Clem paced nervously up and down the boardwalk in front of the stage office, two tickets for Laramie clutched in one hand. When she finally spied Kid, laden down with a carpet bag and his bedroll, and with his saddlebags slung over one shoulder, Clem stopped, rested her hands on her hips and smiled at the sight.
"Stage leaves in fifteen minutes," she told Kid as he neared.
"Well then, I guess I'm right on time."
"Did you lock the door?" Clem asked as she slipped a ticket into the hand wrapped around the bed roll.
Kid smiled. "Yes, Ma'am. I locked the door," Kid replied as he handed the carpet bag and the bedroll up to the man stowing the luggage. "What's in the bag?"
Clem thrust the small paper bag into Kid's hands. "Breakfast. I figured you didn't have anything but coffee and we might as well start fattening you up now."
Kid grinned and opened the bag to examine the contents which consisted of two large donuts and a smaller, half eaten one.
"You saving some for later?" he asked.
"I didn't want you to have to eat alone."
"Everybody that's riding best get in," the driver said as he climbed up into the seat of the stage.
Kid opened the door and helped Clem inside, then quickly followed. For this leg of the trip they would be traveling alone.
"Where are you staying in Laramie, Kid?" Clem asked once the stage was on it's way.
"I've got a little house rented not far from the prison."
"Now that you're out, can you visit Heyes?"
"I don't know yet, I ain't tried," Kid replied and reached into the bag for one of the donuts. He offered the bag to Clem but she declined. "I've been kind of busy finding a place to live and getting settled. Lot of things to buy when you start out with nothing."
"We should find out if you can see him. He might like to know he's got a place to go when he gets out."
"I'm sure he knows that, cause he knows I'd be getting out before him and I don't think nothing's changed between him and me."
Clem nodded and decided not to remind Kid that Heyes likely didn't even know if Kid was still alive, or if he had survived five years in prison.
Kid ate the better part of the donut but dropped the remainder back in the bag.
"That's no way to put some pounds back on your skinny frame," Clem gently scolded.
"What's the matter Clem, you don't like the idea of me being thinner than you?"
Clem laughed. "You're not thinner than me, but you are too thin for your own good. You gotta start eating more."
"I'm trying, Clem. It just takes a while to adjust to real food after five years."
"What did they feed you in prison?"
"Most of the time, you couldn't really tell what it was. Reminded me a lot of the orphanage food. You know, a lot of gruel and such. Except on Christmas. That was a real dinner that you could tell what it was you was eating."
"Once a year?" Clem asked with utter amazement and disdain.
Kid grinned. "I might be exaggerating just a bit, but not by too much."
Clem shook her head. "And Heyes was too skinny to begin with. He probably looks like a pole by now," she replied.
The ride to Laramie was over ten hours plus an overnight stay at a stage station. By the time they arrived in Laramie well after noon the next day, both felt gritty and tired. So Kid had Clem wait inside the stage office with the luggage while he walked to the livery and rented a horse and surrey. When they arrived at the rental cabin it was late afternoon.
"The place has two bedrooms and you're welcome to the spare one till Heyes is here. Then, I suspect you and me will be sharing a bed again," Kid told her with a wink and a grin.
"How far is the prison from here?"
"Maybe three or four miles. We'll ride out there tomorrow to see if we can see Heyes, or at least schedule a visit."
"Kid, things are gonna turn out alright, you know," Clem said as a statement rather than a question.
Kid smiled at her. "That's why I brung you along, Clem...To keep reminding me of that. You want something to eat? You ain't had nothing all day."
"I'll eat if you will."
Kid smiled. "I'll rustle us up some bacon and eggs. You take your bag in your room and get yourself unpacked."
They both ate a hearty supper, then late in the evening and weary from their travel they retired to their respective rooms. Kid's room was much less dark than Clem's as this time of year he had direct moonlight shining in, casting hues of gray and white about the room. He lay on his back in the bed, one arm resting on the pillow near his head. Sleep no longer came easy to Kid. Prison had presented new dangers and he had no one to depend on but himself. Now, having been out for such a brief time, his mind had not yet adjusted to the safer environment of the cabin and it was nearly three in the morning before Kid finally drifted off to sleep.
0-0-0-0-0-
The ride to the Wyoming Territorial Prison was flat and bleak with the mountains being so far in the distance that they looked like little more than tall hills. The land had been grazed beyond any useful purpose and was dry and dusty, now baking in the sun. Everywhere they looked they could see noting but various shades of brown. Above them, the sky was cloudless and pale with only a scorching hot, orange sun beating down on them.
Kid paced the horse in the unusual heat and Clem used her parasol as a shield against the sun and blowing dust. Fortunately for them, the ride was little over an hour before the prison, completely surround by a high stone wall, appeared on the horizon like a stone island in a sea of dust.
"That's the prison?" Clem asked, despite the fact that she knew the answer.
"Uh-uh."
"It looks...horrid."
Kid didn't respond and kept his eyes focused on the road rather than what lay ahead.
They arrived at the Sentry Post and Kid reined the horse to a stop as an armed Guard stepped out.
"You have business here, Sir?" the Guard asked.
"How do we go about seeing a prisoner or scheduling a visit if that's what's needed?" Kid asked.
"Your names, please."
"Jed Curry and Clementine Hale," Kid replied and watched the Sentry write the names on his register.
"You see where that tower rises up in the center of the main building?" the guard asked and Kid nodded.
"The visitor's desk is right through them doors. You can talk to the clerk, there. You'll have to leave your gun here, though, Sir."
Kid reached for his gun and handed it to the Sentry.
