Heyes and Curry rode leisurely through the rocky Arizona terrain. They had no specific destination and they could see for miles all around them and were both confident that there was not a bounty hunter or posse as far as the eye could see.
"Heyes, I've been thinking."
"Oh, Kid, now we both know that is never a good idea," Heyes teased, knowing Kid would take the bait and run with it.
"You don't think I have any good ideas?" Kidd snapped back at him
"Oh, sure you do, Kid. It's just that your ideas are usually good for the bounty hunters, posses, and U.S Marshals rather than for you and me."
"Alright, I won't tell you," Kid said and broke his horse into a cantor to move well ahead of his partner.
They rode like that for a couple of minutes before an inkling of remorse crept into Heyes' brain. Frowning, Heyes spurred the sides of his horse to catch up to his friend. "Alright, Kid, what's your idea?"
Kid smiled broadly. "Australia," he said proudly. "We can go to Australia."
"Why?" Heyes asked
"They speak English for one thing, and they've got lots of wide open country."
"Kid, you ever heard of crocodiles?"
"What's that?" Kid asked
"Just eight foot long, five hundred pound reptiles that can kill a man with one bite... and swallow him whole."
Kid's eyes widened, then his mouth slowly turned into a frown. "There's no such thing..."
"Afraid there is, Kid. And they're everywhere in Australia, except the cities, of course. But there's only about a dozen towns and cities in all of Australia so I guess it gets so that people are easily recognized wherever they go in Australia."
Kid rode in silence, finally concluding Australia was not such a good option. "Alright," he finally said and suddenly brightened, "Then what about England?"
"England?" Heyes asked.
Kid nodded his head and smiled broadly once again. "They speak English," he said proudly.
"I that your only criteria?"" Heyes asked. "That the people speak English?"
"What's wrong with England?"
"Ever hear of Scotland Yard?"
"I'm talking about England, Heyes, not Scotland, although I think they speak English there, too!"
Heyes sighed and rolled his eyes. "Scotland Yard is a Detective Agency, one that makes Bannerman and Pinkerton combined look like a bunch of Harry Briscoes!"
Kid frowned again. "So this Scotland Yard is a well run detective agency?"
"Very well run They go after, and catch I might add, international criminals. They are very good, Kid."
"Then where do you think we should go?" Kid asked defiantly.
Heyes signed and thought for a minute, then he smiled broadly. "I've got it, Kid!"
"Where?" Kid asked
"Kansas," Heyes announced.
"Kansas! Why Kansas?"
"They speak English," Heyes teased.
Kid leaned forward forward in his saddle and rested his arms across the horn. "I think you're the one with the bad ideas," he grumbled. "I 'm never going back to Kansas. He said emphatically"
"I'm serious, Kid. When was the last time you were in Kansas?"
"The day you and I left Kansas to become outlaws! We grew up in Kansas, Heyes. It's not a place I ever want to go back to. Nothing good ever happens in Kansas."
Heyes knew there was a lot of truth in Kid's last words, at least a lot of truth for the two of them. They had grown up in Kansas, much of that time during the Civil War. Both their homes had been pillaged by soldiers from both sides. Both of there parents, and and siblings had been killed by soldiers. They both had actually witnessed Kid's mother being murdered by soldiers. They had been shipped to the Valparaiso School for Wayward boys after their parents died. Heyes fully understood the Kid's conviction about never returning to Kansas and, in truth, he agreed with him.
"Isn't your brother, Thaddeus still in Kansas?" Heyes asked
Kid shook his head. "I don't know where he is. I haven't heard from him in years," he said quietly
Kid was almost twenty years younger than his brother Thaddeus Curry and scarcely knew him. Thaddeus had moved out and on his own by the time the Kid was born, and had joined the Southern Army and fought for the Rebels during the war. He had returned after their family had been murdered by soldiers, but his stay was brief as he was summoned back to Atlanta after only three days. That was the last time Kid had ever heard from him save for one or two letters. The truth was, Thaddeus was essentially a stranger to Kid and Kid didn't know if Thaddeus was dead or alive."
"I hear that every Friday night there is a very high stakes poker game in Kansas," Heyes said, trying to lighten the subject of the place he knew he probably should never have mentioned.
"Where in Kansas?" Kid asked
"Dodge City. At the Long Branch saloon. Every Friday night all the ranchers get together for their weekly poker game..."
"You're not a rancher, Heyes. Ranchers usually bring a lot, I mean a lot of money to a poker game," Kid interrupted. "You would need at least ten thousand dollars just to get in the game. You are not a rancher and you ain't got ten thousand dollars"
Heyes thought a minute. "You're right. I'm not either of those things. But I am a very good poker player... and we could use some money."
Kid nodded his agreement to Heyes' last sentence. "Who's the sheriff in Dodge City?" Kid asked
"A Marshall by the name of... Dillon I believe," Heyes replied.
Kid thought for a minute. "Never heard of him," he concluded
Heyes smiled. "No, I don't believe we have ever met him."
"I really don't like Kansas," Kid warned.
Heyes smiled, realizing Kid was actually considering his idea. "I know you don't. But look on the bright side, Kid. Maybe I'll make us enough money to go to Australia, or England."
Kid laughed hard and loud. "Heyes, one of these days that silver tongue of yours is gong to get us in some real trouble, you know. Where do you plan to get the money for this poker game?" Kid asked.
"I haven't figured that one out yet, Kid. But I will."
"Oh, I'm sure of that." Kid replied.
They both rode in silence for most of the afternoon, Heyes deep in thought trying to figure out how to come up with several thousand dollars... in an honest fashion.
That night, after Heyes had tended to the horses, he walked over to the fire. He picked up a tin cup and poured himself a cup of coffee. Then he sat down on a rock near the fire, almost directly across from the Kid and took a sip of the hot drink.
"This is awful!" he griped.
"It's called rationing. There ain't much coffee left," Kid explained
'It tastes like half coffee and half dirt!'
"Horse manure," Kid said flatly.
Heyes tried another sip of coffee before tossing the liquid on the ground.
"Yep, that's what it tastes like."
"You've tasted horse manure have you?"
"Kid," Heyes said, changing the subject, "we are heading to Denver,"
"Denver Why?"
"Clementine," he said with a smile.
"Clementine? The woman with the only existing picture of us?"
Heyes smiled and nodded.
"The one who sabotaged us in Mexico? The one who almost got us killed in Mexico I might add"
"The very one," Heyes replied. "Although she didn't get us almost killed," he corrected
Kid shook his head. "Maybe not, but we did end up in jail because of her... Wait a minute, you honestly think she's going to give us ten thousand dollars, don't you?"
"Nope,"Heyes replied. "I think we are going to blackmail her out of ten thousand dollars," Heyes replied.
"How?" Kid asked
"We are going to get that picture... and hold it for ransom. "
"Ransom," Kid said flatly. "Heyes, let me remind you that picture is in a vault in a Denver Bank."
