Want... dolls!
Bridget saw Marshal Guyer with some relief. He was an important person, he had a shiny badge and everything, just like Mr Pike. Maybe he could fix everything. She listened carefully when he spoke to her and tried to do what he said.
"Hello Bridget. Thank you coming down. Why don't we all have a seat while we talk?" He suggested. It was clear that she was upset, and with her that would be far more than the average person, so he thought to be calm and reassuring with her.
She nodded and sat on one of the chairs at the kitchen table where Lorenzo had fallen.
"Now, what I know is, Mister Crabbe appears to have had a heart attack, and at the time he had a gun, a small one. But I don't know why, or how the gun went off." He began, speaking softly and evenly.
Bridget inadvertently moved her mouth along with Mr Guyer as she tried ever so hard to understand what he was saying. Unfortunately 'heart attack' was not really amongst her lexicon, but she got that he was asking about the gun going off and nodded at that part.
"What I hope is that you might be able to tell me what happened." What he could deduce from the position of Crabbe's hands, which had fallen away from is body, it was hard to tell exactly how he had been shot, though mixed with the blood were black specks of powder, and a burned spot near the entry wound.
Speed looked at the young women, hoping she could tell him what she saw.
She nodded again, and tried to put her muddled thoughts in order and tell the Marshal what she knew for sure: things she saw happen, things that happened to her, things that were said. There was no particular order to them.
"Lorenzo... dead." was the first thing. She pointed to him, his face a ghastly sight as it stared upwards. She knew a dead man when she saw one, and there was no question in her mind now that he wasn't coming back.
"Lorenzo angry... angry with Brendan." she struggled on "'Cause..." Oh, it was so hard to get the right words to the front of her mouth... so frustrating. "We..." she looked at Brendan appealingly, he could explain it better than she "We loved... in bed... we loved..." she pointed up stairs and then frowned in concentration at Guyer to ascertain whether he understood or not.
"Lorenzo angry." she finally repeated, for what it was worth.
She hoped that was enough information for the Marshal to fix things.
Brendan held Bridget close as they approached the body, letting her know he was there for her with his physical presence. The marshal's voice was calming and reassuring, and Bridget seemed to understand he was there to help.
He watched with crossed arms as Bridget struggled to process Speed's words, and let out his breath when she finally began to talk.
"Lorenzo angry... angry with Brendan. 'Cause...we...we loved... in bed... we loved..."
Well, there went what he'd been trying to keep a secret. It would have had to come out sometime. Brendan darted a glance at Speed. At Bridget's appealing glance, he moved closer and lifted her out of the chair momentarily, before sliding into the seat and pulling her sideways into his lap like he would hold one of his younger siblings.
With his arm wrapped protectively around her, he glanced up at Speed before focusing his attention on Bridget's red hair. "He'd asked if I would marry her...before...and he pulled the gun on me when I said I couldn't."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Take your time, Bridget, we're in no hurry here." Speed said
"Lorenzo... dead." was the first thing. She pointed to him, his face a ghastly sight as it stared upwards. She knew a dead man when she saw one, and there was no question in her mind now that he wasn't coming back.
Speed nodded that he understood her, smiling thinly.
"Lorenzo angry... angry with Brendan." she struggled on "'Cause..." Oh, it was so hard to get the right words to the front of her mouth... so frustrating. "We..." she looked at Brendan appealingly, he could explain it better than she "We loved... in bed... we loved..." she pointed up stairs and then frowned in concentration at Guyer to ascertain whether he understood or not.
Again, Speed nodded, "Yes, I see, Bridget.
"Lorenzo angry." she finally repeated, for what it was worth.
She hoped that was enough information for the Marshal to fix things.
"There's nothing to worry about, Bridget, everything will be just fine." He said, Things were becoming clear, but he wasn't going to jump to any conclusions just yet.
Well, there went what he'd been trying to keep a secret. It would have had to come out sometime. Brendan darted a glance at Speed. At Bridget's appealing glance, he moved closer and lifted her out of the chair momentarily, before sliding into the seat and pulling her sideways into his lap like he would hold one of his younger siblings.
With his arm wrapped protectively around her, he glanced up at Speed before focusing his attention on Bridget's red hair. "He'd asked if I would marry her...before...and he pulled the gun on me when I said I couldn't."
