Matt
Matt entered the Kansan Hotel and strode up to the desk clerk, "Good day, I'm Marshal Dillon. I'd like to know if a Mr. Westport has checked into this hotel, and if he has, his room number."
The clerk answered nervously, "A Mr. Westport is staying here sir, in room 201, but Mr. Westport is right over there."
Matt looked over. It was not the man he had encountered a little while earlier, but he could see a family resemblance. The man was standing with a woman who looked old enough to be his mother. Matt walked towards them.
Eudora happened to look over as Matt approached, and she was drawn to him. The pull was magnetic. There was something about him that she recognized - the way he projected authority and confidence, without an ounce of conceit or arrogance. The air of alertness yet calm that he carried. When he got closer, she saw that he had eyes that could see right into you, but eyes that were ready to be gentle and kind. He didn't look like Michael, but yet .."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Matt's voice, "Excuse me Maam. Sorry to interrupt." He turned towards the man the hotel clerk had pointed to, " I'm US Marshal Matt Dillon. I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."
Jimmy nodded and pointed to a nearby couch, "Let's sit down."
Once seated, Jimmy introduced himself, "I'm James Westport and this is my mother-in-law, Eudora Andrews."
Matt recognized Eudora's name and decided to immediately reveal that he had a connection to Kitty. He spoke directly to her, "Kitty's told me quite a bit about you. You mean a lot to her."
Eudora smiled and nodded as she realized that the man who reminded her of her lost love, Michael, was the man Kitty was with. Somehow she wasn't surprised.
Matt turned his attention to Jimmy, "A man introduced himself to me as Peter Westport, is he related to you?"
Jimmy paused, "Marshal, I'm an attorney. As I'm sure you know we attorneys usually want to know why we are being asked a question."
Matt had to decide how forthcoming to be. If Peter Westport was a relative, this man might try to protect him. On the other hand Eudora was here and she certainly cared about Kitty. Matt decided to lay it out.
"Mr. Westport, I'll be frank. I am here to testify at a trial, and I came with some important evidence. The man who introduced himself as Peter Westport wanted me to trade that evidence for Kitty Russell."
Eudora gasped as Jimmy muttered under his breath, "That idiot."
Matt continued, "Do you care to explain?"
Jimmy nodded, "Marshal, Peter is my brother. I don't know much about this trial, but I know Peter thinks that winning it is will guarantee his place in life. He met Kitty on the train to Chicago and took a liking to her. When we found her missing, we thought he might have forced her to go with him, because of a prior incident that Eudora can tell you about. I didn't think he'd do anything like this."
Eudora described the incident that took place in the Westport wine cellar, and Matt couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of Eudora holding a gun on the man.
Matt stood up, "I came to the hotel thinking your brother had checked in. I can't imagine he'd stay in a lesser establishment.
Jimmy nodded, "I agree marshal, so I can't imagine where else he could be staying, but I want you to know that you have my full cooperation in trying to find out."
Eudora spoke up, "Jimmy maybe we should start making the rounds of the better restaurants, and shops in town. Your brother has expensive tastes, and if we run into him we may be able to find out where he is staying with Kitty."
Jimmy agreed and Matt nodded, "Thank you. If you find out anything, please let me know. The trial starts at 9:00 AM, so Peter doesn't have much time to get what he wants."
Matt turned and walked out. Eudora followed him with her eyes. She smiled slightly as she thought - Michael had a nice butt on him, a real nice butt, and so does Kitty's man.
Michael looked at his mother-in-law, "Eudora, what are you smiling at."
"Nothing Jimmy, let's go look for that wayward brother of yours."
Kitty
Kitty was still locked in the bedroom, trying to think of a way get the housekeeper to help her. She leaned out the window, "Mrs. Auden, please believe me, Mr. Westport brought me here against my will. All I ask is that you get your husband to bring a ladder over. I'll climb out through the window and be on my way. I won't trouble you for anything else."
Mrs. Auden looked up, "There is no Mr. Auden, he passed away 3 years ago."
Kitty was getting exasperated, "I'm sorry to hear that Mrs. Auden, but maybe you could get someone else to help get the ladder.
Mrs. Auden shook her head, "There is no one else. The Barnett family rarely uses this place. My husband and I were the caretakers, and when my husband passed away Mr. Leland Barnett allowed me to continue on." She paused, "Look I don't know who you are, and whether you were forced here or not, but I can't do anything to risk my job and home."
Kitty was getting a clearer picture of things, "Look, believe me I am being held here against my will, and there is a US Marshal who will make sure that anyone involved is punished."
Kitty saw that Mrs. Auden was giving her last statement some consideration, and decided to add another angle to her argument, "It must get very lonely being out here by yourself. Does anyone come out here? Do you go to town much?"
There was silence as Mrs. Auden thought about it. It was lonely, terribly lonely since her husband died. The only people she saw were the men who occasionally made deliveries. She never went to town, she didn't have money to spend or friends to visit.
Kitty could tell that she was making progress, "Listen, if you help me I promise that I'll help you. Surely you don't want to spend the rest of your life alone here, tending to this house. Surely you want a fuller life."
Anne Auden continued pondering. Mr. Leland Barnett was dead, and she didn't trust his son. Anyway, she read the newspapers and knew he was going on trial. Who knew what could happen. Maybe her job and home would be gone anyway. Maybe this woman would help her start a new life.
She looked up at Kitty and was struck by her strength and determination. For the first time in her life Anne Auden decided to take things into her own hands, "I'll try to drag a ladder over. It's heavy but I'll try."
It took some doing, and a lot of starts and stops, but with sweat pouring down her face, Mrs. Auden managed to drag the ladder out of the shed and set it against the building, with Kitty had been shouting encouragement the whole time.
Mrs. Auden held the ladder steady, as Kitty climbed out of the window. She closed the window from the outside and carefully climbed down.
Once she was on the ground Kitty turned to the woman, "Thank you Mrs. Auden."
The woman laughed, making her look much younger that her 40 plus years, "I think you should call me Anne."
Kitty smiled, "All right Anne, and please call me Kitty. Now let's get the ladder back into the shed, that way when Peter returns it will take him time to find out that we are missing."
Anne nodded and the two women slowly pulled the ladder along.
Out of breath and sweating from dragging the heavy ladder, and setting it up against the back wall of the shed, the two women stood side by side. Anne said quietly, "Maybe that was my ladder to freedom."
Kitty laughed, "I know it was mine."
TBC