"Uh-Uh," Heyes replied.
"We don't even know which bank!"
"We'll find that out."
"How?"
"We'll ask."
"If you think Clem going to tell us which bank she is keeping that picture, you're dumber than I am!"
"Don't sell yourself short, Kid. You're not dumb... a little naive sometimes, but not dumb."
Kid sighed in exasperation. "You can't just come out and ask her. So, you still haven't told me how you're going to get hold of that picture."
"I'll let you know that in a day or two. Right now I'm still working out the details."
"You make me very nervous, Heyes. I don't like feeling nervous."
"I know, Kid. But don't you worry. Once I get all the details figured out, it will be as easy as slicing a piece of cake."
"You've said that before, Heyes. It's never as easy as slicing a piece of cake."
With that, Kid got up and spread out his bedroll near a tree and laid down on his back.
"Kid," Heyes called to him.
"Oh, no. We're not talking about this again until you get the details worked out. Then I'll decide if I'm in." Kid warned.
"Just hear me out."
"I'm not listening to another word! Good night!" Kid laid down on his bed roll and turned onto his side with his back facing Heyes. "Not another word," he muttered.
They road eastward for two days, neither broaching the subject of Heyes' formulating plan. The second night out, Heyes again sat down across from Kid near the campfire.
"Well, I have a plan."
"Is it something I really want to hear?" Kid asked.
"Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway."
"I was afraid of that."
With that, Heyes proceeded to divulge the plan to get possession of the only photo of Heyes and Kid in existence.
"It will never work, and it's mean," Kid said when Heyes had finished
"Now, Kid, It will work. Clem is a lot more innocent and gullible than you think."
"Clem? Gullible?" Kid said shaking his head.
"Yes. I'm counting on it."
"Heyes, you are the very one who says you have to be very certain of every detail before you commit the heist."
"That's true," Heyes confessed.
"You don't sound sure of every detail," Kid said.
"That's true, too. But this isn't really a heist. It's more like getting something back that belongs to us. We paid for that picture, remember?"
Kid was not impressed with Heyes' logic, but he did trust Heyes. "Well, I suppose the worst that can happen is we won't get the picture, we might lose a friend, and we won't get the money. And on the bright side, that means we won't go back to Kansas," Kid said reluctantly.
"We will practice a lot before you actually do it. Nothing will go wrong," Heyes said confidently.
"I hate when you say that. It usually means a lot will go wrong."
Three days later, Kid stood on the porch of the little one story house in Denver and knocked on the door and waited. His hand caressed the three-days stubble on his chin. Heyes had insisted he not shave in order to give him a more distraught, troubled, travel weary appearance.
Clementine opened the door and a look of glee and surprise spread across her face. "Kid!" she exclaimed as she opened the screen door and jumped into his arms and kissed his face. He kissed her back until he felt her hands pushing against his shoulders. He set her gentle back down on her feet.
"What do you want? No, wait, I know what you want and you can't have it," she said emphatically. She looked around quizzically. "Where's Hayes?" she demanded.
The smile disappeared from Kid's face and he looked at her with the most sorrowful expression he could muster. "Well, that's what I came to tell you... Can I come inside?" he asked.
Her lips parted and deep lines of concern crossed he brow."
"What happened?" she demanded "Was he caught? Is he in jail?"
Kid looked at her with very sad eyes. "Can I please come in?" he asked again, already hating himself for agreeing to Heyes' plan..
She nodded, fearing something dreadful. He followed her into the parlor and slowly sat down in a chair, trying to create as dramatic a scene as he could, just as Heyes had instructed him.
"Sit down, Clem," he said quietly.
"I'd rather stand."
"No, you wouldn't."
She bit her lower lip and followed his instructions, never taking her eyes off him.
"Tell me, Kid. You tell me right now. Where is Hayes?" she said nervously
Kid looked at her and reached out to take her hand. "Heyes is dead," he said softly and bit his lower lip.
"Dead? What happened?"
Kid and Heyes had practiced this conversation many times during their ride to Denver, until they both felt Kid's oration was believable.
Kid uttered a deep sigh. When he spoke, his voice was barely audible. "I... shot him... I killed him."
"What?" she gasped.
Kid looked at her with a look of well practiced pain in his eyes. All he could do was nod.
"Why did you kill him?" she whispered.
Kid's chin quivered. "It was either me or Harry Briscoe and a dozen other Bannerman Detectives. "Heyes said it would be more honorable for me to do it. He said I owed him that much." Kid raised his hand and covered his eyes.
"So now you're wanted for murder?" She gasped.
Kid lowered his hand to his mouth. "Not just any murder... Hannibal Hayes... The only man I ….. Clem you've got to help me," he pleaded.
Clem stood up and began pacing the floor back and forth several times. Then she abruptly stopped right in front of him. With her hands on her hips and a hateful glower on her face she began to speak. "You have left out a lot of important information about this and I want answers. Now!"
"Clem. I've been riding non stop for three days. I will tell you everything, but, please, could I at least have some coffee or some whiskey?"
Her lips tightened and she continued to stare at him. Then she turned on her heals and stormed into the kitchen. Kid stayed in the chair, silently cursing Heyes for the idea he had concocted. He hated putting Clem through such pain, all for some stupid scheme. After a few minutes he got up and followed her into the kitchen and slumped down into a chair. She slammed a cup on coffee down on the table, splashing hot coffee on his fingers. He instinctively pulled his hand back and wiped it on his pants and forced himself not to react to the burning pain in his fingers.
"Start talking," she demanded
He took a deep breath. "We had split up two days before it happened because the Bannerman men were on our trail. We were to meet in a little mining camp about twenty miles from Sweetwater. Heyes got there first and was in the makeshift bar one evening playing poker with some minors when the Bannerman men stormed the bar. I wasn't there when they took him... I was just a couple of hours too late. They had to take him twenty miles on horseback to Sweetwater to catch the train. Riding alone, I was able to catch up with them pretty easily and I thought maybe I could help him escape.. But there were at least a dozen men and I just couldn't get to him. We have... had ...a whistle sound we use to communicate in a situation like that, so I was able to let him know I was nearby. He must have heard it because the next morning I checked the camp after they left and I found his father's pocket watch," Kid explained and slowly pulled the pocket watch from his vest pocket.
Clem grabbed the watch and inspected it closely. She knew Heyes would never willingly part with that watch. She grasped it and began to cry. Kid felt miserably cruel.
"Then what?" she demanded through her tears.
"About two miles out of town, Heyes tried to make a break. I figured he would do that so I had moved up ahead of them so I could give Heyes some cover. But one of the Bannerman men managed to get an accurate shot and Heyes fell off his horse, shot in the back. He couldn't move. I just kept firing and firing and after an hour or so they finally pulled back. I still couldn't get to him so I waited. Every time any of them tried to make a move, I opened fired. They finally decided to go to Sweetwater for more men. I figured I had a hour, maybe. I got to Heyes as fast as I could. He was hurt bad. He had lost a lot of blood. He couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't move."
