With Ellie safely locked up, but with the bottle of arsenic in his pocket, Heyes reluctantly headed back to break the news to his friend.

As he entered their rooms, he sighed when he saw that the Kid was awake and sitting hunched miserably by the fire, which he'd lit despite the relative warmth of the day, relieved to see that he wasn't wearing his gun. The Kid looked at him in some concern obviously noticing the bleak expression on his face, he made to stand but Heyes waved him down and slumped down in the chair opposite as he said heavily. "There's something I gotta tell you and you ain't gonna like it, but listen to me before you punch me out all right?"

The Kid frowned at him. "What ya talking about Heyes?"

Heyes took a deep breath and said gently. "Its about Ellie."

X

Kid and Heyes went to visit Ellie in the jail three days later in the early afternoon, with Heyes throwing his still unnaturally pale and quiet partner concerned glances. The Sheriff took their guns and asked in some concern. "You sure about this boys?" He'd been easily convinced by what Heyes had told him, especially after talking to the druggist and the woman's obvious contempt for both him and Heyes.

Heyes wasn't in the least bit sure, but he knew there was no way he was going to talk his friend out of it and had no intention of letting him face the witch alone.

The Sheriff shrugged and waved them through to the cells muttering. "Your funeral."

As they walked into the cell and faced the woman, Heyes chanced a look back at his pale and drawn partner, who was unusually looking down at his feet, though his head jerked up as the woman gave a bitter laugh and a snort of derision as she spat hatred at them "Oh look at the big brave gunslinger, he can't even face a lady he so badly wronged."

Watching his partner pale even further before as his head dropped back down to his feet, Heyes felt his anger at the woman surge and he said sharply. "You ain't a lady, in fact you're barely a woman even, more like a she-devil." Heyes spat back at her, angry and frustrated and eager to hide the strangled moan that escaped his friend at the words. "your brother killed a friend of ours, and did his best to murder us."

"So you say, but if that's true why not report him to a sheriff? I don't believe ya. My dear brother was a good man, and you're just murdering outlaws, who got away with all your crimes, just 'cos some politician figured it'd be good copy for him. I have a friend in the Governor's office and as soon as he heard about you two getting amnesty, he told me all about it. I just needed to know which one of you murdered my brother and after that it was simple enough, because arrogance and stupidity sure make an easy mark."

Heyes was about to launch into a tirade against her, but the words froze in his throat when the Kid spoke with a slight tremor in his tone, that Heyes easily recognised as a sign of either suppressed anger or upset. "He did kill a friend of ours and he drew on me as we were leaving town, so he didn't leave me no choice but to accept his challenge. Sheriff at Matherville even said as much."

Ellie snorted in disbelief before saying viciously."Well you being the great Kid Curry you coulda found a way of not killing him unless you're not all your reputation says you are. I'm sure he challenged you because he was afraid you'd come back to town in the dark and kill him, that being the kinda man you are!"

When the Kid said nothing more, Heyes realised that the tremor in his voice had indicated grief rather than anger and was disappointed. He wondered just how the stupid woman could believe any of what she was saying with all the time she'd spent with his partner, but looking at her face he knew her own angry grief had blinded her too well to see the truth, even when it should be obvious to anyone who had a brain, and they would get nowhere trying to convince her of anything else. Trying to save his partner from anymore of this agony, he laid a gentle hand on his friend's forearm and said softly. "Jed, I think we oughta leave."was

The Kid looked over at him, his eyes unnaturally bright, and the pain in his expression ageing him as he replied. " But I gotta try and make her see the truth."

Though he had spoken quietly the words had obviously carried over to the angry woman in the cell, because after laughing mockingly she hissed at them. "Oh believe me, I see the truth clear as day. You're a bad man, who killed my brother, and what makes that even worse is, you and your damned partner also got away with everything else you done, and get to live free while he rots in the grave you put him in."

Heyes heard a small whimper of pain escape his friend, before he let out a heavy breath and headed quickly towards the exit. Heyes relieved that he was finally accepting that he would get nowhere with the woman, quickly followed him out as the woman's cutting laughter echoed after them. He was relieved when the door slammed shut behind them, and they were out in the bright sunshine, away from the woman's taunting.

As they stood on the street, a little unsure of which way to go, the saloon, or back to where they were staying, the Kid said softly. "She didn't get the chance to completely follow through on her plan to poison me, and its clear she truly believes what she's saying 'bout Bilson, and just wanted some justice for him dying, so I ain't gonna press charges, Heyes." He paused and glanced over at the jail and added bleakly. "I sure don't want a trial, and have everyone knowing bout what happened. In fact I just wanna forget all about it and her, and move on."

Heyes looked at him, not quite sure he had heard properly and snapped. "What did you say?" He knew full well that the odds of either of them forgetting about this were practically nil and he wanted her to pay for what she'd put them through. But he saw that chance slipping away at the stubborn expression on the Kid's face as he shrugged and said firmly "You heard me well enough, Heyes. I'm not gonna press charges, and you ain't neither. I'm going to go back in and ask the Sheriff to let her go in a few hours."

Heyes shook his head in exasperation, furious that the Kid was being so foolish and snapped. "You're an idiot, Kid, a total idiot, you know that?" Anger that the damned woman had got close enough to his partner to realise he'd want to let her go sharpened his tone even further, and before his friend could answer he walked off, frustrated anger fuelling his speed as he strode back towards their rooms, leaving his partner staring after him buf making no attempt to follow.

