Matt
Chester and Matt left Charlotte's grave with the epitaph Hank had carved into the cross, weighing heavily on their minds.
Matt was quiet as they rode, but Chester couldn't help but voice his exasperation. "Mr. Dillon how on earth did Miss Kitty get mixed up with Charlotte anyway, a bank robber with a bank robber husband?"
"Chester, I'm sure that Kitty and Charlie had a strong bond, a connection from the past that was important to Kitty. She kept a secret for Charlie even though it meant that I thought ….." Matt's voice petered out. Kitty's words echoed in his head. Matt, it's not what you think.
"You thought what Mr. Dillon?"
"Never mind. Now that Charlotte is dead, any hope I had that Kitty was protected by the bond they shared is gone. Let's pick up the pace. They can't be far."
Kitty
Jane set a tray of food on the end table near the bed. She'd seen the horror on Kitty's face when she looked out the window and saw Hank outside with Henry. "Sit and eat, my dear. Nourishment helps any situation."
Kitty looked at the kindly, old face and didn't know what to think or say. Nothing made sense.
"Please sit and eat. We'll talk woman-to-woman."
Kitty's stomach rumbled. She sat and picked up a biscuit. Jane nodded encouragingly.
The biscuit looked buttery and flavorful but Kitty didn't taste a thing as she dutifully chewed and swallowed.
Jane sat across from Kitty and smiled gently. "We didn't want to say right away, but when you said you'd been held by a bank robber, we thought right away that the robber had to be our son, Hank, Henry Jr. actually. I want to assure you that our son is a wonderful man. You just don't understand him. Once you get to know him better, you'll see."
"You – you - you mean that you know your son robbed a bank?" Kitty was stunned.
"Well, yes dear. There was nothing wrong in that and no one got hurt. That last part is quite important."
"B-b-but Jane, it's taking other people's money."
"Now dear, many people including your marshal friend, believe that robbing that bank was wrong. That simply is not true. The St. Louis Bank was the place that cheaters and frauds put their ill-gotten gains. Hank explained it all to me, and he gave me example after example. Robbing that bank taught those ruthless men a much-needed lesson. Hank has plans to do a lot of good with that money. He just has to get to safety first."
Kitty didn't know what to say. It was the most preposterous thing she'd ever heard, yet she knew there was no point in arguing. Jane totally accepted the lies Hank fed her.
"Eat some chicken, dear. Now, when Hank digs up the box of money he will ride away and take you with him. He needs you as insurance against that Marshal Dillon. As soon as he is a safe distance he will let you go, and he'll give you more than enough money to get you home." She smiled slyly, "I predict that when you get to know Hank better, you won't want to leave him. He is handsome, charming and industrious." Jane paused and sighed sadly. "Now that poor Charlie is gone, my sweet boy is going to be lonely."
"You knew Charlie, and you know she's dead?" Kitty was taken by surprise.
"Yes, poor Hank couldn't bring himself to say anything except that it was an accident." Jane's eyes clouded with tears, "I loved Charlie from the moment I met her. She was so strong, capable and smart - so full of life and adventure. I grew up on a small farm, and have lived on this ranch since I married at age 16. I never ventured into town much, or met many people. My parents' farm and this small ranch are all I've ever known. I think if I had known someone like Charlie when I was young, I would have seen more possibilities in life." She tried to keep her voice from trembling. "Even though my time for doing is long past, I enjoyed imagining Charlie out in the world being well - Charlie. I am going to miss that, and her."
Kitty looked into Jane's misty eyes. Maybe, just maybe they could talk woman-to-woman after all. Maybe Charlie could connect them. "Jane, I met Charlie on the day we both turned 5 years old. I'd like to tell you all about it, and about what happened to her."
Matt
Chester and Matt came upon a dead horse lying in the dirt. Matt examined the carcass. "He was shot from a distance and then at close range. The second shot was probably to put him out of his misery." Matt didn't say, but he wondered if the first shot had been meant for Kitty.
"Mr. Dillon, there's a lady's footprints going toward that ranch."
"Must be Kitty. Let's go. There are horse tracks too."
Kitty
Kitty hadn't eaten much. She'd been talking almost non-stop, talking about Charlie. She told Jane how they'd met at the age of five and later decided they were secretly princesses. She described their childhood and how Charlie had recently reappeared in her life dressed as a man. She assured Jane that although Charlie had tricked her; she hadn't meant her any harm. Charlie's bold plan was to challenge 2 men to gunfights, outdraw them and return to Hank. She loved Hank. She thought he was the prince who was worthy of her, but things went terribly wrong. Kitty looked into the woman's old, grey eyes and told her everything she'd witnessed, heard and lived through since being taken hostage by Charlie.
When she finished she took a breath hoping she'd been believed. Silence filled the air. A single tear rolled down Jane's cheek. She brushed it away and lifted her chin. "This is all true. I know it in my heart. I will not cry now, but after this is over I will grieve. I will grieve for the man I thought my son was. That man existed only in the wishful thinking of a gullible mother."
Jane pushed herself from her chair looking pale and frail but resolute. She put a hand on Kitty's shoulder, "Your marshal friend is on his way. I'll make sure Hank doesn't leave before he gets there."
Kitty's heart ached for the old woman. Again, Hank had been given love he didn't deserve, and the one who loved him suffered for it.
Matt
Matt and Chester reached the outskirts of the ranch and Matt looked around, "It's a real rundown place, but it look like folks still live here." He pointed to the house. "All tracks lead there. It's where our answers are."
"We gonna just go knock Mr. Dillon?"
Matt nodded, "I'll knock. You stay around the side with your rifle and keep an eye out.
Inside
Henry held open the side door of the house, to let Hank in carrying the large metal box he'd dug up. He dropped it on the kitchen table, pulled a key from his pocket and opened it. "Wow." Henry's eyes widened with astonishment.
"Wow is right, dad." Hank took a moment to enjoy the sight of so much cash. He reached in and grabbed a few bills. "Here dad. This is so you can fix up the place."
Henry stared at the money in his hand. "This is it? This isn't even enough to have the place painted. You said we'd be able to fix the house up so it would be almost like a palace, maybe even hire a little help for our waning years."
Hank gave his father a long hard look, "You're lucky you're getting anything. You didn't do a thing to deserve it."
"I let you bury the money here. You came here saying you had to hide it, because your partners wanted it all for themselves. They're gone, you sent them on a wild goose chase, and the money's all yours. You can easily spare a little more."
"There you two are." Jane walked into the kitchen smiling brightly.
Hank and Henry exchanged glares and silently declared a temporary truce.
"Mom." Hank kissed her cheek, "I want to give you money for a dress. I hope you can find one that's as pretty as you."
Jane's smile froze. Not long ago those words would have charmed her. "Son, I thought you planned to use that money for the needy."
"You deserve a new dress." He pressed a few dollars into her hands. "I smell your amazing cooking. Let's sit and eat, then I have to head out. Did you talk to Kitty?"
"Oh yes, she understands a lot, an awful lot."
A knock on the door startled them. Jane reacted quickly. "I'll get it. You help yourselves to chicken and biscuits."
Jane left the kitchen to answer the door. It had to be Kitty's marshal. Jane took a deep breath as she neared the entrance, whatever happened she hoped no one would get hurt.
TBC