"Paralyzed? she asked sadly and Kid nodded.
"We both knew we couldn't make it out of there, not in the shape he was in. He pleaded with me. Said he'd rather die by my hand than by a Bannerman."
"So you killed him..." she whispered.
Kid dropped his face in his hands and nodded. His body shook. Clem got up and came over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She wept. He felt like scum and again silently cursed Heyes for putting her through all this.
After a few minutes she stood up and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "What are you going to do?" she asked.
Kid rubbed his eyes hard to make them look very weary. Slowly he dropped his hands and raised his head. "I have to get out of the country," he said flatly.
"Mexico?" she asked.
"Or Canada," he whispered.
"Canada," she said emphatically. "It's closer. You'll be safe all the sooner."
He motioned Clem to sit down. Then he folded his arms across his chest. "Clem, I came here for a reason. .. You and I both know the reason. The pocket watch and that picture are all that's left of Hannibal Heyes. … I want that picture, Clem. " He sighed heavily. "It belongs to me, now. I just can't risk it getting into the wrong hands. We're talking murder, Clem... I could get hanged."
Clem studied his face intensely and slowly nodded. "You should have it, Kid. I don't want to see you hanged. I couldn't bear losing both of you. I'll go to the bank right now and get it."
She was gone less than an hour. Exhausted from his theatrical performance, Kid had fallen asleep on the sofa. The sound of the door opening startled him awake and he jumped to his feet, gun drawn, Clem froze in the doorway and gasped. Kid immediately holstered his gun.
"Sorry," he said.
"I understand," she replied. She walked up to him and handed him a white envelope.
"Just like that?" he asked.
She nodded. "Just like that. It belongs to you, Kid. And there's some money in there,too. You'll need money to get to Canada or Mexico.
"No, Clem. I can't take your money," Kid protested.
"You take that," she said sternly. "I loved Heyes and I love you. You two are like brothers to me. Now you need money, so you take it."
Kid felt like he couldn't possibly stoop any lower. He decided he would mail the money back to her. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as hard as she could. He just waited until she released her grasp.
"I've never meant to hurt you, Clem," he said softly.
She pulled away from him and held the door open. "If you mean that, you just stay alive. I can't bear the thought of losing the both of you. You let me know when you've settled somewhere."
He nodded and gave her another quick peck on the cheek before darting out of the house and down the street where his horse was tethered.
"How did it go?" Heyes asked eagerly when Kid walked into the hotel room on the opposite side of town. "Did you get it?"
"You are one cold son of a bitch, Heyes," Kid said as he tossed the envelope on the bed. "And right now I really could shoot you dead and not have an ounce of remorse."
"Why?" Heyes asked innocently.
Kid glared at him. "You should have seen her. It broke her heart to think you were dead, and I was the one that killed you. She cried, Heyes"
"Ah, over me?"
"Over the both of us!"
"She'll get over it"
"That's it? She'll get over it?"
"Kid, when Clem sees me alive in a couple of months, she'll be so glad she'll forget all about this little scam."
"I mean it, Heyes. I could shoot you dead right now! For someone who is supposed to be a genius, you sure are stupid. I am never going to let you talk me into one of these stupid stunts again."
"Hey, there's money in here," Heyes said with annoyance in his voice.
"Yeah. I'm going to mail it back to her," Kid explained.
"Oh, no you ain't!' Heyes exclaimed.
"Why not?"
"There's no picture here."
"What!"
"There's a note," Heyes said as he unfolded the note, He began to read aloud:
Dear boys:
I can't tell you how horrible I felt hearing of Heyes' demise and Kid possibly being hanged for murder. That is until I had a chance to think about it on my way to the bank. That's when I realized that if Kid Curry shot Hannibal Heyes dead, the news of that would be major headlines in every newspaper in the country.
Sorry, Kid, but you have never been a very good liar and now I know your acting abilities are equally questionable... rubbing your eyes to make it look like you had been crying. Your boyish charm almost had me fooled.
Please consider the money a final payment and this letter a receipt of purchase. The picture always has and always will belong to me.
Still love you both, Clem
Relief surged through Kid's entire body. A huge smile quickly spread across the his face and an equally huge laugh erupted from his throat. "She got us, Heyes. Clem outsmarted the genius mind of Hannibal Heyes!"
"Oh, no she didn't" Heyes said slyly, tossing the letter on the bed.
The smile disappeared from Kid's face, replaced by nervous skepticism. "She didn't?" he asked.
"No offense Kid, but I agree with Clem. I just can't trust your ability to tell a believable lie," Heyes began
"I was believable," Kid protested. "She cried didn't she!"
Heyes ignored him and continued. "So I staked out the place while you were there. When Clem left the house, I followed her. I know what bank she uses... First Federal Bank of Denver"
"So?" Kid asked with apprehension.
"So, we're going to rob a bank, Kid."
"Rob a bank!" Kid shouted and Heyes motioned to him to lower his voice. Hotel walls were seldom thick.
"Well, not really rob a bank... just a bank vault. We're not going to take any money, just one lock box. That's all."
"Well that makes me feel a whole lot better," Kid said sarcastically. "Heyes, may I remind you that lock boxes are kept inside a vault, a locked vault. May I also remind you that even if you get inside the vault, two keys are required to open a lock box. May I lastly remind you that there are hundreds of lock boxes inside those vaults and we don't know which one belongs to Clem."
"Well, we'll find out somehow which one is Clem's and then we will just take the whole box and figure out later how to open it."
"You're not thinking straight, and we're not taking the whole box!' Kid said emphatically. "You don't know what else she keeps in that box. There could be jewelry, or money. If there's money, it becomes a federal offense!"
"No, Kid. Taking anything from a federal bank makes it a federal offense."
"You're really something, you know that Heyes?" Kid said with ire.
"I get the picture. I won't take the box."
"Good," Kid said with relief.
"I'll just pick the locks right there inside the vault. We'll get the picture... and hold it for ransom!"
"Clem is not going to pay a ransom for something she knows we would never return!"
"You are amazing me with your logic," Heyes said sarcastically. "And I am amazing me with me lack of it... You're right... Just let me think on this a while."
Kid sighed heavily. "I have come to hate when you think, Heyes,.. You hear me? I hate it!"
Kid paced the floor for an hour while Heyes sat on the bed and thought.
After an hour, Kid stopped and threw up his hands. "Forget Clem," He said angrily. "Forget Kansas. If you will do that, I will go to to Dodge City with you."
"Do you know what's in Kansas," Heyes asked
"What's in Kansas? You tell me! You're the one that wants to go to Kansas!"
"I'm trying to tell you." Heyes said. He tried very hard not to sound patronizing. "Dodge City is in Kansas,"
"Oh, right" Kid said sheepishly. "So we're back to square one."
"Not quite," Heyes replied. Kid could almost see the wheels turning in Heyes' head.
