Chapter 1 – Too Many Strangers

Matt Dillon looked warily at the hordes of people on Front Street and in the various hotels, rooming houses, restaurants and saloons. It was the height of cattle season so his town was overrun with cowboys, cattle buyers and the gamblers, drifters and others who lived to separate the cattlemen from their hard earned money. Right now that included a theatrical troupe from England scheduled to give a series of performances at the Comique, Dodge City's opera house and theater, and a traveling baseball team composed of the dregs of St Louis trying to earn an easy living and a few true sportsmen who simply loved the game.

Since dusk had just fallen, he made his early rounds checking each building to make sure nobody was trying anything underhanded while the proprietors went to have supper with their families or that no early fights were brewing. His stomach reminded him that his last stop would be the Long Branch and supper with Kitty. He hoped she'd suggest they forgo Delmonico's and eat in her rooms. It would provide a bit of relaxation away from the early summer crowds, but he doubted she'd had time to cook anything.

Even with Chester helping, it was nearly eight by the time he'd finished. The last Matt saw of his assistant Chester Goode was his back as he accompanied Doc Adams a half-hour earlier into the restaurant. At least that meant Kitty Russell, now the sole owner of the Long Branch saloon, and he wouldn't be sharing their restaurant table. Matt peaked over the batwing doors searching the barroom before spotting her deep in conversation with her head bartender Sam Noonan.

He headed in her direction, but it was Sam who spotted him first and offered his usual friendly greeting. Then Kitty, noticing his approach, spoke up.

"I was beginning to wonder if we were still having supper tonight. Despite the crowds, I think I can manage to spare enough time for us to eat at Delmonico's. Maybe we'll even finish our meal together, although if we don't, it won't be the first time."

For once, they did finish the meal. Things actually remained quiet enough that Matt began to think maybe he and Kitty could take in the second show at the Comique that night. The building where these theatrical performances were taking place provided an opportunity for the respectable citizens of the town and Ford County to be entertained without tainting a lady's reputation. It was run by a group of women who called themselves the Ford County Cultural Society. Their husbands provided the wherewithal.

"Matt, you surprise me. With all these people in town can you really spare the time to take me to the performance?"

"I know there are very few times when you get to experience anything approaching what was available to you in New Orleans and San Francisco even if most of your time was taken up with necessities."

"Thank you for putting it like that, Cowboy. It's a fact I miss the theater and opera, but that still doesn't answer my question about how you have the time."

"I expect to have even less time tomorrow, since it's Saturday. Chester is keeping an eye out during the early performance. I'll do the same at the later one, but if nothing happens I'll be there with you. You've got to know I'm not all that keen on Shakespeare, but spending the time there with you will make it bearable."

Matt hadn't paid too much attention to which play it was and was glad Kitty was pleased with it, although she glared at him at first because of his remark about her making it bearable. Perhaps if he knew what it was about he'd enjoy it more. She explained it was about two feuding families and that despite that the girl from one and boy from the other fell in love just like Judy Pierce and Andy Bowers. Only in this case the young lovers didn't run off together with the preacher marrying them along the way, they both died.

The play was over and nobody had tried anything in the crowded theater or looked the least bit suspicious. Matt walked Kitty home and was about halfway through his late rounds when Sam caught up with him.

"Sam, Kitty's alright isn't she?" Matt burst out before he could think what he was saying. "Is the Long Branch still in one piece?" he added.

"It's not anything like that, Marshal. In fact, it's personal. Things were getting lively and the crowd wanted some music other than the piano to keep it that way, so I went to get my fiddle. It wasn't where I'd left it on the shelf next to the shotgun behind the bar. I checked everywhere. It's gone. Someone must have taken it."

Knowing the importance Sam placed on his fiddle, Matt agreed to look into it, but was distracted by a couple of fistfights in the Lady Gay and Texas Trail before he could get to the Long Branch to find out if anyone there saw anything. While he was questioning the assortment of cowboys, miners, buffalo hunters, railroad men and every other manner of man who'd chosen a night of drinking and gambling with the help of a small horde of saloon gals and a fair bit of music, he couldn't help but notice the keen interest displayed by one of the young actors. Since the boy wasn't going anywhere, Matt decided to leave him for last and accompany him to his boardinghouse room.

It might not lead to Sam's fiddle, but the lawman knew he had to start somewhere. He'd take Sam along too so the bartender could identify his property. Matt knew nothing about fiddles except like with Chester's guitar each instrument was subtly different. Right now the Englishman's unusual interest in the matter was all he had to go on, although any of the strangers might have made off with it. He couldn't figure any of the people now in Dodge to let off steam would have any interest in stealing it, but with so many strangers about there was reason to believe someone wanted it badly enough to steal it.

Matt asked the lad to accompany him and Sam to the rooming house where the actors were all staying. Since he was one of the youngest members, still relegated to playing relatively minor parts despite his obvious talent, he shared the room. Only the stars of the company got the best rooms to themselves. In fact, the leading man and lady, the married couple whose company it was, had a room over at the Dodge House rather than with the rest of the company at the cheap boardinghouse. It took about 15 minutes to walk from Front Street to Central and River Streets where the building was located, almost into Rat Alley south of the river, the worst part of town.

The young actor made no objections to the marshal searching his room. It didn't take long for them to uncover a fiddle in a hard case carefully hidden among his belongings.

"Care to explain this?" Matt asked as he opened the case and handed the instrument to Sam to identify. "I'll be wanting your name along with your explanation."

"My name is Sherlock Holmes, Marshal and that violin you just handed to the publican is mine. I purchased it at a pawnshop in London. Had the proprietor known what he possessed, I never could have afforded it."

While they were talking, Sam picked up the bow from the case, and nodding at the young man, began to play a tune. He was astonished by the rich tone that came forth.

"Marshal, what was stolen from me is a fine instrument, but it doesn't come close to this one. My fiddle was stolen, but this is a violin. I'd need a heap of formal musical training before I could do this justice," he said as he respectfully returned the Stradivarius to its owner.

"Holmes, you're free to stay here or go wherever you want in town. I've got nothing to hold you on, for now. I still think you might have taken Sam's fiddle in case something happened to your own. Elsewise, why would you be so keen on following my investigation?"

"I can explain that. I wish to turn my talents for observation into a career. I've even coined a term for it, consulting detective. Until now all the crime I've witnessed in Dodge City has been without interest. It merely consisted of barroom brawls and a few items taken without payment from the general store. I don't believe, Mr. Jonas, the owner bothered to burden you with it. The thread and ribbons were taken by a young lady obviously too poor to afford the items. Her husband, a struggling farmer, paid a small amount down, which was duly noted in the store ledger along with the cost of the few necessities that were added to their account. I suspect he knew she took the items. The remaining stolen merchandise was some penny candy and a couple of apples taken by a pair of urchins as poor as the farm couple. From the smile on Mr. Jonas' face when they departed from his premises, he was completely aware of what they had done. The stealing of our friend here's violin was the first crime that had any mystery to it. I wanted to see how you approached it, so I watched you intently. If only I'd arrived in time to observe the thief, I would describe him for you now, but alas, he purloined it before I arrived from the theater. May I be so bold as to request your cooperation in my continuing to observe your methods?"

"I don't see any harm in it. Just you keep quiet unless I ask you about what you might have seen," Matt told him as they turned back toward the Long Branch.

The three men arrived at the saloon in time to see one of the baseball players getting a bit too friendly with Kitty. When her protests went unheeded, Matt unceremoniously pulled him away from her and knocked him flat with one punch before telling his pals to take him to his room to sober up.