Speed crossed the busy street toward the Stardust. This should be simple enough: find this fellow, that should not be too difficult, ask him to step across the street, and then hear his side of this tale. He had done nothing to warrant arrest, and anything he may have done in California was well outside his jurisdiction. He had no circulars about him anyway.
Speed stepped up onto the ordwalk, pausing as he looked at the horse with an intricate-looking sword and sheath attached to the saddle. Well, there was a sword as described, but far from the owner's hand. That was good. So he pushed through the bat-wing doors and stepped inside. Fairly busy, and to his surprise, there stood Quentin Cantrel, so he started over to where the man was.
"Quentin, good to see you." He greeted, "Say. I've got a couple of questions if you've got a minute, Jimmy Miller had a complaint on the Oriental fellow over there, maybe I can get the straight of it from you."
@Longshot @Wayfarer
(moved from Colurthouse & Municipal Building - "Trouble In Mind"
Figure it out, that would seem to be easier said than done, given the only clue, a button and a piece of wool material attached to it. His work was certainly cut out for him. If he could search every closet and wardrobe in town, there would be a chance, but the garment could have been burned or buried by now. Even if it was repaired, the chances of oit being worn were slim and none!
The murderer would certainly do something to rid themselves of the coat, a dead giveaway. Yet how many coats like it were missing a button, caught on something, snagged, and pulled off? More than one, he was sure. He had a thought, a footprint. Perhaps there was a clear footprint as the murder took place in the alley. And he might just get lucky, he rose and grabbed his hat. This was worth a short walk to the scene of the crime, though he was doubtful he would find anything, this was no time to overlook anything!
Getting to where signs of the struggle still remained, he looked closely at the prints that were still visible. Sallys were the ones that were distorted, almost obliterated, but as he combed the area with his eyes, there was one print that was still in the dried mud by the rain barrel. A single print, but small for a man, maybe a woman's, but it was either a shoe or a boot. This would take some studying,
"What? Rope a moose?" Without missing a beat, Justus spun Mule around and gigged him into a slow trot. "She was right back here, right? An' I reckon that baby'll fit in yer room, it's pretty small."
The gait was bouncy, but Justus was accustomed to it, and made care to keep Constance secure as he continued. "Be a few months at least until she starts gettin' real big, an' I reckon by that time she'll be tame enough ta keep in th' yard. Heck, I could break her so ya could ride her, just like a horse!"
He intentionally tried to not give her a chance to reply. "Whatch think'll be a good name? Maybe Millie Moose? Or Malachi fer a boy? This is where we seen 'em, right?"
Finally, he stopped the horse. "We'll hafta walk inta th' woods ta find..." Frowning, he finally fell silent, listening. "Ya hear that?" Off in the woods came a series of low cries, a bit like a calf calling its mama, but a different tone.
"Somethin's wrong. I'm gonna go see." Sliding to the ground, he handed Constance Mule's reins.
The idea of playing at lunch and before school had Josh smiling for the first time on the walk. "That's sounds great." He said as he looked over at his cousin and then the school came into sight and the butterflies hit him hard. He slowed down walking and made his way by his Pa going to stand beside him. He felt safest there, not that he didn't feel safe, just unsure.
Isaiah was happy that the town they'd settled in would be able to offer his boy an education, something he didn't get much of. "He's already got more than I ever had and I'm happy he'll get to continue it." He said to his sister as he followed her into the schoolhouse where suddenly Josh was right beside him where he had been walking by Weedy. He knew Josh was nervous, and he hoped he wouldn't cause any problems. When the teacher came into view Isaiah took off his hat and inclined his head to her as she came to join them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, m'am." Isaiah said as Josh looked up at the kind looking woman and smiled, taking another half step closer to his Pa.
When Miss. Bowen asked Isaiah to fill out a card, he felt that all too familiar annoyance with himself that he couldn't hardly read or write. He looked down at Josh. "You go on outside and play. I'll come see you before I leave." He offered the boy. "I just wanna stay here, Pa." Josh said to him, but Isaiah put his hand on his shoulder, encouraging him towards the door. "Get on out there. Weedy's already headed that way. Hurry and catch him." Josh reluctantly ran off and then Isaiah looked at the teacher, holding his hat now by his side.
"Miss. Bowen, I'm sorry but I'm not sure I can fill the card out." He pulled his brow together some in apology and a bit of embarrassment.
