Alone in Doc's back room, Lola gritted her teeth and pushed down on the bed with all her might to get to a sitting position. She stared down at her legs with all the intensity she could muster, willing them to bend, stretch, kick, move side-to-side. Nothing happened. Her strong, beautiful, shapely legs were useless. She balled her hands into fists and hammered her thighs – no, no, no, NO. Her legs felt nothing. Damn it all, she didn't deserve this. She took a deep breath, and banished tears from her eyes. There was no time for self-pity. Danny had to be behind this, and he probably got his wimpy, knife-throwing sister to help. Yep, Danny was no dummy. When she disappeared with the duffle bag, he must have figured she'd seek her old friend Kitty in Dodge, and lay low for a while. He must have left the carnival circuit to come after her, and the duffle bag. She could just hear him sayin, a husband has rights. No matter, the bag was the important thing, and it was still in that boarding house room. She had to get it, before Danny found out where her room was and broke in. Kitty's marshal might even take in into his handsome head, to search that room for clues to the stabbing. She had to get to the duffle bag before any of that could happen. Straightening her shoulders, she whimpered softly, "Kitty. I hope you're still here. I-I could really use a friend to talk to."
Slumped in a chair in Doc's front room, Kitty heard Lola's soft call, and ran to her side. "Lola, I know this is overwhelming for you, but listen, I've already been thinking – theres a room right off the bar of the Long Branch. We store extra glasses and pitchers there, and keep food for free lunch fixings. I'll clear the room out, and set it up for you. It's on the ground floor so you can get in and out in a wheelchair. You won't have to pay rent, and you can stay as long as you want. There's even a stove for cooking and heat in the winter." Kitty took Lola's hand with an eager smile. The beautiful blond was touched by her friend's words and generosity. "Kitty, you have always had a streak of kindness in you, wider than a mile, but before you go to all that trouble I need a chance to do some thinking. My room at the boarding house is paid up to the end of the week. I want to get back there, and be with my things. I don't have much, but being in that nice bright room, surrounded with the things I came with, would bring me comfort. Kitty, I want go tonight, tomorrow at the latest – I need to. Please, talk to Doc for me, tell him how important it is." Lola squeezed her friend's hand. Kitty looked dubious, "All right. I'll talk to Doc to see what he thinks, and I'll find out how fast he can find a wheel chair for you."
Inside his office, Matt leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. Something about Darlene O'Brian troubled his lawman's brain, and Lola was still a mystery in a lot of ways. Someone had intentionally put a knife in her back. That didn't mean she deserved it, just that someone thought they'd benefit if she was dead or wounded real bad. He was no closer to finding the knife thrower than he ever was, so maybe learning more about Lola would help him discover a motive.
The door swung open. "Mr. Dillon, here's your mail and the new wanted posters."
"Thanks Chester. Can you get another pot of coffee going?"
"Sure thing Mr. Dillon. It's another, awful hot day. I'll just go get buncha papers from the back."
"Papers?" Matt scratched his head. "Papers for what, from where? What's it being a hot day have to do with it?"
'Well ya see, it came to my mind that on days like this, it's kinda hot to be chopping wood for the stove just ta make coffee. Balled-up paper works jus' fine, and I got a whole lot a papers piled up in the back. Old posters and flyers advertising things like traveling shows and carnivals and such." Chester smiled with a shrug. "I kept them 'cause they're kinda pretty, ya know, especially the one's with the nice looking ladies and such. Anyway's, my pile's got pretty big, and some of them papers are a few years old, so I figured I could use 'em to stoke the fire. Don't ya think it's a good idea Mr. Dillon?"
Matt chuckled and got to his feet, Chester never ceased to amazed him, "It's a fine idea, as long as the result is coffee. I have to go check on something, then I'll be back for a cup." He grabbed his hat from a wall peg and headed off to Ma's boarding house, hoping to find a reason for the knife that got thrown in Lola's back.
Ma Smalley was in her rocking chair crocheting, when Matt reached her front porch. She smiled without looking up "Hello Marshal. Don't see you coming in the front-way very often." Matt gave a short laugh. His own rented room was a small one, way in the back. It had a private entrance. He came and went as he pleased, but he knew Ma correctly suspected that he rarely slept there at night. Ignoring her statement he climbed up two steps to the porch. "Ma, you must have heard about the woman who got knifed, Kitty's friend Lola. I'd like to have a look in her room." The gray-haired woman looked up from her crocheting. She took pride in the way she respected her guests' privacy, but Marshal Dillon wouldn't ask if he didn't have a real good reason. She reach into her skirt pocket and pulled out a key. "First floor, second door on the left."
"Thanks, and there's no need to mention this to anyone." Ma scoffed. "You're comings and goings are of no concern of mine. I think you know that Marshal Dillon."
Matt quickly found Lola's room and let himself in. It was the biggest, airiest room Ma rented out, and far from the cheapest. Matt glanced around. An empty suitcase was still on the bed. Lola must have unpacked in a hurry. He crossed the room and opened the closet. Dresses were hung neatly, and 4 pairs of shoes were lined up at the bottom. He scratched his head, he'd never understood a woman's need for multiple pairs of shoes. He closed the closet door and went to the dresser. The drawers were neatly filed with undergarments. At one time the sight of such things would have made him uncomfortable, but seeing Kitty in all stages of undress had cured him of that. He closed the drawers and spotted a draw string purse on a chair. He pulled it open to examine the contents. There was a lipstick, her one-way stage-coach ticket from St. Louis to Dodge, a handkerchief and a bunch of coins that added up to $20. He pulled the purse shut and sat on the side of the bed to think. The best he could figure was that Lola wanted to leave somebody or something in St. Louis. She found out her old friend Kitty lived in Dodge, and headed there with her clothes and her last $20. It's likely she planned on asking Kitty for a job. Who or what did she left, and why was she stabbed were still big questions. He lifted the edge of the bedspread, and looked under the bed. A large duffle bag was shoved underneath. He dragged it out, and unzipped it, expecting to find more clothing or shoes. His jaw dropped. The bag was filled with bundles of cash, neatly tied together and organized into 50's, 20's 10s, 5's and 1's. Bundle after bundle, layer after layer. Matt dumped the cash out on the bed and saw two red velvet sacks in the bottom of the bag. He opened the small one first, and emptied it onto his hand. Gold nuggets. The second bag was larger. He shook it out over the bed – pearl rings, diamond rings and gold watches poured out. Matt ran his hands through his hair – money, gold and jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars were strewn before him. Quickly deciding on a course of action, he put everything back the way he found it and shoved the bag under the bed. There were two things he was now sure of. Lola didn't come to Kitty for ask for saloon work, and she was stabbed in the back for the contents of the duffle bag. Where she got the valuables, and who was after her for them, were the big remaining questions. Lola had the answers. His gut told him that Darlene might have some answers too.
TBC