He didn't choose any of the recognisable trinkets like watches but only a few coins and a plain ring without encryption.

Then he brushed the snow off his clothes and raised his chin.

"I'll see you in Whitefish!"

Curly just nodded, as a ‘trimmer’ he didn’t want to really offend anybody but, if he could have his druthers, would rather be in favor of whoever was in charge at any one time.

“Yeah, be there English, we need you!” warned Red, but although it sounded like a surly command, his words were really a hidden compliment. He might have his faults as a gang member, but Ryker was a valuable commodity: he claimed to know his way around the ‘unbreakable’ British made Chubb & Tann fireproof, thief-proof safe which, far from its manufacturing place of Wolverhampton, sat square and immovable in the deepest recesses of a bank in Kalispell.

He looked each man in the eye but let his gaze linger on Thomas extra long.

"You gave us your word. I'll hold you to it, gentleman."

Tom looked up as if he’d forgotten the whole fight. “Yeah, see you on the tenth, English.” He said blithely and carried on examining his share of the haul, not even glancing up as Jay packed up his booty and trotted on out of there.

Curly must have had some respect for the Englishman’s ire, especially after his unceremonious dumping, bald pate first, into the prickly bush, for he waited until Ryker was well out of sight before greedily eyeing some of the items in Love’s pile of treasure and pulling out a small, cheap looking silver locket from his own.

“Say Tom, how about swapping out that there gold watch fer this here locket?” he asked nonchalantly. Love pulled a face at the tawdry offering.

“I got it off a that feller you plugged in the bank, he almost put up a fight about it” Curly dangled the bait and Love snapped at it like a turtle.

“Gimmi that!” he barked, throwing Curly the watch like it was so much trash.

Once in his dirt grimed hands, he opened the locket and, drinking in what he saw inside, smiled foully. Oh, how God did dearly love this most prodigal of sons!

“That’s right nice, Curl.” he chortled. “You know, our Englishman, he just taught me a pretty good lesson in morals and making up for past trespasses, and it looks like Mr. Hole-in-the-Head in the green suit left behind a pretty little wife and daughter. Now look boys…” he dangled the small locket by its chain.

“I reckon it’s my Christian duty to pay those two poor, bereaved ladies a visit, and try and make amends for the harm that I have caused them.”

The End