The Only Man I Can Trust
Chapter 16
Chester walked quickly back to the sheriff's office. He was worried about Mr. Dillon and thought maybe he should stay with him, but then those prisoners were his responsibility, and Mr. Dillon expected him to see that they were taken care of. Remembering the bullet he had shot through Spike Holcombe's arm, he stopped at the general store to get some bandages, then added coffee and oatmeal to the order so he'd have something to feed the prisoners in the morning.
He opened the door to find Johnny Billings and Hugh Tebbers deep in conversation. "What happened to the body of Carp's henchman that was a'laying out there in the street?" he asked them. He'd noticed on his way back from the boarding house that it was no longer lying there, where it had been left earlier.
Two somewhat guilty faces turned towards him. It was the telegraph operator who spoke. "He got what he deserved, Chester. Forget about it."
"I don't rightly believe Mr. Dillon will forgit about it."
"No one saw who did it. It could have been any one of a dozen men." Billings then tried to change the subject. "I think it's about time we got something to eat."
Food was always an important subject for Chester, but he couldn't leave the jail unattended, what with all those prisoners in the cells an' all. "You fellers go on ahead. I'll git me a bite ta eat later."
They left, and after taking the bandages back to the Holcombe's cell Chester sat himself down in the big swivel chair behind the desk. He could hear shouts and curses coming from the prisoners in the back. They complained about the food, or lack of it. They certainly didn't like the sleeping arrangements, and Carp repeatedly announced that he was going to see that upstart of a meddling marshal got what was coming to him.
Chester stood it for as long as he could, then got to his feet and walked back there, being careful not to get too close to the cell bars. "Listen, you fellers, this ain't supposed to be no high class hotel, so jest quit yer bellyachin' and complainin'. And Carp, I'm tellin' ya, Mr. Dillon will see that you pay for yer evil ways. All of ya need to act like grown men now and just settle down and git some shuteye."
With that he closed the door separating the cells from the front office, and returned to his seat behind the desk. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel the sweet justice of it all. Carp and his cronies were all locked up back there, and he was sitting in the padded swivel chair behind the big, fancy desk. He decided to make himself comfortable and raised his feet to lean back and prop them on the solid mahogany surface. He sat there for a while going over in his head all the things that had happened in the four or five days since he'd left Dodge. He hoped Mr. Dillon was going to be all right. He sure looked pretty sick when he had left him in his room. He would go by and check on him later. Maybe tomorrow he would get that Johnny Billings to send a telegram to Doc to let him and Miss Kitty know that they would be home in a day or so. Maybe he should let Doc know that Mr. Dillon might need some help. On the other hand he knew that his boss wouldn't want anyone worrying about him.
()()()
Matt tried to get the sleep that he knew he needed, but try as he might he couldn't find any way to lie that was comfortable. Once or twice he even wished that Doc was here to dish out an envelope or two of those powders he always seemed to have on hand. His mind kept going back to the man who had been shot out there in the street. He hadn't really seen who had pulled the trigger, and maybe the man had turned around at the last minute. He had only seen the incident out of the corner of his eye but it was his responsibility to find out exactly what happened. He would have to see the body and work on that in the morning.
()()()
Chester woke up with a start - he must have dozed off because his feet were still propped up on the desk. He quickly dropped them to the floor and stood up.
Fleur was standing in front of him. "I didn't mean to startle you, Chester. I brought you some supper. I brought some for the marshal, too."
Chester reached across the table to see what was in the basket she had set down.
"There's some ham and bread and a piece of pie, apple, I think. I can make some coffee if you'd like."
"That's real nice of ya', Miss Fleur."
"You think I should take some to the marshal?"
"I'll take it to him later, he's restin' right now."
She was putting more wood in the stove to heat the coffee pot. "You almost let the fire go out."
"Yeah, guess I… didn't …notice." Chester had his mouth full of ham and a piece of cheese.
"Tell me," Fleur started, almost embarrassed, but trying to sound casual, "Does the marshal have… someone special?"
Chester nearly choked on his mouthful. "That's not none of my business, Miss Fleur."
"I just wondered. He seems such a good man."
"Oh, he surely is Miss Fleur. Bein' a marshal an' all takes up ever' bit a' his time, ya know, and he's awful dedicated to that badge, he really is."
"I thought that maybe he needs someone to take care of him. Cooking and cleaning and such."
This was getting far too personal for Chester. He knew that Mr. Dillon and Miss Kitty were very good friends…well, more than friends most probably, but that was none of his business nor anyone else's as far as he could tell.
"Miss Fleur, it's uh… awful obligin' of you to think a' Mr. Dillon and all, but he's a downright…he's uh…" he had to search for a word, not wanting to hurt her feelings "…a very private man. Yeah that's him all right, a private man." He stopped to take a breath hoping that explanation would satisfy her. "An' he takes care of himself pretty much too! " he added, thinking that would put an end to the conversation.
Fleur came around the table, ready to pour him a fresh cup of coffee. "How about you, Chester?" She reached out to touch his shoulder. For a moment he was unsure what to do. Somehow women tended to make him all flustered. He stood up, trying to move a little further away from her.
"I'll be honest with you ma'am. I hardly make enough money to keep ma' own self fed and clothed. I ain't got no business takin' on a woman."
She looked so disappointed that he felt sorry for her.
"Listen, Miss Fleur. Mr. Dillon and I will git this town cleaned up, and then maybe some nice feller will come along who's just right for ya to settle down with."
She looked at him for a moment. "I doubt it. It's been a coon's age since anyone decent came to Great Bend." She sighed and shook her head. It was always the same story, "Someone will come along…" But she'd been waiting for a long time and no one ever had.
"Perhaps you should head on back home now. I'd walk ya myself but I have to stay here and guard the prisoners. Mr. Dillon depends on me y' know."
She gave him a half smile. It was always the same for her - all the decent men had other commitments, and the ones that were interested in her only wanted one thing. "I'll be all right, I'll stop by the stable and get Hugh to see me home."
But instead of going straight home, she thought maybe she would stop by the Aces High and see if she could pick up a little business. Now that Carp's men weren't breathing down everyone's neck, she might be able to make a little money before morning.
()()()
Chester settled back in the chair once more. There was no cot in the office so this would have to do for the night. He didn't expect to be disturbed before morning, so having found an old blanket stuffed in a desk drawer, and after locking the outer door, he put an extra log in the stove, sat back in the swivel chair, then closed his weary eyes.
TBC
