III - Night Belongs to the Dead
Shortly before dark, Renata’s daughter, Patricia Montaño, traveled to the Thornton-Curry Saloon with the makings of chili verde, including fresh New Mexican peppers that she and her brothers had gathered earlier that afternoon. Soon, the barroom was filled with the inviting scent of cooking food. Thornton, keeping her station at the bar, readily served all who sought shelter there for the evening.
Ranger Bryan Lee, Jacinta Castillo, Albert Cooper, Reverend Earnest Allgood, and Tamsin River had all found their way to the Thornton-Curry and gathered at a larger table on the right side of the room. The mustanger, Aileen Kearney, was also in attendance at the saloon, along with Deputy Lena Bauer and the schoolmistress, Valentina Perez. Ava Winter had taken her leave of the gathering, venturing down to the Montaño Store to pass the night with Renata Montaño and her family.
An older man sat a table near the entrance to the saloon, playing soft tunes on a fiddle. Outside, the street had cleared, the windows of most of the businesses dark. Aside from the Thornton-Curry, only Wilson’s Saloon, the Patron House, and the lower floor of the courthouse, showed any signs of occupation. Most residents had made their way to the safety of their homes.
Cloud cover overhead kept the town in deep darkness. If Kansas Kate, the elusive outlaw, had any intent of joining the gathering, she had not yet appeared.