A/N: Working 60 hour weeks is playing havoc with my personal time. I missed posting last night so I'm posting 2 chapters tonight. Oh, and thank you all for the kind reviews. If I missed replying to someone, I apologize. It was not intentional.
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"Go away. You stink." Kitty glared at Matt as he stood in front of her, hat in hand.
"Kitty, I'm sorry." Matt's voice was soft and apologetic. "I know I should've told you what I was doing but we had a long ride ahead us. We couldn't waste time."
"Oh, I see." She raised a brow in a scowl. "And letting me know that you were breaking our date was a waste of time? Gee, thanks, Marshal Dillon. I'll remember that."
"Now, Kitty, you know that's not what I meant." Matt took a step closer to her. They were in an empty bar room, completely alone, but he still didn't want to be overheard. "Honey, look. I really am sorry. I was just so intent on getting answers that I didn't think." He reached out and ran a hand down her arm, stopping at her hand as he gently grasped it. "You know how I feel about you. I was just…"
"I know." She sighed. "As usual, when it comes to your job, everyone and everything, including me, especially me, takes second place."
"I don't think of it like that, Kitty." Matt dropped his head. "I will never think of you as second place."
Kitty let out a breath and shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "Matt Dillon, there are times…" She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Go get yourself a bath and some rest like I told you to yesterday and I'll see you later. Okay?"
Matt grinned and squeezed her hand before releasing it and turning for the door. "I'll be back to get you for dinner." He smiled at her. "I promise. And if I don't, I'll send someone to let you know why."
"Go. Before I change my mind." Kitty smiled as he turned and left the saloon.
As Matt left the saloon, he failed to see the man standing across the street in the alleyway. The same man who'd peaked into the saloon just in time to Kitty lean up and kiss Matt.
Promptly at noon, Matt arrived at the Long Branch, clean, freshly shaved and just a touch of sleep still in his eyes. Kitty was right. He'd needed both the sleep and the bath. His problem with what to do about the dead girl and the Granger boy was still troubling him, but he was determined to put that to the side for at least an hour with Kitty. Besides she quite often found ways to help him see things he was blind to.
"So, you can't arrest Rey because you have nothing more than a button you can't match to anything, my word he was in town and an anguished father's word as proof." Kitty took a bite of her steak as Matt nodded. While they ate, Matt had told her of the events of the day prior and the dilemma he'd found himself in.
"That's about it. Everything leads up to Rey but none of it is actually proof. Even the worst of attorney's could get him off and his father can afford the best."
"What are you going to tell the girl's father?" Kitty took a sip of her coffee and pushed her plate back.
"I don't know." Matt answered. "He's got a right to want the one who killed his daughter punished. And I want that too, but arresting Rey with nothing more than I have now would be a waste of time."
"What about that man, Simpson?" Kitty asked. "Could you get him to tell you something? Maybe he could at least identify the button."
Matt shrugged. "I plan on talking to him again but it's anybody's guess as to whether he will tell me anything. He sure didn't want to talk at the ranch."
"Hmm." Kitty mused. "Well, maybe he might if he was in the right place with the just the right incentive."
"What do you mean?" Matt asked.
"Tomorrow is payday for Granger's men." Kitty told him. "Most of them come into town in the evening. If this man came with them, it just might be that a little whiskey and female company could loosen his tongue a little."
"No." Matt stated unequivocally. "You are not going…"
"I didn't mean me." Kitty waved him off. "I meant Julie. She has a way of getting a man to drink and talk better than anyone I've ever seen."
"Even better than you?" Matt was only half jesting. He'd seen Kitty in action before.
"Well…" She grinned. "Let's just say she's good and leave it at that."
Matt shrugged. "Well, it's a better plan than I currently have." Matt looked up just then to see Dale and Rey Granger walking into the café. "But maybe it won't be needed." Matt stated as he got to his feet and walked over to where the two had sat down."
"Well, hello, Matt." Dale greeted him as Matt approached.
"Dale." Matt wasn't looking at the father. He'd noticed the vest the son was wearing. "Rey, I asked you yesterday where you were on Monday night and you said you were home."
"Why, that's right, Marshal." Rey grinned. "Just like we told you."
"Uh huh," Matt nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the button. ""If you didn't go up to that village, then how'd your button get there in the hands of a dead girl?" Matt questioned as he leaned over and flicked the boy's vest, which was missing a button. "And how come I have witnesses that saw you in town that afternoon."
Rey swallowed hard and looked over at his father.
"What witnesses?" Dale snapped. "Are you talking about that saloon tr…" He stopped when he saw the look on Matt's face. "You don't have anything on my boy, Marshal." Dale regained control of his composure. "You said yourself, that girl was supposedly attacked in the evening. My boy was home that evening, like I told you. Him being in town that afternoon is no proof."
"It and this button are enough." Matt stated as he reached down and grabbed Rey by the arm. Pulling the boy up, he looked back at the father. "Don't try anything, Dale. Let this play out in court. If it's as you say, then he'll go free."
"Pa?" Rey bleated as Matt pulled him to his feet.
"Go with him, Rey." Dale glared at Matt. "I'll have you out of there before the day's end."
"Not unless you do it legally, Dale." Matt warned him as he pulled the boy from the restaurant. He didn't look in Kitty's direction as he left the café, but he knew she'd understand. This was something he had to do.
TBC