Lawman
Chapter 10
Young Jed Bowman had given a good description of where the old Grist Mill was located and Matt rode out there early the next morning. The horse he had rented from the livery would not be good for any long trip but was all right for the few miles he would be traveling today.
He found the place quite easily, although as the deputy had said, it was well hidden and he could have ridden right past it if he hadn't known of its existence. There was still a small creek running along side it. Not big enough to turn the waterwheel, but enough to cause the nearby vegetation to grow and flourish and hide the old building.
The Deputy was there to greet him, and Hamilton was anxious to hear any news.
"Did you see Gina, Matt? How is she doing?" were the first words out of his mouth.
"She's fine Doug, I saw her yesterday evening and told her you were safe and we would be going to Dodge soon." He intentionally left that a little vague. He looked around the old mill. The remains of breakfast were visible in the form of crumbs and used coffee mugs on one of the old millstones.
"I went and got us some food Marshal," Jed informed him, "but nobody saw me come back here."
Matt had come to trust this boy. He couldn't be more than eighteen or nineteen years of age and Etheridge probably made him a deputy because he thought that at the first sign of trouble the boy would run. But the young man had more grit to him than that. As for Jed he had watched the Marshal carefully and understood that there was more to being a lawman than wearing a tin star. He would tell Etheridge that when he handed the badge back to him.
Matt turned to his friend. "Doug, I want to get you out of town on the late stage tonight. I think it leaves around midnight and there shouldn't be too many people on the street then."
"What about Gina?"
"I'll see that she gets there." He thought for a minute. "Meantime I need to go talk to that cowboy who found the body. Where can I find him?"
"He works at the Double D Ranch, about 10 miles East of town. The place is owned by Duncan DeWitt, he's a big name in this part of Finney County. They say he owns more that five thousand head of cattle."
After telling the two men to stay out of sight, Matt left the old Mill to ride out to the Double D ranch. On the way he decided to stop by Hamilton's place and tell Gina to be ready to leave later that afternoon.
xxx
Gina and Halstead where lying quietly on the bed, discussing their plans for the future. They were both certain that even if Hamilton didn't hang, he would certainly go to jail for a long time. Their future together seemed assured and with the money they had stolen they would have an easy life.
It was Halstead who heard it first; the sound of a rider approaching the house. He went to one of the front windows and his heart began beating faster.
"Gina, it's that Marshal, he mustn't find me here." She was ever the practical one.
"Where did you leave your horse?"
He's tied out back. I don't think he will see him unless he walks around there.
"I'll keep him busy while you leave by the back way, be quiet and walk your horse till you get away from the house."
Halstead grabbed his clothes and headed for the back of the house as Dillon knocked on the front door.
Gina grabbed a robe to cover the few garments she had on. She was not one to be flustered and had too much to lose to let this lawman destroy her plans. She watched as her lover closed the door behind him then went and looked out the front window, getting the lawman's attention.
Carefully and slowly she opened the front door.
"Oh it's you Marshal. You must excuse me, I had a terrible headache and was lying down." She made a big show of pulling her robe around her and tying it tightly with a pink sash. She thought she could hold any man's attention, but this one seemed to be more interested in looking around the room than watching her.
She had already made sure there was nothing to suggest she had had company. She just had to keep him here long enough to let Halstead get away.
"Please let me fix you a cup of coffee, I think i need some myself anyway."
"I can't stay long, Gina, I just wanted to tell you that we'll be leaving for Dodge later today. I'll stop by and get you this afternoon and take you to the depot."
Something just didn't feel right, the way she looked at him, she was trying to get him to stay. As politely as he could he refused the coffee and went back outside and mounted up as if he was going to ride away. Once she had closed the door, he made a big circle around to the back of the house and saw where a horse had been tied. He followed the fresh tracks that led towards the center of town. Of course he lost them there, so contented himself with taking the road east to the Double D Ranch.
xxx
The Double D ranch was easy to find. Matt rode on towards the house, but before he got there he saw a group of men standing around a pair of horses. As he swung down from the saddle he heard snatches of conversation that indicated a sale was in progress. A well built middle-aged man wearing a green shirt and tan coat came towards him. Matt introduced himself and explained he was looking for Johnny Halstead. The man turned out to be Duncan DeWitt, the owner of the Double D.
