Lawman
Chapter 14
The bed was warm and comfortable and the familiar scent and feel of Kitty Russell was right there beside him, but even so he could not sleep. He pictured in turn each of the many hangings he had been forced to attend as a witness. He always tried to stand so far back that he almost couldn't see. Every time he watched a man hang it would make him sick to his stomach and he would dream about it for many of the nights that followed. Most of the men he escorted to Hays City for hanging had deserved what they got, but even knowing that, it was not a pleasant thing to watch, in fact it was the stuff of nightmares. Now he watched as a familiar face turned to look at him and began climbing the steps towards the hangman's noose. It was Doug Hamilton, not as he looked now but as he did when they were just kids, young men trying to reach manhood and find their way in life. The face looked back at him, "you promised, you promised.." He ran towards the steps determined to rescue his friend, his heart was pounding and he could feel the sweat pouring down into his eyes. The Sheriff stepped forward and grabbed his arm "No Matt, Matt," he tried to break away, "Matt wake up." Something cool touched his forehead and the gallows faded away. At last he managed to open his eyes and was rewarded by the sight of the woman he loved. He was breathing hard as he struggled to clear his mind of the ugliness of the dream.
"It's Kitty, Matt, wake up, you were having a nightmare."
He felt her hand on the back of his head, pulling his face gently into the angle of her neck.
"It's alright," she soothed stroking her hand through his hair. She could feel his breath coming with hard rapid gasps, almost like he was sobbing. After a minute or two he calmed. "I'm sorry I woke you Kitty." He sat up and swung his long legs out from under the covers to sit on the edge of the bed putting his head in his hands. She reached over and softly rubbed his back.
"You need a drink," she pulled herself to the other side of the bed and went to the small bar she had set up in her room. She poured a generous shot of whisky into a glass and returned with it.
"Here drink this, it'll make you sleep."
Gratefully he took the glass and swallowed the contents, almost in one gulp. After a few more minutes they both laid back down again and this time he slept without interruption until first light penetrated the window and he knew it was time to make morning rounds.
xxx
Johnny Halstead had spent a much more pleasant night. When Gina had returned to her room after visiting her husband at the jail, she found her lover waiting for her. He told her that he planned to get rid of Dillon to stop him interfering in the trial, but Gina was smarter than that.
"Johnny think! Dillon is the only one that saw the foot print that we put out there, and he found the button from Doug's shirt. We have to let him give that evidence before you do anything."
"What about that Doctor. Etheridge let them go out there and dig up the body, supposing he knows something."
"I think he's a harmless old fool. I talked to him on the stage. You should have seen me Johnny, I had him convinced that I was the caring, distressed wife, just begging him to tell me if there was anything he knew that could clear my poor dear husband. I am sure he knows nothing."
xxx
Kitty was the first to notice the young cowboy with the green eyes.
Halstead had left Gina's room using the window as he had been doing for several days now. No one in this town knew him and he felt he could move around safely. He wanted a drink and found himself propping up the bar in the Long Branch. The last few days had been exhausting. First there was the ride from Garden City to Dodge, then the problem of remaining out of sight for days. He had felt fairly safe in Gina's room - that is until the Marshal and Kitty Russell had come knocking on the door. That was the second time Dillon had caused him to leave Gina's company in a hurry and it did not sit well with him. He had another worry, if Hamilton were not convicted he would lose Gina and maybe even his own life. Especially if Dillon stayed determined to find who murdered the bounty hunter. He had come up with the idea that should help get that city marshal convicted and didn't want all that carefully planted evidence going to waste. He wanted to be sure the jury heard about it even if it put himself at some risk. He had always been a bit of a gambler and considered the stakes to be worth it, he did not want Dillon to forget about that boot print. The button had been Gina's idea and he was not so sure about that.
He ordered a bottle of whisky and a glass and took it to an empty table. There was a new saloon girl that Kitty had hired a few days ago, her name was Daisy and she had an unusual combination of blonde hair and dark eyes. She saw the cowboy sit by himself at a table and decided to join him. Of course he did not object to her company and called for an extra glass for her, then steadily worked his way through the bottle before ordering a second. Something about him caught Kitty's eye, she had never seen him before. She had heard the description of Halstead from Matt and this man sure fitted it, quietly she told Clem to find the Marshal and bring him here.
It wasn't five minutes before the head and shoulders of the tall lawman appeared above the batwing doors. Halstead was still sitting talking to Daisy and appeared a little the worse for wear from the alcohol. His voice was getting noticeably louder and when he saw the Marshal's face looking at him he struggled to his feet.
"I heard you've been looking for me Marshal." His words were a little slurred and anyone would have thought the liquor had had an effect on him.
Matt was still cautious.
"What's your name cowboy?" Matt had come to stand next to the table and eyed the man carefully.
"Johnny Halstead. You should know that." There was a slight hiccough in the man's voice.
"I want you to come down to my office, we need to talk." The man looked like he might object for a moment, but changed his mind and was easily escorted out of the saloon and along to the jail.
When they entered the Marshal's office, Chester was sweeping the floor and singing some song he had probably made up the night before. The door to the cells was closed and he explained to his boss that Mrs. Gina was back there with her husband. Matt knew that Gina had made a big impression on Chester and he would let her visit whenever she wanted.
"Put the broom up for a while, Chester," Matt told his assistant "and pour us a cup of coffee." If Halstead was as drunk as he appeared, a cup of Chester's coffee would do a lot to bring him to his senses.
He opened the door to the cells, to see Gina sitting on the cot and holding hands with her husband. He was certain he sensed surprise on Halstead's part when he saw them there, but made no comment.
"Doug," he called, "is this the man who brought the body to your office in Garden City."
Hamilton came and stood by the cell door and looked at the young cowboy.
"That's him Matt."
Matt noticed how Gina's eyes lingered on the man standing beside him, almost as if she wanted to say something, but instead she turned her back and went to stand by the small cot.
Matt questioned Halstead for almost an hour. He seriously doubted that the whisky had affected the young cowboy as much as he pretended. He was very curious to know why the man had come to Dodge.
"Just doing my duty as a citizen," the man had replied, I'd found that poor man lying out there on the prairie, just left for the vultures like that, I knew I had to play my part in finding who did it." He looked back towards the door to the cells as he spoke. Matt had deliberately closed it, but now he watched as Halstead kept glancing back at it.
"Tell me," Matt asked trying not to put much emphasis on the question, "how was he lying when you found him."
"What do you mean." The question took the young ranch hand unawares.
"Well was he lying on his side, or his face or what?"
"Oh he was lying face up, Marshal. I had to look around for his horse too."
"How did you manage to lift him up onto the back of the animal, a dead weight that size must have been very heavy."
"Just did what I had to I guess." The man seemed unsure of himself now.
"Were there signs of a camp fire there or did you think he'd been shot while riding along the road."
"Don't suppose I gave it much thought Marshal."
"Understandable," Matt commiserated with him, trying to lull him back into feeling safe with the answers he had given. Time to catch him out later - preferably in the court room. He asked him again, "How come you decided to come to Dodge now.
"I'd been out of Garden city, Marshal. I work at the Double D, it keeps me busy. When I came back to town they said you were looking for me so I decided to ride on here."
Matt didn't say anything about the obvious lie. DeWitt had said he fired this man two weeks ago.
"I guess you'll want me to give evidence at the trial."
"Maybe. Tell me where you're staying and I'll let you know."
"I haven't got a place yet," Halstead admitted.
"Don't worry, I'll find you, you can get back to your drinking now."
Halstead had no reply. Right now he was more interested in what Gina was doing behind that door to the cells, than anything this Marshal had to say.
TBC