"Why don't we just ask Clem to loan us the money?" Kid asked.
Heyes nodded. "We could... She'll say no, but we could ask... Kid, why don't we try to track down Thaddeus?"
"And forget all about Clem. Why?" Kid asked dubiously
"He's you're brother. You haven't seen each other in years."
"Which brings me back to why?... You want to scam Thaddeus, don't you? Heyes, that's pretty low, even for you."
"Wouldn't you like to scam your brother?"
Kid was dumbfounded and just stood and looked at Heyes for some time.
"Heyes, you know I have a pretty low opinion of my brother," Kid began. "But scamming my own flesh and blood is pretty low, even for you."
Heyes look insulted. "Maybe he would be interested in an investment... Twenty percent profit return of the winnings."
Kid's eyes narrowed. "You know something, Heyes? You're evil."
"And a very good at Poker, Kid. We're talking about a lot of money... So, if Thaddeus says he's not interested, that's it. His word is final and we will walk away."
"And you won't try to scam him?"
"Word of honor."
"I'm not sure you have any honor, Heyes."
Kid thought about the proposition. He hadn't seen his brother since he was ten years old. He wasn't sure he even wanted to. But despite his current irritation, Kid knew Heyes was a man of his word and the poker winnings were very enticing. "You win," he sighed. "We're going to Kansas."
Heyes smiled triumphantly. "You won't be sorry, Kid." Heyes promised.
"I don't know if Thaddeus is even alive, or if he has any money, or if he even is in Kansas," Kid said.
"Well, we'll cross those bridges when we come to them."
"You should explain to Clem before we leave," Kid suggested
Heyes nodded. "You're right. Why don't we take her out to dinner."
Kid smiled mischievously. "With her own money"
"You don't mind cheating Clem?" Heyes asked.
Kid smiled. "She called me a bad liar... And a bad actor!... I don't mind getting even."
Heyes shook his head in bewilderment. "I just don't get it," he said
"Get what?"
"Well, ever since this whole idea came to be... I've actually been agreeing with your logic," he said teasingly.
"Why would you do such an awful thing to me?" Clem demanded after they had been seated in the dining room of the Fairmont Hotel. "I really thought you were dead, Heyes. Why would you do that?"
Kid rested his elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "Do tell, Heyes. Why would you do that?"
"I'm sorry, Clem. I really am. But think about it, The Kid could never really shoot me." Heyes replied. "We were just trying to to come up with some money."
"Oh no," Kid protested as he leaned back in his chair and raised both hands in the air. "Don't try to imply that I had anything to do with that lamebrain idea. And, maybe I couldn't really shoot you, Heyes, but I certainly have been thinking about it"
"Don't try to absolve yourself, " Clem scolded. "You're no more innocent than he is. You don't know what you put me through, what you both put me through... and all for that stupid picture."
"I'm sorry, Clem. I really am." Kid said earnestly.
"Wait a minute... You weren't just after that picture. What did you really want?" she demanded.
"We told you, Money," Heyes said sheepishly
"Money!"
The waiter appeared with drinks and to take their orders and the table fell silent.
"I'll have the finest steak you have," Heyes said. "Medium rare, please."
"I'll have the same," Kid said.
"So will I," Clem said and smiled. "After all, you two boys are paying for this... aren't you?"
"Of course we are, Clem. We owe you that." Heyes said.
The waiter disappeared with their orders. Clem straightened the napkin in her lap. "So why do you need money, not that I'm giving you any?"
"The usual reason," Kid began.
"Poker," Kid and Clem said in unison.
"Honestly, you're never going to get rich playing poker," Clem scolded.
Heyes chuckled. "No, you're right. It seems that robbing banks and trains is the only way we're ever going to get rich."
"And then it's only temporary," Kid reminded Heyes.
"And in this day and age, rather obsolete," Heyes added.
"How much do you need?" Clem asked
"More than you can afford," Kid assured her.
"How much?"
"Ten thousand dollars." Kid replied.
Clem's jaw dropped. "Ten thousand dollars?"
"At least," Heyes added.
Clem looked at Heyes, her mouth still wide open with astonishment. "You thought you could get ten thousand dollars from me for that stupid picture? What in the world was your plan?"
"Heyes wanted to hold that picture for ransom?"
Clem looked at Kid and then back to Heyes. "That sounds like one of Kid's ideas," she said nodding her head toward the Kid.
"It does, doesn't it?" Heyes agreed.
"It wasn't!" Kid protested emphatically.
Clem leaned back in her chair and slowly shook her head. "You two should know by now that I would never use that picture for any reason other than to blackmail the two of you. I would never give it to the authorities. Look, I wish I could help you, I really do. But I just don't have that kind of money," she said.
The waiter returned with the food and the subject was dropped.
After dinner, they each had a brandy and continued their conversation
"I know," Clem said excitedly. "I could turn one of you in, collect the reward, and then you'd have your poker stakes money."
"You want to send me to prison for twenty years so Heyes can get into a poker game?" Kid mused.
"Well, I'd rather send him. After all, this whole thing was his idea."
"Sounds alright to me," Kid replied.
"Except I'm the good poker player. I would be in jail and you would lose ten thousand dollars," Heyes protested.
"He has a point," Kid agreed.
"So, what are you going to do?" Clem asked.
"Well, the Kid has a brother we think is still in Kansas. We thought we would go look him up."
"I never knew you had a brother," Clem said "Is he law-abiding?" she asked
Kid shrugged. "As far as I know. I haven't seen him in a while."
"Does he have those Curry good looks and charm?"
"I may be the only Curry with those two qualities," Kid said teasingly. "But he's twenty years older than me."
Clem frowned. "That's too bad."
"You want to meet him?" Heyes asked and Clem and Kid both stared at Heyes, shocked by the suggestion.
"What?" they asked in unison.
"You've always been a good traveling companion, Clem. And if he does have money, your persuasive charm might come in handy."
"I have persuasive charm?" she asked with an overly exaggerated innocence.
"You have. And, who knows, it might be fun. Right Kid?"
Kid rolled his eyes. "It's sounding more fun by the minute," he said sarcastically.
"I'll do it!" Clem said
"What?" Kid exclaimed.
"Why not? Don't worry, Kid, I won't embarrass you in front of your brother. Besides if you can't help a couple of dear sweet friends in need..."
"I didn't know you had any friends left," Kid grumbled and Clem glowered at him.
"Then it's settled. Can we leave first thing in the morning?" Heyes asked.
"Why not," Clem exclaimed.
"Yea, why not," Kid said with a defeated tone in his voice.
The next morning the three stood in front of the Ticket booth at the train station.
"Heyes, We have no idea where he is. This is just a waste of time, not to mention money. Kid said.
"Well, since we don't know where Thaddeus is, I suggest we head for home."
"Good. I would much rather be hiding from the law in Wyoming than stepping foot in any part of Kansas." Kid said.
