broad asked.}

_{Longarm left it for Aggie to answer, as this visit was her idea and she was the one who knew the woman. Longarm still hadn’t heard a name attached to her.}