The Trial of Kitty Russell – Part 2
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit will be had than that.
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The next night was proving to be just as warm as the previous one, and business just as good for the Long Branch. Kitty had learned her lesson from the night before, and brought in a couple of extra people to handle the expected crowd so that she didn't have to deliver to the floor herself. She didn't believe for one minute Garth was going to give up that easily. If he came in tonight, she didn't plan on him being able to catch her as he did last night.
Looking around, Kitty noticed that despite the size of the crowd, things were fairly quite and stuffy in the bar room. Kitty looked over at the clock & noted the time. Seven p.m. It was only going to get busier, she knew.
"Sam," she called over to her employee and friend. "I think I'm gonna take myself a little break. Think you can handle things for a little while?"
"Sure thing, Miss Kitty," he answered. Kitty smiled at him as she grabbed her shawl and walked out onto the boardwalk. Several people took note of her exit, sad to see one of the lights in the place go out. One of those not so sad to see her go, was the young man from the night before. He waited a few minutes after she left, then got up & followed her through the doors.
Though it was awfully warm inside, the temperature outside was some cooler. Wrapping her shawl around her Kitty walked down the street for a ways enjoying the relative peace and quiet of the evening. Her thoughts were on Matt as they so often were when he was out of town. She always worried about him when he was gone, and couldn't ever seem to rest until he returned.
Festus had told her Matt was due back tomorrow and she would sure be glad to see him. Kitty's mind was so lost in thoughts of the big lawman, that she didn't realize how far she had walked, until she looked around and found herself standing in front of the deserted jail.
"I'm just like a homing pigeon when it comes to him," she smiled to herself. Kitty sat down on one of the chairs in front of the jail and rested for a moment. This end of town was completely deserted and no one, save one unseen young man, saw her sitting there lost in thought.
The night was growing cooler and Kitty decided she needed to go back. She had just gotten up to return, when she heard gunfire erupting. It sounded like two shots and somewhere close to the Long Branch. She hurried back the way she had come.
Once she approached the alley beside her business, she saw a throng of people huddled around something on the ground. Getting closer, she saw it wasn't some THING, it was some ONE. Garth Tindle was laying on the ground with a pool of blood spreading out under him. She didn't have to get too close to see that he was dead. Though she didn't like the man, she didn't want to see him dead either.
"She did it!" someone suddenly yelled. "She said she would do it and she did."
Kitty looked around to see who had said that and who they were talking about, when she realized the crowd was staring at her. "Now wait a minute…," she protested. "I wasn't anywhere near here. I was clear up the street when this happened."
The young man who had been following her, pushed through to stand next to her. "Can you prove it?" he sneered.
Kitty didn't respond. She knew she didn't have any proof beside her word.
"Here now!" Festus' voice rang out. Coming up beside her he took note of the dead man and the crowd standing around. "What's goin' on here?"
"She killed my brother!" the young man said. "She said she would and she did it." Kitty realized who the voice belonged to that she'd heard a moment before. Billy Tindle. "I didn't kill anyone," Kitty protested again. "I told you, I wasn't even down here."
"Yes you did," Billy yelled. Turning to Festus he got in his face. "She killed my brother and I want her arrested, Deputy."
Festus stared the boy down as Thad came up to stand on the other side of Kitty. "I ain't fixin' on arrestin' no one on yore say so, Billy Tindle." He said sternly. "Now you all go on and clear out of here. Me and Thad'll take care of this here." The crowd backed up a little but didn't leave. "I said git!" Festus yelled at them. The crowd finally pulled back & began to go their separate ways, all except Billy.
"She killed my brother, Deputy," he restated. "Marshal's woman or no she's gotta' pay for it." He took a step towards Kitty but Thad stepped in front of her, blocking his way. "I think you need to do what Festus said and clear out of here." He said evenly. "You leave this to the law."
Billy stood for a moment glaring at the deputies, then a thought came to him. "All right." He snapped. "I'll do just that." Billy stared at Kitty for a moment then turned and walked off. Any remaining crowd left with him.
Festus took Kitty by the arm. "You alright, Miss Kitty?" he asked her. Kitty hadn't realized till just then that she'd been almost holding her breath. "Yeah, I'm fine, Festus," she exhaled at last. " But, Festus,… you've gotta believe me. I didn't kill him. I was clear down the street by the jail when this happened."