Heyes remained furious and paced their rooms for over half an hour before angrily flopping down on the couch to read, determined not to give in and go look for his friend. But when the Kid hadn't returned after a couple of hours, he tossed the book away and despite his anger, began to worry. After a few more minutes of indecision he grabbed his hat and headed back out to look for him.

He dropped into the jail, where both the Sheriff and Deputy Jakes were sat filling in some paperwork.

"That woman still here?"

Jakes looked up and said calmly." She's gone. Rode outta here not twenty minutes after we let her go. Didn't even look back once as she was leaving neither. I'm kinda surprised your partner refused to fill out a complaint against her, I think a case could easily have been made that she poisoned him, but after he was in here saying he was refusing to press charges, we had to release her."

Heyes snorted, returning the man's curious expression as he pushed his hat back on his head, saying more bitterly than he had intended. "Surprised don't even come close to describe how I'm feeling believe me." He paused then added. "You see which way he headed after he left here?"

Jacks shook his head as the Sheriff said. "Over towards the saloon, and I've not seen him leave yet." He paused then added pointedly. " I hope he's not looking for trouble because though I've every sympathy for him, and I'm not keen on having Kid Curry in my jail, I won't hesitate locking him up if I have to, in order to keep my town safe."

Heyes shook his head and said dryly. "Trust me, Sheriff, if he'd been looking for trouble, he'd have found it by now."

On entering the saloon Heyes easily spotted his partner despite him obviously trying his best to be invisible. He was sat at a table in the smokiest most shadowed corner of the saloon drinking out of a nearly empty bottle of whisky, not bothering with the glass set In front of him. On hearing footsteps he looked over blearily, and as he saw who it was leaned so far over that he nearly tippled off his chair as he slurred. "Don't start, Heyes...she's gone and we ain't going after her."

Heyes sighed, righting his friend before sitting down opposite him, grabbing the bottle out of the Kid's hand, and moving it out of his reach, which earnt him a glare so pathetic that Heyes snorted and shook his head, but felt his heart twinge as the Kid said wistfully. "I thought she loved me as much as..." He trailed off then added, "and she hated me...hated me."

The Kid reached for the bottle again but Heyes easily kept it out of reach as he said. "C'mon Kid, you know you've had enough and you're too heavy to carry and you can't stay here."

"Who says so?" The Kid sounded no more than twelve and Heyes was torn between exasperation ans affection. Luckily though his partner stood a little shakily and nodded, allowing Heyes to lay a steadying hand on his shoulder as he said softly. "It hurts, Heyes. She sure played me for a fool."

They were out on the street when the Kid suddenly pulled away from Heyes, stumbling slightly as he took something out of his pocket and threw it in the air, as he shot at it. It was after dusk but the few men still on the street glanced over at them, some of them even going for their guns at the sound. Heyes hissed at the Kid. "What the hell?" Before raising his voice and saying calmly. "Sorry fellas, nothing to worry about, just my friend has had a few too many and nearly shot his foot off."

Grabbing hold of his partner and propping him up against the wall to stop him falling, he retrieved the object, and using a gas lamp for light peered at it. It was a small box and Kid's shot had just given it a glancing blow, before bouncing off, leaving a small hole in the side of the hinged lid. He opened it curiously and a lump lodged in his throat as he spied a delicate, beautiful ruby ring laid on a satin pad. "Oh Kid."

He pocketed the box and turned back to his partner who had somehow managed to slide down the wall to sit in an untidy heap on the ground. Heyes hauled him gently back to his feet and continued to steer him back to their lodgings.

Once the Kid was passed out on his bed, Heyes with a glass of whisky in his hand, retrieved the box from his pocket and opened it, taking the ring gently out to examine it in the light he sighed, Ellie had fooled them both so totally. Just like her brother had, before leaving them and Seth to die for the sake of twenty thousand dollars. She was a dangerous woman, but Heyes somehow did now understand his partner's reluctance to see her punished: He'd been in love with the woman he thought she was and that would no doubt stay his hand. Heyes had no such feelings to hold him back, but as he thought about it, he admitted to himself that with her being so pretty, and such a convincing liar, if that was placed against Kid's notoriety,convincing a jury of her guilt might be difficult. So he reluctantly concluded that letting her go was perhaps the only thing they could do, despite how that decision left him both angry and frustrated.

At the sound of a pained groan from the other bed, he quickly re-pocketed the ring and grabbed the commode from under his own bed and thrust it under his partner's chin as he started to be sick as he muttered. "Never could hold your liquor." But he stayed where he was, holding the Kid's head until he finished throwing up and then helped him lie back down, patting him gently as he drifted back into sleep.

Heyes emptied the commode into the water jug by the door and returned to his bed, glancing over at his partner who was now snoring heavily. As he undressed for sleep he thanked whatever spirits looked after reformed outlaws that he'd realised just what Ellie had been up to, before she and his partner had wed, because he had absolutely no doubt that was what she had been planning for, and he didn't want to think what would happened to the Kid then. Pushing the dark thoughts away he laid down with his eyes closed and as he drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts were that tomorrow was another day and things could have been so much worse for the Kid than waking up with a hangover and a broken heart. They'd get through this just like they'd got through so much else, together, and that thought made him smile a little as he fell into dreams.