"Can't say as I'd blame him. So he has his gun pointed at you, but what I gather here is the heart attack interrupted whatever he had planned for you." Speed said, a bit brusquely. "Care to tell me what happened next, Connolly?"
For a man to leave the telling of what happened to a poor frightened girl did not sit well with Speed Guyer, that Connolly would take advantage of her, and then refuse to marry her just made Speed's blood boil. But he was able to keep his temper in check. Speed could easily piece together what had happened, when the pain hit Crabbe, he clutched his chest, bringing both hand to his chest, the gun discharged by the pressure to his hands, hence the powder specks in the blood, and the powder burn across his vest front. He shot himself. But he wanted to hear Brendan Connolly's version of it.
Brendan frowned at the change in Speed's demeanor. He couldn't quite put his finger on what had changed or why. But his words were short and brusque, not reassuring the way they'd been with Bridget. And the only reason for the change was what Bridget had told the marshal.
He shifted Bridget in his lap and looked up at Speed, still frowning. "What happened next?" His tone became slightly belligerent. "I already told you what happened next. He grabbed at his heart an' the gun went off. I thought he'd shot me at first. Then he hit the table and fell. Bridget ran over to him, grabbed the gun, and gave it to me when I went to comfort her."
That was simplifying things a bit, but it was the facts. Bridget might be able to confirm them, or she might not. He was tired of people being suspicious of him and really just wanted to climb back into bed with Bridget and go to sleep.
Want... dolls!
Brendan frowned at the change in Speed's demeanor. He couldn't quite put his finger on what had changed or why. But his words were short and brusque, not reassuring the way they'd been with Bridget. And the only reason for the change was what Bridget had told the marshal.
Like Brendan, Bridget didn't realise what a bad impression on the stern lawman would be made by this rather unsavoury story of premarital sex with a simpleminded cripple, refusal to marry said girl, and the fact that she was now sitting on the culprit's knee. Her excuse was that she had suffered dreadful brain damage when she was run over by a wagon when she was eight years old. What Brendan's excuse was, who knew? Arabella, when she heard about it later, could only offer: "Well, he is from Mississippi!"
He shifted Bridget in his lap and looked up at Speed, still frowning. "What happened next?" His tone became slightly belligerent. "I already told you what happened next. He grabbed at his heart an' the gun went off. I thought he'd shot me at first. Then he hit the table and fell. Bridget ran over to him, grabbed the gun, and gave it to me when I went to comfort her."
She nodded vigorously to confirm this. "Comfort... me." She turned in his lap and cuddled up to him. The Marshall with the shiny badge looked angry, she didn't want him to be mean to Brendan.
She was trying to work out what would happen next. It was confusing. Lorenzo couldn't stay there on the floor... could he? Maybe they should put him away somewhere. Would Brendan come and live with her now? Would she go and live with Brendan in Caroline Mundee's room? Arabella had told her he lived there now. Or maybe she could live in Arabella's room next door? She tried to express these ideas and questions out loud.
"'Renzo dead!" she told the lawmen "Brendan marry... me!" She frowned, explaining or asking about Caroline was beyond her, she just let out an aimless "Caroline." as she looked at Guyer with her head on Brendan's chest. "Brendan comfort... Caroline."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
It did not require a college degree to figure this out. Brendan Connolly was involved with two women in town, and had no intention of marrying Bridget, and probably not Miss Mundee either. But this was not a crime, although a fair attorney could make a case about taking advantage of Bridget Monahan, and, it was none of Speed's business other than it rubbed him the wrong way.
"Well then, I'll have Doc Danforth have a look at the body, but I don't see any reason to arrest you. What you've done here is not a crime. Sad her father isn't here." Speed said, and that message was clear enough. "You may have some problems though, I'm sure Granny Miggins is not about to keep your perverse secret. Wouldn't surprise me to see it in the Union." With that he turned and walked out.
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
As he listened to what was being said, Charlie felt sorry. Not for Brendan, or even for Crabbe but for Bridget. To him, she seemed to be like a pawn in some game that Brendan was playing with some of the women in town. It was common knowledge that he had taken up residence in the same room with the saloon singer, Caroline Mundee. If the relationship between Miss Mundee and Brendan was purely platonic, then that would be a surprise. Who knows how many other women, the man had had his way with.
