Dillon walked into the Longbranch to find Kitty standing at the bar, working on her books, sipping at a cup of coffee.
"How's the coffee this morning?"
She turned and smiled weakly at him. "It's fine, want a cup?"
He answered, "Sure."
He examined her as she poured and handed him a cup, and he knew that she not only hadn't slept, but also that something was heavily weighing on her; and Dillon assumed it was because she had heard about what happened at the Dodge House. He cleared his throat.
"I uhm, suppose you're a little upset about the trouble with Doc last night."
She glared at him. "He told you?"
Dillon frowned. "Well not all of it, but he gave me an account of what happened from the time Ruth Bradley showed up at his office--"
"--What?"
"Ruth Bradley...aren't you talking about what happened at the Dodge House last night?"
"What the hell happened now?" Alarm suddenly filled her. "Is Doc all right?"
"He's fine. But he's in a little bit of hot water."
"How do you mean?"
"He shot Aaron Bradley last night."
Kitty didn't seem that surprised. "Did he kill him?"
"Bradley's dead, yes. Doc says it was an accident."
Kitty looked Matt in the eyes. "You believe him?"
Anger clouded his face. "Well of course I believe him, why wouldn't I?" His frown deepened. "Look, I came over here to ask you how your talk with Doc went last night."
Kitty sighed. "It didn't. He threw me out."
"Threw you out? I don't understand..."
"Neither do I, but he sure as hell doesn't want to be probed about his history with Aaron Bradley." She looked up at the marshall, tears in her eyes. "Matt, he told me that I was no longer welcome to come to his office."
Dillon couldn't believe his own ears. "That doesn't sound like Doc at all."
"No it doesn't. And that's not all." She looked down then back up at him. "Before I went in, I looked through the window..."
"And?"
"Was Doc ever married?"
"Doc, married? No...why?"
"Matt, I swear I saw him holdin' a gold wedding band, and when he realized I was on the staircase, he shoved it in a desk drawer. I asked him about it, and it was then that he told me to get lost."
Matt let out a long sigh of air. "The more I find out, the worse this looks."
"You going to talk to Doc?"
"Yes, right after I have a chat with Ruth Bradley. If she corroborates what Doc told me, then there's no problem."
"But if not?"
"I don't want to think about that right now, Kitty."
Ruth Bradley cried as she spoke to the marshall. "I told you, Marshall, my father wasn't feeling well, and I fetched Doc Adams."
"Even though you witnessed the altercation between them earlier?"
"You were there, Marshall, it wasn't an altercation. Dr. Adams obviously had some kind of grudge against my father...but it didn't give him the right to kill him!"
Matt backed off slightly. "Calm down, Miss Bradley. I know this is difficult for you, but I need to hear your side of the story."
"My side? I'm telling you the truth, Marshall Dillon. As surely as we are sitting here, my sick father ran out into the hallway of the Dodge House to get away from that maniac with the gun, and then Doc Adams shot him. You saw it yourself."
"I'm interested only in what you saw right now, Miss Bradley."
"Well, I've already told you everything I know."
"And you have no idea what this grudge might have been about? Your father never mentioned anything?"
"Marshall Dillon, before yesterday I had neither heard of nor seen Dr. Galen Adams in my life." She stood, gathering her purse. "And now my father's dead because of him. I hope he hangs, Marshall, and I hope I'm there to see it. I don't understand why he's not in this jail!"
"Leave the law to me, Miss Bradley."
She glared at the tall man. "Good day, Marshall Dillon."
"Miss Bradley..."
Dillon held the door for her, and then dazed slightly, sat down in one of the chairs. Festus tried to clear the emotion from his throat, although he wasn't entirely successful.
"Matthew? What're we gonna do?" The soft amber eyes stared intently into the sad blue ones. "We cain't lock him up, Matthew. We just cain't..."
Matt stood, blowing air out of his mouth. "Festus, there isn't any choice. But I'm gonna wire Judge Brooker and see if we can't let him out based on the fact that he's the only doctor for a hundred miles. We need him..."
Festus couldn't keep the tears from his eyes, and abruptly he stood and walked out the side door. Matt understood he had to let his deputy go; for as much as Haggen liked to argue with Doc, the two men cared deeply for each other. He reached for his hat, and looked down at the little tin badge on his chest. It might be that he'd have to turn it in. If it came down to it, Matt Dillon wasn't sure that he could choose the law over Doc Adams. He wasn't sure at all.