Zachariah quickly strutted across the street and enter the Dodge House. He looked around the lobby to see if his older brother was there, but he wasn't. Zach's eyes lifted to the stairs where he slowly moved to. He was formulating what he was going to say, in hopes that Clement wouldn't be in trouble, or bury himself in the murder charge. Zach wet his lips and climbed the stairs; his heart pounded and the palms of his hands so sweaty that they stuck to the old varnish on the rail of the staircase.
Zach paused out side the bedroom door where his brothers were staying. Slowly he reached for the knob and opened the door; there was no one in the room. With a slightly more panicked look on his face, Zach turned to the opposite door and was about to knock when Randall opened it, "Zach?" he asked noting the look on his brother's face. Zach motioned for him to close the door and step into the hall, "Why?" he asked. Zach fanned his hands in a downward motion to try to get Randall to whisper.
The old General stirred. He strained his hearing.
"Clement is in trouble," Zach said in a hushed voice as he tried to control his emotions.
Randall frowned, "What do you mean? What kind of trouble?" he asked in asked as he pulled the door closed.
"The marshal took him to the jail and is going to charge him with the murder of that Jane Rose woman from the Long Branch" he blurted out.
Randall shook his head as he tried to clear it thinking and understand what his brother was telling him. "Say that again," he urged while frowning at this brother trying to make sense of his ramblings.
Zachariah huffed and took Randall by the shoulders, "We were at the Long Branch and Clem was goofing around a little, but then the marshal..." Zach froze as the door to the General's room opened. "Go on," the old man growled. Zach slowly let go of his brother and cleared his throat. His eyes darted wildly between his brother, father, and the stairs.
"You heard me son. What happened," the General bellowed, his eyes narrowed into slits and his nostrils flared with each heated breath.
Zach nodded slowly, "The marshal took Clem to jail for a murder," he repeated in a truncated version.
"The murder of whom?" the General asked.
Zach shrugged, "Some woman named Jane Rose," he sputtered.
Randall and the General looked at each other, "I'll get dressed and join you in the lobby. I want to know more about this arrest and what Clem has done to dishonour our name," the General sneered as he want back into his room. Randall wanted say something to his brother but he could see that he was too upset over the matter to listen clearly.
Randall gruffly grabbed Zach by the arm and led him to the lobby, "How could you let this happen?" he hissed.
"Honest, Randall, I don't know how any of it happened!" Zach plead his innocence.
Randall huffed, "Father is really mad now," his eyes lifted to the stairs. "I hope his health holds until we get this all sorted out," he sighed.
While assisting widow Hutchinson with this parcels to her wagon, Wilbur Jonas watched the lawmen as they led Clement to the jail house. The store owner felt badly for the young man; he seemed nice enough. He couldn't believe that he was a murdered. As the store owner watched from he boardwalk, it dawned on him.
Jonas quickly dropped the items into back of the wagon and stepped down and jogged across the street, almost bowling Doc over in the street as he rushed to the jailhouse door, "Sorry, Doc, but I need to talk to Matt," he pushed passed the doctor who shot him a glare. Widow Hutchinson yelled after the store owner, "Wilbur Jonas what has gotten into you?"
Matt was in the holding bay and locked the iron-bar door to the cell that Clement was in. "I don't know what you are talking about marshal! I didn't kill nobody! Honest," the yelled through the bars, reaching with out stretched arms for Matt as he left the area. Tears streamed down the young man's face. "Marshal?"
Matt hooked the ring of keys on the peg and pulled the wooden door closed. His attention was drawn to the door when Jonas practically burst through. He was in no mood for the Town Councillor's view on the matter.
"What is it Jonas?" the marshal snapped at the store owner.
"The boots. I remembered that the two brothers were in the store and that one you just locked up was awful anxious to have his brother's boots," Jonas stated.
"So these," Matt held up the boots from the alley, "are really his?" he tilted his head toward the jail cells.
Jonas nodded, "Indeed," he answered as Doc finally entered the building, glaring at Jonas. "What was the rush about?" the doctor barked at the store owner.
Matt held up the old boots that were discarded, "These, Doc," he merely stated as he placed them back down on the chair near his desk.
Doc swiped his hand across his moustache and glanced to the store owner, "I thought they weren't the ones you were looking for," he said as he slowly looked back to Matt. Festus and Newly stood to the side of the room, not saying a word. The atmosphere in the room was almost electric as emotions were running high and it didn't help that Clement was still yelling for the marshal through the wooden door.
"They aren't, Doc," Matt finally said.
Doc slowly looked over to Jonas and then to Matt, "They're Clement's original boots, aren't they?"
Matt nodded.
Doc's eyes narrowed in thought now knowing the truth about the boots, "Don't you think you're treating him a little harsh?" he asked as he moved into the room and thumbed to the closed door.
"He's just the bait, Doc. Sooner or later Zach will be here," Matt stated.
"And I bet he has Randall with him," the doctor huffed.
"I need to get back to the store," Jonas nervously said as he moved to the door. "If you need my testimony Matt just let me know," he said as he opened the door, right as the General, Randall and Zach arrived at the jail house. The store owner stood frozen in the door way until the General gruffly shoved him aside.
"We'll it's good to see you on your feet," Doc half welcomed the old man into the jailhouse.
"Shut up doctor. I want my son," the General growled.
Matt walked over to the old man, "We need to talk," he said tucking his thumbs over his belt buckle.
"Marshal, you have no call to lock up my son," the General warned.
"Maybe not that one," Matt's eyes shifted to Zach who looked away.
"I don't like the tone of that comment," the General hissed.
Matt leaned forward, "Get used to it General. One of your son's is a murdered and I intend to prove it," he said in a warning tone. The General wavered on his feet as he listened to what the marshal had just said.
"Easy on him, Matt," Doc said as he guided the General to a chair.
"I'll see you later Matt," Jonas said as he quickly moved to the door. He shot a quick glance to Zachariah as he was living. Zach clenched his teeth as he felt the noose to begin tightening around his neck.