Chapter 8 A Waiting Game
Forty eight hours was all Matt had to work with, and he planned on wasting no time. The first thing he needed to do was look into Alfred and Mabel Antes. Matt decided to cut out the middle-man and sent his wire directly to New Orleans. He didn't know what response he was hoping for. A part of him wanted to find evidence against Alfred and Mabel. Matt wanted to be able to give Kitty the baby she had been wanting. But there was another part of Matt that hated to think that Alfred and Mabel had some evil plot involved with an innocent baby. It twisted his stomach to think Nathan could be their pawn. Matt also needed to find out about Charlie and Evelyn McNair. He wanted to find out if they even existed.
"The minute you get a response, bring it to me," Matt instructed Barney. "I'll be in my office."
"Will do, Marshal," Barney replied. He began tapping out Matt's first wire on his telegraph machine.
Matt was sitting in his office, when Doc and Festus walked in. "Matthew, have ya heard anything yet from them wires ya sent?" asked Festus.
"Not yet," Matt responded. "I don't know if that's good news or bad news."
"Sticking around here isn't gonna make those wires come any sooner," Doc pointed out. "Why don't you join Festus 'n me at Delmonicos and get some lunch?"
"I can't do that, Doc," said Matt. "I told Barney to bring me the wire the moment he got it, and that I'd be in my office."
"Oh pshaw!" Doc exclaimed. "You can leave this office for thirty minutes to eat. Dodge City isn't that big. Barney can find you. You won't accomplish much if you're starving."
Matt reluctantly stood up. "I suppose there's no point in arguing with you." He put his hat on. "Let's go."
The trio of friends sat around the table. "Ya know, Matthew. I"ve been a thinkin'," Festus began to say.
"That must've taken a lot out of you," Doc remarked as he swiped his hand over his mustache. "I'm surprised you're still awake."
"You ol' scudder," Festus shot back. "It jest so happens I set me aside some time where I's do me some thinkin'."
"Well it can't be too much time," Doc declared.
Matt could sense a classic Doc versus Festus match starting. As much as he usually enjoyed the entertainment it brought, Matt really was not in the mood this time. "Festus, Doc, please. Festus, what were you thinking about?"
"Matthew, doncha find it a bit strange that the Anteses never asked where Charlies and Evelyn were buried? Doncha think being kin, they'd wanna know. I don't quite recollect not knowing too many folks that wouldn't wanna know."
Matt knew Alfred and Mabel never asked him about the graves. He did not know if they asked Doc. "Doc, did they ever ask you about the graves?"
"No, Matt, they didn't," Doc answered.
This piece of information could possibly be used in their favor. Matt directed his attention to Festus. "Thanks Festus. Right now I could almost consider you a genius."
"Festus and genius, this is probably the one and only time you'll hear those two words used in a sentence." Doc laughed at his own joke. A short time later Doc grew serious again. "Matt, you don't think you can use that against the Anteses, do ya?"
Matt shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, Doc. I could give the information to Breckenridge 'n see what he has to say. Lawyers seem to find ways to use all sorts of information in their favor."
Matt stood in front of Breck's desk, looking down at him. "It seems like it's something we could use."
"It's definitely something to look into," Breckenridge stated.
Matt could hear the hesitation in his voice. "But?"
"Folks have their own way of grieving. You can't fault them for not asking about a grave." Breck saw the frustration on Matt's face. "But we can still ask them about it. Have you gathered any concrete evidence we can use?"
"I've sent out some wires. I'm waiting for the responses," Matt answered. "I wish there was more I could be doing. I'm a man of action. This waiting around business is really weighing on me."
Kitty put Nathan's wicker baby basket, along with him, on the coffee table, while she and Ruby sat on the couch. Kitty was going to practice Ruby's reading in her McGuffey Reader with her. "Do you know what lesson you worked on this week?"
"I can find it." Ruby thumbed through her reader until she came to the current lesson she was working on. "Here it is Momma, lesson XV on page twenty-seven."
Kitty couldn't help but chuckle at her little girl. "XV is what we call a Roman numeral. It means fifteen. This is lesson fifteen."
"Why don't they just put the number fifteen?" questioned Ruby. "It would make more sense."
"You're probably right," Kitty agreed. "Let's get started. "Let's go through the list of new words at the top of the page." Kitty pointed to the first word.
Ruby sounded the first word out. "G e t, get." She went through the list of words, sounding each one out.
"Good job," praised Kitty. "Now let's read some sentences with those words."
"Can the dog get the rat? Yes, he can get the rat." Ruby pointed to each word as she read. Ruby was about to read the next sentence, when a peculiar sound came from the baby basket on the coffee table. Ruby looked at her momma.
"I think someone just filled his diaper," Kitty announced.
"Ewww," Ruby remarked with a scrunched up face. "I'm glad I didn't do that when I was a baby."
"You most certainly did," Kitty told her daughter.
Ruby looked at her momma in astonishment. "But Momma, I'm a lady, and ladies don't do that."
"Well, that doesn't matter when you're a baby," Kitty stated. "Trust me. Your daddy 'n I changed plenty of diapers that you filled."
"Daddy changed my diapers?" asked Ruby. "I thought just mommas did that."
"Of course Daddy changed your diapers," Kitty declared. "You were his baby too, but you're kind of right. Not all daddies change diapers. Fortunately, your daddy was more than willing to change diapers."