Jess listened as the three officials went back and forth about his sisters fate. It sounded like they all had hope in her getting a new trail, and this sweet Hannah lady was going to be here with Zenobia as much as she could to help her. Her lawyer sounded like he was fighting hard for her. Things were about as positive right now as they could be given the situation. The only bad news was it sounded like her sister had said some pretty self-incriminating things at some point, which didn't surprise Jess much.
He looked at Mr. Reeve. "You're welcome to come down if you like, but there ain't no telling what she'll say when she sees me." He looked at the rest of them as well, letting them know too. "Zenobia, our brother...they ain't none too happy with me because I got out of town. I couldn't handle living with our Pa no more, and we needed the money, so I left, been living out on the range as a cowboy and sending money home when I can. I know they feel like I abandoned them." But he tried not to see it that way, but more of him supporting them as much as he could financially. "Had I known how bad things were getting of course I would have come back sooner. I really appreciate what you all are doing to try to get my sister out of this ... uh ... predicament."
He took the gun off his hip and sat it down on the Marshall's desk. "I ain't got no other weapons." He let the man know and waited to see who would take him down.
"That, sir, would be the plan. He's no fool, and neither am I. I'll need to get him somewhere where there are folks not on his payroll. Now, I know that might be stretching it some, but I'll be working on him, just as your boys are working on our hospital, hard." Phin promised, and he wanted to interview Steelgrave badly, wanted to get him talking about his daughter's success and what this building would mean to the territory.
"It won't be impossible to get that man talking about himself, not at all," he continued, and I'll no no snide remarks I will promise him, as I do you, I will print only what he says on a number of topics which will include his daughter, and this hospital. I might touch on the recent sale of the Milligan Stageline. I figure that is fair, and will give our readers perhaps a fresh look at the man. Not that they need one."
Caroline did not want Frances to stop playing that fancy piece of music of hers, it was quite beautiful if not really saloon music but moved up next to her and lightly touched the girls left shoulder right after speaking audibly enough for the blind girl to hear but not full voice.
"It's me, Caroline. Keep playin' but in a few minutes I'll be back and I can head up on stage, do a few songs for the menfolk."
That's when she saw none other than the town marshal walk in thru the batwinged front doors. He went straight over to Cantrell, the rancher.
None of her business then, so instead she went to the bar to fetch the beers now (one she promised Shintaro and then one Cantrell was paying for the Japanese man). Ralph was back behind the bar and he poured the beers for her.
"Next time Miller comes in, I'm tellin' him he's no longer welcome here," Caroline declared. Ralph merely nodded.
"Golden days indeed, sir. " Steelgrave said, "Been a real pleasure, gentlemen. I will send Latham by in the morning. Good day." He said, and with that, he started for the door as he men led the way out of the saloon.
"Boys, best I see the Undertaker about this contract business. I think things are pretty well settled with Forttner and Priest. Alright then, off to the undertakers to chat with Mister MalclomJolly about the agreement with the Stardust." With that, they mounted up, Elias regretting they had not used the buggy. He could ride, but he would rather not, usually after it was far too late.
Val, this is the man you're replacing, Barnabas Pike." Speed introduced. "Valin tgin Caine, Barnmabas Pike, and his \wife Emiline with Master Wheeler Pike."
Pike got to his feet, Glad to make yer acquaintance, Caine, and glad you'll be walkin' the streets." Pike said as he extended his hand, You'll be workin' with one of the best there is. Maybe not a man that's done the job before, but one what took to it like a duck to water."
Speed was almost embarrassed, "Pike will be a reserve deputy as long as I'm Town Marshal. Maybe longer, who can say at this juncture?
"With Miss Mathjews, there's just no telling what she might say at any given moment." Speed said. "And, yes, Hannah, there are three or four pistols in the bottom drawer, feel free." He paused and looked at Jesse Mathews, "Now, about seeing your sister. Leave your gun on the desk and any other weapon you might have./ I can not afford to take any chances." Was there a lynch mob, as there had been a couple of times before? He didn't know, but he felt like, for now, there was no threat of vigilanteism in town.
"Now, Hannah, you can take them down or I will, makes no difference to me. I suspect Mister Reeve will be wanting to go along as well?" He continued. The basement cell block was as secure as any he had ever seen, and actually, for a town like Kalispell, a bit more than they needed, unless they had to protect someone.