Paladin is relaxing in the Carlton lobby but soon grows bored and
notices a young man toying with a Chinese puzzle toy. The gunfighter
introduces himself and the young man, Rudy Rossback, explains that he
bought the toy for his unborn son, and that his wife Katie is out
shopping as they speak.
As Paladin toys with the puzzle,
someone fires a shot, shattering a vase on the table. Rudy complains
that it's "her" again, and looks toward a young woman holding a
derringer. When she comes over, Paladin expertly disarms her and grabs
Rudy as he tries to run off. He then has Hey Boy take Rudy up to his
room while he escorts the woman into the hotel parlor. The woman vows to
kill Rudy the next time she gets an opportunity and introduces herself
as Eve MacIntosh. She recognizes Paladin and offers him $1,000 to kill
the man. Paladin refuses, insisting that he's not a hired assassin, and
tells her not to shoot at men by mistake. He threatens to call the
police but Eve dares him to try it and see if Rudy press charges.
When Paladin realizes that he'll get nowhere, he releases Eve and she
picks up the discarded puzzle toy before walking out. Paladin then goes
up to his suite where Hey Boy is keeping Rudy from leaving. When the
gunfighter tells Hey Boy to call the police, Rudy says that he won't
press charges because he's hurt Eve enough. He explains that he was
serving with the North in the Civil War and was at Eve's plantation. Her
14-year-old brother David killed Rudy's sergeant and tried to kill him,
and Rudy was forced to gun the boy down. Ashamed, Rudy has never told
Katie what he did, but figures that he can't run from Eve any more.
Paladin gives Rudy his card in case the man wants to press charges
against Eve.
As Rudy goes down to the lobby to greet Katie, he
spots Eve at the desk. His wife realizes that something has upset her
husband, and Rudy insists that they have to leave. He tells Katie to get
ready to head home and then approaches Paladin and takes him into the
parlor. Once they're alone, Rudy offers to hire Paladin using every last
cent that he has. The amount isn't much but Paladin decides to take the
job anyway. Katie comes in to see what they're talking about, and
Paladin tells Rudy that if anything develops then he'll take the job.
The Rossbacks then go to their room to pack.
That night,
Paladin returns from the opera and spots Eve in the lobby, paying off a
young gunman. He goes over and says that Eve has made an interesting
choice, and she gives him the puzzle toy and tells him to return it to
Rudy. Once Paladin leaves, Eve insists that the gunman finish off Rudy.
However, the hired gun says that he'll do it in his own way, and hopes
that Paladin decides to intervene.
The next day, Paladin rides
out to Rudy's farm. En route he spots Eve and the gunman in a carriage
and continues ahead to them. When he gets to the farm, Katie claims that
Rudy isn't there. However, Rudy comes out and tells his wife that he
and Paladin have personal business. Paladin tries to convince him to
tell Katie the truth, but Rudy escorts his wife inside over her
objections. He asks Paladin if he's going to take the job, and Paladin
asks if Rudy is going to continue running. The young man admits that he
can't run any more with a pregnant wife and a settled farm, and Paladin
warns him that he may not have any other choices. Paladin gives the
puzzle toy back to him and Rudy asks him to tell Katie what happened for
him. The gunfighter refuses, saying that's not part of his price, and
Rudy realizes that he'll have to do it himself.
Rudy goes back
in the house and tells Katie what is going on. She grabs a rifle but
Rudy refuses to let his wife kill Eve and hurt her any more than he
already has. Paladin comes in and tells Rudy that he's a fool, and Katie
agrees but says her husband is a noble fool. However, when Paladin
tells them that Eve has hired a gunman to kill Rudy, the young man
realizes that he has to fight and grabs the rifle.
Eve and the
gunman arrive, and Paladin and the Rossbacks greet them. The gunman takes
in Paladin, gun at the ready, and then carefully removes his gun belt
and walks behind the barn. Eve joins him and wonders why the man is
putting on a pair of spurs. The gunman explains that they're fighting
spurs, and that if he killed Paladin then he'd be wanted for murder.
However, if he kills his opponent in a fistfight by "accident," he'll be
in the clear.
Eve and the gunman walk back out to the yard and
Rudy, seeing that the hired gun is unarmed, gives Paladin the rifle and
says that he's done running. As Eve watches with satisfaction, Rudy
attacks the gunman, who is clearly more experienced and slashes Rudy
several times with his spurs. Rudy bleeds and Eve slowly grows more
shocked at the sight of the violence being done in her brother's name.
Paladin finally figures that Rudy has had enough and stops the fight,
shoving the gunman away. As Katie runs to her husband, the gunman walks
back behind the barn and Eve goes after him. Paladin asks Rudy if he
feels better now that he's hit someone, and Katie leads him into the
house. Meanwhile, the hired gun puts his gun back on. Eve tells him that
she'll finish it her way and she doesn't need him anyway, but the
gunman says that he has a personal interest now. Eve draws her derringer
and orders him to stop, but he easily disarms her and tells her that
she's going to get what she paid for. The gunman steps out and Paladin
goes to meet him. The two men draw and Paladin kills his opponent.
Eve tries to go but Paladin grabs her and then calls Rudy over and
grabs him as well. He gives his gun to Eve and tells her to do the job
herself, but she'll have to look into Rudy's eyes and watch him die. Eve
tries to pull the trigger but then gives the gun back and runs off,
crying. She trips and Katie goes to comfort her, ignoring Eve's attempts
to shove her away because she doesn't want her pity.
Later,
Paladin is preparing to ride out with Eve and Rudy pays him his fee.
Paladin tears it up and says that Eve is going to find a way to make up
for his trouble, and he can't accept a fee from both sides. He then gets
in the carriage with Eve and drives off.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 4, 2018