Buchanan Says No Read Online Free Page A

some animal oversensitive to danger, Mike Sandoe got awa y from the door and flattened himself against the wall. Buchanan eyed him curiously.
    "W h at do you want to see him about?" the woman
    “ Its a little money matter, ma'am," Buchanan said, embarrassed. "I'm owed some wages, is all." That brought o n another powwow inside the room, and then the door was opened to reveal the face of Ruby Weston. Buchanan smiled.
    "Wages for what?" she asked, her manner hard and brusque to cover the start this unkempt, unshaven char acter had just handed her, At the sound of her voice Sandoe moved back into view, startling her anew. She took a backward step and would have closed the door against them except that a man of Buchanan's own dimen sions eased her aside and filled the doorway.
    "You Boyd Weston?" Buchanan asked.
    "No," Frank Power said without hesitation "I'm not ,”
    "Then we're sorry to have troubled you,"
    "Yo u probably will be," Power told him. "How did you get this far?"
    "Oh," Buchanan said. "You're Frank Power."
    "I'm Power. Were you two responsible for the gunplay I heard in the street?"
    "I guess. The kid here did a little damage to one of your alley-jumpers."
    Power looked at Sandoe then, appraisingly.
    "That good, are you?"
    "Passing fair," Sandoe said. "Town life just took your man's edge off, that's all"
    Power seemed to like that, for he was smiling when he spoke to Buchanan again.
    "Why all the interest in Boyd Weston?"
    "Money, like I told the lady. Where would I find the man?"
    "Boyd's across the street," Power said, "but he's very busy. What do you figure he owes you?"
    "Four hundred dollars apiece," Buchanan answered.
    "For what?"
    "For services rendered."
    "On the trail?"
    Buchanan's eyes narrowed at the knowingness of the question.
    "For services rendered," he repeated.
    "Boyd's good for it," Power said, "but the bank is closed. How much do you need to tide you over for the night?"
    "You're taking quite an interest in our business, aren't you?"
    For a moment Power's square jaw jutted forward and he seemed about to pick up the gauntlet. Then, from behind, Ruby's hand gripped his arm and his body relaxed.
    "Boyd's a friend of mine," he said. "I wouldn't want to see him dunned in a public place." He produced a handsome leather billfold and took four gold certificates from it. "Here's forty dollars, friend," he said. "I'm running close to the line myself tonight."
    “ And who do we see for the rest?" Buchanan asked. “You or Boyd Weston?"
    “I d o n ’ t owe you anything ,” Power said. "Now or at a ny time ."
    Buchan an turned to Sandoe, found him staring past Power a t Ruby Weston.
    "Wh a t do you say, Mike?"
    "What?" the gunfighter asked, pulling his eyes away with an effort.
    “ We got an offer of twenty now and the rest tomorrow. O r we can go across the street and see Boyd Weston for al l of it."
    "Whatever you say, Buchanan."
    "We ’ ll take this ,” Buchanan told Power. "And thanks, seei ng as how you're doing it for a friend."
    "In Bella ,” Power said, "I'm a good friend to have."
    The remark brought a thoughtful expression to Bu chanan’ s mobile face, the threat of it dimming the good- natured ness that was nearly always lurking there. When that was gone he looked like a half-fed panther. He turned away from the door and began retracing his steps to the Fairway. Mike Sandoe followed after a moment.
    Bac k on Signal Street again, all was reasonably quiet. there was no sign of the bodyguards or even a suggestion at the recent incident.
    "Here's yours ,” Buchanan said, handing Sandoe two of th e ten-dollar notes.
    "Yeah," Sandoe said, jamming them in his pocket, his tho ughts on something else. "Say, what do you think was the setup upstairs?"
    "You heard the man," Buchanan said, moving south a long the street. "Her husband's a friend of his."
    "Damn! I wish he was a friend of mine."
    'On that ticket," Buchanan said dryly, "Boyd Weston could get elected mayor. Well, I'm ducking in here,