"Thank you," Kid nodded and urged the horse forward.
0-0-0-0-0-
"How do we go about seeing one of your prisoners?" Kid asked through a barred space that resembled a teller's booth in a bank.
"You a lawyer?"
"No."
"Well the fact is, you won't be seeing any prisoner today. Visiting day is Thursday. You want to schedule a visit?"
Kid nodded.
"What's the names?"
"Clementine Hale," Clem piped up quickly.
"Jed Curry."
"Curry? You the fellow that just got out?"
"That information necessary?"
"As a matter of fact it is, if you're wanting to see somebody."
"Yeah, that's me," Kid replied.
"Who is it you're wanting to see?"
"Hannibal Heyes," Clem again said quickly.
"Social or business?"
"Both," Kid replied.
The clerk had been flipping pages in the registry and finally came across the name Hannibal Heyes.
"He ain't had but one visitor in almost five years," the clerk said.
"Well, now he's got two," Kid replied, fingering his empty holster and feeling a bit irritated..
"There's still a spot open for two in the afternoon on Thursday," the clerk told them.
"Well then, pencil us in," Kid replied
"You're all set. Come to this same spot on Thursday," the Clerk told them.
Kid reached for Clem's arm and ushered her out of the building and out to the surrey and quickly helped her into her seat.
"What's wrong? What's your hurry, Kid."
Kid stood by the surrey taking deep deep and rapid breaths.
"Kid, are you alright?"
Kid nodded. "Just...Give me a minute."
Clem said nothing but watched Kid with some concern. Kid stood for a couple of minutes calming himself, then walked around the back of the surrey and climbed into the driver's seat.
"What just happened, Kid?"
Kid fingered the reins in his hands. "Just...being in there...that's all. It's nothing, Clem," Kid said and backed the surrey up and tugged the reins to the right to head to the Sentry Post to collect his gun.
"Well, now I know why they don't let you take a gun in there," Kid said once they had distanced themselves from the prison by a couple of miles.
"Was it really that awful? I don't mean today, I mean... being in?"
"Well, let's just say it weren't no walk in the park," Kid replied. "Nothing you got to worry about, Clem."
"But you're worried about how Heyes handled it, aren't you?"
Kid sighed. "No sense worrying about such matters. I'll know how he handled it when I see him."
They rode the rest of the way to the cabin in silence, Kid did worry about his partner, and Clem worried about them both.
"Kid, let's go in to town for supper tonight," Clem suggested as Kid helped her out of the surrey.
"What's the matter Clem, you don't like my cooking?"
"It's not that. It's just that, well I think it would be a nice diversion. And I think some beer or whiskey might be good for you."
"You think I'd be more relaxed if I was a little drunk?"
"Yes," she said honestly.
"Well, Clem,you might be right."
They headed in to the cabin and Clem set to work freshening up while Kid simply changed into a clean shirt. Then they rode into Laramie for supper.
"I can do some shopping for an hour if you want to go have a beer or two. We can meet right back here and then go to supper," Clem suggested.
"That sounds fine to me, Clem. I'll be back here in an hour.
When they met up again, both had packages to put on the floor of the back seat. Clem could smell the beer on Kid's breath and was pleased that he did seem a bit more relaxed. Then Kid took Clem's arm and walked her down the boardwalk to a hotel and they headed inside for dinner. Kid ordered another beer with his meal and Clem ordered a glass of wine.
"You want to talk about it?" Clem asked.
"What, prison? No, I don't need to rehash it all, Clem. I really am feeling better than I was this afternoon. I think it's part of them ailments I told you about. I don't handle stress as well as I use to."
"If you were stressed talking to that clerk, it sure didn't show," she replied.
"Are all the stories you hear true about prison, Kid?"
Kid smiled. "Depends what stories you've heard. It ain't a good place for a weak spirited man...Let's just change the subject Clem," he said and took a long swallow of his beer.
"Heyes only had one visitor. Is that the same with you?"
"I thought we was going to change the subject."
"Well?"
"Yeah, that's true. One visit from my lawyer saying that since we agreed to a plea bargain, there weren't no chance for appeals, and he was signing off on me."
"Kid, if you or Heyes had told me, I would have come to visit."
"I know. But I think that would have made things harder, Clem. A reminder of what we...gave up."
"I could have written to you both."
"Would have had the same effect. The whole thing is almost over, Clem. Let's just let it drop."
She nodded. "Okay," she said.
They ate dinner and Clem managed to engage Kid in some idle conversation. Arriving back at the cabin, Kid carried most of the packages inside and set them on the table. Kid's package just consisted of two bottles of whiskey that he placed in the cupboard above the sink. Clem had bought more personal items that she carried into her bedroom and plopped on the bed to be put away later.
"You want some coffee," she asked when she returned to the main room.
"Probably not the best choice before bed, but sure," Kid replied. "I'm gonna go step out for a minute."
Clem made the coffee but began to worry when Kid didn't return. She went to the door to look for him and found him standing on the porch, leaning against the post, smoking a cigar. The sight of him made her smile and she quietly pushed the screen door open and walked up behind Kid and wrapped her arms about his waist, leaned her head against his back and sighed with a feeling of contentment.
"Feels good out here," she said as Kid moved his arm to rest across her shoulders and gently moved her to stand beside him.
"Uh-uh," he replied, taking a draw of the cigar and gently exhaling the smoke from his parted lips.
"Kid, if you ever need someone to fill that empty space in your bed..."
Kid smiled. He knew it wasn't charity she was offering, neither was it love. It was simply the strong bond of a very dear friendship."
"I'll keep that in mind, Clem."
"You promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."