Missie slowly woke up to Billy gently rubbing her arm.
"It's time to get up sweetheart," he said. "You can't be found here."
She rubbed her swollen eyes, slowly sitting up.
"Was last night real?" She whispered.
Billy slowly nodded.
Missie slowly nodded back, getting up.
"Ma's given us the day off, so we can be there for the burial."
"Mighty kind of her. Will you wait for me to dress?"
"Of course."
She went back to her room and slowly got dressed, the weight of everything last night still looming over her.
She finished and opened her door and Billy was standing there waiting for her.
He took her hand and led her down the house and to the burial.
Once the funeral was done the two of them made their way back to the Inn and sat down together.
Missie rested her head on his shoulder as the two sat in silence. Billy never let go of her hand.
"Billy, Missie?" Kathleen said. "Billy please. I want to introduce you two to one of our guests. This is Mr. Ash Upson. I thought you might be interested in talking to him. He's a journalist. He has information about what happened last night."
"Mind if I sit down?" Mr. Upson asked.
"I'll leave you to it," Kathleen said.
"Ma'am," Mr. Upson nodded to Kathleen as she left.
"Hello Billy, Missie. Your mother told me about your loss. I'm very sorry. That kind of thing happens too often around here."
"Yeah," Billy answered shortly.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," Billy answered quickly, his voice shaky.
"I hear the guy who killed your friend isn't being charged for murder."
"What?" Billy asked, leaning forward.
"They're saying there were aggravating circumstances, that it was self-defense."
"That's bullshit! It was in cold blood. I was there. I saw what happened."
"Alright," Mr. Upson said.
Billy's eyes shifted to the door as it opened and the man from last night walked in.
Billy stood up and Mr. Upson blocked his path and Missie quickly followed, grabbing his hand.
"Billy-" she warned. The last thing she needed was for him to get shot as well.
"Don't," Mr. Upson said. "Please. Sit down."
"It's him."
"I know. But just don't. Unless you want to die. Just don't," Mr. Upson said.
"What do you mean?" Billy asked.
"Sit down."
"No!" Billy tried again but Missie pulled on his hand and Mr. Upson blocked him again.
"You don't know what you're dealing with. Sit down and I'll tell you. Come on, come on."
Billy slowly sat back down in his seat as Mr. Upson sat in front of him. Billy slowly leaned to his right to keep a close eye on the man a few tables ahead of him. Missie slowly sat down, unsure if she should be here when he grabbed her hand from under the table and placed it on his knee, slowly squeezing.
"I don't know the shooter. But the gent he's sitting down with goes by the name of Hennessy. He's a well-known circuit judge. He's also a prominent member of the Santa Fe ring."
"What the hell is that?" Billy asked, shaking his head and leaning in.
"Well the rings run most things out here in the west Billy. They are secret societies of wealthy people. The Santa Fe ring is the oldest and most powerful ring of them all. Which is why I'm here. I'm investigating the whole damn system. The wholesale corruption, the cronyism, the lawlessness. These people, they buy senators, they buy sheriffs, they buy judges, they buy anyone they damn well please. And they get rid of people who stand in their way."
Billy looked over to the man at the table. "So you think this guy is a member of the ring?"
"Either that, or they protect him for whatever reason."
"Well, if people know about these rings, why don't they just step in and break them up?"
"Because these rings go all the way to the top. That's why."
Billy slowly exhaled, looking down. "I just want justice for my friend," he said shakily.
"I understand. But justice... True justice, Billy, doesn't usually come out of the barrel of a gun. We have to expose the evil and clean up the system."
"And how long will that take, Mr. Upson?"
"I don't know," he answered with a shake of his head. "Years. Possibly longer. But I know it's the only way."
"I don't know if I can wait that long."
YOU ARE READING
Matters To Me
Fanfiction"In a new world of hopes and dreams, met with disappointments and darkness of the real world, Billy held onto the hope that life would get better. It had to, as he looked at the stars, he made a wish, he knew that it had to get better." ~ Billy met...
