"You're bleeding on my new suit. First I lose a button and now this."

Clay, ghastly pale and bent over with pain, spoke through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't have worn a damn new suit." He was leaning heavily against his companion. "Slow down, unless you want to kill me."

"I do not kill, my hands are clean. Besides, I got you out of there didn't I? All you have to do is provide a bit of help and I'll get you to a doctor in another town. If you don't, I'm afraid that I'll have to leave you to bleed to death in a back alley."

"You said you don't kill."

"I don't. You would die from the chest wound that was inflicted in a shoot out."

"Very lawyerly thinking."

"Yes, and I am quite a good lawyer." Richard Reyburn half supported, half carried Clay down a dark alley. "There's an empty warehouse nearby. We'll go inside to sit and talk."

Inside the dark building, Clay slid down onto the floor and grunted in pain as he leaned against the wall. Reyburn tried to brush the blood from his jacket and shook his head. "This suit is ruined. Oh well, I just have to accept it. Now, let's get down to business. First, did you sign anything for Dillon, a statement about me perhaps?"

"Nope. I never even mentioned your name, but I think he suspects it's you."

"That would be speculation on his part. If you didn't say or sign anything, we will go back to our original goal of finding a way to control Dillon. My clients pay a high price, and part of my service is being sure that witnesses cooperate. Now, in my experience, a good way to get to a man is by threatening his wife. I didn't take that route with Dillon because he isn't married. I want to re-visit the idea. Clay, you've been in town for a while. Does the marshal have a woman who is special to him? I mean very, very special.

"I hear tell he does and she's quite a looker too."

"Good, we'll pay her a visit. I assume you know where to find her."

"Yep."

Doc's Office

Matt pointed to a few faint bloodstains on the floor. "Doc, it doesn't look like he was bleeding too bad."

"Not now maybe, but if he moves around those stitches will loosen and he'll bleed a lot more. If his stitches get pulled out, he'll bleed like a stuck pig."

"Look here Doc." Matt picked up a button. "I'd bet a year's salary that this belongs to a lawyer named Richard Reyburn."

"Matt, a lawyer like Reyburn makes more money in a week than you do in a year. That button might be worth something."

"I'll keep that in mind when I have him in jail."

Kitty

Kitty sat alone in her room. In just seconds she'd gone from being happier than she'd been in weeks to being filled with uncertainty and dread. She stood and paced. Matt had told her to stay locked in, but she wondered if she should go downstairs to make sure that all the doors were securely locked. She debated with herself and finally decided that it would be best to go and check all the doors. She carefully walked down the steps into the dark saloon. The total quiet gave her goose bumps. She lit a lamp and went to the front door to check the locks. Both the bottom and top locks were secure. She went into her office to make sure the door that led to the back alley was also locked. To her surprise it wasn't, although she could have sworn Sam had told her he'd locked it. She was about to open the door and take a quick look outside, but Matt's words of warning stopped her. Instead she quickly locked the door, left her office, closed the outer door and locked that one too. After a last look around she hurried back upstairs. Inside her suite she locked the door behind her and put the chain lock across the top for good measure. She let out a deep breath and sat down at the table. The remains of the meal were still there, but she was too nervous to eat and took a sip of beer. A strange squeak startled her and she jumped. Not daring to take a breath she listened carefully and heard nothing more. She took another sip of beer and tried to relax.

Missy

Missy got to the telegraph office just as it was closing for the night, but the good-natured clerk stayed late so she could wire her husband her travel plans. Once the message was sent, Missy thanked the clerk profusely and stepped out into the darkness. She walked quickly through the empty streets to get to the boarding house. When she turned off Front Street she realized she was at the back of the Long Branch and looked up at Kitty's window. The light was on. She stopped for a moment. It would be wonderful to have another conversation with her new friend before leaving in the morning. She shook her head. Matt was certainly up there and although visiting with them both would be fun, they deserved time alone. She smiled ruefully. She'd been so wrapped up in talking to Matt about the past, finding out about his life and telling him about hers, that she truly hadn't noticed the gossip going on around them. She felt foolish, but was glad that no real harm had been done. With a last glace at Kitty's window she continued on her way. She got to the boarding house and saw that all was quiet so went around to the side entrance. Eager to relax for the night she went into her room.

"Well you certainly are a looker." A well-dressed, corpulent man stood across the room smiling.

Missy blinked in disbelief.

"Close the door, please."

She was about to refuse but saw Clay seated next to the door. He had a hand on his chest wound, but his other hand held a pistol pointed straight at her.

Missy tried to assume the calm demeanor she imagined Kitty would have and closed the door. "What do you want with me?"

"I am going to control Matt Dillon through you."

Missy was stunned and something Matt had said to her about Kitty sprang to mind, We try to be discreet. There are men who'd hurt her to get to me. That's not easy to live with.

She kept her voice as steady as she could, "How do you plan to use me to get to the marshal?"

"Hmm, I haven't quite figured out the details. You see I thought that Clay, and the dear departed Max Wilson, would get to the marshal by using a couple of innocent children. They failed, that's why I had to step in." A smile slowly spread across his face, "I just got an inspired idea – a scar. We will give you a scar for the marshal to see every day. It will be a constant reminder to behave when I question him in court. He'll know that if he doesn't, there will be other scars." Reyburn laughed, delighted with his genius. He reached into his pant's pocket, "Clay, I have a pocketknife. Carve out a nice piece of flesh."

"Reyburn, you've paid me a lot of money to do a lot of things, but I ain't cutting up no lady."

"Yes you are, or you're a dead man."

Matt

Matt stood on Front Street holding up a lantern. Doc stood beside him. Festus was on one knee examining bloodstains. "Matthew, these spots don't lead nowheres." He stood, "Thar's splotches here and thar but not enough to make a trail to follow. Matthew, ya seem kinda sure that thar lawyer, Reyburn is behind this."

"I am sure Festus. I'm also sure he wants to control me, and he'll figure out the best way to do that."

The three men looked at each other. Horror spread across their faces and they said one word. "Kitty." They raced off to the Long Branch.

"Kitty, Kitty." Matt clamored up the back stairs of the saloon followed by Festus and Doc. He was yanking a key from his pocket when the door swung open. "Matt, what's wrong? Doc, Festus what's going on?"

"Kitty, there's a lawyer named Reyburn who wants to get to me. I think he'll go after you to do it." He stepped into the room. "Clay's probably been lurking around town for a few days, he might have heard rumors about …" He stopped. Kitty's eyes widened. They had the same thought.

"Matt, he may have heard rumors about you and Missy."

Matt took off before her words hit the air. Festus and Doc followed with Kitty close behind.

TBC