Fountain, CO

1886

"We only bin amnestied four months, Kid. You ain't known her more than three. Don't you think you oughta get better acquainted before you decide to marry her and make sure you really do like this town enough to stay?"

"I'm askin' her Pa for her hand, Heyes, you don't have to agree or hang about. We ain't joined at the hip no more."

Heyes felt the sting of the words like a slap across his face and taking a deep breath, attempted a more placatory tone. "I ain't meaning to insult Emma, Kid. She seems a real nice girl. Just saying maybe you oughta wait a bit is all."

His more even tone had no more impact on his partner than the sharper one had. The Kid simply stared at him, his face calm, aside from the tightness of his left cheek, which gave away his real mood as he said. "I'm sure, Heyes and so is she. We're gonna make a life here together."

Heyes knew then that there was going to be no changing his friend's mind and readjusted his plans to solo ones and shrugged. "Like you say we ain't forced to stay together, now we ain't wanted."

The Kid swallowed hard and said with relative calm, though Heyes could hear the anger humming under the words. "You're so sure I'm making a mistake Heyes?"

"Yes, Kid I am." His head throbbed and there was a dull pulse thumping a drum beat in his temple. Swallowing hard he added. "I'll stand by your side when you get wed, but after, the first stage to Denver, I'm gone. 'Cos there ain't nothin' here to keep me."

The Kid's expression faltered and softened for a moment as he said softly. "Heyes..." But then his face took on that blank expression that Heyes hated and dreaded as he said. "I'll see you this evenin'."

As he turned and walked out without another glance back, it almost felt to Heyes that something snapped between them, leaving a gaping hole in his heart.

XXX

1888

Denver.

Heyes eating breakfast at his favourite place just near his rooms, was idly reading the newspaper as he did every morning.

News from Fountain, CO

Jedediah Curry, better known to most of our readers as the notorious thieving outlaw and vicious gunslinger, Kid Curry, has been arrested for the murder of his wife. It will come as no big surprise to anyone, that the controversial decision to award him and his equally infamous partner, Hannibal Heyes amnesty, only ended in disaster for some poor innocent.

Emma Curry's body was found in the early hours of Wednesday, at the bottom of a notorious hill, not far from the home she shared with her husband. He ridiculously claimed that it must have been an accident. But multiple witnesses in town have reported that it was clear the marriage was in trouble. How else would such a man choose to end a marriage that was no longer proving advantageous, but by removing the problem?

Heyes jerked in shock, which caused him to spill coffee over his hand. But he didn't notice the sting of the hot liquid on his skin, merely watched as it soaked into the newsprint, blurring the words. It'd been several months since he and Kid had been in contact. The last time he'd received anything, it'd been an invite to the christening of his partner's baby girl.

His boss had declined his request for time off for the trip, and he hadn't persisted. It'd only been with a small pang of regret, that he'd sent his apologies. He'd known then that some part of his refusal had been out of pride and an unwillingness to admit that he might've been wrong. But he hadn't thought there'd be much harm in not going. He'd find another time to catch up with his partner, but weeks had turned into months and now here he was blind sided.

He crumpled the paper angrily, knowing that whatever was being said in the nasty little town, Kid had not murdered his wife. Standing quickly he threw some money on the table and hurried out into the street, already planning his trip.

XXX

Heyes arrived in Fountain and quickly tied his horse outside the sheriff's office as he swung the door wide. "Where is he?"

Sheriff Blanding looked up from his desk, as the door slammed against the wall, and eyed him in some surprise "Well if it ain't Hannibal Heyes! Ain't seen you in months." He was obviously in no doubt who the 'he' was, but he was also definitely determined not to be intimidated by Heyes' angry glare. He simply held his hand out "You'll need to leave your weapon with me."

Heyes glared, anger threatening to explode out of him as he snapped. "You refusing him the right to send a telegram, don't seem right. He's entitled to that, even in this backwater dust ball." As he finished, he thrust his Schofield at the man, who took it unmoved and merely met his gaze calmly without answering, before turning away to lock the gun securely in the safe.

Once done, he turned back to meet Heyes' annoyed expression as he practically bounced with impatience and finally replied. "There ain't no need to insult us. We know what prisoners is and isn't allowed, so we didn't refuse him. He just didn't ask for none sending. Ain't exactly surprising, seeing as you ain't bin around since he was wed."

That stopped Heyes briefly in his tracks, there was something both accusing and annoyed in his voice, which made him wonder what he was missing. The fact that Kid hadn't even tried to contact him, set off a warning bell, but he refused to ask exactly what the sheriff's tone meant, and simply shook his head. "You coulda sent one anyway. You must've searched his cabin, so you knew how to contact me!"

