“Yeah; all right,” agreed Hashknife. “What time?”
“About two o’clock in the afternoon.”
Merrick’s white teeth flashed in a smile beneath his pointed black moustache as he glanced toward the house, where Laura was standing, looking out toward them.
“Rather a pleasant place to stay, Hartley,” he said meaningly.
Hashknife did not reply to this, but his gray eyes suddenly seemed to change colour and became very hard. Merrick shifted his gaze and lifted his reins.
“Well, we’ll be amblin’ on,” he said. “See yuh tomorrow.”
Neither Merrick nor Collins said anything until they were well out of earshot, when Collins glanced back and said:
“Don’t fool with that jigger, Ed. Holee Saints, didja see his eyes? Didja? It went to forty below right then!”
Merrick nodded grimly.
“I guess that detective wasn’t far off when he said that Hartley wasn’t all smiles.”