Finding Smilin' Jack. YA A Western Detective Story. (standard:mystery, 20905 words)
Author: Oscar A Rat	Added: Jun 23 2020	Views/Reads: 1233/879	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Pinkerton Detective Sam Johnson seems to spend his entire career chasing an evildoer called Smilin’ Jack.

Pinkerton Detective Sam Johnson waited on a platform at the rear of the
train station in Asawipe, Wyoming.  The year was 1889. He had been 
assigned a helper in his hunt for the notorious bandit, Smilin' Jack 
Jackson. The outlaw had been eluding him for the past six months, 
seeming to be several places at the same time. Sam had finally, through 
an informant, found out Jack was taking the 11:40 train to Yuma. 
Smilin' Jack was a master of disguise and had used his skills to escape 
from Sam on several previous occasions. 

There were no daguerreotypes of Smilin' Jack and Sam had never seen him
undisguised. That was why the detective had been assigned a volunteer 
aide, one who had known the outlaw in the past. Someone who could 
recognize Jack on sight. 

“Excuse me, mister.  Is your name Sam?” a hesitant female voice asked,
startling the detective. 

Jerking erect, he looked around, to see a pretty blond-haired woman
frowning up at him. She appeared too innocent to know such a hardened 
criminal. 

“Why yes, young lady.  But which Sam are you looking for?” It must be a
mistake, he thought, girls like that never looked HIM up. 

“I'm trying to find a Mr. Sam Johnson.” She smiled, obviously enjoying
his consternation. 

“You've found him. You look pretty young for a dangerous job like this?”


“They hired me because I knew Smilin' Jack when I was a little girl.  I
know nothing about being a detecterer.” 

“The questions are, would you know him after all that time and would he
recognize you? I don't want to scare the guy away if he sees you 
first.” 

“I was only ten when he last saw me. I don't think he would know me now.
I've changed a lot since then.” 

“I'd say you probably have, miss?” Sam looked her over carefully, very
carefully. 

“Julie, Julie Simpson, Mr. Johnson. Would you help me with these things?
They're heavy?” 

For the first time, Sam noticed that she was loaded down with a
suitcase, a picnic basket, and a large hat box. 

“Certainly, and call me Sam. Please?” He relieved her of the cumbersome
suitcase. 

They walked to the end of the platform where Sam sat Julie down on a
bench, along with her luggage. 

“You keep an eye on the passengers and tell me if you see anyone looking
like him,” he told her. “I'll get us a pair of tickets in case we have 
to board the train.” 

The train due to arrive soon, the platform was filling with a mixture of
business men, cowboys and other miscellaneous travelers. 

Sam waited in line behind a pair of young girls flouting their bustled
figures. He was too involved in watching them leave to notice that he 
was next in line. This earned him a poke from an old woman's umbrella. 
He hurriedly bought a couple of first-class tickets for a private 
compartment. What the hell, the Agency was paying. Besides it might be 
nice to be alone with Julie. 

Returning to the bench, he found the young lady studying a growing crowd
waiting for the train. 

“See anyone yet?” 

“No. Uh, huh.  I saw a man that looked something like him but had the


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