"Why?" Ruby inquired. "Daddy could just say, 'Kitty, you do it. You're the momma.'" Ruby had deepened her voice to imitate her daddy.
Kitty looked at Ruby, not quite sure how to respond. "Ruby, I hope when you're older that you find a man that is willing to change diapers." Nathan started to fuss. "Speaking of which, I better get Nathan into a clean diaper. When I finish, you can help me with supper. You can wait for me in the kitchen." Kitty lifted Nathan out of the wicker basket and walked him down to the bedroom. Ruby closed her McGuffey Reader, put it on the coffee table, and headed to the kitchen. She patiently waited for her momma.
Once the task of changing Nathan's diaper was done, Kitty joined her daughter in the kitchen. She had brought the wicker basket and Nathan with her. She placed both on the kitchen table. "I'll have you scrub the potatoes, and then I'll peel and sliced them up. Put your apron on, and I'll tie it for you." While Ruby went to get her apron, Kitty placed a chair for Ruby to stand on in front of the sink. Ruby put her apron on and let Kitty tie it. She climbed up onto the chair. Kitty filled the sink with water and gave Ruby a potato and scrub brush. Ruby started scrubbing potatoes.
"What are we having for supper?" asked Ruby as she handed her momma a scrubbed potato.
"Ham and potatoes," Kitty replied. She quickly peeled and sliced the potatoes that Ruby had scrubbed.
Ruby was finishing scrubbing the last potato, when she saw Festus riding up to the house. "Look, Momma. Uncle Festus and Ruth are here."
Kitty looked out the window to see the hillman dismount his trusty mule. "I wonder what he wants," Kitty more or less said to herself. She prayed he wasn't bringing bad news about Matt.
Ruby hopped down from the chair and hurried over to the door that separated the kitchen from the parlor. "I'm gonna go and let Uncle Festus in." She was oblivious to the possibility that he could be bringing bad news.
Kitty was going to follow Ruby, but chose to stay in the kitchen. If Festus was there to bring bad news, he would have to come to her. She wasn't going to go to him. Kitty finished slicing up the potatoes. She opened the oven, took the roasting pan out, and added the potatoes to the ham. Placing the lid back on the pan, Kitty put it back in the oven and closed the oven door.
"Hello, Uncle Festus!" Ruby enthusiastically greeted. She was always excited to see her uncle.
"Hello, Mizz Ruby!" Festus returned the enthusiasm. "Is yer momma around? I need ta jaw with her."
"She's in the kitchen," Ruby informed her Uncle Festus. "We were making supper."
"I's reckon that's why yer wearing yer little apron thingy there," Festus observed.
"I reckon you're right," Ruby replied.
Kitty was at the sink, when Festus and his jangly spurs entered the kitchen. She turned and faced him, trying to see if she could read any expression on his face. She couldn't. "Hello Festus, what brings you to the house?"
"Matthew sent me here ta tell ya that he's working late 'n won't be home fer supper," Festus answered.
Kitty briefly closed her eyes in relief. Matt was fine. "He must be really busy at work."
"Yeah, he's waitin' on some wires to come through," Festus stated. He walked over to the table. "It looks like yer having baby fer supper. I guess we can put some gravy on him, 'n call him Nater Taters."
"Uncle Festus, we're not eating Nathan," Ruby laughed. "There's ham 'n potatoes in the oven."
"I's a wondering what vittles ya had cooking," Festus stated. "The smell of them there vittles shore does make a man's mouth water."
Leave it to Festus to drop not so subtle hints that he wanted to be invited to supper. "Festus, would you like to join us for supper?" Kitty asked. "Unless Matt needs you back at the office."
"He didn't mention nuttin' about needin' me back," Festus replied. "Besides, it'd be mighty rude ta turn down a supper invite from such a purdy lady."
Kitty walked over to the table and noticed Nathan had fallen asleep. She carefully picked up the basket. "I'm gonna put him in the parlor room. Ruby, maybe you 'n Festus can set the table."
"Okay, Momma," Ruby responded. She directed her attention to her Uncle Festus. "The plates and cups are in that cupboard. I'll get the spoons and forks." They both set the table.
Kitty returned to the kitchen and went to the oven. She took the pan of ham and potatoes out and set it on the counter. Grabbing a fork, Kitty stabbed one of the potato slices to see if it was tender. She determined it was. Kitty carried the pan to the table. Before sitting down, Kitty grabbed another plate out of the cupboard.
"Momma, we have enough plates," said Ruby, pointing to the plates on the table.
Kitty put the plate next to the pan and went to get a serving spoon. "I know we do, sweetie, but this plate is for Daddy's food. I'm gonna put some food on it for when he gets home later." Kitty took the serving spoon and scooped a generous amount of food onto the plate.
Matt was sitting in his office, when Barnery came in. "Marshal, a wire from New Orleans came for you. I brought it right away, just like you wanted." He handed Matt the telegram.
Matt took the piece of paper from Barney. "Thanks, Barney, much obliged." Barney left the office and Matt read the telegram. He read it more than once. Folding the telegram and putting it into his pocket, Matt decided to confront the Anteses about the information he had received.
TBC
Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for the delay in posting. Things have been busy. I've noticed some reviews are missing. Any review after January 4th is gone.