Page 12 of Dead Man's Hand

He knew she was busy playing her part. She was a pro. Meanwhile, he’d been playing poker in penny-ante games around town, looking for a front for the game. He finally found Bob Martin, a small-time poker player with friends with deep enough pockets. It just couldn’t be obvious that DJ was behind the game or that he needed players who had money to lose.

DJ told Bob that he knew of a woman with money to burn who liked to play poker but wasn’t very good, and the game was set for Friday night. Bob said he even had the perfect place, a local poker spot in the back room of a Chinese restaurant in the older part of town. DJ called Titus with the time and place.

Then he called Sadie.

BUCKWASONthe outskirts of Butte when he got the call. Up here, the snow was deeper, the day darker, as the sun would soon be disappearing behind the mountains that closed in the city.

“It was the Diamond Deluxe Ranch,” Tommy Colt said. “It was owned by a man named Charley Diamond. Word is, it was an enclave for outlaws. Diamond lost it about fifteen years ago to back taxes.”

“Charley Diamond? Why does that name sound familiar?” Buck asked. Tommy had no idea. “Think I’ll see if Willie might recognize it. Anything on Darrow Grandville?”

“Dead. Killed in a bar fight twenty-four years ago.”

Buck took the news like a blow. Ansley’s twin would have been five years old. What had happened to him? “Tell me how to find the ranch.”

“It’s now part of a larger working ranch, so the place is probably not occupied.” He gave him directions.

“Thanks.” He disconnected and called Sheriff Willie Colt. “Charley Diamond,” he said without preamble when Willie answered. “Ring a bell?”

“Charley Diamond? Nope, but if it’s important I could ask around.”

“If you wouldn’t mind. He used to own a ranch up here outside of Butte. A place for outlaws to hide out apparently. Darrow Grandville might have been one of them. Grandville hooked up with a friend of Judy Ramsey’s named Sheila. That’s all I have on her. But she might have gotten Ansley’s twin. Problem is, a year later, after hooking up with Grandville, she didn’t have the kid anymore.”

“I’ll see what I can find out. Where are you?”

“On my way to visit the Grandvilles.”

“Really bad idea from what I’ve heard about the family,” Willie said, and disconnected.

Buck wasn’t surprised that he had to push his way in to see Titus Grandville in his penthouse-floor office.

“I’m sorry, but if you don’t have an appointment—”

He walked past the receptionist down the hallway. The views through the windows he passed were of historic Butte with its old mining rigs as well as decaying remnants of elaborate brickwork buildings from a time when it had been the largest city west of Chicago.

Titus Grandville was on his feet by the time Buck walked into his office. “I’ve already called security.”

“I just need to ask you a couple of quick questions.” He held out his hand as he approached the man. “Buck Crawford. I’m with Colt Brothers Investigation in Lonesome.”

Titus raised a brow, but made no move to shake hands. “Private dick?”

Buck dropped his hand. “I prefer PI. I need to ask you about Darrow Grandville.”

“I don’t know anyone by that name. Had you called, I could have saved you the trip. Now if that’s all.”

“Darrow is your cousin. He was arrested in Butte about twenty-odd years ago and might have been staying out on the Diamond Deluxe.”

“Before my time,” Titus said.

“He might have had a woman with him. Sheila? And a little boy somewhere around one or two at the time.”

Grandville was shaking his head. “I told you—”

“You don’t remember, right. Well, I’m looking for the boy. He would be twenty-nine now.”

“Why are you looking for him anyway?”

“Client confidentiality.”

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