Chapter Five: Pressure
Mary was pegging out the clothing from that days wash when the bullet hit the house, she screamed and ran into the house, slamming the back door shut she slid down her back against the door and her hands over her ears. Matt was sitting at his desk in the jail when he heard the shot ring out, he and Frank Reardon ran to the house, they entered the front door, Matt heard her sobs and went into the kitchen, she flew into his arms. "Papa," Matt lifted her and carried her into the front parlour.
"She alright, Matt?" Frank asked.
"She will be, it's unnerved her a bit," Matt said.
"Kitty told me what happened to her."
"Yeah. Mary, I'm going to take you to the Long Branch. You'll be safer there."
"Sam's shotgun will keep Mandee away from her," Frank said, Matt carried Mary in his arms all the way into the Long Branch.
"Matt, what happened?" Kitty asked.
"Mandee took a pot shot at the house."
"Take Mary up to my room, Matt, she'll be safer there. What about the kids?" Matt realised what she meant, then he realised that the other kids in the school could be in danger too, Kitty didn't need to ask she saw it in his eyes.
"Matt, Mary needs you now, I'll go get the kids," Frank said as he left.
"Bessie, come up with me," Kitty said, "we'll get a couple of rooms ready. Sam, keep watch," Matt carried Mary upstairs, the tough trail hands watched him go, then started talking about what they'd like to do to Mandee for threatening children. Frank and Lon brought the children into the Long Branch just as a bullet took out one of the windows.
"They're upstairs, Mr Reardon," Sam said, Frank nodded, he and Lon took the children upstairs. A couple of trail hands rushed outside but didn't see anyone.
"He must've been in one of those alleys on t'other side," one of them said. A man came in looking like he'd seen a ghost. "What's the matter with you?"
"Give me a whiskey, Sam, I sure need it. Where's the marshal?"
"I'm here," the man turned.
"I just rode in past the cemetary, one of the graves has been dug open, the coffin's all busted open," Matt paled, he knew the grave the man was talking about.
"Matt," Amos McKee laid a hand on his arm, "that's Ellie's grave isn't it?" Matt nodded. "Jeb, you take a few of the men to the undertaker's wake him if you have to. Get another coffin and rebury her."
"Sure boss," the hands left, Amos sat Matt down by a table, he poured a whiskey and handed it to Matt. "Drink it down," Matt drank it if only to give his heart time to stop pounding, he rose and walked out turning left Matt returned to his office and sat behind his desk.
"Matthew?" Matt looked up at Festus's concerned face. "What's happened?"
"Mandee, he must have found out about Ellie. He dug her body up, Festus."
"Well, I'll just go and do some reburying."
"Amos McKee's already sent some of his hands to do that. Must have been the first thing Mandee did. He followed that by taking a pot shot at the house, scared Mary half to death and now he's shot a window out of the Long Branch."
"He really do intend putting you through the wringer, don't he?" Matt nodded. "Matthew, you know'd Joe Bascombe said, to call on him if you need help and a extry gun couldn't hurt. I'll go let him know what's happening," Matt nodded, Festus knew that Matt could take most things but digging up Ellie's body had clearly unnerved Matt, Festus could see the tension in him. So on the way out of town, he stopped at the Long Branch.
"Miz Kitty."
"Is Matt alright, Amos told me about Ellie?"
"He's in the office, I ain't sure how he feel y'know he don't talk about somethings."
"I'll go to him, don't worry, Festus," Kitty said, they left together, Kitty turned left and walked to Matt's office she bumped into Doc and Joseph.
"What's wrong Kitty you look worried?" Doc asked.
"Mandee dug up Ellie's body."
"Dear God in heaven!"
"Who was Ellie?"
"Matt loved her, she was murdered four years ago," they crossed to the marshal's office. Kitty pulled a chair across so she could sit next to Matt, the tension in him visibly drained away. Doc poured them all coffee, he placed Matt's down in front of him. "Drink that down, Matt, all of it," Kitty silently handed her handkerchief to him, he handed it back and smiled.
"I'm fine, just a shock," Matt pulled Ellie's picture out of his draw. "I hadn't looked at this in an age, nearly forgot what she looked like," he hugged Kitty. "How are the kids?"
"They're fine, Mandee won't get to them not with Amos McKee and his trail hands around and Sam's got his shotgun ready too. Where was Festus going in such a hurry?"
"To the Bascombe spread."
"Oh, yes, Joe still think he owes you?"
"He keeps saying to ask if I need help, every time he comes to town with Ching Lee."
"And Festus has gone to see him," Kitty said.
"Yea, Festus said an extra gun wouldn't hurt and it makes sense."
"Once in a while he does make sense," Doc said. "Come on, we'll go to Delmonico's I'm buying," they left and crossed the street to Delmonico's.