Thad and Festus glanced at each other at that admission. They knew how it was between her and the lawman. And both of them knew she had quite often made her way to the jail when Matt was gone, because it reminded her of him.
"Miss Kitty, I know'd you wouldn't go & do nothing like that and when Matthew gets back we'll prove it." Kitty breathed a sigh of relief. "Now you go on back to the Long Branch and we'll take care of this." Kitty nodded, relief that her friends believed her, evident on her face. Sam who had come out when the shots were first fired, was still standing at the side. "Sam," Festus said turning to the barman. "Will you get Miss Kitty back?" "Sure will, Festus," Sam said as he approached and took Kitty's arm.
Kitty smiled at Festus and Thad, then turned and followed Sam into the saloon.
Once back inside the saloon, Kitty went straight to her office trying very hard to ignore the stares of the people who had returned to their drinks and cards. She wasn't in any mood to put up with her patrons right then. Although she knew Festus and Thad had believed her, she wasn't too sure about anyone else. She knew she couldn't hide in there forever, but she decided to stay there for a while anyway.
Later that evening, Kitty wearily climbed the stairs to her rooms overhead thinking of the evening's events.
When she had finally emerged from her office she found Doc had come in & was sitting at the table in the back. Getting a couple of glasses and a bottle of whiskey, she went over and sat down next to him. Doc told her he had examined Garth's body and the man had been shot twice in the chest at close range. He had removed one of the bullets and judged it to probably be from a 45 handgun.
Percy Crump had come and taken the body to his place, and Festus and Thad were searching the alleyway for anything to prove who may have done it. Doc hadn't asked her if she had done it, and she realized he knew without asking, that she was innocent.
Though the night had still been busy after the shooting, the crowd had dwindled down quite a bit, and by midnight she had been able to close and lock the doors. Once she and Sam had the place cleaned up, Sam went home and Kitty was now going upstairs to spend another restless night.
Normally restless when Matt was gone, she was even more so tonight. Matt had warned her about her temper. Cautioning her to think before speaking when she was angry, and once again she had failed to heed his advise. Now she hoped she didn't have to pay a price for that.
Once in her room, Kitty went over to her dresser and sat down, resting her chin in her hands for a moment as she studied her image in the mirror. She saw the weariness she felt was accurately reflected in her features. Sighing, she took the pins out of her hair and reached for her brush. Brushing her hair often relaxed her but not tonight. She had asked Sam to bring water up earlier so she could have a bath and she stood up to undress hoping maybe that would help.
Just as she stood, she heard a loud bang and what sounded like breaking glass down stairs. Crossing to her dresser, Kitty opened the top drawer and took out the handgun she kept there. Quietly, she stepped out onto the landing.
Looking down into the saloon below, she saw several men coming in through the now broken front doors. "Who are you men?" she demanded as she brought the gun up. "What do you want?" In response one of the men pulled his gun and fired at her, creasing her right arm, forcing her to drop her gun. In moments, three men had ascended the staircase, grabbed her and forced her down the stairs and out onto the street.
Once outside, they wasted no time in dragging her down the street to the jail. Kitty fought with all she had, but to no avail. Once inside the jail, she was taken into the back & pushed into one of the cells, with the door closed hard behind her. "What is this all about? Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Where's Festus and Thad?"
All but one of the men ignored her. Frank Tindle stepped up close to the bars and stared into the cell. "You're friends are no longer the authority here." He snarled at her. "I am, and I mean to see you hang for my son's murder."
"You can't do this!" Kitty protested. "I didn't kill your son. I…."
Frank cut her off. "I don't wish to hear your lies, whore. Tomorrow arrangements will be made to have you tried and convicted for what you did."
"Marshal Dillon will be back tomorrow." Kitty said. She at least hoped he would.
"Good for him." Frank sneered. "When he does, he will find out the same thing you just did. I am in charge here now and I will remain so until you hang." Frank glared at her for a moment then turned and left the cell area closing the door to the office behind him.
It wasn't until he left, that Kitty noticed the throbbing in her arm. Looking down, she realized for the first time, consciously, that she had been shot. Though she didn't think it was anything too serious, it was bleeding somewhat freely. Reaching down she tore a piece off of her petticoat and wrapped it around her arm. Too confused and scared to do much else, she sat down on the edge of the narrow cot to wait.
"Matt will be here tomorrow," she told herself. Just the thought calmed her and gave her the strength she needed for the time being.
TBC
