Matt followed Newly into the alley. Their lanterns lit up the grim sight. Matt exhaled deeply and Newly knew he was not happy with this new situation. "You better get Doc." Matt's voice was low and on the verge of seething.
Newly nodded and departed. "Yes sir..." He left Matt in the alley.
Matt held his lantern over the body and then knelt beside it. He studied the dead man's face and recognised him from around town, although he didn't know him by name. His eyes again searched the dark alleyway before they drifted back to the body. It was then his eyes locked on to the knife protruding from the dead man's back. Somehow it looked familiar. Slowly his right hand reached for the handle and with a hard tug, the knife was in his hand and Matt's eyes gazed at it.
"Marshal?" Newly whispered.
"I'm still here Newly." Matt's enthusiasm for the truth was flat.
"Matt?" Doc's voice cut through the darkness.
The tall marshal stood up from the dusty alley floor. "Doc. We've got another one. I recognized this man from around town..."
Doc looked at the man and then back to Matt. "You seem a little hesitant to say more about this..."
Matt nodded and held the knife out to Doc. "Look familiar?"
Doc studied the knife for a moment and then shook his head no. "Should I?"
Matt sighed deeply. "If you ever went hunting with Festus you would..."
Doc's eyes looked sharply up at Matt's. "What are you saying!"
Matt looked at Doc and then Newly. "Nothing yet. But we have to find Festus. And soon."
Doc scoffed at the thought and wiped his hand over his moustache. "Festus couldn't have done this! He's been working out at widow Miller's place. That's where he's been staying over night so he can help her with the morning chores..."
Newly looked at the marshal and then Doc. "Why all of a sudden does she need help with her chores? She's been doing just find until now. Pardon my askin'."
Doc ran his finger over the top of his ear. "Well, it wasn't so much as she needed help like that, I just had to find a place for Festus to be away from marshalling, for the time being."
Matt looked at his friends. "Doesn't matter at this point why he was helping her. What matters is that we have to find him. I need to ask him where he was tonight and if this is his knife."
Doc couldn't believe what Matt was saying. "I'm sure hundreds of knives were made that looked like that."
Matt wasn't amused. "Are you so sure about that, Doc?"
Doc couldn't deny that Matt was right. "Matt. When you find him. Go gently on him."
Matt understood what the doctor was saying, but he still had to find his recuperating deputy before word got out, and it didn't matter how closely a secret was guarded it always got out into the wrong hands. Finding Festus and having him brought in was also for his own protection. Matt hated the idea.
Matt instructed Newly to get Percy Crump and that they take the back way into the alley. He didn't want panic to flame any ambers of who was responsible.
