Matt had just left the Long Branch Saloon when he spotted the doctor as the physician made his way back to his office. The marshal could tell by the preoccupied look on the doctor's face that he had found something. Matt walked across the street to meet Doc, "You look like you found something," he greeted the doctor.
"It might be," Doc indicated. "But before I check, can I get out of my wet clothes?" he said as he ran his hand across this moustache; eyeing the marshal with a squinted right eye.
"Oh, sure," Matt almost laughed and motioned for the doctor to continue on his way. The marshal followed along. "Kitty's pretty upset," he stated as the two men walked toward the stairs.
"She has good right to be. So am I," Doc snapped.
Randell Clanton saw the doctor as he left the saloon and walked over to him.
"I told him you were busy with an autopsy," Matt said in a hushed voice.
"Well, I am! I hope you didn't say anymore" Doc stated as he watched the young man approach. Matt shook his head no, "I don't want anyone to know, just yet," the marshal stated.
"Hello doctor. My father's been asking for you," Randall stated.
The doctor nodded, "I can imagine, but I've been a little tied up with something. Has his coughing eased?" Doc asked.
"Yeah, the marshal mentioned the autopsy. I hope it wasn't something unexpected," Randall felt it was an older person who had passed. He'd not been around town as much as his brothers to get a feel for the place. "As for my father, I think he's coughing less," Randall shrugged.
"Good. As soon as I change into something dry," he looked down at his still wet trousers, before looking back at Clanton, "and look at something and report it to Matt, I'll be over," he stated.
"How long do you think?" Randall enquired.
"Give me an hour or so," Doc blinked and said on the side of caution. Randall nodded, "I'll let Pa know," he said as he began to leave. "Give him two more of those pills," the doctor shouted across the street after Randall before looking up at the marshal.
Once the young man was well out of hearing Matt looked at the doctor, "What do you need to look at?" his curiousness had risen.
Doc ticked his head, "It's peculiar," he snorted. "I found it under Jane Rose's fingernails, but I need to look at it under my microscope. It looks organic, but from being in the water for the time it has been, I don't know what to make of it, yet," he looked down at this medical bag.
Matt nodded and then encouraged the doctor to continue on his way. The two men climbed the wooden stairs to the doctor's office. At least the stove was still warm; Doc hoped it was going enough to dry his trousers. He placed the medical bag on the examination table then ambled to the back room and closed the door slightly as he slipped out of his damp pants and socks. It was a good thing he kept his old boots as he redressed, this time in his black trousers, pulled on dry socks and then his weathered boots.
"She was roughed up pretty good, Matt," the doctor said as he re-entered the office, with his wet taupe coloured trousers draped and soaking white socks over his forearm. Silently he placed the pants and socks on the back of a chair and then stuck a small piece of wood into the wood stove, "I was getting chilly," he noted as he then walked back to the examination table.
"Doc was she..." Matt couldn't bring himself to ask.
Doc drew a deep breath and look over to the marshal, "No. And I firmly believe that the only reason she wasn't was because she died before he had the chance..." his voice trailed off. He quickly turned his attention to his medical bag, "But I did find this," he said as he retrieved the small glass dish and placed is on the examination table. Without a word, the doctor walked to his white enamel and glass cabinet to gather his microscope that was given to him as a birthday gift. He rarely used it; there was little need too, until now.
Matt folded his arms across his chest as he watched on with growing interest while the doctor carefully picked up a piece of the material with fine tweezers and placed it on a small glass slide. He added some water and spread the specimen out a little more before he slid it onto the scope. The doctor then adjusted the little mirror at the base to enlighten what he was trying to look at. Doc turned the knob to adjust the eyepiece until the image was clear. "Skin," he stated.
"Skin?" Matt asked.
"Doc looked up from the scope, "That's what I said. And I found it under Jane Rose's right hand fingernails," he made his point by jabbing his right index finger onto the examination table. "Now we need to prove who it came from," the doctor said as he swiped his hand across his moustache.
Matt let his arms drop to his sides, "I have a pretty good idea," he huffed.
"How do you know?" Doc turned and asked the marshal.
"Zachariah Clanton has marks down the left side of his face. He claims he got them went he stumbled into a wall on his way to the hotel," Matt said in a hushed voice.
Doc shook his head, "There's no way I can prove that came from him," he pointed to the microscope.
Matt huffed, "I know. Maybe Newly and Festus have and some luck with the plaster of Paris and boot print," he said.
"We're going to have to have enough evidence against him to even charge him," Doc noted. "It's as if he's just one step ahead of you," he stared down at the little dish.
"Well, so far we have you're sighting in the back alley, scratches on his face, and skin under Jane Rose's fingernails," Matt stated. "I'll telegraph Judge Brooker to see when he can come. Maybe this is all the evidence we need," he said hopefully.
Doc ticked his head, "What if he did fall into that wall?"
"Yeah, I know Doc. It's pretty tricky," Matt couldn't help but agree. "But I just don't see any other suspects," he added.
Doc methodically drew his hand across his moustache, "I don't either, but I can wager that if you do finally charge Zachariah with the murder, the General will have his say on it," the doctor warned. "I don't know the man that well at all, but I'd hate to tangle with him when it comes to her personal affairs, just from the little I know," he ticked his head.
"I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there," Matt firmly said. "I don't care if the General is Stonewall himself. If his son is guilty of murder, he will pay for it," the marshal's dander was up as he walked to the to door with purpose.
"Doc, I want you to get to know the General and his sons better," Matt practically ordered before he left the room.
Doc frowned and the looked down at the little dish, "This is going to get messy, I can just tell," he sighed.