Roy held up a hand for what seemed like the hundreth time. "Hoss, Joe - I know how you feel, but I'm the official lawman here and so I'm the one askin' the questions. Just simmer down."
"Then tell him to start makin' some sense, Roy!" Joe threw himself into a chair and glared.
Fairchild returned his glare. "An' you tell him ta get off my back! I was just mindin' my own bizness when he attacked me!"
"I said that's enough! From both of ya!" Roy slammed his hand into his desktop for emphasis. "This ain't gettin' us nowhere! Now, I want everybody ta be quiet and speak only if I ask ya a question! An' anybody that can't gets thrown in jail for interferin' with a representative of the law in the commission of his duty!" He let his eyes travel from one to the other. No one said anything and he nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now. Mr. Fairchild. You're sayin' that you admit to the kidnappin' of Adam Cartwright for the purposes of obtainin' ransom?"
Fairchild grimaced. "I ain't confessin' to nothin'."
Roy took a deep breath. "Mister, you told us Adam Cartwright, who we all saw buried just yesterday, ain't dead and weren't ever dead - that you kidnapped him for ransom. I heard it. These here boys heard it. Unless you wanna be considered for a more serious charge like murder, then I suggest you come clean with me right now."
Fairchild toed the floor. "I didn't - I really didn't do nothin'. It was David."
Joe threw up his arms. "And there he goes again!"
Roy sat up straight. "Joseph Cartwright, this is my last warning!" Joe fell silent and Roy closed his eyes briefly. "All right, then. You say it was - er - David?"
Fairchild nodded sullenly. "He's gonna 'bout kill me for spillin' the beans, too. Can't believe I…anyway, it was all his idea. I just sorta went along. I didn't even see the guy before yesterday."
"Yesterday!" Hoss scowled.
Roy shot him a warning glance. "I see." He twirled the arms of his eyeglasses in his fingers. "Now, son - I don't want to be a simpleton here er nothin' but - I gotta tell you - if anybody had asked me, I woulda said YOU was David Fairchild. How exactly do ya explain that?"
Fairchild looked puzzled, then he grinned. "Oh. Yeah. We look a lot alike, huh? That's on accounta we're twins. David's my brother."
Hoss's eyebrows scrunched together. Joe let out a sound, but quickly bit it back. Roy ignored them and smiled patiently instead. "Your brother, huh?" He scratched at his chin. "You know, it's a funny thing, but I knowed Amos Fairchild and his young'uns ever since I moved to this territory and I ain't never heard tell of David havin' a brother. Just Amos and David and Amelia. You think you kin explain that ta me?"
"Sure. My Ma took me an' lit out when we was just little. Couldn't take it no more with my Pa, I guess. Guess I got a idea why now that I…" he shrugged. "Just found out about it myself a couple months back - always thought I was a only child and that my Pa was dead. I mean he is, but I thought he died when I was little. Then my Ma got sick and told me before she died. So I came lookin' for my brother and sister and all."
"Deathbed confession, huh?" Roy rubbed at his eyes and sighed. "Son, you do know that this sounds like one of them farfetched dime novels, don't ya?"
Fairchild tilted his head. "Ain't never read one," he admitted cheerfully.
Roy tossed his glasses across the desk. "All right. Now tell me why it is that your Ma took you with her and left the other two behind?"
Fairchild shrugged again. "She said as how it was just a accident - a neighbor lady was watchin' the baby and David while she took me to the next town ta see the doctor - once she was there, she realized she could get away - she just never went back. Said she felt real bad about leavin' the other two, though."
"Mm hm." Roy pushed back in his chair. "You do know this is about the craziest story I ever heard, right? You got anybody who can corroborate it?" Fairchild frowned. "Verify, son. Confirm that this tale o' yers is true."
"Oh." Fairchild seemed to think hard. "Well, my Ma and Pa are dead - there's David and 'Melia, I guess."
Roy dropped his head into his hands for a minute. When he looked up he called, "Clem!"
Clem poked his head in from the outside door. "Yeah, Roy?"
Roy jerked his head toward Fairchild. "Keep an eye on this one for a minute, will ya? I need to have a word with the Cartwright boys." He fixed his eyes on Fairchild. "And you - do yourself a favor and don't give him any trouble. Believe me, you got enough problems already."
He gestured Hoss and Joe over to the jail cells and pulled the door separating them from the office closed behind them. He looked at them, then shook his head again. "What all do you boys make of it? I can't decide if he's crazy as a bedbug, dumb as a post, or the cleverest fella I ever met."
"I don't care," said Joe bluntly. "I just want him to pay for what he did."
"Well, that's fine, Joe," Roy drawled. "But we gotta figure out exactly what that is first. Hoss? What do you think?"
Hoss shook himself. "Durned if I know. Could be he's tellin' the truth, I reckon. Crazy story fer anybody ta invent."
"Could be." Roy frowned. "Tell ya, though - friend of mine, sheriff out in Texas, had this prisoner once - honest to God thought he was two people. Said it was the spookiest thing he ever saw. This one part of the guy would do things and the other part wouldn't even know what he done. Could be we got somethin' like that here - fella seems sincere enough."
Hoss blew out his breath. "Tell you this - if there's even the smallest chance Adam's alive, I wanna look inta it."
