It was nearly noon and neither of them had eaten. Arthur told Jamie to keep watch while he ran into town to fetch some food.
They split up.
The hillside behind the row of shops was too steep to climb straight up, so Jamie had to walk back to the main road and take a longer route.
Once he reached the right side of the hill, he slipped behind a stand of trees and picked a spot with a clear view of the clinic's back door. He grabbed two flat stones to use as seats and settled in to watch.
At first Jamie felt sharp with anticipation. This kind of stakeout should take no time at all, he thought.
But as minutes bled into hours, boredom crept in. Just when he was about to give up, Arthur came back with their lunch.
"Jamie, see anything?" Arthur asked as he set a couple of tins and a pack of biscuits down.
"Nope. No strangers, no comings and goings." Jamie shook his head.
"Ah, that's how it is with hunting—you gotta be patient," Arthur said, settling beside him. "We'll keep at it this afternoon. If you get bored, go stretch your legs in town. Or… you can go see the woman who runs Lizzy's. You were eyeing her at the shop yesterday." He smirked.
Jamie's face flushed. 'You said that out loud?' he thought, embarrassed. "That's nonsense. I'll stay."
They ate a quick lunch—two tins of baked beans, a couple of peaches, and a pack of oatmeal biscuits. Then they settled back into their wait.
Arthur, perhaps to keep Jamie from nodding off, talked.
He rattled off the stories of the gang—how long folks had been riding with them, why they'd joined, and some of the missteps they'd had. The afternoon slid by as Arthur told tales.
When the light shifted and shadows lengthened, Jamie worried the day had been wasted—until he saw Malloy, the town Sheriff, climb the stairs to the sheriff station's second floor.
Malloy opened the door, glanced around like a man watching for prying eyes, and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.
That's odd, Jamie thought. What's he doing up there, all secret-like? Is it the woman Jamie had seen in the station this morning? But no one else had entered all day.
Then Jamie saw a familiar figure on the road below—a woman in black slipping toward the police station.
She disappeared into the doorway at the corner and, moments later, reappeared on the stairs leading up to the second floor.
That settled it.
"Mrs. Calthorpe," Jamie whispered. 'She's the one. If she's meeting Malloy, we might have something useful to hold over the sheriff.'
He nudged Arthur. "Look—Mrs. Calthorpe. She's going upstairs to see Malloy. Think we should get closer and see what's going on? If we catch the sheriff in a lie, it'll make things easier in town."
Arthur watched the woman knock.
When Sheriff Malloy opened the door, Arthur's grin widened. "Well, I didn't get what I came for today, but I certainly found something else worth noting. Let's not waste it."
They slipped down the hillside and across the street toward the police station. Arthur pulled from his coat the small box-camera he'd gotten at Keane's Saloon and fiddled with it, pleased.
"Never thought this little thing would come in handy so quick. Jamie, stay close and quiet. We're gonna have a good show."
Jamie gave him a look that couldn't be more blank.
'The paparazzi of this day and age...Arthur Morgan' he thought.
He followed Arthur, lowering himself and tiptoeing toward the window of the house.
A faint noise drifted out from inside—something Jamie had only ever heard in passing, the kind of sounds folks whispered about in saloons.
But being right there at the scene made his heart pound faster.
'What a shame', he thought. If only the curtains weren't drawn, they'd see everything playing out. He noticed Arthur leaning in too, listening closely, and Jamie whispered, "Arthur, what do we do? You think we ought to rush in?"
Arthur shifted the camera in his hand and muttered, "Hold on a bit longer. Let's see how this plays out."
The two stood outside the window, listening. The noises inside eventually faded, but just as Arthur was about to move, sharp voices cut through the silence.
"Oh, Moira, please don't do this."
"What do you expect of me? I've given you everything."
"But I care for you—truly, I do."
"No. You don't care for me, not your wife, not anyone. The only person you love is yourself!"
"I won't stand for that. Don't you say such things!"
"Stand for it? I've wasted years on you, and this is all I get? To be called hopeless?"
"You're married too, aren't you? Seems to me you're just as hopeless."
"Hah! You're nothing but a small-town rat with too much pride. A rat, that's what you are! A self-righteous rat. And you'll pay for it!"
There was a sudden thud, followed by two soft groans from a woman. Then silence.
Arthur shot Jamie a look and signaled him to be ready. He gripped the railing by the door, braced himself, and with one hard kick, the door burst open.
He stormed in, lifted the square camera, and snapped a shot of Sheriff Malloy, whose hands were still clamped around the lifeless woman.
Caught off guard, the sheriff just stared, dumbstruck, never expecting anyone to burst in on him.
Arthur handed the camera to Jamie, then calmly drew his revolver and leveled it at the half-naked sheriff.
With a cold grin he said, "Sheriff, I reckon you oughta put some clothes on. Then we can have ourselves… an equal conversation."
Jamie froze, his stomach twisting.
He'd never been this close to death before. Back when he'd lost his parents, it had been sorrow, not fear.
But now, staring at the woman's body on the floor—her face twisted in pain—it sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn't bring himself to look again.
Malloy's fury drained away after Arthur's words.
His eyes fell on Moira, limp and lifeless on the ground, and dread gripped him. With trembling hands, he scrambled to pull on his shirt and pants.
Arthur, without a word, grabbed a sheet and laid it gently over the woman's body, covering her from view.
After dressing himself and settling into the chair by the bed, Sheriff Malloy tried to put his usual mask of authority back on. His posture was stiff, his tone sharp, but the slight tremor in his hands betrayed the fear still clinging to him.
"What do you want?" Malloy asked, fixing his eyes on Arthur.
