Ethan left the wire office after sending more missives off to different cities about Burke. He hoped that one or more of them would bear fruit and he'd find out more about the man that Darrin had brought to Paradise. So far not much had come up on him except that he'd been in San Francisco during the time that Warrick had been murdered.

Amelia had said that it was a pair of private security men who had killed him and then abducted her. Anger that threatened to spill over into rage filled him whenever he thought about that or how she'd collapsed on the ground consumed by the memories. Amelia had always been a strong young woman, to the point of being stoic about the bad things in her own life. She'd borne her husband's abandonment and how even when he had reemerged it was to steal her money or her bank, treat her like just another one of his marks.

When Pierce had needed Ethan to save him in Virginia City, Ethan had done that after exacting a high price. The suddenly repentant con man had to sign his divorce papers freeing Amelia at last and Ethan managed to get him to promise to stay out of his life. Not that he didn't owe Pierce something for when Amelia had recruited him to help save Ethan from another man who'd come hunting for him.

Pierce had caused what had happened to Amelia, Ethan knew that to be true which meant he'd better never set foot in Paradise again or he'd wind up on the wrong end of a gun with his name signed to a bullet. Part of him wanted to set after him and make him pay but he didn't know the complete truth yet and besides Amelia didn't need a vengeful gunslinger she needed the man who loved her. He knew she loved him but something stood in her way of returning back to the way things had been before she'd taken off. They'd both changed but it was more than that…she needed to be freed from what had happened.

But in the midst of all that, someone had tried to kill her. He knew that even though she said it'd been an accident. Amelia could outride just about everyone he ever met and the thought of her having a spooked horse accidently toss her over a hundred yards into a roaring river, that didn't make a lick of sense. No, she hid the truth from him and he thought he knew why. But he had to find himself a killer of a man who died in his custody and he had an inkling that if he did that, he'd find the man who had tried to kill Amelia.

That meant it was likely Burke and that puzzled him. He didn't know why Burke had killed Walton if that's what happened and why he'd want Amelia dead. A lot of pieces of this story were missing and he had to find them and put them all together like a puzzle.

The part of being a marshal that didn't involve drawing a gun and firing it…but the part that more and more he liked best. He'd always been a physical man, a fighter, a man who rode horses into the ground hunting fugitives, who could outdraw and outshoot just about anyone.

"Hey Ethan…"

He looked up and saw Dakota.

"That Burke's a real piece of work isn't he?"

Ethan kept walking and Dakota fell alongside him.

"He wouldn't answer my questions and I'm not done asking," he said, "Darrin got him hidden away again?"

Dakota nodded.

"Damn he must be worried that something's going to come out about him," he said, "or he might give the wrong answer to a question."

Ethan nodded.

"I'm sure that's part of it…look we know he and Trevor had a role in Walton's death and we got to find out why."

"That'll be tough since we don't even have witnesses or any that'll come forward."

Ethan and Dakota reached the office and went inside. He sat on his desk while Dakota leaned against the wall hosting the "wanted" posters.

"Offering a reward might help."

"No one will put one up," Ethan said, "Most of the businessmen don't care about this man dying since they think he was caught damaging a store."

"Well we know he was in San Francisco when the other man died thanks to the reporter," Dakota said, "but Ernie doesn't seem to know a whole lot of what he was doing there."

"I'd like to know who he worked for there," Ethan said, "Martha just said it was some big shot in the city."

"No shortage of those in a place like that," Dakota said, "So that doesn't narrow it down that much."

Ethan knew that but he had to start somewhere.

"Any word on Daggett and his gang," Dakota asked, "because that's the other problem."

Ethan knew that the notorious outlaw would show up in Paradise at some point especially if he decided he wanted Clara back. But so far it seemed everyone had lost track of him and his gang's movement. There hadn't been any banks or stagecoaches robbed in the past week. They were either traveling or laying low for a reason. But Ethan knew he'd have to keep an eye on that while dealing with Walton's murder which definitely couldn't be pinned on Daggett.

"You talk to Amelia about it," Dakota said, "I know you said that she said she had an accident but she was in San Francisco when Warrick happened."

Ethan knew that and that she'd done more than just been there. But beyond what she'd told him she kept the subject closed. It haunted her though still and he didn't know what to do about that.

It nagged in his mind that Burke might have crossed paths with Amelia before but she hadn't shared that information with him. Not that he assumed she would do that since she kept information away from him.

He'd have to find a way to deal with that, he thought because he wasn't getting anything from Burke's end.

Amelia winced as she got on the horse that Bella had brought for her. She was more than ready to head back to the ranch. She thanked Virgil who packed along some of the stew for her and the rest of John Taylor's tea.

"You sure you're up to this?"

Amelia nodded.

"I'm feeling much better," she said, "and I've put this nice man out long enough."

"But Ethan…"

Amelia sighed, pulling the reins tighter.

"I'm fine and he'll understand that," she said, "I'm better off at the ranch."

Bella gave her a stern look.

"You won't be working until you're better," she said, "You still need to rest from that head injury."

"I know and I will," Amelia said, "until I get stir crazy."

"Claire's coming by to help with the books," Bella said, "You can visit with her for a while…maybe give her a little help."

Amelia smiled.

"She doesn't need it," she said, "Best teller I ever had when I managed the bank."

"A really talented young woman," Bella agreed, "I hope she's going to go to college."

"I think she wants to go," Amelia said, "She's working all these jobs to earn money to go away to school."

The two women waved to Virgil and started heading down the mountain trail single file until they reached the road that paralleled the river.

"Amelia why don't you tell Ethan the truth…?"

She glanced over at Bella.

"I…like I said it was an accident."

"The hell it was and you know it," Bella said, "Someone did this to you and I'm guessing you know who."

Amelia remained silent not sure how to respond.

"You're wrong," she said, "I said it was an accident."

They continued down the road past the meadows on either side of them.

"I know someone did this and I suspect Ethan's figured that out too because he's not stupid. Why don't you just tell him?"

Amelia paused for a long moment.

"I don't want him to get hurt or killed," she said, "Or get locked up. You don't know what it's like when he decides to go after someone."

"I have some idea having been one of the people he's chased," Bella said, "but whoever did this, they deserve it Amelia…does this go back to what happened in San Francisco?"

Amelia really didn't want to respond to that so she just continued riding.

"I suppose that gives me my answer," Bella said, "Amelia, you can't keep this all to yourself any longer. He wants to help you because he loves you."

Finally Amelia sighed.

"That's the trouble…he could get himself hurt or worse."

"Maybe…but he still deserves to know and you've got to tell him what happened," Bella said, "Give him a chance to decide what to do."

"Even if it means getting killed because that could happen…"

"It could always happen Amelia and you have to come to terms with that," Bella said, "I know you can do that. You're ready now just do it…because whoever tried to hurt you will try again."

Amelia figured as much but she'd find a way to deal with it. But could she? She felt safer with Ethan but was it worth putting him at risk?

She didn't know what to do. She wanted him to know the truth but not if it'd kill him.