Matt walked down Front Street toward the jail house. His mind was focussed on the dead man. As he continued to walk his mind shifted thoughts to the other dead man that was discovered a week earlier. The latest death was equally brutal, yet somehow different from the first murder, and that's what he was calling them both; murders. His eyes narrowed in continued thought.
Matt stopped in front of the jail house and looked across the dusty street. He decided to talk to Louie again, hoping to find more about the dead man. He also hoped that Louie had calmed down as he was in quite a heightened state of anxiety when he reported the finding to the marshal.
Matt stepped down off the boardwalk and strolled across the street. Inside the livery, Louie was busy with a rake removing the old hay from the stalls. Louie hummed to himself as he usually did when he was self absorbed in something. He didn't notice the marshal behind him. "Louie?"
The older man jumped. "Oh. Marshal! You gave me an awful scare." Louie slowly turned to face the tall law man. "What can I do for you? Get your horse ready?"
Matt smiled and shook his head no. "Louie, I need to talk to you about that man you found murdered."
Louie nodded. "He was a very nice man. He bought me a bottle last night."
Matt stepped forward. "Maybe we should talk about this at the office."
Louie tightened his grip on the rake. "I'm not in trouble, am I Marshal?" He swallowed trying to remember his facts from last night. His eyes watering from fear and dust.
Matt smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Louie's shoulder. "No, Louie. You aren't in any trouble. I just think we should talk about this in a more private place." Matt urged.
Louie sighed with relief but continued to eye the marshal making sure that he wasn't pulling a fast one on him and trick him into going to the jail. He looked around and noticed that the marshal was alone and Festus was not in sight. He slowly placed the rake against a stall wall and nodded before he stepped out of the livery toward the jail house. Matt followed closely behind.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Doc stepped through the swing doors of the Long Branch Saloon. He surveyed the room before he decided to walk over to the long wooden bar. Kitty and Sam were behind it looking over some receipts from the night before. "Mornin'." Doc said with his velvet toned voice.
Kitty looked up and smiled. "Morning Doc. And how are you today?"
Doc didn't answer right away. Instead he thought on his answer to Kitty's question. The lag in response caused Kitty to ask another question. "You all right?"
Doc mumbled a yes though his hand over his moustache and then he asked for a drink. "That bad already today, huh?" Kitty continued. "You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Now tell me what's wrong." She said as she poured Doc's drink and set the glass down on the bar in front of him.
Before he said another word he picked up the glass and sipped back a good mouth full of whiskey. With a satisfied sigh he set the glass down and looked Kitty in the eyes. "There are some aspects to my job that I just hate."
"Oh?" Kitty didn't ask but tilted her heard with concern.
"Yes. I just came from Percy Crump's." Doc lamented.
Sam stepped closer into the conversation. "I saw you go in there Doc. Who died?"
"No one I know. He was murdered last night. Just like that other fella a week ago. Except this man died much more violently."
Kitty's mouth fell open. "And no one knows who did it?"
Doc looked up from his drink. "No. Not yet."