Arthur leaned back slightly, speaking with that casual drawl of his. "Well... truth is, we didn't come here with much of a plan. We saw you and Mrs. Calthorpe slip into this place one after the other, and after watchin' how you acted down at the station earlier, I took a wild guess. We were outside, listenin', thinkin' we'd just catch you two havin' your little tryst. But the way things turned out? Hell, I didn't expect this. Now, don't get me wrong—we ain't blackmailers. We just happened to stumble into somethin' ugly. And I'll admit, it weighs on me, sittin' here knowin' I couldn't stop the sheriff of Valentine from pullin' the trigger." Arthur clutched his chest with mock guilt, putting on a show of heartache.
Malloy's eyes narrowed. "Cut the act. I've seen plenty like you. Just tell me straight—how do I keep this under wraps?"
Arthur grinned faintly. "Direct. That's why you wear the badge. I'll give you that. Now, I ain't settled on what exactly I'll ask of you. But word is your deputy, Craigie, spends too much time sneakin' around the back of the clinic. I plan on diggin' deeper. Think you could lend a hand? Course, you know as well as I do, this is small potatoes compared to the mess you just dragged yourself into. Call it an appetizer, not the main course." His tone was easy, but the sharpness in his eyes showed he was bargaining hard.
Malloy calmly pulled a cigarette from his shirt pocket, struck a match, and took a long drag before answering.
Smoke curled in front of his face as he spoke. "I know a little about what the deputy's been mixed up in. There's a gang holed up behind that clinic. They run their business outta there, payin' protection money to keep the law off their backs. Craigie's the go-between. If you're serious about pokin' that hornet's nest, best take another man with you and finish it quick. If the noise reaches the law, or someone calls it in, I can buy you some time—cover for you, make sure you've got a window to run. That's all I can do. You push me further, and I'll be the one losin' this badge."
Arthur chuckled low, shaking his head. "Don't fret, Sheriff. We're not amateurs. We'll handle it clean. Tomorrow, we'll act. I won't be carryin' this camera on me forever, so you best hold true to your word. As for those photos, well… the more you help us, the sooner you'll be free of 'em. I like to think of myself as a fair man."
Malloy let out the smoke in a slow stream, his voice steady again. "Fine. But if anything you do puts me in the fire, I'll cut ties without a second thought. Now, get out. Both of you."
Arthur smirked, satisfied with the day's haul. He gave a small shrug, then turned, grabbing Jamie by the arm and leading him out of the cabin where just moments before, a murder had taken place.
Jamie followed Arthur back to where they had tied the horses that morning without a second thought.
He knew this was the time Sheriff Malloy might try to silence them. If they got away, they held the evidence that could ruin him. On the ride back, Jamie worried their horses and saddles might've been stolen, but to his relief, they were still there, waiting.
Maybe Valentine's folk really were as decent as they seemed, or maybe under Malloy's rule, folks just didn't bother with petty theft.
The two untied the reins and mounted up quickly, riding hard through the dim light of night. The sound of hooves echoed against the quiet streets until the town faded behind them.
When no pursuers came into view, they slowed their pace, letting the horses breathe.
Arthur glanced over, lowering his horse to ride alongside Jamie. "Ha, I've seen sheriffs cover for criminals more times than I can count, but killin' someone with his own hands? His mistress, no less. That's a first. I half-expected him to round up a posse to chase us, but looks like I gave him too much credit." Arthur let out a dry laugh.
"Maybe that woman was right about him," Jamie replied, his voice steadier now.
"He was just a rat." Saying it lightened his mood.
The fresh night air outside Valentine helped ease the chill of what they'd witnessed. For the first time since leaving, Jamie felt his fear give way to relief.
He even caught himself regretting he hadn't looked more closely at the woman before it all went wrong.
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. "You're not wrong. That word wasn't an insult—it was the truth. He killed her 'cause she saw through his mask, and he couldn't stand it." Arthur gave Jamie a small grin and a wink.
"Alright, Jamie, let's head back to camp. We'll see who's up for work tomorrow. Odds are, jobs like this lead us to some fine hardware. Might just be where you get yourself that gun you've been wantin'."
The two rode beneath the starry sky, their campfire soon flickering in the distance.
After sharing a simple supper Pearson had thrown together, Arthur stood in the middle of camp, his voice carrying over the crackle of the fire. "Ladies and gentlemen, Jamie and I found us a good job today. Anyone interested in ridin' out with us tomorrow?"
Bill, still in his plaid shirt, leaned back against the wagon wheel and replied, "Micah, Lenny, and I were planning to head up to Strawberry tomorrow to sniff out some information, but looks like we can't make it."
Javier, draped in his colorful shawl, nodded in agreement. "Charles and I got word of Sean maybe being spotted near Blackwater. We're riding out tomorrow to see if there's any truth to it."
When no one else spoke, Mary-Beth, reading quietly by the glow of a kerosene lamp, finally set her book down and raised her hand with a half-smile.
"Arthur, what about us? Can we go? We've been stuck here for days. Feels like we've done nothing but wash half the camp's laundry and stitch up everyone's torn clothes. If it keeps up like this, Karen might just wring Miss Grimshaw's neck."
That made a few folks chuckle. Then Sadie, arms crossed but eyes steady, added flatly, "And me. I need to get out too."
Mary-Beth looked surprised, but her face lit up quickly. "Sadie, you'll come too? That's wonderful! You need a change of pace. Maybe it'll help clear your head."
Sadie just gave her a small smile and nodded without saying more.
Arthur looked around at the eager faces, then rubbed his chin with a faint grin. "Alright, alright. Tomorrow Jamie and I'll take a group of you ladies out. Let you stretch your legs and do something useful at the same time. That's settled then. We ride at first light."
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