Dragons Teeth Crichton 2017 (WWT)

For his part, Black Dick claimed to have spent all afternoon in the Melodeon Saloon, and to be
innocent of any knowledge of what might have happened to Texas Tom.
And there the matter might have ended, had not Sam Perkins decided to stop by Johnson’s table and
ask, during dinner, about the hotel portrait.
“Did you make it today?” Perkins asked.
“I did.”
“And how did it turn out?”
“Very nicely,” Johnson said. “I will have a print for you tomorrow.”
“What time’d you take it?” Perkins asked.
“Must have been about three o’clock in the afternoon.”
“Aren’t there shadows then? I’d hate the place to look all depressing, with shadows.”
“There were some shadows,” Johnson said, but he explained that shadows made a picture look
better, giving it more depth and character.
It was then that Johnson noticed that Black Dick was listening to their conversation with interest.
“Where’d you take the picture from?” Perkins asked.
“Across the street.”
“Where, over by Donohue’s store?”
“No, farther south, by Kim Sing’s.”
“What’re you fellers yammering on about?” Black Dick asked.
“Foggy took a portrait picture of the hotel today.”
“Did he.” The voice went cold. “When was that?”
Johnson instantly felt danger in the situation, but Perkins was oblivious to it. “What’d you just say,
Foggy, ’bout three o’clock?”
“Something about there,” Johnson said.
Dick cocked his head; he fixed Johnson with a watchful eye. “Foggy, I warned you once about
photographin’ when I was around.”
“But you weren’t around, Dick,” Perkins said. “Remember, you told Judge Harlan that you were at
the saloon all afternoon.”
“I know what I told Judge Harlan,” Dick growled. He turned slowly to Johnson. “Where’d you take
the picture from, Foggy?”
“Across the street.”
“Turn out good?”
“No, as a matter of fact it didn’t turn out at all. I’m going to have to take it again tomorrow.” He
kicked Perkins under the table as he said it.
“I thought your pictures always turned out.”
“Not always.”
“Where’s the picture you did today?”
“I scrubbed the glass plate. It wasn’t any good.”
Dick nodded. “All right, then.” And he turned back to his meal.
“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Perkins asked later.
“Yep,” Johnson said.
“Texas Tom had a room right at the front of the hotel, facing out on the street. Middle of the
afternoon, sunlight would shine right in. Did you look real close at your picture?”