Beth Miller pulled her buggy up to her front porch and with a sharp tug of the reigns the horse halted, rocking the buggy. Her eyes narrowed into the night behind her as she was certain that the law would be come for her soon.
Still filled with rage, she gruffly stepped down out of the buggy and marched to the front door of her house. Only one lantern glowed through the window. Swiftly she opened the door and stepped through, slamming it behind herself. Here eyes cast around the room as her mind spun trying to think of what to do next.
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Festus had picked up two lanterns from the livery stable and met Matt in the alley. Slowly the made their way through the maze, following the foot prints to ensure that Beth Miller hadn't run off in a different direction as Matt had thought.
The tracks lead the two lawmen to the buggy tracks. "Looks like your figuring was right, Matthew. Those buggy track head north and I bet you they lead right to ol' widow Miller's place. I orta know...I been thar a hundred times in the last two weeks."
Matt drew in a deep breath. The thought of arresting Beth Miller didn't sit well with him. She was strong in the community and the church. He looked at Festus, "What do you know of Beth Miller?"
Festus looked slightly awkward in his wanting to respond to Matt's question. "Wall...she ain't as old as what people think she is. It's jist that she's been keepin' that farm all by her own self since Mr Miller died about 5 years ago and her two grown youngins didn't stay to help..."
Matt made a face. "Well, do you know what Bernard Miller died from?" He tucked his one free thumb into his vest pocket.
Festus cocked his head slightly sideways and then looked at Matt. "From what I understand, Matthew, Mr Miller took to the bottle and died." Matt shook his head in sadness but then Festus spoke further on the subject, "But ol Doc said sometime ago that he just plum wore out his heart on the farm and died from that. Can you imagine, even in yer yearly years dying from a heart attack?" Festus' eyebrows rose upwards to make his point.
"Well regardless how he died, widow Miller is in serious trouble and we have to bring her in for questioning." Matt's eyes were focussed into the night toward the Miller homestead. "Let's get the horses..."
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Newly did his best with Doc's shoulder. "Well. I hope that I got all the blood vessels that were damaged." He sighed.
Kitty said nothing and continued to wash up the instruments that Newly had used. She wondered where Matt and Festus had gotten to. It was several hours since they left. Her attention turned to Doc when she heard him groan. Kitty quickly stepped to his side. "Doc? How are you feeling?" She held her hand gently on his brow.
Slowly the doctor's eyes blinked open. "How's Louie?"
Kitty smiled. "Is that all you've got to say? He's find. How's you?" She mimicked back jokingly and blinked back the moisture building in her eyes. "Remember who call who a tough buzzard."
Doc smiled weakly and then his face changed to worry. "What happened to Beth Miller?"
Newly stepped over and stood behind Kitty. "The Marshal and Festus have gone out to find her."
Doc struggled to sit and with the aid of Kitty and Newly he was able to. He looked at his shoulder and then to Newly. "You did a fine job."
Newly was slightly bashful and quickly turned his attention to Doc's shoulder. "Do you need anything for the pain?"
Doc waved off the question with his right hand. "I'll take something for it before I go to bed." Then his facial expression changed from his own well being to thinking of Beth Miller. "She's not a well lady. I mean physically she's fit as a fiddle, but mentally she's confused." Doc's head hung low. He didn't know what to do for the woman who violently ended three lives. "I can't figure out why she killed them and then targeted Louie..."
Kitty pat Doc on his forearm. "You let Matt and Festus worry about that and get some sleep." Doc could only agree.