"I tell you Marshal, I had to fire that boy a couple of weeks ago. He'd got where he was never around when I needed him. I think he had a girl in town somewhere because for about the last month or so I couldn't get any work out of him."
Matt rode back into town, disappointed that he had not managed to find Halstead, but also curious about who was visiting Gina before he had arrived there earlier. Also interesting was the fact that Halstead no longer worked at the double D.
He returned the horse to the livery and went in search of Doc.
His idea was for Doc and Gina to return to Dodge on the afternoon stage and he would take Hamilton out on the one that left around midnight. He found Doc sitting in one of the two cafe's in town, ordering an early lunch and decided that since he himself had missed breakfast, he would join him.
The physician looked up as Matt came and sat at the table. The lawman was looking tired and worried. Doc knew for sure that he had been up trying to protect that friend of his until way past midnight, and then probably didn't get more than two hours sleep before he was off again this morning.
"Matt, come sit down and eat something."
For once Matt obeyed an order from his personal physician, ordered a steak and began describing his dilemma.
" You know Doc. I thought I could prove Doug's innocence, but all I have succeeded in doing is discovering evidence that he did lie in wait and bushwhack Dirk Williams. He had motive in that his wife was pushing him to make more money. I found boot prints and a shirt button where he lay hidden behind some bushes so he could bushwhack the man as he rode by. We know he went out almost to that very spot to hand over the reward. The only thing I haven't been able to follow up on is the cowboy that brought the body in two days later. I can't seem to find him."
"But you're not happy about it are you?"
"No. For a start you told me that the body we exhumed hadn't been out there lying in the sun for two days. And then I am not convinced about the other evidence I found - it was all too obvious. I was almost pushed into finding it. Then there's Hamilton's wife, she seems like she's devoted to Doug - but I'm not so sure."
The Marshal paused and ate a few bites of his steak. Doc said nothing, he knew his friend was sifting through the information he had obtained and didn't want to interrupt his thoughts.
Eventually he spoke again. "Somehow it doesn't add up. Doug is a good lawman. Money has never tempted him before, why should he suddenly change. Why did I get the feeling there was someone else with Gina when I arrived at the house this morning and why did she tell me she had pushed Doug into earning more money?" Matt paused for a moment, very bite he tried to eat seemed to get larger the more he chewed. Finally in frustration he set down his fork and looked directly at his confident, "And why can't I find Johnny Halstead?"
Doc looked up at his friend, concerned about the amount of stress he was under. "Can I do anything to help?"
"You've done a lot Doc, you've given me an idea - I just have to prove it that's all. I'll tell you what - there's a stage leaves here going east at about four o'clock, I want you and Gina to be on it. I'll follow with Doug on the late night one. When you get to Dodge get her a room at Ma Smalley's and, if you can, keep an eye on her till I get there."
Matt took some money from his pocket and handed it over.
"I'll have you get the fares if you would, I want to track this Johnny Halstead down before I leave here tonight. I get the feeling he is a key piece in this puzzle."
Doc sat back in his chair having finished his meal.
"You know Matt, you can't right every wrong in this world, just be careful here. I heard about the ruckus last night at the jail. It wouldn't be any good for your friend, or for Dodge if you get yourself killed. I don' t get the feeling that this town is too friendly towards the law."
"I'll be careful, but I can't let them hang a good lawman for something he didn't do." Matt studied the food on his plate, he realized that although he was hungry he had eaten very little.
Doc watched his friend for a moment, then continued in a softer tone,
"You yourself have said many times that it is the court that decides who's innocent and who's guilty."
"I know Doc - but I have to find the facts for the court to base their judgment on, and at present the only facts I've found seem all wrong."
He suddenly decided he had work to do. He stood up abruptly and threw money on the table to cover the tab.
"I'll have Gina at the depot in time for the stage." He picked up his hat and hurried from the table leaving the physician to watch him as he walked out onto the street. Adams knew his friend well. He tended to take on too many problems, but the sense of justice that burned inside him would not let him rest. He had seen it before and worried that Matt would be so driven that one day…. sadly there was nothing he could do to change things.
TBC