Heyes turned to the ticket seller. "Three tickets to Derby, Kansas," He said and heard Kid sigh heavily behind him.
"One way?" the ticket master asked.
"Yes, please." Heyes responded.
"That will be twenty-one dollars."
Heyes handed him the money. "How far is it from Derby to Dodge City?" Heyes asked.
The ticket master looked at his charts. "Hundred and sixty-five miles," he said.
Heyes thanked him and the three traveling companions picked up their bags and gear and boarded the train. Clem and Heyes sat together. Kid slid into the seat opposite them. The train pulled out of the depot on it's way to Derby. With each passing mile, Kid grew more and more sullen. To him, Kansas was the worst place on the face of the earth. After about an hour, Kid leaned against the window, pulled his hat over his eyes, and fell asleep.
"Why does he hate going home so much?" Clem asked
"Oh, memories mostly," Heyes explained.
"But you've got the same memories and you don't mind coming back."
"I think we just...found different ways to deal with it, that's all."
"How did he deal with it?"
Heyes didn't answer.
"Tell me," she prodded.
"Clem, If the Kid wanted you to know such things, he'd tell you. It's just not my place."
She looked at Heyes who was lost in thought, wondering if he had just made another very bad decision forcing the Kid to return to Derby.
Twelve hours later they got off the train in Derby.
"When we lived here, the place was so small it didn't even have a name," Kid mused.
Heyes nodded. "Then sometime along the way, it was called El Paso. When the railroad came through, the railroad named it Derby. Kid, you remember old man Minch's Mercantile?" Heyes asked but the Kid did not answer. "Kid got caught stealing candy there once," Heyes said.
"The beginning of your life of crime?" Clem asked.
"I guess so," Kid said brushing by her and walking down the boardwalk.
"What's gotten in to him?" Clem asked
"Derby," Heyes said flatly.
Heyes carried Clem's bag and the three walked down the street to the only hotel. Heyes got two rooms and they carried their belongings up the stairs. After getting Clem settled into her room, Heyes and Curry went across the hall to their room. Kid dropped his gear on the floor and walked over to the window. He gazed down the street, past the town in the direction of the farm where he had lived as a boy.
"Kid, you need to pull yourself out of this," Heyes said. "It's history. We can't change it."
"Can't forget it, either," Kid replied.
"Let's find a bar and have a beer. I'll ask around about your brother."
Kid let the curtain drop back into place. "I want out of this town as soon as possible, Heyes."
"Okay, Kid. I promise."
They walked into the saloon and strolled up to the bar. "Two beers, please," Heyes said and dropped coins onto the counter. Kid stood at the bar drinking his beer. Heyes turned around to size up the room. He spied a table with a poker game. He nudged Kid. "You want to play poker?" he asked.
"No, you go ahead," Kid replied.
"You sure?" Heyes asked.
Kid nodded and motioned Heyes to join the game.
Two hours passed before Heyes glanced up at the bar. Kid was gone. He thought about going looking for him but decided his hand was too good and the other players were not particularly good.
In the course of an hour, Kid had drunk four or five beers. Then he bought a bottle of whiskey and walked back to the hotel. He climbed onto the bed with his back propped against the headboard and proceeded to drown his sorrows.
Heyes got back to the hotel about four hours later. When he went into their room, Kid was not there. Heyes went across the hall and knocked on Clem's door. She opened it a crack.
"Have you seen the Kid?" he asked
She opened the door wide to reveal Kid passed out on her bed. Heyes shook his head and sighed. "Let me get him into his own bed and you and I can go get something to eat. Heyes hoisted Kid over his shoulder and carried him across the hall. He laid him on the bed, pulled off his boots, and covered him with a blanket. Then he walked out of the room, shut the door behind him, and met Clem in the hallway.
"There's a cafe across the street," Heyes said.
"I've never seen him drink like that," Clem said with honest concern in her voice.
"He'll be okay. We'll be leaving in the morning," Heyes said.
"You found his brother?" Clem asked.
"I think so, maybe. He's a preacher," Heyes said as he took a bite of stew.
"A preacher?" Clem exclaimed. "Boy, how opposite can two brothers be?" A preacher and an outlaw."
"They're not so different," Heyes replied. "Kid's got a lot of moral character. He's just got me to protect him from it," Heyes joked.
Clem grew very serious. "Heyes, what is so terrible about this place?" she asked.
Heyes stopped eating but hesitated to answer her.
"Look," she began, "He came to my room drunk, tried to make a pass at me, and when I said no, he said some pretty mean things."
"About you? Kid loves you Clem. You know that. We both do."
"I know that. But that doesn't change the fact that he was pretty nasty. I've just never seen him like this. I'm worried about him."
Heyes drank some coffee, then slowly set the cup down. "Alright. If he treated you like that, I guess you're entitled to know. When Kid was ten, I was thirteen... we lived a few miles apart. The age difference didn't much matter. We were friends. Kid and his father were always at odds. Kid was just born at odds with that man. Today he is the spitting image of his father, but I'd never say that to him. He wouldn't like it. The Currys didn't have much. His pa was one of those men with big aspirations but no real incentive. And he drank... a lot. Kid stayed away from that house as much as he could. Heck, he ate at our house three or four times a week cause there wasn't any food at his place. Every time his pa got drunk and kicked him out of the house, he would come and stay with us."
"His pa would kick a ten year old out of the house?" Clem asked
Heyes shook his head. Kicking him out of the house started long before he was ten years old. But ten years old is when everything bad happened to him, to both of us I suppose. That's when we really bonded, you know, became brothers."
"What happened when he was ten?" Clem asked
"That's when the soldiers murdered our families. You know about that."
"Clem nodded.
"What you likely don't know is that Kid and I actually saw them kill his ma. As much as Kid was at odds with his pa, he loved his ma. Rightfully so. She was the kindest, sweetest woman you'd ever meet. You have to remember, Kid was ten years old. You don't ever get over seeing something like that when you're ten years old."
Heyes looked up at Clem and saw tears in her eyes. She was holding her hand over her mouth, her chin quivering uncontrollably.
"What did you do?" she asked.
"He tried to run to her. I knocked him down and held him on the ground till the soldier left. I knew that soldier would kill him too. We spent that night in the woods, hiding from all the soldiers. Remember I was thirteen. I think mentally, over time, I could process things easier than Kid. The only person he really cared about was murdered. And he had seen it happen."
"How horrible."
"There's more. His brother, Thaddeus came back for the funeral but only stayed a few day... Kid hasn't seen him since.
"Thaddeus abandoned his own brother?" Clem asked in astonishment.
"That's the way Kid sees it. He and I eventually got sent to the Valparaiso School for Wayward Boys. We were there for three years till we ran away and began our life of crime"
"I shouldn't have said no to him tonight," she said
Heyes smiled ever so slightly. "That wouldn't have changed things. Kid's memories of this are trapped in the mind of a ten year old. He'll never outgrow that. I don't think he can outgrow that... No one could. All he can do is stow it all back into the recesses of his brain... until he's confronted with it like he is now"
"So why did you talk him into coming back here?"
