Love on the Line - Deeanne Gist [54]
The gun shop owner then took advantage of the wind by pulling traps Four and Five for those he wanted to eliminate, One and Two for those he wanted to advance.
But it wasn’t just Blesinger. When Necker stepped up to the score line, he would on occasion signal the puller. Rocking once back and forth meant Trap Five. Giving his right pant leg a tiny shake meant Trap Four. Blowing out a deep breath meant Trap Three.
If Duane loaded a duffer, he alerted Blesinger in some tiny way. With the last bird, Duane turned his back to partially shield it from Luke, then plucked feathers from its wing. But Luke made sure the boy knew he’d seen, then made a point of not alerting the officials. When the pigeon was released from its trap, it flew erratically, causing Heard to miss his shot.
Duane gave Luke a sideways look. Luke responded with a sly grin. The boy’s shoulders relaxed. Luke only hoped it would establish a bond of trust on which he could continue to build.
At least Bettina wasn’t cheating. But appointing her the retriever certainly made sense. A boy with experience in shooting might have picked up on what was happening. Then again, maybe not.
Had Luke not been looking for Comer’s gang so intently, had he not had the clear vantage point he did from the sidelines, had Duane not let it slip about the duffers, he might not have caught it, either.
Putting his disgust and anger aside, he continued to ingratiate himself with Duane. The closer he moved to these men, the closer he moved to Comer.
The race came down to Necker and Faurote. Tied for the lead, with only two birds to go, Faurote approached the shooting box.
An extremely well-dressed and vocal supporter of Faurote’s cupped his hands around his mouth. “I bet one thousand dollars Faurote takes the championship. What Necker fan has the gumption to match me?”
Whirling around, Faurote gaped at the man.
Silence descended. Keeping his gun hand free, Sheriff Nussbaum headed toward the gambler.
Luke shifted his focus to Blesinger. But the gun store owner looked as shocked as the rest.
“Can we have a recess, ref?” A member of the Brenham Hook & Ladder squad pushed toward the edge of the stands. “The lunch shed’s done shut down and I’m feeling a powerful hunger comin’ on.”
The referee hesitated, then turned to Faurote. “Do you have any objection?”
Faurote shook his head.
One by one, the official gained permission from each contestant. But the fireman didn’t wait for an answer. Jumping off the side of the stands, he began to gather the men of Washington County together.
“Thirty-minute recess!” the referee announced.
Pandemonium erupted from the crowd.
“Who was that?” Luke asked Duane.
“Ed Abney. He lives over on Quitman Street.”
“No, I mean the man who made the bet.”
Duane put his hands on his waist and arched his back, stretching. “I dunno. Never seen him round here before.”
Luke settled onto an empty crate. “You think Abney can get one thousand together in half an hour?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Ever’body loves Necker. And with the way he’s shooting today, it’d be a pretty sure thing.”
The two exchanged knowing looks.
“You betting?” Luke asked.
Duane smiled. “Why, that’d be cheating. Ever’body knows the trapper cain’t be makin’ any bets.”
Luke returned his smile. “I reckon not. It’s sure a lot of money, though.”
“More’n I ever seed at once.”
A circle of folks surrounded the sheriff and the man who’d made the challenge. Luke wondered if he was a plant. But that didn’t make sense. If Necker was planning to win by fair means or foul, he wouldn’t bet against himself.
On the other hand, if Comer had instigated the wager and the town of Brenham matched it, then one thousand dollars would be here for the taking.
Luke checked his pocket watch. He