Matt watched with Doc as Percy Crump took away the body.
"Who could do such a thing?" Doc said tugging at his ear as Matt clinched his jaw.
"Well," Matt said curtly. "Whoever it was is going to pay for it!"
Doc nodded as Robert approached them. "We didn't find any weapon Marshal and the man didn't have any identification either. I can only estimate the time of death to be around three this morning."
Matt nodded. "I'll have to ask around and see if anyone knows where he came from, in the meantime, besides you two and Newly, who else in town would have that type of skill?"
Doc shook his head as Robert shrugged his shoulders. "No one I know of, Matt," Doc replied as Robert agreed.
"Alright," Matt said quietly. "Then I have to ask you both where you were last night?"
"I was at the Long Branch till ten," Doc replied. "Sam seen me leave. Afterward, I went to bed."
"I was at home," Robert said with a nod. "I checked on Abelia about the same time and then I went to bed."
"I figured," Matt said with a wan smile. "But I had to ask."
Festus headed over to the jail with Newly while Matt took care of things where the body had been found.
"That shore was a sorry thing ta see," Festus said shaking his head as Newly agreed.
Sally glanced in Abelia's direction as she sighed again while working on some needle point.
"Something wrong?" Sally asked with a slight smirk.
"Just bored, I guess," Abelia said as Kitty came to her screened front door. "C'mon in Kitty."
"Brought back your basket," Kitty said putting it on the kitchen table.
"How's things in town?" Abelia asked eager for any news.
"A little eventful," Kitty said taking a seat across from her friend and Sally.
"Really," Abelia asked sitting up a little straighter. "What happened?"
"Everyone is alright, aren't they?" Sally asked concerned.
"Yes," Kitty said with a nod. "It was a murder but I don't know who. I left once Newly came to get Doc, Festus and Robert."
"Oh, that's awful," Sally said shaking her head as Abelia agreed.
Getting to her feet as seven month's pregnant, wasn't an easy task as Kitty watched Abelia stretched her back slowly before she headed into the kitchen.
"I just made some fresh lemonade, Kitty," she said picking up a glass. "Can I get you some?"
"No, thank you," Kitty said standing up. "I've got to get over to Ma's and pick up Matthew and then head home to start supper."
Abelia smiled as she rubbed her ever growing stomach. "I'll be glad when this one gets here," she said with a sigh. "I can't remember ever being this uncomfortable with any of the other children, not even the twins."
"It's not much longer," Kitty said wistfully. "Just be happy, you've got another chance."
"I am, believe me," Abelia said with a smile. "And, I'm not taking any chances with this one."
"I don't blame you one bit," Kitty said nodding her head.
Matt shut the door behind him after he stepped into the jail and headed to his desk to make out a report about the murder.
"Festus, I want you and Newly to ask around at the Long Branch and the Bulls Head to see if anyone knew that man or saw him last night."
"Sure thang, Matthew," Festus said watching the Marshal take out paper and a pencil.
"Oh and I don't want you to mention to anyone how the body was found or what was missing from the body," Matt said sternly. "Finding the killer may hinge on those facts alone."
"I understand," Newly said as Festus nodded before walking out the door.
Robert followed Doc up to his office once the body had been taken to Purcy Crump's and they were able to do a proper autopsy.
"I didn't see anything else out of the ordinary, did you?" Robert asked taking the seat next to Doc's desk.
"Well," Doc answered thoughtfully. "I don't know. Upon inspecting the incision and the way the heart was cut out, it looked to me like someone was practicing."
"Like the first time you do a dissection in school," Robert replied. "I came away with that as well."
"I don't like to think that a citizen of Dodge could be responsible for such an atrocity," Doc said shaking his head before focused on Robert. "Now, are you going to tell me the truth now that you father's not present or do I have to guess what's going on with you!"
Robert smirked as he met his mentor's eyes. "Still can't get nothing past you, can I?"
"Not yet," Doc replied evenly.
"Well, besides a general malaise, I've had a low grade fever and one short attack," Robert stated as Doc nodded.
"Those are all relatively normal symptoms," Doc said with a nod. "But, I think you're right. It sounds like increasing the dosage would help."
Robert sighed as Doc picked up his stethoscope, he knew the gradual increases were just a stopgap measure in the hopes of finding something new to try. But the young physician knew eventually there wouldn't be anything else that could be done.