Chapter 28

It was early morning when Roy eventually got back to his office.

"Got any information for me, Clem?" He asked.

"Not much, Roy," Clem answered. "But we do have a few new men in town. Two have been in the Bucket of Blood drinking. They seem to know one another. Playing cards together. Although one has been here a few days, but the other one came in today. The other two are staying at the International, dressed in suits."

"That's a start, Clem. I'll make a visit to the saloon later in the morning and see if Sam can tell me anything. I don't think we're looking for men in suits, so we'll concentrate on the two in the saloon."

Roy then sat down and accepted the cup of coffee Clem gave him.

…

"Oh come on, Pa." Adam stated as he was pacing back and forth. "Are we just going to sit here and do nothing?"

"Adam, we're going to wait here until we know something. Now sit down, you're worrying us all," Ben admonished.

"We've been here three hours. Surely Roy knows something by now," Adam said, getting more agitated by the minute.

"I'm as anxious as you are and wish there was something we could do." Ben was trying his best to help Adam calm down a bit. He was worried that his son would take it upon himself to ignore Roy's orders.

….

Roy was casually walking around town and was nearing the grocery store when he almost bumped into Mrs Woods. He apologized to her, and hoped she wasn't hurt.

"I'm fine, Sheriff," she answered. "Just shopping for my food stores. I've had a few new boarders that need feeding and should be getting on my way."

"That's just grand. Glad to see business is picking up for you. It's been a slow few months all round. Hope they're staying around for some time. That would be so good for you."

"Yes, it has been difficult these last months, but only today I had two new boarders."

"Just today?

"They must be important people too because another gentleman actually booked a room for them in advance. The wife's ill though and needs their meals sent up to their room."

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I like to say hi to newcomers. You know, let them know there is a sheriff in town who looks after it's citizens welfare. Do they have a name, Mrs Woods?"

"Why yes of course, Mr and Mrs Attwell."

Roy didn't move a muscle. He's not very smart, he thought. Using his own name.

"Well, I won't keep you Mrs Woods since you're having a busy day." He touched his hat in gentlemanly fashion and walked on past her as if nothing were wrong, even acknowledging a few people on the way, when what he really wanted to do was turn around and run like the wind back to the Cartwrights with the news, but instead, he unhurriedly sauntered back the way he came and eventually returned to his office to inform Clem what he found out.

"Clem," he shouted out, once he had closed the door. "We got 'em. They're staying at Mrs Woods' place down at the very end of town."

"Yeah?" Clem smiled in response. "I'd better get myself out to the Cartwrights and let them know."

"Just a minute, Clem. They are going as Mr and Mrs Attwell," Roy told him.

"What? That's not very clever."

"I think it must be because they want Adam to know where they are." Roy sat down. "Just don't let Adam know the name they're using, just let him know there are new boarders as of today at Mrs Woods. Try to keep him calm but get them to come in like I told them. We'll go from there. Okay."

"Okay, Roy. I'm on my way." Clem left the office for his horse and just happily cantered out of town. There could be eyes watching from anywhere.

…

The Cartwrights were still sitting after having eaten something that was given to them, that is except Adam who couldn't stomach food right now. Then suddenly they heard a horse coming close and with relief they could see it was Clem.

"What news, Clem?" Adam stood immediately to ask.

"We think we may have something positive. New visitors in town. Roy asked me to bring you to town, singly, as Roy wanted."

"Okay, okay," Adam said, showing his irritation, "but I'll go first." He walked over and saddled his horse and quickly made his way into town.

"I'm sorry, Clem," Ben said.

"It's okay, Ben. I can understand what he must be feeling. I just hope this works out to everyone's satisfaction."

"Yes, let's hope so. Come on Hoss, thanks for saddling the horses."

"Not a problem, Pa."

"Which one of us should go in directly to Roy's office?" Hoss asked.

"I think you, Ben. It will properly look like a father's concern," Clem told them, "and hopefully keep them relaxed."

"Yeah, right. I'll follow Adam and meet him at Roy's at the back of his office," Hoss agreed and took off.

