Whiskey Rose (Fallen) (25 page)

Matt discreetly interviewed everyone the girls had identified as having been there at the time of the murder. None of them had seen or heard anything. Even Walt Porter who had apparently walked right passed the body said he had only noticed the open door but the room was dark. Next he interviewed all of Dixie’s regulars. He asked them each about the necklace but none seemed to know anything about it. He was growing more and more frustrated as the hours stretched into days and he didn’t have any good leads. He went back into the alley and walked back and forth thinking he might find something he had missed before but he didn’t. He was about to step back inside when he heard voices. They were coming from the side of the building and they were arguing. He stepped around the corner in time to see someone walk away from Izzy.

“
Going to be hard to incite a brawl when Rose has
n’
t reopened
.
” He glared at the other man.

“
What the hell are you insinuating
?
”

“
I am not insinuating anything. I know all about you Frank
.
” Izzy glared at him.

“
You do
n’
t know anything
.
”

“
I know who you are, and why yo
u’
re here. I know yo
u’
re behind all of it. The vandalism, the near riot, the attempt at sabotaging the supplies. You want this place shut down. The question is,are you willing to commit murder to accomplish that
?
”

“
You can go to hell
.
” He spat,he started to walk away but Matt grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. The man had fifty pounds on him but it did
n’
t matter.

“
If I find out you killed them I will make sure you swing
.
” He growled close to the other ma
n’
s face.

“
Ahem
.
”
 
Matt looked up and saw Rose standing at the corner of the building. Reluctantly he released Izzy.

“
I was with Faith when Dixie was killed. Ask her
.
” Izzy growled before walking away. Matt was angry, he was angry that he had
n’
t found any solid leads, angry that he could
n’
t pin anything on Izzy and angry because Rose was looking at him as if he was a rabid dog. She did
n’
t say anything until Izzy was gone. She is nothing if not discreet. He thought bitterly.

“
Izzy did
n’
t kill Dixie
,
” she said softly,
“
He could
n’
t
.
”

“
Come on Rose, i
t’
s not like it would have been the first time
.
” He snapped.

“
What
?
” He should
n’
t have said it. He regretted it the second it passed his lips. He certainly was
n’
t going to repeat it or explain it. He paced angrily instead.

“
You said them
.
” Rose said softly.

“
What
?
”

“
You said
,‘
if you killed the
m’.
” He looked at her waiting
.“
You think whoever killed Dixie also killed your partner
.
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
I guess that explains why you are taking this personally
.
”

“
I am not taking it personally
,
” he snapped,
“
I am perfectly objective
.
”

“
I did
n’
t suggest that you were
n’
t
.
” He looked at her long and hard and drew a deep breath. He was
n’
t angry with her, he should
n’
t be snapping at her.

“
I would have been driven to find the killer either way. I liked Dixie she wa
s
… real. Besides,no one has ever been killed under my watch before
.
”

“
She was
n’
t under your watch
.
”

“
I was a few doors away. I let my guard down
.
”
 
She approached him and he stood his ground but when she got there she just put her hand on his cheek.

“
You are not responsible
.
” Those four words made him feel better immediately as if she had pulled the thorn out of his side.

“
Neither are you
.
”

“
I know
.
”

“
So why have
n’
t you opened the Saloon again
?
” She shrugged but he knew she had given it a lot of thought. He did
n’
t press but he did
n’
t accept the answer either. She did feel guilty he could feel it every time he held her in his arms and she did
n’
t sleep. The two of them both lying awake and both pretending not to know the other was
n’
t sleeping.

“
I do
n’
t think I am going to. I was planning to go anyway. As soon as you catch Dixi
e’
s killer, their killer
.
” She corrected
.“
Then I will go for good
.
” He was
n’
t sure how he felt about that, he wanted to ask her where she would go, what she was going to do next. He wanted her to confide in him but she had
n’
t yet it did
n’
t seem likely that she would.

