Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{“You can’t do that. Hell, it’s only your word against mine.” John glanced at Aggie for the first time. “Tell him, Miss Agnes.”}

_{“I’m sorry, John, but a deputy United States marshal has a duty to arrest you if he believes you are obstructing an investigation. You will have the right to argue your case before a judge, of course. And to apply for bonded release or a writ of habeas corpus. Just like any other citizen.” She hesitated only a fraction of a second, then couldn’t help adding, “Any citizen, John. White or red.”}

_{“But I haven’t—”}

_{“Tell me what I want to know or tell your problems to a judge,” Longarm said coldly.}

_{“Judge Wilkins is out of town,” John complained. “No one knows when he’ll be back.”}

_{“Wouldn’t matter nohow,” Longarm assured him. “D’you insist on going crossways with me, bub, it’s a federal court you’ll come before, not some local yahoo. Think about that a minute, John. Then you work it out what you want t’ do.”}

_{John’s eyes squeezed shut. The expression seemed one of fear and frustration rather than thought.}

_{And Longarm was quite frankly amazed.}

_{The clerk’s decision had been reached even before Longarm’s questions were posed.}

_{“I don’t know where none of them fellows are, Marshal. You can do whatever you want, but I won’t say a word different from that. I don’t know and I can’t tell you.” “You are a poor liar,” Longarm accused.}

_{“You can’t prove that.”}

_{“You surprise me, John. You really do.”}

_{John stiffened but didn’t say a damn thing.}

_{Longarm turned him around and slapped handcuffs on his wrists. Even with steel on him, though, the man didn’t relent. He’d gotten his orders, obviously, and he was carrying through with what he’d been told.}

_{It took a powerful persuasion to do that, Longarm knew. More powerful than a simple thing like the release of some Ute Indians should justify, dammit.}

_{“D’you think you’re protecting this community from a massacre, John? Is that it?”}

_{The clerk didn’t answer.}