Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{Parson added a wink to his grin when he leaned forward to collect that promised refill. Longarm didn’t believe for a minute, though, that the fellow had been lying. Not a bit of it, by damn.}

_{Chapter 31}

_{The information provided by Snowshoe’s lady crime boss proved to be mundane stuff. Not that Longarm was complaining. If it hadn’t been for that, Parson would not have been approaching the cabin when he had and the arsonists might have gotten lucky. Longarm didn’t particularly want to believe that they would have. But he conceded the possibility, and was grateful to Parson for the way things had turned out.}

_{The message sent by Sally said that the old woman had been able to determine who was guarding the captive Utes— there were four names, none of which meant anything to Longarm—but not where the Indians had been taken. Yet. Three of the four guards were regular customers of Sally’s enterprises. She expected to learn more about the Indians as soon as any one of the guards came in for a little off-duty relaxation.}

_{Longarm thanked Parson for the information, and asked him to carry the thanks back to the fat woman as well.}

_{“Glad to do that for you, Mr. Long. Oops. I remember. You don’t have t’ tell me again.” He smiled and corrected himself, as Longarm had begun to pester him to do. “Not mister, just Longarm ’twixt friends, right?”}

_{“Right,” Longarm said.}

_{Parson chuckled and scratched behind his right ear. “Damned if I ever thought I’d have a deputy Ewe Ess marshal for a friend, though.”}

_{“Some of us are close t’ being human.”}

_{Parson laughed and stood, reaching for his hat.}

_{“One more drink before you go back?” Longarm offered. After all, it was Aggie’s liquor he was giving away, so why not pour with a liberal hand.}

_{“Thanks, Longarm, but I’d best get along. I got things to do. People to see.” He winked. “Even if they don’t know it at the time.”}

_{As a lawman who in theory was supposed to be about as interested in ethics and morality as in the strict letter of the law, Longarm supposed he should have been shocked or outraged or something. After all, this man in front of him was an admitted sneak and eavesdropper and window- peeper. And damned handy with a knife as well. No telling what other criminal qualities went along with those things. Longarm’s practical side, though, made him think mostly that Sally had a valuable employee in his new friend Parson. And a likable one.}

_{Longarm saw Parson to the door.}