Late the Night of Lola's Disappearance
"MATT HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? THEY SHOULD BE IN JAIL?" Kitty stood in Matt's office angry and breathless. After leaving Lola's room, she raced to the Long Branch to assist her overwhelmed bartender and then ran to Matt's office expecting to see the O'Brian's locked up in a cell.
"Calm down, Kitty." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Matt knew they were the wrong ones. "Kitty I had no grounds for arresting Darlene or Danny O'Brian. I couldn't hold them."
"They lied about being related, and you saw the flyer, Darlene is a knife thrower."
"Darlene throws knives in a carnival show, but no one saw her throw one at Lola. And the knife that was pulled from her back was from the Long Branch kitchen."
"What about the fact that Darlene and Danny lied about being related? They're hiding something. I'm sure they told you some story to cover it all up."
"Kitty," Matt kept his voice even and soft, "I asked about the flyer, and about Lola. Seems Danny and Darlene grew up as carnival kids. Their daddy was in the act and ran it. Their mama died birthing Darlene, so it was the three of them until Lola married Danny 11 years ago. Daddy O'Brian, as he was called, died last year, and Danny took over as boss. He says things were fine, until Lola ran off with the family's life savings. As for hiding something - Lola didn't tell you that she was married, or that she worked in a carnival, did she?"
"She didn't have a chance to tell me much at all, did she?"
"Kitty, the bag Lola took has thousands and thousands of dollars, jewelry and..." Kitty put up a hand to interrupt. "Do you actually believe a family working a carnival could have earned all that? Danny and Darlene didn't get rich working their show. It's impossible. Matt, they're the guilty ones, and you're acting like Lola's at fault. She's not. She's the victim here. Find her." Kitty stormed out the door furious with Matt, but at the same time, the last words that 15 year-old Lola said to her, echoed in her ears, I want to travel and I found a way to do it. Kitty sighed. "Oh Lola, what did you find and where did it take you?"
Matt looked through his office window, and watched Kitty stomp off. Their conversation hadn't gone well, to say the least. Words flew so quickly, that he failed to make Kitty understand, that although he had questions about Lola, he didn't trust Darlene and Danny either. The best thing he could do at this point, was find answers. He grabbed his hat and stepped out into the cool night air. Doc was the person to see. If he brought Lola a wheelchair, as planned, he saw her this afternoon before she disappeared.
On the outer edge of Front Street, Darlene led Danny to an empty storehouse, and pulled him inside. She sank down to the dusty floor, pale and shaking. "What do we do now?" Danny smiled good naturally and dropped down beside her. "I don't know why you're so upset. Dillon has no proof or witnesses that you or I committed any crimes. Our only problem is the bag – Lola took off with it again. I have to go after her. I'll go alone. I only have one horse." Darlene looked aghast. "What am I supposed to do?" Danny shrugged. "Wait here, business as usual." "Danny, that's crazy. I've been working for Kitty at the Long Branch. Do you really think she'll let me keep my job? She saw the flyer and has figured out I threw the knife at Lola." Danny scrambled to his feet and brushed off his clothes. "You have a point, Darlene, but you'll figure something out. I'm riding back to that cabin to get some sleep. I'll go after Lola in the morning." He slipped out the door. Darlene bent her legs and pulled her knees to her chest. She had no money, no home, no-one to turn to. All she had was a faint hope, that her big brother would come back for her.
Doc heard Matt's heavy footsteps on the stairs and opened the door. "It's late Matt, are you all right?" The marshal slid into chair. "I'm fine Doc, but Lola is gone. Her room is empty." Doc ran a hand across his mustaches. "She can't get far in the wheel chair I gave her, I'll tell you that. Not if she's on her own."
"So, you did drop off the wheelchair? When– early afternoon?"
"Around noon, and I'll tell you, Lola sure hurried me out of there. Said she wanted to be alone, to practice using the wheel chair."
Matt leaned back in his seat. "Doc, I figure she managed to maneuver the chair well enough to get out of the boarding house, and hire a wagon and driver. I can't go after her now. It's too dark to pick up tracks. I'll head out at first light."
Doc's eyes ran across Matt's tired features. "How's Kitty feel about it all? She and Lola were tight for a lot of years growing up – real tight." Matt let out a long breath. "Kitty wants me to prove Lola's an innocent victim, merely running away from bad folks who want to hurt her. Problem is, she's running away with thousands and thousands of dollars in cash and valuables. When the whole story comes out, I guarantee Lola won't be just an innocent victim." Doc scanned Matt's face for another long minute and opened the bottom drawer of his desk. "My prescription for you, Matt." He pulled out a whiskey bottle and filled a glass to the brim. "Drink this down, and go get some sleep." He held the glass out. "Doctor's orders." Matt hesitated. Typically, he'd be going to Kitty's to spend the night, but with Lola's situation casting a long, dark shadow, that wouldn't do either of them any good. "Thanks Doc." He drank the fiery liquid down and left for his boarding house room. If Doc's prescription did its job, sleep would easily overtake him.
Lola
Lola sat in the back of a wide wagon. A wheel-chair, on it's side, to her left, a suitcase to her right, a duffle bag held tightly on her lap. It was quiet, dark and cool, and she found herself taking pleasure in the slight sway of the wagon, the quiet squeak of the wheels and the sound of the horse's hooves hitting the soft earth. Each mile traveled lessened the chance that Danny would find her, and get his hands on the bag. Contentment was settling over her when she felt the wagon slow to a stop. "Why aren't we moving?" She twisted around and stared at the back of the driver's bald head. "I want to get to the stage-coach depot in Topeka as fast as possible." The driver turned and leaned forward. "Miss, I'm sure you don't know much about horses, or even how far Topeka is, but we can't drive straight through. It would kill this horse. We have to rest along the way."
Furious at his condescending tone, Lola glared. "I'm not a fool. I know we can't get there without stopping, but even I can see that the big, strong animal you're driving has at least another hour in him. DRIVE." The driver didn't pick up the reins. Lola sighed. "I know you want to rest, but I need you to keep going. I'll double your pay to put a few more miles between us and Dodge, before you stop again." The driver frowned and jumped down from his seat. He took the job from the crippled lady, because the pay was good and the drive easy. It could be he underestimated just how rich she was. He walked around the wagon, and scratched the long scar that ran down his cheek. "You're awful easy about spending money. Makes me wonder what's in that duffle bag you're holding so close."
"The contents of my bag are of no concern of yours." She gripped the duffle bag harder. "Get back in your seat, and drive." The driver chuckled. "You got some fire in ya, and now that I get a close look, you're pretty, real pretty. Those legs of yours are no good, so you can't run away, and the rest of you is a right nice package." He moved closer and ran a finger down her cheek, caressed her shoulder and worked his hand down her body to squeeze her breast. She shoved him off as hard as she old. He took a step back and laughed. "Honey, you may as well play along, you got no choice."
"Why do men always think women have no choice?" She pulled a gun from her skirt pocket, gripped it with two hands and aimed straight at his chest. The driver's face froze with shock and fear. "I'm sorry, I-I'll drive. Please don't shoot. Please."
"On your knees."
"Anything, please don't kill me." He got down on his knees and put his hands together like he was praying. "I'll do anything you say."
She smiled and squeezed the trigger. He jerked sideways and fell, blood squirted from his gut. Lola shoved the gun back in her pocket, rolled over on her stomach and slowly pulled her body towards the drivers seat. After 20 minutes of hard maneuvering, she was breathless but holding the reins. "Let's go. You're a strong horse. You've got another hour in you before you have to rest.
TBC