AN: Some readers like to know. This should be 9 chapters. On with the show!

Dodge City

Lips nervously pressed together, Kitty sat on the train peering out the window. The whistle blasted a final call. Would-be passengers hurrying down Front Street, picked up their pace, desperate to get to the train before it left. Kitty blew out an exasperated breath. She and Matt had been the first to board, she'd made sure of that, but they'd barely settled into their seats when Newly appeared out of nowhere, breathless and full of apologies."Hate to bother you Matt, but a big pile of papers just arrived from Judge Brooker. The ones we were expecting. It would sure be good if you could look through them real quick, and sign the ones that need it. If we wait 'til you get back, well – you know what the backlog will be and there are prisoners that…." Matt was on his feet before Newly finished talking. "Kitty, don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

Watching out the window, Kitty whispered through gritted teeth. "Cowboy, you'd better get yourself back here now – right now." Her hand moved to the top of her white ruffled blouse, and she fingered the broach that was pinned there. An exquisite gift that Matt had given her at breakfast. They both knew, but didn't mention, it was meant to replace a broach he'd given her 6 months ago, before an ill-fate trip to St. Louis. They'd planned that trip for months but it quickly feel apart when, part way there, Matt was called back to Dodge for a trial. She refused to return with him, and got back on the stage to St. Louis, angry and upset. That stage was robbed, and an outlaw ripped the broach from her blouse. Worse would have happened if it hadn't been for a fellow passenger named Will Stambridge.

ALL ABOARD – TAKE YOUR SEATS - DODGE TO SAINT LOUIS DEPARTING

"Damn." Kitty stamped her foot and twisted around in her seat. Her eyes widened. She let out a sigh of relief. Matt was shaking hands with the conductor. She should have know he'd arranged for the train not to leave without him.

He slid into the seat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Kitty, we're on our way." She lifted an eyebrow, "I'm not letting myself believe it, not quite yet." The train lurched forward and picked up speed. With every mile that went by, Kitty's heart grew lighter. When they sped through Reno County she smiled up at Matt. "I'm starting to believe we'll make it this time." She leaned forward and pulled a copy of Harper's Bazaar from her carry-on bag. The magazine featured the latest in fashion, and she loved studying the pages. St. Louis wasn't New York or Boston, but it wasn't Dodge either. She was sure she'd be going home with some fashionable wear. Matt picked up a newspaper, left on the seat across from them, the Kansas/Missouri Chronicle. He leaned back to read, and set a foot across his knee. The miles flew by. The train rocked in a steady rhythm. Kitty was turning a page of Harper's when she felt Matt's body grow tense. She looked up at him and saw him frown as he continued reading. "Matt, is something wrong? Something in that newspaper?" He stared straight ahead for a second and shook his head. "No, no nothing's wrong." He folded the Chronicle quickly and set it down, as if trying to push aside what he'd read. Kitty watched him rub the back of his neck, "Matt, you've been so busy the past week, you've barely slept. Why don't you try to take a nap. You'll be fresher when we get to St. Louis."

He stifled a yawn. "If you don't mind, I think I'll do just that." He leaned back in his seat and pulled his hat down over his eyes. Years of long, odd hours had trained him to grab sleep when he could. It didn't take long for his breaths to grow slow and even. Kitty went back to her Harper's Bazaar, but her mind drifted. She couldn't stop thinking about the frown that had touched Matt's face, and the way his body had suddenly tensed. Something he read in that newspaper troubled him, but it was likely he thought that bringing it up would put a damper on their vacation. She stared down at the folded newspaper on the seat between them. Matt meant well, but if she didn't find out what he saw in that paper, she'd think of nothing else. Careful not to disturb Matt's sleep, she quietly picked up the newspaper and looked through the pages.

St. Louis.

Four men sat around a table in a dimly lit restaurant. The three men wearing business suits took small sips of white wine from long stem glasses. The fourth, who'd never owned a suit in his life, grabbed a bottle from the table and splashed whiskey into a shot glass. "I coulda killed him for ya." He tossed back his drink and wiped his sleeve across his mouth. "But I did what ya wanted, an' locked him in that basement. If ya don't want nothin' more, pay up." The largest of the three businessmen slipped a manicured hand into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a thick wad of cash, held together with twine. His two slimmer companions pulled derringers from their pockets, and nervously but steadily pointed them at the cowboy. One them of them spoke. "Remember, we mean business, when you leave here forget we ever met. We want that man alive for reasons that are no concern of yours. Just give back the key to the basement where he's locked up, and Jasper will slide that nice pile of money over to you."

The cowboy sneered and reached into his shirt pocket. "I ain't gonna say nothing to nobody. I'm takin' my money and goin' to California." He tossed a key across the table. Jasper smiled and slid the money over. The cowboy fondled the bills before stuffing the wad into his saddlebag. "Pleasure doin' business." He stood, grabbed the half empty bottle of whiskey and left without looking back."

The two slender men returned their derringers to their pockets and picked up their wine glasses. Jasper smiled and lifted his. "Adam and Carl, now we proceed with part two of our plan. The beauty of it is there's no rush. We can keep him locked up as long as we please. No one will miss him." The three men drained their glasses and smiled smugly at each other. Jasper Wellington lifted the wine bottle with a flourish and refilled their glasses. "Let's have another. As I said there's no hurry."

The Train

While Matt Dillon got some much needed sleep, Kitty quietly looked through the newspaper he'd been reading. Her eyes raced over political doings, investment news, and the latest books and inventions that were sweeping the country. All of these were interesting, and certainly Matt would have found them so, but none of these stories would have caused the reaction she saw in him. Then a headline jumped out.

3 Missing Young Men Raise Questions

As reported previously, two St. Louis bankers, Adam Bates and Carl Davis, along with financier Jasper Wellington, filed reports that their 18 year old sons were missing. Today Mr. Wellington, speaking for all three wealthy widowers, said that he was losing confidence that the police could see that justice was served. He did not elaborate. St. Louis Police Lieutenant Michael Haley leads the investigation, and made no comment on the gentleman's statement.

Kitty carefully folded the Kansas/Missouri Chronicle and returned it to the space between her seat and Matt's. That police lieutenant's name tickled her brain. Several times over the years Matt had mentioned a friend and lawman named Mike Haley. He liked and respected the man. If she remembered right, and she was sure she did, they were young deputies together years ago. She bit her lower lip and shook her head. Please, Cowboy don't get involved in any of this. Please.

TBC