Page 228 of Rangers Last Promise

“Was there a bell?” I ask.

Wolf frowns. “What?”

“Did the door at Last Stand ring when it opened?”

“Brass bell above the frame.”

Twice.

“The bell always sounds twice,” Wolf says.

“He made the call from the tavern,” I say.

Doc looks toward the windows again.

“He wanted us to know he could get close.”

“No,” Hampton says from the hallway.

We all turn.

He stands behind the bars, watching us.

“He wanted you looking in the wrong direction.”

Doc walks toward him.

“What does that mean?”

Hampton grips the bars.

“Vance doesn’t sit in public places unless he wants to be seen.”

“You said you’ve been hunting him for fifteen years.”

“I have.”

“Then how do you know where he sits?”

“Because I found him once.”

Silence falls over the station.

“When?” Doc asks.

“Six years ago.”

“Where?”

“Dallas.”

“What happened?”

“He saw me first.”

“That’s becoming a habit.”

Hampton ignores the insult.