Lawman

Chapter 15

Dillon had to meet the State Prosecutor, Josiah Benton, off the train from Wichita and escort him to the Dodge House where there was a room reserved in his name. The man seemed pleasant enough but Matt could not ignore the fact that this man was about to help convict his friend of murder.

Meantime Kitty had wired a long time friend in St. Louis who was a well known attorney in that town. Sadly he was involved in a case and couldn't leave, but would send his nephew, who it turned out had obtained a law degree just two months earlier. This case seemed hardly likely to be something someone with so little experience could handle, but there was no other choice.

The young attorney arrived on the two o'clock stage from back east. He introduced himself as Daniel T Pascoe. Kitty was standing with Matt at the depot when the coach pulled in. The passengers climbed down one by one until finally a young man little more than a boy really, found his way out of the carriage. He was tall - well not as tall as Matt but taller than average and very skinny so that his arms and legs appeared long and gangly He had a thatch of straw colored hair which forced its way from under a faded felt hat. His clothes were travel worn and when he climbed down from the stage Matt noted that the left boot the young attorney wore, had a hole in the sole. The whole picture did not inspire confidence.

Kitty looked up at Matt. "Best I could do," she whispered, raising her eyebrows. He shook his head very slightly then went forward to greet the young man. What the young attorney lacked in age and appearance he made up for in enthusiasm and almost immediately asked to be taken to talk with his client, his first ever client he eventually admitted. Matt escorted him to the jail and introduced him to Hamilton. Of course Pascoe wanted to be left alone with the City Marshal so Matt closed the door and retreated to the front office.

xxx

It was the day before the trial was set to start and the two women were eating lunch at Delmonico's. Matt was busy organizing a group of citizens to get the court room set up in the lobby of the Dodge House and then he had to find men to serve on the jury. At any minute Judge Brooking should arrive in town so every one would be busy and she didn't want Gina to be left alone. The young woman couldn't even visit her husband because that attorney Pascoe was spending all his time with Hamilton, going over the events leading up to his arrest.

Gina's manner seemed a little inappropriate for the situation. She had found some fabric that she liked in Mr. Jonas' store and wanted to know who Kitty recommended as a dress maker. Maybe that was just a distraction for her from the events that were about to take place. Like Matt she was impressed with how much time the young woman spent with her husband. Most every day from around noon until well into the evening she would sit in the cell holding his hand, talking to him or bringing food even so Kitty had a feeling something was not quite right.

She hardly saw Matt all day, and the only time she caught a glimpse of him his face was harrowed and gaunt. This had been hard on him, but she knew he would see it through and continue to do the best he could for his friend. One thing for certain, Matt Dillon did not take friendships lightly.

It was still quite early in the evening when her cowboy came to her rooms. In his hand he carried a crumpled up shirt. It was a brown plaid in color and as far as she knew he did not own one like that.

"Kitty look at this for me, there's a button missing, see if you can tell me anything."

She took the shirt and laid it out on the small coffee table. The button was missing from the neck

"What do you want me to tell you."

"I'm not sure, but something doesn't seem right." He went on to describe how he had found the footprint and the button, both of which seemed to indicate that Hamilton had been lying in wait for the bounty hunter.

"I don't know why, but somehow I don't believe this was there by accident."

Kitty took the button and held it against the others on the shirt. It was indeed a perfect match.

"Well.." she considered carefully for a moment, "it sure enough looks like it came from this shirt. It does match all the others, but I bet it would match buttons on your shirt too, it is pretty common." She inspected the place where the button was missing. "Looks like it was cut from here. The threads have smooth edges - not all ragged and twisted like it would if it had fallen off on its own. You know how it looks when you bring me one of your shirts to repair."

Matt considered for a minute. He had thought that, but was by no means an expert. He had considered asking Doc who had a lot of experience with a needle and thread - but thought that Kitty might have a better understanding because she was always the one to sew buttons on his own clothes when needed.

He continued to look troubled.

"Does that help?" she asked him.

"I don't know. I have another problem with both those pieces of evidence. Neither looked like they had sat out there in the dirt and sun for two weeks, which is how it was supposed to have been."

He stood thinking for a while, he would have to turn all this evidence over to the court, and doubtless he would have to tell about the boot print. Somehow it felt like he was tying the noose that would go around his friend's neck.

Matt went back to the jail and spent an hour or more talking with Hamilton.

"How's Gina doing?" the man asked. "Mr. Pascoe was here most of the day and I hardly got to see her."

"Kitty's been taking care of her, Doug, she's doing fine."

"That's more than can be said for me," the prisoner half mumbled.

Dillon went to the front office and took a bottle from the cupboard under the wash stand and accompanied it with two of the white coffee mugs.

"Here Doug, maybe this'll help you sleep tonight." He poured two generous measures and handed one to Hamilton. The two men sat in the dimly lit cell and tried to lose their fears in the warmth of the alcohol. Matt heard Chester enter the front office and was grateful that his assistant did not call out or come looking for him. He didn't really want to talk to anyone right now, after all there wasn't much left to say. After a while he reached over and poured more of the rough whisky into Hamilton's cup, then got up from the stool where he had been sitting.

"I've got to go make rounds Doug - but Chester will be out front if you need anything."

TBC