"I shouldn't have made him come here. We'll leave in the morning."
Clem nodded her agreement. "Where to?"
"Kinsley"
"Is that where his brother is?"
"The last anybody knows, it was. There's no train so we'll check the stage or get some horses.. I'll do that in the morning before the Kid wakes up. I suspect he'll be sleeping in late tomorrow."
What do you hope to get out of this trip to Kinsley, Money?" Clem asked
"Probably not, not anymore anyway." Heyes replied. "But maybe the Kid can get something more important than that."
"What?" Clem asked.
"Resolution."
The next day the noon sun shown through the window casting it's rays directly on the Kid. He groaned and slowly rolled himself onto his back. His tongue felt thick, his head was splitting, and his eyes could barely open.
Heyes scraped a chair across the floor to the bed. The sound made Kid cringe.
"Will you stop that," Kid moaned.
"Here, I brought you coffee. We've got things to talk about."
Kid managed to open one eye and glare at Heyes. Ever so slowly, ever so gently, he pulled himself up to lean against the headboard and sit in the bed. He slowly reached for the coffee.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You don't remember ?"
Kid tried to shake his head but it hurt too much. He took a cautious sip of the coffee. "What did I drink?" he asked.
"A full bottle of whiskey."
"Whiskey?"
"And a few beers. You should never mix your drinks, Kid."
"I guess not," he muttered. "How did I get here?"
"I carried you."
"From the bar?"
"Oh, no... From Clem's bed."
Kid's eyes widened in fear. "Did I..."
"Oh, you tried... She said no."
Kid shuddered a sigh of relief. "Is she mad at me?"
"No, Kid. It's Clem. She understands. Feel up to a stagecoach ride?"
"Now?... No"
"In about four hours"
"Where to?"
"A place called Kinsley... I think your brother's there... Oh, and here's an interesting tidbit... Thaddeus is a preacher," Heyes said smiling.
"Heyes..."
"Yes. Kid?"
"Preachers don't have much money."
Heyes' smile quickly turned to a frown. "You're right again."
"All for naught," Kid said
"We'll see."
At four in the afternoon Clem, Heyes, and a still hung-over Kid boarded the stage. Heyes and Clem sat together which left all of the other seat for a thankful Kid who planned to recline and sleep if the ride was smooth. Unfortunately it was not, and the bouncy ride only intensified Kid's throbbing headache.
"Heyes tells me I paid you a visit last evening," he said as he pulled his hat over his eyes to block the afternoon sun.
Clem gave Heyes a playful look. "You did indeed... It was... interesting."
"If I said or did anything..."
"You were a perfect gentleman," Clem lied.
"I know better. I am never a perfect gentleman when I'm drunk."
"Well, you took no for an answer. Most drunks certainly don't do that," she replied, omitting his rather vulgar accusations.
Kid smiled. "How long to Kinsley?" he asked.
"Four hours," Heyes replied. "We'll just go to the hotel tonight and figure out what we're doing in the morning."
"Heyes, I'm very grateful to be out of Derby, but I don't know why we're going on to Kinsley. It won't get us the money."
"Why not?" Clem asked
A disappointed smirk crossed Heyes' face. "I told you. Kid's brother, Thaddeus is a minister," he said with great disappointment in his voice. "Ministers don't have money."
They arrived in Kinsley just before nine and were able to get two hotel rooms. Kid immediately fell into bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Heyes and Clem dropped off their luggage and gear and went down to the hotel dining room for a late supper before retiring for the night.
The next morning Kid and Clem went into the dining room for breakfast while Heyes gathered information from the desk clerk. Heyes joined them a few minutes later.
"Presbyterian church is just down the street, that way," Heyes said pointing east. "The rectory is next door to the church."
"You're Presbyterian ?" Clem asked
Kid shrugged. "I guess so," he said.
After breakfast Heyes and Clem lingered over coffee while Kid made his way down the street to the church. He stood outside on the walk and took a deep breath. Then he slowly walked up to the rectory door and knocked and waited. After a minute, he knocked again.
A handsome, middle-aged woman answered the door. "May I help you?" she asked
Kid yanked his hat off his head and smiled politely. "I'm looking for Thaddeus Curry, Ma'am."
"Do you have business with Reverend Curry," the woman asked.
"In a way, Ma'am. I knew Thad... the Reverend many years ago, before he became a minister."
"You don't look old enough to have known him then. Whom should I say is calling?" she asked.
"Jedadiah, Ma'am."
A hint of surprise crossed her face and she opened the door to him. "Come in, you can wait in the study."
"Thank you, Ma'am" Kid said and followed the woman to the study.
"I'll tell him you are here," she said and closed the study door behind her as she left.
Kid waited nervously for several minutes before the door opened and the minister walked in. Kid was surprised at how much the man resembled his father, The same eyes and nose, the same sandy brown hair with a touch of gray at the temples, the same rather sturdy frame.
"May I help you?" the reverend asked.
"Are you Thaddeus Curry?"
"I am... and you are...?
"Jedadiah...Curry," Kid said softly. "Your brother."
The shock and surprise shown on the Reverend's face. "I didn't think I would ever see you again," the Reverend said. "I'm glad to see you, don't get me wrong... It's just that..."
Kid didn't know what he had expected this reunion to be like, but this was not it.
"You never thought you'd be entertaining a bank robber in your study?" Kid asked. "What will the congregation think?"
Kid saw the almost non-perceivable nod of Thaddeus' head and knew Thaddeus was disapprovingly aware of his profession but completely unaware of any influence he may have had on the Kid's choice of occupation. He felt a wave of disappointment as he surmised this man was like his father in more ways than just the physical appearance.
"Don't worry about my congregation," the Reverend said. "Please, sit down."
Kid sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Thaddeus moved to his chair behind the desk. The room remained awkwardly quiet.
The Reverend was still stunned when he tried to speak. "How did... What are you..." he stuttered.
The door to the study opened and the woman came just inside the door. She looked at her husband with a puzzled expression. Kid stood up. The Reverend did not.
"Would you two like some coffee?" she asked.
The Reverend didn't speak, so Kid piped up. "That would be nice, Ma'am. Thank you," he said with a smile.
She quickly disappeared from the room and Kid sat down, still smiling. He looked at his brother who still looked dazed. Kid had decided that Thaddeus was likely just like his father so the opportunity for any respect had vanished. Kid sat back in his chair and crossed a leg over a knee. "Why don't I start... while you recover."
The Reverend raised his eyes to look at Kid. "Please, do," he said.
"It's true, I'm an outlaw. I have spent my adult life robbing banks and trains. If I'm caught, someone will get the ten thousand dollar reward that's riding on my head, and I will get a twenty year prison sentence. Is all this too much of a shock?"
The Reverend shook his head.