"And I'll head in and go into the saloon," Joe suggested. "That, at least, won't look odd."

"Good idea, Joe," Clem said. "You can help looking after our two 'friendly' strangers."

"What will you be doing, Clem?"

"Just make my way back in and do what I normally do."

"Good. I'll give you fifteen minutes and then make my way in. Thanks Clem." …

Adam had made it to the back of Roy's office and was making his way in when Roy opened the door for him.

"Heard you coming." They shook hands.

"What you got, Roy?"

"Look, I know you're anxious, so am I, but we need to keep calm. These people might not be who we want them to be. Sit, Adam, and have some coffee," Roy sternly requested.

"Roy…"

"Sit, Adam, please. We need to have a plan of action. "Let's wait until we're all here, shall we. Now do you want that coffee or not."

"Thanks, Roy. Yes."

Thirty minutes have passed and all three Cartwrights and Clem were now in Roy's office, along with several other men. Roy took the lead.

"Now, first of all, let me make it clear, no one, and I mean no one," he said, looking straight at Adam, "will do anything on their own. This will be a Team effort and done with as little trouble as possible. We have two unknown men in town who are being watched and Mrs Woods tells me she has two new boarders, a man and a woman. The woman she has been told is ill and their meals are to be taken to their room."

"Oh my God, it could be Attwell and Alex," Adam said to himself, but heard by all.

"It might be, Adam. But we need to make sure. I got young Barney to pass the word around for men to put themselves into a position not far from the boarding house. Next we have to wait for Mrs Woods to come back into town for something and keep her here. Don't want her involved in any of this."

"That's good thinking, Roy," Ben said. "But we need to be so placed as well. Perhaps I could go to the bank on some pretext or other and wait there since it's near the end of town."

"Fine, Ben. You can get going now, as you were seen coming in." Ben then made his way out of the office, mounted up and slowly rode on down to the bank.

"Now Adam, Hoss?"

"I'll go out the back and get my horse to the livery stable," Hoss told them.

"Okay. Now you Adam. I want you as near as possible in case it is Alex. Then if things go right, I want you to take care of her and leave the rest to us. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Roy. But from what Alex has told me, it's me he will want to kill for his plan to work."

"True," Roy pondered. "I don't want to risk yours or anyone's life, but I do see it would draw him out if you were seen."

"I think if I were to ride to the bank also, it would look like Pa and I had arranged a meeting there," Adam offered.

"Yep, that might work, though I'm not too happy about it," Roy reluctantly agreed.

"Okay, Adam. You get going," Hoss told him. "I'll trot on down to the livery a little later on, and Joe should be getting to the saloon any time soon."

With plans all in hand, Adam left Roy's office first, mounted up and feeling unsettled, bravely rode his horse towards the bank, hoping to give Attwell a good view of himself, if indeed it was Attwell. …

Looking out from Mrs Woods' room gave Attwell a good view of the main street through the town. It was ten in the morning as he watched Mrs Woods cross the street and enter the bank. Depositing his bill money, no doubt, he supposed. Then low and behold he saw Ben Cartwright heading the same way. If only it had been Adam. He was ready for him and was itching to get the job done.

He looked across the room, keeping an eye on Alex, although he didn't think she would be doing anything about trying to escape. She looked resigned to her fate. He chuckled to himself. He sat and poured another coffee, which had been brought up to the room and added whiskey from the nearly empty bottle which had travelled with him.

"You want a coffee, Alex?"

"No."

"Still think I've poisoned it. Look I'm drinking from this cup and passing it on to you. Now would I poison myself."

"Probably not. Okay, I'll drink it," she said, taking the cup from him. Oh, how she needed something, her mouth and throat were so dry.

Attwell moved back to the table and poured another cup, just as before but with the last of the whiskey this time and then went back to his seat next to the window. As he took a second sip, his eyes opened wide. Adam was riding down the street. He watched him dismount and enter the bank. Must have a meeting with his Pa and the bank manager, he thought.

"Right, let the games begin," he quietly said to himself and smiled.