One Good Deed(79)

Archer helped him off with his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeve.

“Jackie, get me a towel. Do you have any bandages? And I’ll need some hot water and soap. And some liquor. And some hydrogen peroxide if you got it.”

Jackie rushed out of the room and returned with all of the items, including a bottle of brandy. Archer used his belt as a tourniquet above the wound, stanching the flow of blood.

“Give him the liquor,” said Archer.

Jackie helped Shaw to drink it straight from the bottle.

Archer cleaned and bandaged the wound.

“We got to get you to the hospital,” said Archer, helping the other man up. Shaw, gray faced, merely nodded.

“Jackie, get dressed and grab a few things. I’m taking you some place safe.”

She looked over at the dead man and the unconscious man and didn’t argue.

Shaw said slowly, “Got cuffs in my jacket pocket. You cuff that SOB over there so he can’t get away.”

Archer did as he was told, and when he turned the man over, he saw that it was Malcolm Draper. The man had finally turned up. He cuffed his hands behind his back and said to Jackie, who was getting dressed in her closet, “Throw me a belt.”

She did so, and he hog-tied the man’s legs with the belt, intersecting it through the handcuffs.

Archer drove the Buick straight to the hospital, which was a block over from the Derby. While the doctor attended Shaw, the detective had Archer call the police station and tell them what had happened at Jackie’s. Deputies were sent over to secure the area and arrest Draper.

As Shaw lay on the gurney he stared up at Archer. “You saved my damn life, Archer.”

“Just glad I was there. And you saved Jackie’s life. Dickie woulda killed her for sure if you hadn’t winged him. And you saved me, too, when you think about it. Not sure I could’ve got the upper hand with him if he hadn’t been wounded. You rest easy now. I’ll be back.”

He left with Jackie and drove her over to Ernestine’s, where he rapped hard on the door.

When a sleepy Ernestine opened the door, she looked confused when she saw Archer. But when she spied Jackie standing there, her features froze.

“Ernestine Crabtree, Jackie Tuttle,” said Archer by way of introduction.

The women, Archer thought, looked like two prizefighters about to do business in the ring.

“Miss Tuttle,” said Ernestine.

“Miss Crabtree,” said Jackie.

He succinctly explained what had happened and what he wanted Ernestine to do with Jackie.

Ernestine’s face had paled as Archer had described the horror at Jackie’s home. He thought she might actually faint. His hand shot out and steadied her.

“Steady there,” he said. “You okay?”

She composed herself and said, “I’m all right. My goodness. You poor thing,” she said to Jackie, gently draping her arm around the other woman’s shoulders.

“And Ernestine, you got your gun handy?” asked Archer.

“Yes.”

“Keep it that way.”

Jackie gripped Archer by the arm as he was about to leave.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Just glad you’re still with us, Jackie. And if it weren’t for you, I’d be dead.”

He hustled back to the Buick. As he started the car, he looked back to see the women turn and head into the house. Ernestine’s arm was still around Jackie and the other woman was leaning into her for support. Then the door closed.

Well, thought Archer, that had gone better than he could have imagined.

However, as he thought about it some more, he began to grow worried. The women separately had gotten to know Archer fairly well. And he had slept with Jackie. If the two started comparing notes on him?

He let out a sigh. Well, there’s nothing perfect about life. But at least I still got a life after tonight.

He drove off.

Shaw was sitting up and looking much better when Archer returned. The lawman had been placed in a private room and had bags of blood flowing into him.

“Deputies have been by. They got Draper. And they picked up Dill’s body.”

“Good,” said Archer, sitting next to the man. “But you just rest easy now.”

“Why do you think they went after Jackie Tuttle?”

“She knew Hank Pittleman as well as anyone did,” said Archer. “They were afraid he told her something, I suspect. Like you said, tying up loose ends. That’s what made me think to go over there in the first place. She asked me to stay with her last night for that very reason.”

“Soon as I get outta this bed, I’m gonna ask Marjorie Pittleman point-blank what the hell is going on.”

“Like to be with you when you do.”

“Don’t worry, you will. You earned that right tonight, son.”

“And I think I’m retiring from the slaughterhouse business,” said Archer.

“Good call,” replied Shaw, looking drowsy.

Noting this, Archer said, “Now you need to get some sleep. And so do I.”

Archer tipped his hat over his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

“What, you mean you’re gonna sleep here?”

“’Course. Want to be around in case somebody wants to try to come after you to finish the job. Don’t worry, I’m a light sleeper.”