"Well then Reverend, there's more. Heyes... That's right, Hannibal Heyes and I went straight about a year ago. If we can stay that way, the governor of Wyoming will grant us an amnesty. So, yes I was an outlaw, and no, I'm not an outlaw anymore. Not technically anyway. But the reward is still posted and the jail time is still outstanding. Now, pull yourself together. I have a question for you."
The woman reappeared carrying a tray with a coffee pot and two cups. She set it on the desk and poured them both a cup of coffee. She handed the first cup to Kid.
"Thank you Ma'am," he said with a smile as he took the coffee cup from her.
She handed the other cup to her husband. "Thaddeus, is everything alright?" she asked.
He raised his head and quickly composed himself. "Everything is fine, Julie" he replied. "You go now. We won't be long."
She nodded, looked at the Kid curiously, and left the room.
"Your question?" Thaddeus asked with a measure of composure.
"Why didn't you ever come back for me?" Kid asked
The Reverend put the coffee cup down. " I had intended to. I really had," he said.
"But you didn't," Kid said emphatically.
The Reverend slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Kid asked angrily.
The Reverend stood up from his chair. Kid didn't move. "Come back this evening... for dinner... I can tell you more then."
Why not now?" Kid demanded
"Please," the Reverend pleaded. "This evening."
A puzzled look crossed Kid's face. He reached out and put his coffee cup on the desk. Then he slowly stood. He tried to read his brother's face. All he saw was worry and fear
"I have two friends with me. Are they invited?"
The Reverend nodded absently.
"One of them is Hannibal Heyes," Kid cautioned.
Still stunned, the Reverend again nodded. "Seven o'clock," he said
"Will there be a sheriff here waiting for us?" Kid asked
"No," Thaddeus quickly replied. "You are all safe here. I promise."
"Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money for a preacher," Kid said.
Thaddeus looked up at Kid. "You'll all be safe. You have my word."
"Your word doesn't mean a thing to me. You gave me your word that you would come back for me after the war."
Thaddeus just looked up at Kid with great pain in his eyes. But he said nothing.
Still skeptical, Kid put his hat back on his head and turned and walked out.
When he returned to the hotel, Clem and Heyes were waiting for him in the room. Heyes was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, his legs stretched out on the bed, his hands clasped behind his head. Clem was standing by the window having watched Kid return. Kid dropped himself into a chair and let his arms dangle along the sides of the chair.
"So, how did it go?" Heyes asked eagerly.
Kid shook his head. "Not good... We're having dinner with him and his wife tonight."
"That sounds promising," Clem said
"Well it's not." Kid sat up straight in the chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Heyes, it was like trying to talk to Pa all over again."
This time Heyes sat up straight and swung his feet off the bed. "It couldn't have been that bad."
"He's just like him... He looks like him, he talks like him, he acts just like him."
"So why did you agree to have dinner with him?"
"Not just me... Us!. The three of us"
Heyes looked at Clem and then back to Kid and nodded, "Us," he assured Kid.
"Maybe Kid, deep down, you really want to resolve some of these family issues," Clem said earnestly.
Kid glared at her. "Clem, don't try to think."
"Well, let's see how dinner goes. We can always head back to Denver in the morning, Kid." Heyes said.
"I need a beer," he said, pulling himself out of the chair. "And you're coming with me," he informed Heyes.
"What about me?" Clem asked
Kid looked at Heyes and then back to Clem. "You don't drink. "
"I do too," she protested.
"Not the way I plan to drink."
"Kid," Clem warned. "Don't go back to your brother's house drunk!. You are not a nice drunk," she warned.
Kid turned around and looked at her questioningly. "I did do something the other night, didn't I?" he asked.
Her lips tightened but she remained silent.
Kid visibly slumped. "Awe, Clem, I'm sorry," he said
Clem looked beyond Kid to Heyes who was shaking his head to warn her not to say anything to make matters worse. "You didn't do anything. I've seen you drunk before the other night. I know how you can get and I don't want you going to your brother's house drunk."
"He won't," Heyes quickly assured her as he ushered Kid out the door. "We'll be back later," he called back to her as they left the room.
"I don't know why I bothered even coming," Clem grumbled after the two men disappeared out the door.
"He's hiding something," Kid said resting his elbows on the bar,
"What?" Heyes asked
The beers arrived and Kid took a healthy gulp of his. "I don't know, but something."
"Is that why we're going to dinner?" Heyes asked.
Kid nodded. "He said he would explain everything tonight."
"And you don't believe him?"
Kid downed the rest of his beer and motioned the bartender for a refill. "I don't know what to believe, Heyes."
"Do you think he's going to turn us in?"
"He says he's not."
"Again, Kid, do you believe him?"
Kid sighed. "I want to. I don't know why, but I want to."
"Then we go to dinner," Heyes replied. "So finish that beer and we'll go back to the hotel and wait till its time to go to dinner. … And we will go prepared in case the evening goes bad."
They arrived at the rectory promptly at seven. Mrs. Curry answered the door.
"Please, come in," she said invitingly
Heyes and the Kid removed their hats and stepped back for Clem to enter first.
"I'm sorry," Kid said once they were all inside. "I didn't catch your name this morning."
She smiled warmly at Kid. "It's Julie. Thaddeus tells me you're his brother," she said as she took their hats.
Kid smiled. "Yes Ma'am I am. My name is Jedadiah. Most people call me Kid. And this is my friend Clementine, and my friend Hannibal."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Julie said. "Thaddeus should be back any minute. He had to make a sympathy call to a member of the congregation. The woman's husband died this morning.
"We're sorry to hear that, Ma'am," Heyes said while he and Kid shared a quick, questioning glance, wondering if it was a stall to get the sheriff.
Let's go into the parlor and sit down. The food is all ready. It's just a matter of Thaddeus returning. Would you like a glass of wine?"
"Presbyterians drink wine?" Clem asked innocently.
Julie smiled and Heyes and Kid laughed nervously. "Yes, dear, and a few smoke as well. Would either of you gentlemen like a cigar?"
"Maybe after dinner, Ma'am."
After everyone else was seated, Julie sat in a chair across from the Kid. "Jedadiah, while I have this opportunity before Thaddeus gets back, I want you to know that, despite your first impression, Thaddeus is very happy to see you... He has often spoken of you. I am very sorry about your parents... the terrible hardships you had growing up."
Everyone was quiet.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Kid said with more softness, more earnestness than Heyes had ever heard out of him before. Heyes sighed quietly, realizing the Kid had not arrived ready for a fight.
"You're both men, so I know there are things neither of you could ever say to the other, being how men are," she continued. "Not returning for you is the greatest regret of his life."
They locked eyes for a long moment. "Mine, too, Ma'am" Kid said haltingly.
Thaddeus' arrival shattered the moment. Everyone stood when he walked into the parlor and dropped his hat on the table. Julie walked over to him and took his arm.
"Thaddeus, may I present Hannibal Heyes and Clementine..." She paused, not knowing Clem's last name.