With Granny Miggins being present (he had caught glimpses of her outside near a slightly opened window) during Bridget's confession, the news would be around town within a few days. Poor Bridget was just as much as a victim as Crabbe was. If Brendan didn't marry her, then she would be open game to any unscrupulous man. He couldn't keep an eye on Bridget, as that might bring the same accusations that Brendan was now facing. Maybe he would ask his mother to see what she could do for the poor girl.
It was also plain to see that Marshall Guyer was not impressed with Brendan's behaviour either. Knowing that he would have to stay here until the doctor arrived, Charlie began looking around the room to see if there was anything he could use to cover up the body. Seeing nothing, the next best thing was for Brendan to take Bridget back upstairs.
Turning to Brendan he said, "The doctor should be here soon, maybe it might be better if Bridget wasn't around while he...well while he takes care of things here."
Brendan's eyes widened as Bridget mentioned him marrying her, and then mentioned Caroline. He was in this whole mess because he wouldn't marry Bridget, and everyone hearing that he'd been "comforting" Caroline wouldn't help matters anyway.
He could feel the disapproval radiating off of the marshal, and looked up sullenly. It wasn't his fault that Crabbe's heart had decided to give out on the day he slept with Bridget. But maybe it was a blessing in disguise, somehow. At any rate, he wasn't in trouble with the law; just in disfavor with the marshal. The last bit about Granny Miggins surprised him, but after he thought about it a minute he wasn't surprised anymore. It was too much to expect a gossipy old biddy like her to leave when the marshal told her to.
Once Speed left, the only person left was Charlie, and although his disapproval was not as evident as Speed's had been, Brendan felt it more keenly. Charlie was about the same age as him, and for someone his age to consider himself so morally superior was annoying. So he bristled when the young deputy suggested that he take Bridget away, even though it was a perfectly sensible suggestion. "I know," he snapped, rising from the chair and scooping Bridget into his arms.
As he strode to the stairs carrying Bridget bridal-style, his brows furrowed in thought. He really should take her away from here. Even the saloon, just for the night, would be better than this. But it was late and he was tired, so he trudged up the stairs back into Bridget's bedroom and set her gently on the bed, kneeling in front of her.
"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he said softly. "Now it's time to go to sleep, and I'll be right here when you wake up."
Want... dolls!
When the Marshall went away, no doubt to be chided by Granny Miggins on being too softhearted and not hauling Brendan away in chains, Bridget found herself being lifted in the strong reassuring arms of her lover, up and away! Past Charlie, to whom she gave her simple smile, and up to dreamland again. It was all a bit bewildering this up and down business, but it was nice to be in Brendan's arms.
He seemed sad and angry, though: she was sad too, because Lorenzo was dead, but Brendan would look after her now, wouldn't he? And she would be able to get up again in the morning and get dressed and go out and walk around and around the town, looking for shiny dropped pennies on the boardwalk. She wondered if Lorenzo would still be lying there in the morning, and Charlie standing there at the bottom of the stairs: like when she played with her dolls house before she went to bed, the little peg dolls that Arabella had made for her were still there in the morning, exactly as she had left them, instead of going to bed themselves.
Maybe if Brendan was going to stay with her now, in between the cuddly times in bed, he would play dolls house with her.
"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he said softly. "Now it's time to go to sleep, and I'll be right here when you wake up."
She still had hold of his sleeve as he laid her on the bed. As she looked up into his eyes. She wanted so badly to stroke away his sadness and anger. Maybe... she thought he must already know this, after what they had experienced together, but though all speech came to her with difficulty, it was easy for her to say the next three words: "I... love you."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Speed left the former mortuary, the perfect place for a death, and walk to the Municipal Building to collect his horse and ride for Doc Danforth's place. It would be best having the medical man look over the body, maybe make the cause of death official, there would be calls for a murder charge against Brendan Connolly before all was said and done.
As he rode along it was clear to him that he would say nothing of the affairs that were brought to light, but if Nellie Miggins was of a mind too, well even the Kalispell Union could not do a better, more thorough job of destroying the man's reputation.
Pulling, Speed stepped down, ground hitched his horse and walked to the door, still considering whether or not to fill him in on what had happened with Crabbe, Connolly and Bridget. It was clear that what happened would need some explaining. Like, why Connolly and Bridget were in the same room together where he died.
He knocked