Roy nodded. "Fair enough. Let's go hear him out."
They filed back into the main office, where Clem was staring Fairchild into submission. Roy perched on his desk this time while Hoss hovered behind Fairchild and Joe leaned against the wall, glowering.
"Mr. Fairchild," Roy began. "You say you asked for ransom. Wanna tell me how much?"
Fairchild glanced around at them. "Ten thousand dollars," he answered sulkily.
Roy nodded. "And did you write a note to Mr. Cartwright…?"
"I told ya - David did all that." He stuck his lip out. "Was gonna build up the ranch - breed horses."
Roy scratched his head. "Son," he offered cautiously. "You - didn't it occur to you that after you - er - returned Adam Cartwright to his family, that he might identify you to me? That it might be kinda tough to just settle down and raise horses, right here…?"
Fairchild tilted his head. "How come? I mean, long as he got home all right, why'd he even care? David says the Cartwrights got plenty of money - wouldn't even miss it."
Joe made a noise in his throat and Hoss stared.
Roy ground his teeth. "Still…uh…it's possible that Ben Cartwright wouldn't want to start a trend o' havin' his boys kidnapped every time somebody needed a few dollars?"
Fairchild looked serious. "Guess I hadn't thought that part through."
"No," Roy gave him an avuncular smile. "Tell you what, though. You say Adam Cartwright is alive - maybe you could take me to him, then?"
Fairchild's face went abruptly white. "Uh-uh. You don't have no idea what David would do to me. You should see how he treats 'Melia. Heck, you should see what he done to - " he broke off uneasily, his eyes skittering from Hoss to Joe. "It'd be worth my life," he muttered at last.
Joe was standing up straight now. Hoss hardened his jaw and looked pleadingly at Roy. Roy smiled calmly at Fairchild. "Well, here's the thing - reckon the territory ain't gonna treat you much better, see - and right now the charge is murder and right now, far as we know, you're the only one guilty. Now, if you could prove to us that Adam Cartwright is alive, on the other hand…"
Fairchild shifted. He glanced at Hoss, then at Joe. "Ain't no ten thousand dollars?" he asked plaintively at last.
Hoss folded his arms over his chest. "Ain't never been no request fer a ransom. Could be a reward o' some kind, though, if'n we got our brother back safe and sound."
Roy picked up the cue. "And it's possible that if you're as little involved as you say and you cooperate the court might see its way to be lenient with ya." Roy smiled his kindest smile."
"Huh." Fairchild studied his boots for a minute. "Tell the truth, I didn't much like the way - what would I have to do?"
"Just take us ta Adam and then say your piece in court. I'd take care of the rest."
"Huh." He shifted and looked toward the window. "You'd protect me?"
Roy's eyebrows went up and he shrugged. "If you need it, sure."
Fairchild shrugged again. "Okay. I'll go to the ranch and set things up fer ya."
"Son, with all due respect, I ain't lettin' you outta my sight."
Fairchild stiffened. "No. I ride inta the ranch alone. David's there. I gotta. It'd be worth my life!"
"Now, son - "
"No!" Fairchild was adamant. "You don't know what he's like. Heck, he'd kill Cartwright first glimpse he got of us, then me. You gotta let me get in and set you up. Get Amelia ta take cover. Or there's no deal."
Roy bit his tongue. Obviously, now that they knew where they were headed they didn't really need much cooperation, but Fairchild had a point - if Adam was alive, they didn't want to risk him.
"And how do I know you won't warn yer brother and finish off Adam yerself?"
Fairchild shrugged. "Guess you'd have ta trust me. You kin follow close as you like - just stay outta sight. Truth ta tell, ain't got the stomach for this kinda thing anyway."
Roy stood up and paced a small circle. Finally, he nodded. "Okay, then. We'll do it your way. But we'll be right behind you, so watch what you're doin'. And you two boys - I don't want you gettin' yer hopes up. Pro'bly a wild goose chase. I'll send word out to your Pa so he'll know what we're up to."
"No!" Hoss stood up straight. "No, Roy. Not yet."
Roy's eyebrows went up. "Hoss, I cain't even imagine what your Pa would have to say to me if I kept him in the dark about somethin' like this."
Hoss nodded uneasily. "I know Roy, but - you seen how he's been. I jest don't think he kin take another disappointment. Like you say, this could be a wild goose chase - let's wait till we know somethin' fer shur."
"Hoss's right," Joe piped in. "I'd hate to see him get his hopes up for nothin' if then - "
Roy looked dubious. "Well, you boys get to say, o' course - personally, I think your Pa is a whole lot tougher than you give him credit fer. Clem, you watch things here while we check this out? Mr. Fairchild? Why don't you come with me and we'll discuss the ground rules."
He gestured Fairchild in front of him, and Hoss moved around to open the door. No one went through it, though, and Hoss saw Joe's face change to - fear? Consternation? Hoss turned to look for himself.
Framed in the doorway, with his hand lifted toward the latch, was a tall, silver haired man. He raised his brows at them. "Well," he said in a deep, sonorous voice. "How nice to find you all together. Does someone want to tell me what's going on?"
Hoss swallowed. "Pa," he managed faintly.
"Pa," Joe echoed with a squeak.
