by: MacSas

“We have some news,” Martin told the group sitting around the Duke’s kitchen table.

Assembled there, talking over coffee and a mountain of food were Luke, Daisy, Cooter and Roscoe. The four looked up as Bo closed the door behind him and Martin. The drive back to the farm had been almost silent. Neither Martin nor Bo had voiced too much about Lex, almost as if neither could believe that the man was dead. Like if this was a dream, they didn’t want to ruin it by waking up. Martin glanced at Daisy. How would she take the news? Was it that wrong to want to dance at the news of some poor souls death?

“Well?” Roscoe asked.

“Where’s Boss?” Bo interrupted.

Roscoe shrugged. “On the phone in Jesse’s room, checking to see if he gets his bail money back if Luke is let off”

Bo laughed out loud. “Good old Boss”

“The news, Bo” Daisy sighed.

“Oh, right. Well you won’t believe this…” He looked to Martin, who nodded his approval. “Lex is dead”

A few seconds later he heard himself repeating, more clearly, “Lex is dead” And still, they looked at him like he’d lost his mind. He looked to Martin again.

“It’s true” Martin said, taking a seat near Luke. “I got a call from Clark as we were leaving the courthouse”

Luke looked around the stunned group. “Okay” he said slowly. “What happened?”

“That’s the funny thing,” Martin said. “No one knows for sure. He had been released from the hospital and was at the Tri County jailhouse recovering from the gunshot wound to his side. He was supposed to give testimony at the pre trial hearing tomorrow…”

“No one told us he was giving testimony” Cooter interrupted.

“Doesn’t really matter now, does it?” Roscoe noted, pouring more coffee.

“Anyway” Luke prompted.

“Well” Martin continued. “The plan was for the Tri County officers to bring Lex to the courthouse in the morning. One of the officers went down to check on him for the night. At first he thought Lex was sleeping, but then he noticed the odd angle of his body. When the officer moved the cover back, he saw Lex had a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead on sight”

No one moved.

“He’s really dead?” Daisy finally asked, looking directly at Martin for the first time in days.

“Yeah” Martin said softly. “He’s really dead”

Daisy slowly stood and walked to the lounge room. She stared out the window. Lex was dead. Her nightmare was over. She could go anywhere and do anything without having to worry about who was watching. It was almost like being reborn. She wanted to laugh, leap for joy, celebrate; but knew she wouldn’t be able to do something as low as dancing on Lex’s grave. She hadn’t stooped to his level while he was alive, and she wouldn’t do so now. Behind her, Boss appeared from Jesse’s room.

“Well” he huffed, oblivious to the stunned silence in the room. “I don’t know who runs that courthouse over there in Tri County, but the least a body could do is tell you if you can reclaim your Benny Franklins or not” He paused to pour coffee.

“Ah, Boss” Cooter started. Boss held a beefy hand up to silence the mechanic. “I know you think it’s a sordid thing to be asking if I can get my money back, but I think it just shows how much I believe in Luke here” He hesitated, thought about that for a moment then chuckled. “I can’t believe I just said that. Anyway, no one there seems to know what happens to your samolians once you’ve parted with them. I mean if you’re going to part with good money to help someone out…” Boss finally noticed how quiet everyone was, though it took a while for his brain to send the signal to his mouth. “…the least they can do is tell you…Am I missing something here?”

A chuckle went through the group. “ Martin just told us that Lex is dead” Cooter supplied.

Boss thought for a moment. “Wow” he finally said. “What does this mean for Luke?”

“And your money” Roscoe quipped.

“And my money” Boss agreed, before realising Roscoe’s trap. “Da da da” he waved at his Sheriff.

“Well, it makes the Judge’s decision easier” Martin said, turning his gaze to where Daisy stood at the window. She hadn’t moved an inch, just kept looking out at nothing.

“How so?” Cooter asked.

“Now that Lex has been killed his lawyers will be more interested in seeing the true murderer put away”

Luke laughed mockingly. “I’m just small fry”

Martin smiled at him. “Hate to say so”

“Yeah, but don’t it feel good” Bo said, patting his cousin on the shoulder.

“A man is dead, Bo” Luke said simply.

“Always the humanitarian” Cooter quipped.

As the group started talking about Lex’s death and how things would probably go in court the next day, Martin quietly slipped away from the table. He walked over to where Daisy was looking out the window. He was pleased that Bret wasn’t around; maybe he would get to talk to Daisy and try to sort out whatever was ailing them.

Sensing his presence behind her, Daisy turned slightly. Just enough to talk to him without actually facing him, Martin noted.

“So” she whispered. “He’s dead”

“Yes”

“It’s over then?”

“Probably”

They may as well have been talking about the weather, he thought. He took a few steps closer to her. Looked her in the eyes. “What happened to us?”

Daisy looked at the ground. “I don’t know what you mean”

Martin frowned. Games were so beneath him. It annoyed him that Daisy wouldn’t even look him in the eye while she lied to him. “You know what I mean,” he said.

Frustrated, he turned Daisy to face him. “We had something good going until you decided to freak out on me. And I know it must be something to do with me because you were awful cosy with Bret a few days ago. How can you blow hot one minute then freeze me out the next? Do you blame me for what happened? Are you angry at me because I agreed on your placement at the cabin…”

“Yes!” Daisy yelled, bringing silence to the house once again. All eyes of those at the table turned in their direction. Daisy shook Martins grip off her. “Yes, I blame you. In Calgary you said Lex wouldn’t get out again. He did. Then you told me he wouldn’t get to me. He did. You told me you’d be there no matter what. You weren’t. You couldn’t protect me, yet you expect me to hand my heart to you” Daisy backed away, trembling, a little out of breath at her tirade. It had been pent up frustration that had opened her mouth. She knew she really didn’t mean half of what she was saying, but she couldn’t stop. She just wanted to shake someone the way that she had been shaken. It looked like Martin was going to be the one in the firing line. And while she felt sorry for him, she also admired the way he stood proud, not allowing her words to affect him. Publicly at least. He was a strong man, yet he would be wounded by this, she knew that. She also knew that his pride would not allow him to negotiate with her. He wanted all or nothing from her. Right now, though she desperately wanted to give him all, she really had nothing to give. She was tired, angry, confused and downright stubborn. She looked at the others who were obviously stunned by her outburst. Luke started to stand. Daisy shook her head. She looked back at Martin. “I can’t give you what you want,” she said, turning to flee the house.

Martin turned his back on the group in the kitchen. Looking out the window that Daisy had been in front of mere minutes ago, he saw her making her way to a nearby shed. She sat on a seat beside it and buried her face in her hands. The shaking of her shoulders told him she was crying. He sighed. That was it then. There was nothing more he could do. He had thought he would be happy to wait for her, but he had been kidding himself. Luke approached him. “Martin, I don’t know what’s going on with her, but you have to believe that she loves you”

Martin looked at Luke and smiled. “Yeah” he said. “But is it a lifetime kind of love?”

When Luke didn’t answer Martin turned and headed towards the kitchen door. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow night,” he told the group, as he walked out the door.