"Darling," Clem said with a smile. Heyes and the Kid exchanged quizzical glances. "Darling?" Heyes mouthed silently. Kid shrugged.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sorry I was late. Church duties," he explained.
"Well, lets move to the dining room before dinner gets cold," Julie said and everyone followed.
An hour later dinner and dessert were completed. Heyes, Kid, and Thaddeus moved to the study for coffee and conversation, while Julie and Clem cleaned the table and washed the dishes.
"Cigar," Thaddeus offered. Heyes smiled, took a cigar and thanked him. Kid declined. Heyes and the Kid sat in front of the desk. Thaddeus sat behind the desk and pushed the ash tray over toward Heyes.
"You said this morning, there was more to talk about," Kid said.
Thaddeus nodded. "When Ma and Pa were killed, I was defending Atlanta. I'd been made Captain. General Lee had sent troops to Atlanta and we were trying desperately to protect the city. When I got the news I returned to Derby as soon as I could. But as an Officer, I had to return to Atlanta."
"All for a good cause," Heyes said with mocked conviction
Thaddeus looked at Heyes. "No, Mr. Heyes, it was not a good cause. I know that now and I knew that then. But as an Officer, I had a responsibility to those men."
Heyes nodded "Apparently a greater responsibility to your troops than to your ten year old brother."
"Heyes," Kid quietly cautioned. "Let him tell it."
Heyes looked at Kid with tightly pursed lips. Kid refused to look at him. Heyes sighed and gestured for Thaddeus to continue.
"When the war was over, Lincoln was very generous to the fighting men, gave them horses to return home, return to their farms, to their lives. He held none of them responsible. He was not as generous to some of the Officers... I spent eight years in a Federal Prison in Virginia."
Kid raised his head and looked at his brother with astonishment. "I never knew that," he said quietly.
"By the time I got out you were eighteen and already building a reputation... I truly am sorry I was not there for you... And, Mr. Heyes, I am grateful to you for looking out for him as a child. I know Pa was not much of a father to Jed."
"How would you know that, you weren't there?"Heyes asked sarcastically.
"Heyes," Kid said with an air of warning in his voice.
Thaddeus looked directly at Heyes. "Because he wasn't much of a father to any of us."
Kid felt numb, while Heyes' mind was racing. "So is that why you became a minister? To absolve your war and family sins?" Heyes asked.
"Heyes," Kid again cautioned in a very low guttural voice. "Stop it."
"No, Kid. I'm curious and you deserve more than that," Heyes said, never taking his eyes off of Thaddeus. "You could have told him in one of your two letters to him, why you were not coming back for him. But no, you let him think his own brother didn't want him, didn't care about him," Heyes said angrily.
"Are you free of sin, Mr. Heyes?" Thaddeus asked. "You have no regrets in your life? You didn't also contribute to the corruption of a ten year old boy?"
"Just stop it! Both of you!" Kid shouted as he jumped to his feet.
Julie and Clem froze in their tracks and looked at each other when they heard Kid shouting. Clem took a step toward the study but Julie caught her arm.
"Don't go. They have to resolve this themselves. One way or the other," she said.
Clem sat down at the kitchen table. Tears welled in her eyes. "Heyes and the Kid are the kindest people I have ever known," she said. "I hate to see the Kid hurting like this. I've never seen him hurting like this before," she sobbed.
"I have gotten the impression your friend is quite resilient."
"No, he's quite broken. You haven't seen him the last few days. Ever since we got to Derby... There's a hate in him now."
"I suspect it has always been there, deeply buried. Perhaps this will help him purge it."
Clem looked up at her soulfully.
"Are you in love with him?" Julie asked.
Clem shook her head. "No... but I do love him with all my heart."
"I'm glad you know the difference," Julie replied. "We just have to wait and see what happens, dear. It is out of our hands."
Kid paced the room several times before stopping in front of the desk. He looked directly at his brother. "No, Thaddeus... Heyes and me are not without sin... You aren't without sin...I doubt there is a man alive that went through that war unscathed and without sin. So don't go throwing pious absolution in our faces. Being a preacher doesn't absolve you any more than giving up bank robbing absolves me. Like everyone else in this country, we are war broken... and we can't fix it... All we can do is carry the burden, mend what we can, and... move on."
Kid slumped down in the chair, emotionally exhausted. Heyes and Thaddeus looked at each other, both very moved by the Kid's speech. Slowly a smile crept across both their faces.
"You're right, Kid," Heyes said. "You are absolutely right. How did you get so smart so fast?"
Kid raised his head and looked at Heyes, confused. Heyes just continued to smile. "This afternoon you told me that Thaddeus here was just like your father. You're right. He looks like him, though not as much as you do. He thinks just like him... But you... you're not like him at all, not inside. Not where it counts. You have insight and compassion... Oh, don't get me wrong Preacher, I'm not casting any doubt on your character. I'm sure your a fine Preacher. But, Kid... I am awestruck... Everything that happened all those years ago, and you're not sitting here wallowing in your misery. You're putting all the pieces together... Something you couldn't do before because you didn't know what Thaddeus went through. Now you do."
Heyes leaned over and put his hand on Kid's shoulder. "Let's go home, Kid." Heyes stood up and Kid followed suite. He looked at his brother and began to see a man he had not previously seen, a survivor like himself.
"Brother," Kid said softly, extending his hand. Thaddeus stood, paused a moment, and then took Kid's hand. They gripped each other tightly and smiled compassionately. "I guess the Lord works in mysterious ways," Kid said.
"Clem!" Heyes shouted. "We're leaving."
Clem and Julie walked cautiously into the room. Their eyes fell on the two men shaking hands. They both smiled.
"We'll be leaving on the stage tomorrow. Why don't you two join us for breakfast at the hotel?" Heyes said. "Say, ten o'clock."
"We will do that, Mr. Heyes." Thaddeus sad. "We'll do that."
"You know, it's funny," Clem said as they walked back to the hotel.
"What is?" Heyes asked
"Well, you start out with a plan in mind and somehow it just takes on a life of it's own and turns into something completely different than you had expected."
"And usually, what goes around, comes around," Heyes replied.
"What do you mean?" Clem asked.
"Well, we're already in Kansas, What say we just go on to Dodge City like we originally planned?."
"Heyes, we don't have the money for that poker game," Kid said
"That poker game is not until Friday. I can play enough small stakes poker to collect enough to ante in."
"Then why didn't the two of you just do that in the first place?" Clem asked.
"What? And miss all this fun?" Heyes asked.
Kid smiled and shook his head. "I guess we're going to Dodge."
Heyes stopped in his tracks and looked at Clem. "Darling? He asked
"What's wrong with that?"
"As in Darling Clementine?
Clem turned up her nose and walked ahead of Heyes. "What's wrong with that? You two use an alias all the time. Besides, I thought it was clever," she announced.
"Gotta love you, Clem" Kid laughed.
She turned and looked at him sweetly. "Yes, you do."