excerpt
Lawrence watched Torgerson leave and rested his hand of cards
face down. “Always on the go, isn’t he?” he said. “I wonder if he
spends any time at home.”
“He doesn’t seem to think there’s much there for him,” Pearson
said.
“Looks to me like there is. Wife like that. How about kids?”
“No kids. They’ve tried. No kids.”
Torgerson pulled up at the station as the engine of the 9:15 from
Seattle expelled a cloud of steam and the conductor reached up to
steady a passenger’s descent to the platform. He walked toward a
man in a three-piece suit.
“Mr. Brown? I’m Mayor Torgerson.”
“A pleasure, mayor. I don’t want to rush you, sir, but this stop is
only 15 minutes. Let’s have a cup of coffee.”
In the depot’s little restaurant, Brown gazed out the window at
the train for a moment as Torgerson ended his pitch.
“Mr. Brown, I need you to testify before the city council that the
railroad wants those people out of our town.”
Brown cleared his throat and smiled.
“As the railroad’s legal officer, I can tell your council what I’ll
tell you. Our authority does not extend beyond the right of way,
the roundhouse and the rail yard. Company policy is to prevent
hobos from riding trains and trespassing on railroad property. I’ll
be happy to tell them that.”
“Well, sir,” Torgerson said, “I was hoping you would promise to
crack down on this threat to the safety of our community.”
The conductor’s “all aboard” rang along the platform. Brown
slid out of the booth.
“The company will cooperate with the city to the extent of our
authority. I’ll speak to your council. If you want a crackdown, I
suggest that you look to your police department. Now, if you’ll
excuse me, that train is taking me to Spokane.”
Libros Libertad 