Matt hurried down the boardwalk, looking for the little boy who'd delivered the message to him. He found him lingering near the front of the general store. "Jeremy?" Matt called as he hurried to him.
Jeremy took a step back as he saw the marshal hurrying towards him. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong in delivering the paper to him but the Marshal didn't look happy. "Yes, Sir?" His voice quivered a little bit.
"Son, can you tell me where you got that note that you gave me?" Matt asked, as he kneeled down so as not to appear as intimidating.
"Was it a bad note?" Jeremy asked. "I didn't write it, Marshal. Honest."
"I know that, Jeremy." Matt assured him. "But I need to know where you got it."
"A man gave it to me." Jeremy relaxed seeing that he wasn't in trouble. "Gave me a whole dollar to bring it to you."
"Do you know who he was?" Matt asked.
"No, Sir." Jeremy shook his head. "I ain't never seen him before."
"What did he look like?" Matt pressed. "Where was he?"
"He was a tall man." Jeremy answered. "He had hair like mine only he didn't have too much of it." Jeremy paused for a moment. "And he was kinda skinny, I guess. He come up to me while I was waiting on pa over at the stable."
"Thanks, Jeremy." Matt smiled as he stood and tossled the boy's blonde head. "I appreciate it." Turning from the boy, Matt hurried across the street and to the stable. "Moss?" He called. "Moss?"
"Well, hello, Marshal." The white haired stable master smiled as he came around the corner of the barn. "You need something?"
"Moss, there a was a fella here a little while ago. He was talking to the McGruder boy. Do you know who he was?"
Moss paused a moment, rubbing his chin as he thought. "I don't rightly know his name, Marshal." Moss told him. "But I think I know where you can find him."
"Where." Matt was prepared to shake the information out of the older man if he had to. But he restrained himself, knowing Moss would come through.
"He's most likely down at the Oasis saloon." Moss answered. "When he left his horse here, he asked for the cheapest saloon in town and that's where I told him to go."
"His horse still here?" Matt asked.
"Yeah." Moss nodded. "He told me not to unsaddle him so I just put it in that first stall there."
Matt went into the barn and moved over to the horse, carefully looking it over along with the saddle and tack. The brand on the horse was one he didn't recognize. The saddle didn't have any identifying marks either. One side of the saddlebags was empty. The other one had a shirt in it but nothing more. Seeing nothing there to help him, Matt turned and left the barn, heading to the Oasis.
He was a few yards away when he saw a man exit the saloon and head south on Front Street. Matt hung back out of sight and watched where the man went to. At first he seemed to be mindlessly ambling down the street but as Matt watched, he noticed the man kept looking behind him and his steps seemed to have a purpose to them. Matt kept his distance, but he followed.
As Matt trailed him, the man seemingly walked aimlessly down the street but Matt was convinced he had a destination in mind. Although it was difficult, Matt managed to keep out of the man's sight as they traversed slowly down the street.
Matt was beginning to think he was wrong about the man though, when they'd neared the end of town and the man hadn't stopped. But it was then that he did. Coming to a house at the very edge of town, the man stopped, took another look around then swiftly opened the door and hurried inside.
Matt knew that house was empty. The last people who'd lived there had moved away leaving the house empty and the bank holding the mortgage. Certain he'd found the man holding Kitty, Matt hurried to the door, paused only long enough to listen, hoping to hear Kitty's voice or something to confirm what he was already positive of. Hearing nothing, Matt raised his right leg and kicked the door in, catching the people inside completely off guard.
"HOLD IT!" Matt demanded, pulling his gun when the man began reaching for the rifle leaning against the wall.
"Who… who are you?" The man's voice was shaky and he moved over close to the woman that was in the room with him. "What do you want?"
"You know who I am." Matt growled. "Where is she? What did you do with her?"
"Who?" The man and woman exchanged puzzled looks. "I don't know what you're talking about. The only woman here is my wife here, Matilda."
"That's right, Mister." Matilda spoke up. "Me and Ed are alone here. And we don't know who you are. What do you want?"
Matt ignored her question as he made a quick scan of the house. It was only 3 rooms and didn't take but a moment. Finally, he turned his attention back to the couple in front of him. "My name's Matt Dillon. I'm the marshal here. What are you two doing here?"
"Why…. Why we bought this place." Ed answered nervously. "We…"
"Ain't no use, Ed." Matilda shook her head. "He knows better." She looked up at Matt. "Me and Ed was on our way to California but we ran outta money just as we got here. We didn't have no money for a hotel and when we saw this here house at the end of town and no one living in it we just kinda moved in, ya know."
"That's right, Marshal." Ed joined in. "We… we was gonna pay rent on it when I could get me a job and some money. We didn't figure it'd hurt no one if we kinda hunkered down here for a while until we could get on our feet."
Matt wasn't sure if he believed them or not. "I saw you at the Oasis." He glared at Ed. "You apparently had enough money for liquor."
"Aw no, Marshal." Ed denied. "I went in there to looking for a job. I heard he needed a swamper. Honest. I didn't buy no liquor. I just went in looking for a job."
Matt still wasn't positive that they were telling the truth but didn't have any real reason not to believe them, or at least, no proof of them of lying. Feeling deflated, he finally nodded, holstered his gun and moved over towards the door. "If you two want to continue to stay here, I'd suggest you go in and talk to Mr. Bodkin over at the bank and get his permission."
"Alright, Marshal." Ed nodded. "We'll do that right enough."
Matt opened the door and was about to leave when Matilda called him back. "Oh, Marshal. When you came in here, you was asking about someone wasn't you?"
"Never mind." Matt shook his head as he left the house and closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, Matt turned back and trod the street back down towards the jail. He felt like a fool rushing in like that without being sure of anything. He'd always prided himself on…. Matt stopped as something occurred to him. The man had said he'd gone into the Oasis looking for a job. Why? Most men looking for a job would want something that paid better than a swamper's wage. And even if they were willing to settle for that the Oasis would be the last place they'd go.
Matt hurried across the street and into the Oasis. "Frank!" He called as he entered.
"Hello, Marshal." Frank nodded at him curiously. Dillon seldom came in there. His usual haunt was the Long Branch. "What can I do for you?"
"Frank, a man came in here a little while ago. Medium height, scrawny looking with thinning blonde hair. Do you remember him?"
Frank scratched his head for a moment and then finally nodded. "Yeah, if it's the same fella, he came in, had himself a beer, talked to a fella at the end of the bar then left. He complaining about the beer or something?"
"No." Matt shook his head. "You said he talked to someone?"
"Yeah." Frank nodded. "Some tall cowboy came in right before he did. Had himself a beer, talked to this dude, if he's the same one, and then left right after. What's going on, Marshal."
"Besides being tall, what'd this other fellow look like?" Matt ignored the bar tender's question. "Was he dark or fat or…"
"About average, I'd say." Frank shrugged. "Had a black hat with silver Conchos on it but that's about all that stood out about him. He wasn't fat but he wasn't real skinny or nothing."
"Did you happen to hear what they were talking about?" Matt asked. "Or hear any names?"
"No." Frank shook his head. "Like I said, they were at that end of bar and I was down here. I dunno what they were talking about."
"Did either of them say anything to you or anybody else here?" Matt was beginning to realize there was more to Kitty's kidnapping then he knew.
"Nope." Frank answered. "Just ordered a beer."
"Alright, thanks." Matt exited the saloon before Frank could ask any questions of his own. Matt started to go back down to the house at the end of town but he knew it wasn't worth the time. Ed and Matilda, if that was their names, would be gone by now. Matt took the long walk back to the jail.
TBC