Trip to Murder 28

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Frank Peat awoke, tied to a chair, with the smell of damp earth in his nostrils. Painfully opening his eyes, he looked around him but saw little in the dim light of a small lantern sitting on an empty crate. "Hello?" He called. He saw no one, but he sensed someone was there, just at the edge of the weak glow of the lamp.

"How are ya feeling, Peat?" A deep gruff voice asked out of the darkness behind him. "Head hurt?"

Peat nodded slightly before it dawned on him that it made his headache worse. "Ye… yes." He managed. "Where… am… am I?"

"In a hole in the ground." The gruff voice answered. "A hole you're likely to be buried in, if I don't get some answers."

"An… answers?" Peat nervously cleared his throat.

"You know what we want." A new voice spoke. "You killed your brother and you and Owens are trying to frame Kitty Russell for it. You and Owens are into a lot of illegal stuff. We want proof of that."

Peat knew the two men speaking to him were most likely the same two that broke into his room. He had recognized young Sean Flannery and he was certain the other, bigger man, was Matt Dillon, the marshal from Dodge City. But he couldn't see them and though he didn't want to believe they'd actually harm him, he wasn't sure of that. "Pro… proof?" His voice sounded weak and small to his ears.

"Yes," the first voice answered. "And don't lie and say there isn't any. We have those files from your warehouse, showing some of your illegal activities. I have no doubts that there's more, though, and I want it."

"I…" He paused and licked his lips. "I don… don't know wha… what you're talking about." He managed to put some strength into his voice. "I ha… have no so-called proof and ne… neither do you."

Matt had never been one for subterfuge and playing around with lights and shadows. Stepping forward, he grabbed Frank Peat by the front and jerked him upright. "I'm through playing with you." He growled. "You will tell me what I want to know and you will do it now or I will kill you."

To his credit, Frank remained stoic and unblinkingly stared back at Matt. "You… you wouldn't do that." He stuttered just a touch. "You… you care about your badge too much. Owens had you checked out. He… he said you're completely honest and a law man through and through. You wouldn't kill someone in cold blood." His last words were stated boldly and without a trace of stammer.

By this time, Frank was beginning to believe he had the advantage. He had seen the big man flinch when he mentioned his badge and he was positive the man wouldn't hurt him despite his threats. He decided to press his advantage a little bit. "Besides," he said more boldly still. "Even if you killed me, it wouldn't help you or that Russell woman any. Owens will make sure of that."

The mention of Kitty infuriated Matt and before he could stop himself, his hand raised and he struck the impudent jerk across the face. "It might not help us." Matt snarled getting as close to his face as he could. "But it will give me a great deal of pleasure to see you die."

Sean, who had been standing quietly on the side, watched the insolent business owner suddenly pale when he saw the murderous look in the marshal's eyes. Suddenly it looked to the young patrolman that they might just get out of this after all.

Frank Peat was by no means a very brave man but up till then he had been positive he had the advantage in this situation. He now knew he did not and his nervous impediment returned full force. "N… no! Yo… you… you can't. I… I…" He licked his extremely dry lips again. "PLEASE DON"T!" He cried in alarm as Matt moved in even closer, his fist raised and ready to strike.

"I will give you two seconds to start telling me what I want to know." Matt told him gravely. "Then I will make sure you never leave this hole. Like you said, I have nothing to lose and neither do my friends. Killing you won't make any difference to what happens to us."

Gasping for air, and beginning to shake uncontrollably, Frank Peat told them of the existence of other, more damning files that he had kept hidden as a form of insurance against the whims of an out of control police captain who wouldn't hesitate to kill if it suited his purposes.

The files contained details of murders and bribes and various other illegal activities perpetrated by Owens as well as several other high ranking police officials and one Senator who was just about to retire with his ill-gotten gains. Peat had painstakingly documented and gathered multiple pieces of irrefutable proof against just such an occasion as this.

He also told them that it was Owens who had killed his brother, instead of him. When Kitty had literally stumbled upon them, Owens had ducked back and out of sight, pushing Frank forward and urging him to go after the woman and stop her. Kitty had never seen Owens.

Matt stood back from the despicable and disreputable businessman, taking deep breaths and willing himself to remain calm. He was certain the information provided by Peat was accurate and he had no doubt the proof he needed to clear their names was exactly where Peat said it was. Only a couple things were left now to accomplish.

"You think your friend Timothy can help us get those files?" He asked Sean.

Sean nodded. "Not alone, he can't. But I know of a couple other people we can call on." He pursed his lips as a thought came to him. "You know we still have a ways to go before this is over. Once we get that information, we're gonna have to find a way to arrest Owens and the senator and the other crooked cops before they can get away. That's gonna take more than just two or three people and it won't be easy."

Matt nodded, suddenly very weary but knowing he couldn't stop, not until every last one of the evildoers were behind bars and he and Kitty and Sean were safe. Suddenly the solution dawned on him. Looking up at Sean, a grin broke out on his haggard features, brightening even the dark underground cavern.

"Actually, Sean." He almost giggled. "It won't be that difficult and we won't need too many people. All we have to do is throw a party."

TBC