Matt swallowed down the nausea rising in his throat as he stared at the bloody path leading from Doc's desk to the door and beyond.
"Mr. Dillon?" Matt looked into the deep brown eyes staring at him with palpable fear. "You don't think that's Doc's blood, do ya?"The tall marshall's eyes glossed over momentarily, then he stared hard into his friend's face. "I don't know what else to think, Chester. Look at this place... glass on the floor from the smashed medicine cabinet, the door's been forced, no sign of Doc, and all this blood..." Dillon swallowed hard and looked away, his voice turning soft. "He wouldn't have left this place looking like this, no matter what." Matt walked over to the standing coat rack by the door, and fingered the suit jacket and the black hat on it. "And he wouldn't have left these here either if he had left of his own accord."
"Oh my goodness, Mr. Dillon, there's an awful lot of blood, ain't there?"
"Too much to think that Doc's okay, that's for sure."
Chester fought off his rising emotions and gritted his teeth. "I'll saddle up the horses and meet you in front of the office."
Dillon smiled gratefully. "I'll be there directly, Chester, thanks."
Goode limped out and Matt bent down and ran a finger through the blood; it wasn't completely dried, which meant it hadn't happened that long ago, and there was a chance Doc was still alive. He felt her presence before he saw her in the door, her hand over her mouth in alarm. Dillon quickly stood and went to her.
"Kitty, you shouldn't be here."
"Where's Doc?" Her blue eyes tore at his heart with their cold fear. "Please tell me what's happened to him?"
He held her gently by the arms. "I don't know yet, Kitty, except that it looks like he was taken against his will."
Kitty's eyes strayed down to the blood streaked across the floor in horror. "Is it his blood?"
Sensing that her emotions might get the best of her, Matt gently walked her out onto the landing of Doc's front door. "I think it is, yes."
She turned to him. "Oh Matt, you don't think he's--"
"--No. No, I don't think that." He couldn't bring himself to say the word, and he looked down at his scuffed boots. "I can't think that, and neither can you."
"You've got to find him, Matt."
He looked up at her then. "I will, Kitty, I promise you that."
Dillon started to leave but she grabbed his arm. "Bring him back safe, Matt, please."
All the marshall of Dodge could do was silently nod and then turn toward the street. The thought that Doc Adams might not come home was too much for him to bear. Kitty watched him walk down the stairs and then disappear around the corner before she allowed her tears to overtake her.