"Weren't my place. Now he's in the furthest cell from the door." He paused and then added more gently. "He ain't doing too good. So you be gentle now."

"Why you concerned? You arrested him, seems odd to be suddenly worried about him."

"He done me a good turn a few months ago. I don't figure he killed Miss Emma, any more than you do, but he ain't co-operating none, so I had to arrest him."

Heyes squared his shoulders, nodded and walked towards the cells, a little worried about what he'd find. When he entered the cell block, he blinked in the sudden gloom and his eyes fell on a blanket covered form in the cell at the far end, and walking towards the bars cleared his throat.

"I ain't hungry Sheriff, same as I weren't yesterday and won't be tomorrow neither. Leave me be."

The voice was nearly as familiar as his own, but sounded wearier than Heyes could remember it being in years- even throughout the four hard years before amnesty, it had never sounded so defeated.

"Kid?" His own voice sounded strange and hesitant to his ears and when Kid scrambled off the bunk, turning look at him, a humming started in his ears. He looked every bit as bad as the sheriff's warning had suggested. Grey with dark shadows under his eyes, unshaven, a dazed, vague expression in his eyes, there were fading bruises on his cheeks and he had lost weight.

In fact Heyes thought he resembled a fighter who'd taken too many blows and was only staying conscious out of raw determination. Heyes leant his face against the bars, trying to ignore the trickling panic down his back at the state of his partner and cleared his throat, but before he could speak, his friend snarled at him. "What you doing here? Denver get too hot for ya?"

Heyes flinched back at the angry, bitterness in both his tone and expression and to his mortification found himself stuttering as he replied. "I r-read in the paper."

Kid laughed a short, sharp, bitter, unpleasant sound, that Heyes never wanted to hear from his friend again. "Yeah, livin' down to my reputation. Might as well just turn round and head back to your life, Heyes. No way I'm getting' out of this."

Heyes' shock turned to anger and he stepped back from the bars with an exasperated release of breath and his voice was sharp as he answered. "What is it with you, Kid? You want Grace growing up believing her Pa murdered her mother? You gotta fight this!"

Heyes was unprepared for the colour draining out of Kid's face as he stumbled back missing the bunk to land on the floor with a thump. "You don't know? I wrote and told you..."

Heyes stepped back to the bars, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Told me what, Kid?"

"G-grace died, we lost her last winter. Nothin's gone right since."

"I swear, Kid, if I'd known..." Heyes' heart thumped hard in his chest and his breathing shallowed. Guilt ate at him for not being where he'd been needed.

Kid's over-bright eyes met his, but in amongst the unshed tears, Heyes thought he saw some relief. "I wrote, and when I never heard back, with you not comin' to the Christening..." He stopped and swallowed hard, before he added faintly. "You didn't know."

"No, Kid, if I had, nothing would have stopped me coming- you know that right?"

Heyes wondered how things had got so bad that his lifelong friend had truly believed he'd ignored the death of his baby. So much needed repairing between them, but first thing was to get Kid fighting this stupid charge.

Kid stayed seated where he'd fallen, but he met Heyes' eyes firmly enough. "I didn't kill her, Heyes...however bad it'd gotten I didn't kill her."

Heyes was startled into a short bark of laughter. "Of course you didn't, Kid. Ain't got any doubt on that score."

After a short pause, Kid said bleakly. "Though maybe if I'd been a better husband I might a been able to stop it happening."

Heyes started. "What you trying to tell me, Kid?"

"She left a note, Heyes, but when I read it, she was already gone. I was sleeping and she was all alone."

"It wasn't your fault, Kid." Heyes put as much force into his voice as he could, but could tell that he wasn't making much of an impact and before he could add anything else, the sheriff came up behind him. "Times up. You can come back tomorrow."

Heyes ignored him for a moment, keeping his eyes locked with Kid's as he said. "You burnt it didn't you?"

Kid nodded and added faintly. "Don't really regret it neither."

Heyes sighed followed the sheriff to the door, before stopping and turning back a faint smile. "See you tomorrow, Kid."

XXX

As Heyes reclaimed his gun and tied it round his waist, he looked up at the sheriff, his tone accusing. "How'd he get them bruises?"

"He came in with 'em. I don't hold with my prisoners being harmed. Sacked my deputies, as they weren't of the same mind. That's why I owe your friend some. He helped me keep hold of a robber, who shot a teller few months back." His face darkened. "Don't seem real fair, what some of the folks whisper 'bout him. Not many dare say it to his face, but them that do are mighty handy with their fists and he ain't one to take things easy. He paused and added with some surprise. "But he don't ever draw on them, less they force it by trying to beat him to it."

Heyes snorted slightly, easily seeing the familiar scene play out in his mind, but merely smiled wryly and walked out into the street.