“
I need to talk to Katrina
.
” Rose frowned at the sudden subject change.

“
Why
?
”

“
Because I think she knows something. I have for a while. I have talked to everyone else but not her becaus
e
… well because she has already been through a lot
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re not planning to talk to her like you did Izzy are you
?
”

“
No
,
” he smirked
,“
But ther
e’
s a chance I might not be very nice if I think she is hiding something so if you do
n’
t want to be ther
e
…”

“
No I do
,
” she said quickly realizing he was inviting her
.“
She might be more willing to talk to you if I am there
.
”

“
That was my thought exactly
.
”

Matt stood back and let Rose smooth the way for him. They still had
n’
t told the girls exactly who he was but it was clear he was investigating Dixi
e’
s murder. So they answered all his questions without putting up much of a fight. Katrina was different though. She was different then all of them.

“
Trina, can we come in
?
”

“
Sure. I was wondering when you would get around to me. It seems yo
u’
ve talked to everyone else
.
” Katrina smiled and offered him a seat.  He looked around the room, it was just a cursory glance but what he saw turned his blood to ice. It froze from his chest and spread through his veins. He moved his hand to rest lightly on the butt of his pistol. He had
n’
t sat and he did
n’
t.

“
Where did you get that hat
?
”

“
What hat
?
” He pointed with the hand not on his gun. It was a dirty brown cowboy had with a flat brim and a sweat stain so wide it could have been a hat band. He would have known that hat anywhere. It had been here the whole time. He gritted his teeth wishing he had just searched every room. Why would Katrina kill Benji? She might have had motive for Dixie, it could have been a rivalry, it could have been over the roo
m
… but why Benji?

“
Oh that hat
,
” she said softly. His trained ear heard a guilty inflection in her voice.

“
Tha
t’
s not Jonatha
n’
s is it
?
” Rose asked. Ros
e
… he felt the need to move himself between her and Katrina but he could
n’
t do it without being obvious.

“
No it is
n’
t
.
” Katrina reached up and pulled the hat down. She glanced at him but then she focused on Rose and his tension intensified.

“
I
t’
s Be
n’
s hat, Rose
.
” Her voice was soft, apologetic, his chest tightened uncomfortably.

“
Ben was here
?
” Rose asked. Mat
t’
s eyes widened slightly, the only evidence of his surprise. Katrina nodded. The two women were looking at each other as if they had forgotten he was there. Rose reached out and took the hat from Katrin
a’
s hands
.“
Did you tell him
?
” Katrina nodded.

“
I did
.
” Katrina said
,“
He was going to wait for you bu
t
… I should have told you,
I’
m sorry,I just thought it would be better this way
.
”

“
What are you talking about
?
”

“
Ben wa
s
… he was the one that was killed behind the saloon
.
” Rose gasped and she immediately looked at him. She looked down at the hat in her hands then back up at him her eyes were filled with tears.

“
I’
m so sorry
.
” she whispered,and handed him the hat. He took it and she rushed out the door. He did
n’
t know what to do. His feet were rooted to the spot. He felt Katrin
a’
s eyes on him and he looked up at her. He forced himself to be professional.

“
Your window overlooked the alley. Did you see anything that night? Hear anything
?
”

“
No, I wish I had. We talked for a long time it was really late when he left. I jus
t
… I just went to sleep. I did
n’
t know anything happened until morning
.
” Matt nodded and looked at the hat. He had more questions. A lot of them but he wanted to get his head on straight first.

“
Thanks
.
” He turned and walked out.  His boots felt like they had lead in the heels as he walked down the stairs. He was going to have to face Rose. He did
n’
t want to, he did
n’
t want to hear what she might say. When he finally opened the door she was sitting on the edge of the bed she had her bible in her lap and he wondered if she was preparing for confession. He closed the door and locked it out of habit.

“
I am sorry, I did
n’
t know
.
”

“
I know
,
” he said, not sure what else to say.

“
Doe
s
… did he have any family
?
”