Dakota looked up at Ethan when he entered the saloon.
"You here to relax with a drink," he asked.
Ethan shook his head.
"I'm here looking for those two men who brought Butch Walton to jail."
Dakota furrowed his brow.
"Butch Walton, who's he?"
"That's the name of the man who was found dead in our jail cell. He's from San Francisco."
Dakota's eyes widened.
"Damn…you sure about that…?"
Ethan nodded.
"Ernie the reporter knows him too," he said, "and I wonder what their true connection is but Ernie's taken off missing too."
Dakota ordered a glass of ale.
"Nah, I saw him with Amelia not too long ago…heading to the telegraph office."
Ethan figured he must be wiring the news back to his publisher in the big city. But learning the dead man's name didn't tell him much, didn't provide many clues about what'd happened to him.
"I still got to talk to him…Joseph said no next of kin have been found yet."
Dakota shrugged.
"Maybe if Ernie gets word to them back there and they write about it, his family will send word this way soon."
Ethan didn't know what'd happen if he had family and they decided to show up in Paradise. Would they just take the body back for burial or would they want justice or even revenge for his death? Would things get even more complicated?
"So what do you think's happening?"
Ethan didn't know yet but he had a few ideas of where to start looking.
"I don't know…but I've got a dead man and the two men who roughed him up and brought him to my jail all from the same city…in a country as big as this one. Seems like there's got to be a reason for that."
"Could be a coincidence," Dakota said, "San Francisco is a big city and it's one of the closest."
"I know but then there's the reporter…"
"Ernie, what does he have to do with what's happening?"
Ethan leaned against the counter.
"I don't know but I will," he said, "I'm not resting until I find out what happened to Walton."
Amelia just stared at Ernie.
"Why are you saying that this has anything to do with Warrick's murder?"
He just looked at her.
"I'm going to find out," he said, "unless you want to help me with that."
She just stared at him.
"I've got nothing to say about that."
"You might be the only one who has something to say about it."
She folded her arms and stared at him.
"Really…was that why you asked me all those questions at the ranch?"
He hesitated and she knew what she said hit a chord with him underneath all his zeal to get himself headlines.
"I'm just doing my job."
She shook her head.
"No…you're trying to make a name for yourself with other people's tragedies."
She started to walk away and he followed her. Claire walked up to both of them as they approached Axelrod's mercantile.
"My brother told me that they identified the young man who died."
Ernie nodded.
"He's from San Francisco and somehow wound up getting murdered here."
Claire arched her brows.
"Murdered? Who killed him? Was it those men who took him to jail?"
Amelia sighed.
"Nobody knows Claire…your uncle and Dakota are investigating it…but they're looking for those two security men."
Claire nodded.
"I know…one of them, the one named Burke was supposed to be working here but we haven't seen him since…since before it happened."
Ernie rubbed his chin with his thumb.
"I think their boss is hiding them," he said, "so they can't be questioned by the marshal or me."
Claire tilted her face.
"I don't know about that," she said, "I'm happy Burke isn't here…I didn't like him much. He just had a strange way about him."
Ernie gestured to the man standing silently by the door.
"Who's that then?"
Claire looked over at the man.
"That's Simon…he took his place. He doesn't say very much."
"Did he say what happened to Burke?"
Claire shook her head.
"He hardly says anything."
Amelia looked at the both of them.
"He can't hide those men forever," she said, "Ethan will catch up with them."
Claire sighed.
"I hope they don't try to hurt him."
Amelia smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.
"He'll be okay…he can take care of himself. Whoever did it is still out there and can do more harm."
Claire just shook her head again.
"I never trusted Darrin or his men," she said, "but Uncle Ethan said there was nothing we could do about them and I know Mr. Axelrod wants them here guarding his store."
Ernie jotted some notes on his pad.
"The crimes all started after these men arrived didn't they?"
Claire and Amelia just looked at him.
"I think so," Claire said, "You'll have to ask my uncle."
Ernie shrugged.
"That's how it usually works in the big cities to create this demand for increased security people…so the person running it can make more money."
Claire knit her brow.
"I thought the Wyatts were here to help Paradise."
Amelia looked doubtful.
"I wasn't here when they arrived but when we came to town, he made it clear we weren't welcome."
Ernie nodded.
"Because he thinks an outlaw can't ever change their ways…"
Amelia smiled.
"Something like that…but Bella's done a lot for this town already giving women like Rosie and Scarlett jobs."
"Those were saloon girls right?"
She just looked at him.
"They were doing what they needed to survive just like you would only there's more options available to men."
"Maybe…but anyway it's not a bad thing to be cautious when someone as notorious as Bella Rogers comes into your midst."
Claire put her hands on her hips.
"Bella's a nice and very smart woman," she said, "I do work for her and she's always treated me with respect…more than could be said for some people."
"That might be so," Ernie said, "but you should have known here back in the day."
"My uncle knew her and even when they were on opposite sides, they always respected each other."
Ernie smiled.
"She charmed many a man too."
Amelia figured that maybe she'd done that with Ethan back in the past. But both had moved on from whatever happened.
"Ernie…she's not the enemy here no matter what the Wyatts say," Amelia reasoned, "That person is still out there after killing someone and if it's those security men then Darrin's going to do whatever it takes to protect them."
Ethan and Dakota rode out to the ranch where they ran into Clancy. He greeted them happily enough. They'd recruited him to help them with backup when they've needed it as he had a former military background.
"I haven't seen anything lately," he said, "Like I said, very quiet the other night…roads were empty. I was out with a mare having a foal out in the pasture off of that main road."
Ethan sighed as this fit his suspicions exactly. That the man had been in town longer than that night but had been keeping a low profile for some reason…maybe by holing up in the hotel. But did he have some connection with Burke or Trevor and even possibly the Wyatts? That wasn't impossible…Ethan had thought the world to be a big place but it was starting to feel a lot smaller.
"You think that man was murdered?"
Ethan nodded and Clancy just sighed.
"Paradise was looking more peaceful for a while…not that it's usual."
Clancy started to leave and then looked back at them.
"You might want to try Ben," he said, "He's closer to the back road…a bit of a hermit but I'm sure he'll talk to you."
Ethan didn't know that rancher very well as he had kept to himself since his wife died from the plague a couple years back. But he needed to try everyone at this point. So Dakota and he rode off to Ben's place not knowing that a pair of eyes was watching them.
Burke leaned over on his horse and decided to follow them at a discreet distance. Just to find out what Ethan and Dakota were up to…as they had been against the private security men since they had first arrived. Didn't like the competition he guessed or that they could be put out of business themselves if the town's businessmen trusted Wyatt's men more. The money was pouring in and he had to do his best to insure that the supply didn't dry up because of two pesky lawmen sticking their noses in where they didn't belong.