Chapter 38: Arthur’s Shock
Helton Inn.
Sunlight spilled across Arthur’s face, and he turned over with a groan.
A moment later, his eyes snapped open.
Fragments of yesterday flickered through his foggy mind.
But as he looked around, he realized he was in a surprisingly upscale room.
Where... was he?
His head throbbed. The last thing he remembered was being arrested by the police and taken to the station.
So why wasn’t he in a jail cell?
“Hey, Mac, Lenny—wake up.”
Seeing Lenny and Mac beside him, Arthur let out a breath of relief. At least everyone was still there.
He vaguely remembered Davey leaving after just a couple of drinks.
“Oh, Arthur, what are you doing? Can’t a man get some damn sleep?” Mac mumbled, sitting up slowly.
Lenny stirred awake as well.
“Mac, Lenny—how the hell did we end up here? Last I remember, we got hauled off to the station,” Arthur said.
Lenny nodded. “Yeah, Arthur. Last night you and Mac started a fight, and the guy you beat up reported it. The cops showed up and took us in.”
“But then this deputy showed up—he didn’t lock us up. Instead, he arrested the guy who filed the report.”
“In the end, the officers carried you two here and dropped us off at this inn.”
Arthur frowned. “Lenny, what the hell are you talking about? You still drunk? Since when do the police deliver us to a damn inn?”
Lenny gave a helpless shrug. “I know how it sounds, Arthur, but it’s true. I don’t know why that deputy helped us, but he did.”
Even with Lenny’s insistence, Arthur still found it hard to believe.
“That... that makes no sense. They didn’t throw us in jail, but they locked up the guy who reported us?”
Arthur felt like his entire understanding of the world had just been turned upside down.
Mac, who had been trying to go back to sleep, finally gave up and muttered,
“What’s the big deal? Davey’s working with the police now. Every officer in that station’s his friend.”
“For Davey’s sake, as long as you don’t kill anyone in Valentine—hell, maybe even if you do—they won’t throw you in jail.”
Lenny blinked, realization dawning. “No wonder... Yesterday, they kept saying ‘Mr. Callander.’ That must’ve been Davey.”
Arthur rubbed his temples. “What the hell’s going on, Mac? What’s Davey been up to?”
Mac hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should tell Arthur.
But then he remembered—Davey had agreed to go with Arthur to Strawberry Town to rescue that rat. Telling him wouldn’t hurt.
“Arthur, you know how Davey feels about Dutch. He thinks sticking with him won’t end well.”
“Davey’s been trying to start his own business here in Valentine.”
“He’s already found a moonshiner and set up a distillery. He’s getting into the moonshine trade.”
“I don’t know all the details, but somehow, he’s working with the police. Sheriff Malloy’s his friend now.”
“Oh, and he wiped out the O’Driscoll Gang’s base here in Valentine.”
“The other night, Davey invited the entire police department to dinner at the fancy Wells Restaurant. After that, he was friends with every single officer.”
“Basically, Davey’s a big shot in Valentine now.”
“Oh, and John knows about it too—he was with us when it all went down.”
Arthur was stunned. Then a thought hit him.
“So that fake medicine seller Davey had me arrest—the one I locked up in Limpany?”
Mac nodded. “Yeah. That guy, Benedict. He’s the one brewing moonshine for Davey now.”
“It’s not ready yet, though. Davey says he wants to make the best damn moonshine in the state.”
Arthur sat there, speechless.
Lenny’s jaw hung open the entire time, unable to process what he was hearing.
“Oh, my God... how long has it even been? Davey’s already become a big name in Valentine? But wasn’t there a bounty on him?”
“Why would the police even work with him?” Arthur asked, still in disbelief.
Mac spread his hands. “Davey went to the post office, paid off a huge sum, and got the bounty hunters’ guild to lift the warrant.”
“He said the West Elizabeth bounty doesn’t carry over into New Hanover. As long as no one points him out, he’s fine.”
“Even if someone does, the Valentine cops would probably just arrest the snitch.”
Arthur frowned. “And what about the Pinkerton Detective Agency? Aren’t they still after him?”
Mac shrugged. “Beats me. But Davey told me not to worry about the Pinkertons. Maybe he’s already figured out a way to deal with them.”
“Either way, we haven’t seen a single Pinkerton around Valentine. Nobody’s bothered us.”
Arthur sat in silence for a long while, unable to take it all in.
They’d only been at Horseshoe Overlook for a few weeks—barely a month—and somehow Davey had transformed completely.
It seemed that the life of freedom every gang member dreamed of, the one they all chased after for years, had somehow become real for Davey—just like that.
Arthur could hardly believe it.
Author's Note
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