The next morning, Matt stepped into the Long Branch and tipped his hat up high onto his head as he sat down at a table in the back for coffee.

"Matt," Doc said joining him shortly. "Any news on the murder investigation?"

"Not yet, Doc," Matt said toying with his coffee cup. "I had Festus and Newly asking everyone they saw about that fella or if anyone seen who he might have been with and got nothing."

"Frustrating," Doc said as Matt nodded.

"Marshal," Nathan Burke yelled rushing though the doors of the saloon. "You got to come quick, it's bad, really bad!"

"What is it, Burke," Matt said with a sigh as he got to his feet.

"There's a dead man behind the fright office!"

"Dead," Doc replied quickly getting to his feet. "Are you sure?"

"Doc," Burke said excitedly waving his arms up and down. "The man's chest has been split wide open! I think it safe to say he's dead!"

Robert stifled a yawn as he shut the bedroom door that he shared with Johnny.

"You got in kinda late last night," Abelia said handing the young man a cup of coffee.

"It was," Robert said sheepishly. "Doc and I had a few things to go over."

"I see," Abelia replied before looking at the clock. "Can I get you some breakfast before you have to go?"

"No, but thank you," Robert said with a slight nod. "I always fill up on your lunches."

"Oh, that reminds me," Abelia said taking the basket from the counter. "Kitty has a lot of paper work that needs to be done at the Long Branch so I was going to see if you could hitch up the buggy and I'll ride into town with you and bring Festus lunch and maybe help Kitty for a bit."

"I don't know," Robert said taking the basket. "Are you sure, Doc isn't going to have a problem with you being at the Long Branch."

"All I'll be doing is sitting there," Abelia said with a wiry grin. "How much of a problem could he have with that."

Doc knelt down next to the dead man Burke found and shook his head.

"Just like the other one?" Matt asked quietly as Doc nodded in the affirmative.

"But, this man is missing his lungs from the looks of things," Doc said looking at Matt in the eyes. "I won't know the extent until I've had a chance to do a complete autopsy."

"When'd he die, Doc," Matt asked standing straight.

"I'd have to say roughly about the same time as the other one," Doc said climbing to his feet as Robert rushed around the corner of the building.

"Sam told me what happened," he said bending down to look at the second victim.

"Just like before," Doc said uneasily as Robert nodded.

Matt took a look around the area as the doctors examined the deceased. "Doc," Matt said waving the physician over. "Take a look at these shoe prints!"

Doc put his own foot by one of the prints before tugging at his ear. "Those are not the prints of a man," he said meeting Matt's eyes.

"I didn't think so either," Matt replied. "He may have met a woman back here."

"Well," Doc said looking around at the obvious signs of a struggle. "Who was she and what's happened to her?"

"That's the question," Matt said clinching his jaw. "I've got to get Festus and Newly on this right away!"

Robert watched the Marshal head back toward the jail before helping Doc.

"Anything missing," Robert asked as Doc nodded. "Take a look!"

Robert opened the chest cavity and shook his head. "The lungs, but interestingly enough, the heart is here!"

"I just don't understand it," Doc said angrily as Robert got to his feet. "Taking someone's organs serves no useful purpose at all!"

Robert took a moment to really look at the body before something caught his eye.

"Doc," he said opening the man's jacket. "There's one thing we're not taking into consideration."

"What's that?" Doc asked curiously.

"How they died?" Robert said meeting his eyes. "There's no blood splatter any where!"

"That means, whoever did this..." Doc said as Robert nodded.

"Did it after the man was already dead!" Robert stated as Doc shook his head.

"But you didn't find anything that would have killed either man?" Matt asked while pacing the length of his office.

"Not a thing," Doc said as Robert nodded.

"We have to assume that it could be some sort of poison or a neurological agent that was either injected or ingested," Robert said evenly.

Matt took a deep sigh as he looked at both doctors. "I want you two to keep your eyes open for anyone that appears to have medical knowledge that they shouldn't know."

"Damn right we will," Doc said angrily.

"But we may have a bigger problem on our hands," Robert said thoughtfully. "The shipment of medical supplies and medicine to stock the hospital is due on the train tomorrow and we've no where to put it except in the hospital."

"Well," Doc said with a grin. "Looks like finished or not, we'll have to open it up!"

"But, I had this huge grand opening planned with a dedication ceremony and everything!" Robert said slightly disappointed.

"Who says, we can't do it later," Doc replied. "It's almost complete, well just be utilizing the part that is done."

"Well, sure," Robert said eagerly. "It's your hospital after all, if you want it open tomorrow then that's what we'll do!"

Abelia smiled as Kitty put a fresh glass of lemonade in front of the stack of papers she was working on.

"Gosh, how I've missed this," Abelia said with a broad smile.

"Well," Kitty said with a slight grin. "I wouldn't get to used to it. I doubt Doc will let you come here everyday."

"Oh, I know," Abelia said with a wiry grin. "And, I would never press the issue."

"Good," Kitty said patting her hand. "Doc's always had our best interest at heart.

Abelia nodded as Kitty went back to work. It wasn't until later on when the pregnant woman got quiet and shifted restlessly in her chair that the saloon owner realized something wasn't right.

"Abelia," Kitty said as Festus wife rested her head on her hand. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know, Kitty," Abelia replied slowly. "I've suddenly taken a very bad headache and it's hard for me to see the paperwork."