"After you," Ezra offered as he opened the door.
Chris, Vin and Josiah marched through, but the town con man decided to stay put. Instead he moved to the back of the saloon, uncorked one of the bottles and poured himself a glass of whiskey. Inez was rearranging the saloon for its original purpose and she was nearly ready to open the door for the returning customers.
Ezra had stayed behind because he wasn't ready to undoubtedly confirm the truth that logic had clearly implied. Hardly in the mood to be around people either, he tipped his imaginary hat to the Mexican manager and retired to his room.
Chris focused on Montgomery the moment he pushed the hotel door open. It wasn't difficult since the prancing man was entertaining Buck, JD and the hotel manager with lively conversation at the bar.
"Where's your wife?" the blonde man spat to the chase.
"She's resting upstairs," Montgomery was caught off guard by the tone.
When Josiah approached Montgomery from behind and Vin closed the door behind him cautiously, Buck and JD touched their guns and looked at Vin for direction. Vin shook his head to show there was no immediate danger although Chris was already halfway up the stairs.
"Gentlemen," Mr Monterrey said in a reconciliatory tone, but only Josiah paid attention to him. The big foreboding man touched his shoulder and led him back to the bar. He ordered two shots of whiskey while they waited.
Buck and JD went after Vin and aligned themselves in back up to their group leader. Chris was already opening the door to the third out of four double bedrooms located on the first floor, the first two being empty. There was a short yelp this time.
"You really should learn to knock, Chris Larabee. I could have been in my night gown for all you knew."
At first Chris was taken aback, then baffled, then speechless. Then angry all over again.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Providing alibi. Which you must know or you wouldn't be knocking down doors of private quarters."
Tense as a rifle, Chris didn't move a muscle apart from his right thumb which was toying with his gun hammer.
"Is that what confused you? You should have knocked, not knocked down."
The three men dotted down the hall held their breaths. Goading Chris while he was angry was the surest form of suicide.
"You insensitive serpent."
"Well, what do you expect? You raised me. That is, you should have."
Buck finally put the soft voice and the words coming from the room together. He brushed past Vin with a huge grin.
"Gemma? Gemma!" he ran up to the elegant lady in the middle of the suite when he recognised her, picked her up in a strong embrace and twirled her around a few times.
"Well what do you know! Welcome back!" he finished with a huge kiss on each cheek.
Vin and JD got curious now and moved closer to the door, but Christ shut it in their face before they could peek inside.
"Relieved, men. Family affairs," was the last thing they heard.
The tracker and the Easterner looked at each other then down towards the man at the bar. He held up a glass to them.
"If my wife is in no immediate danger, perhaps you'd like a drink."
Vin and JD shrugged their shoulders, holstered their weapons and joined the stranger around whom questions arose by the second.
"Would you care to sit down?" Gemma offered to those in her room.
"Would you care to explain yourself?" Chris imitated her.
"Would you care to explain how?" she wouldn't relent.
"What right did you have to take out my wife's killer? And take Ezra with you. Just to spite me?"
"What bothers you more, that I took Ezra or that I took out Johnson?"
"You had no right!" he shouted.
"You have no right, Chris Larabee. You have no right to claim sole possession of grief that my sister left behind."
"She was my wife!"
"My sister," Gemma was defiant.
Before Christ spoke, Buck intervened.
"Alright, alright," he said as he stepped between them.
"What are you doing back here anyway? Dressed like that. With that guy?"
"Are you referring to my husband?" Gemma delivered to two faces in shock.
"Of all the stupid things, Gemma Connolly..." he was interrupted.
"Monterrey. Gemma Monterrey."
"I'm gonna kill 'im... I'm gonna kill you both," Chris had had too much.
"Easy now, cowboy," Buck moved towards him.
He wasn't thrilled with Gemma's news either, but he knew how hot-headed Christ could get. Gemma was no better. He made sure to have a firm hold on the shorter man and slowly turned him. Gemma wasn't ready to let it go yet.
"I appreciate very much your best wishes and support. There's nothing like family, is there?" her words were steeped in sarcasm.
"Let's take some time to cool off, shall we? Process all this new information. We could meet again, say dinner. Maybe meet Mr Monterrey officially," he put in an extra effort to lead the stunned Chris to the door. Gemma followed them with any icy smile.
"A family reunion. How quaint!" she finished it off with the slam of the door.
Since he couldn't continue the argument with the shut door, Chris turned to Montgomery Monterrey.
"You're a dead man," he pointed his finger at the man who feigned confusion.
Before he could think of pointing anything else, Buck already had him on the street and halfway to the saloon.