"Stop!" The Sheriff yelled as he turned his horse.
Gerald and Dasher turned after him. They saw the Sheriff had already dismounted his horse.
"What's the big deal?" Asked a deputy as he stubbed out a cigarette while sitting on a metal trash can.
"Sheriff, I can't raise Sam on the radio." Came a crackling voice from Daniels belt.
Daniels looked at the mess in the alley and then saw the clean shovel laying next to multiple trash cans. "Looks like we got here in time." The Sheriff said to Gerald. He then turned back to the deputy who was now standing.
*Whap*
"How many times have I told you to keep your radio charged."
"Ow, sorry, I forgot."
The Sheriff shook his head. "At least your laziness was to our advantage this time."
Gerald and Dasher moved past the bickering father-in-law and son-in-law. The squatted down next to the mass of gooey material.
The pair looked over the semi-transparent material that was filled with splashes of red, brown and black colors.
"Has it been touched?" Gerald asked while looking at the deputy and Sheriff.
The Sheriff looked towards his son-in-law.
"Oh, umm, the kids that found it said they poked it with a stick a few times, but that is all. I haven't started to clean it up yet. Why? What is going on?"
Gerald reached into one of the inner pockets of his coat. He pulled out a string that was noted at even intervals. He held one end and passed the other to Dasher.
They pulled the string tight and set it next to the length of the blob.
Dasher then spoke. "Five feet ten inches."
"They were probably between five, eight and six foot." Gerald put the string away and stood up. "I am guessing around 180 pounds."
"At least it wasn't a kid this time." Dasher said, while continuing the ruse that this was a serial killer that they were tracking.
"You mean… That was a person?" Sam asked.
"These are Marshalls from the Investigation Bureau." The Sheriff told his son-in-law. "They are looking for a nasty killer." He then turned back to Gerald and Dasher. "I have never seen anything like this. Do you think this has anything to do with the Cult of Thomas?" The Sheriff asked.
Gerald shook his head. "We don't think this is them, we have kicked down plenty of doors to their hideouts, but we have never seen anything like this from them. We don't think this has anything to do with technology or the metal men, but obviously we can't rule them out until we find out the cause. Our current theories are pointing to some chemical mixture. But like I said, it is just a theory."
"If you need anything from us, just let me know. I can even spare a few deputies if you need them."
"Thanks, but we shouldn't use your people." Gerald said with a melancholy as he shook his head. "Most of the locals who helped us investigate this in the past ended up sharing a similar fate. If you see anything just radio us. We change channels daily. Use this if you need to contact us and don't show it to anyone else." Gerald said while passing a slip of paper with dates and radio channels written on it.
The Sheriff nodded and pocketed the paper. "We are on channel nine. Just be careful, you never know who is listening."
Dasher nodded while Gerald picked up a stick and stirred through the mess. The Sheriff waited by the side. After a few minutes Gerald found something and worked it to the side of the blob and pulled it out.
Dasher grabbed a water skin off of the pack attached to one of the horses and doused the small object.
The metal piece was smaller than a quarter, was round and had soft edges along with a design in the center.
"What is it?" Dasher asked.
"Looks like a button." Gerald asked. "A button for a pair of pants. Looks like our killer missed it when they stripped this person of their clothes."
"You think the victim was stripped?" The Sheriff asked.
"We have found that what ever is causing this doesn't seem to effect metals and stronger fabrics. I know the fly on all my pants have three or more buttons. Since I only found one, I am guessing it popped off when the person was being undressed. If the pants were left on I should have found more."
"Do you recognize it?" Dasher asked the Sheriff.
"Unfortunately, yes. It came from Tidy Tailor, but they are the busiest tailor in the town. Almost everyone owns at least one pair of pants from that shop."
"Damn, at least we have somewhere to start."
The Sheriff shook his head. "Tidy Tailor closes down for five days a month as all their people head to the city to resupply. They won't be back for three days."
Gerald nodded. "You all said you found this, this morning, right? We know the habits of our killer. After they strike it is going to be at least a week and at most two before we find another. We will ask around town to see if anyone has seen anything strange. I strongly suggest that you don't go investigating on your own, but still keep your eyes and ears open. We might just get lucky this time. Alright, there is nothing left for us here. Let's go back."
Gerald, Dasher, and the Sheriff mounted their horses while Sam still stood to the side with a pale face.
"Clean it up and hose down the alley." Daniels said to him. "Then take it to the undertaker. Whoever they are, they still deserve a burial."
The Sheriff turned and rode off before his lazy son-in-law could protest.
When the three returned to the Sheriff's building, Daniels brought them into his office. "Like I said, if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. We will keep this on the quiet for now, but if more people start disappearing, I don't know if I will be able to keep it quiet for long."
"We appreciate the effort." Gerald said.
"Are you still looking for a place to stay?" He asked while nodding to the bags in the corner. Gerald nodded. "There is a short-stay on second street that is clean and private. They usually have a few rooms open. Your badge can get you a discount. I would try there first."
"Thanks for the tip."
The Sheriff noticed that both Marshals stayed seated. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Two things, and I hope the first doesn't offend."
"What is it?" Daniels asked.
"Just a standard question we must ask. Can you account for your whereabouts last night and that of your deputies?"
"None, of us have travelled out of town in months."
"I know, but it is just procedure. It is one of the requirements for us to work with you. I don't think you or your people would do this, but I need an answer incase headquarters asks. It is simply bureaucracy."
The Sheriff nodded in understanding. "I was at home with my wife. Sam and my daughter also stayed the night. You can confirm with any of them. As for my deputies, I will ask around."
"Great, now onto my second inquiry." Gerald then scratched his head with a bit of embarrassment. "I don't know if you know much about the MIB but for investigators like us, we… we only get paid when we close cases. And we have been working on this one a long while."
"Ha, if you are looking for a loan, I am not the guy to ask. As a Sheriff I probably make less than you two."
"That isn't it. Will you have any problems if we claim a few bounties on your board?" Gerald asked while nodding towards the tack board outside the door.
"Oh that? That's no problem. In fact, we would appreciate it. I run a tight house here. We aren't letting any of them slide on purpose. We just can't find them, or if we do, we are outnumbered. I have advised my deputies not to die for some cash. If you two are tempted and find the opportunity, go for it."
"Great. Thank you for your assistance." Gerald said while standing and shaking the Sheriff's hand. Dasher did the same. They then grabbed their bags and left the office. They both took a good look at the board of wanted posters before they left the building.
They walked towards the short-stay.
"What about the Sheriff? Do you believe him?" Dasher asked.
"I can't be sure. We will have to double check his alibi."
"Seems trust worthy though."
Gerald shrugged. "That is what makes a doppelganger so deadly. They can fully imbody a person. Daniels me be a straight shooter. If he was a doppelganger, the shapeshifter could easily pass as a straight shooter. Remember, you can't trust anyone."
Dasher then looked over Gerald closely.
"I know what you are thinking." Gerald said. "If one of us die, the system will notify us. In fact, I hope it happens, that would make our job incredibly easy. No offense."
Dasher nodded in understanding.
"None taken. Good, I was worried that I would have to take a shit while you are in the room. The fact that we can separate and still have a bit of privacy is nice."
The pair stopped in front of a long two-story building. Rooms were let out onto the street from the first floor. A balcony on the second floor wrapped around the building and was marked with doors at even intervals.
Gerald and Dasher walked into the office on the side of the building. An older woman sat behind a counter while listening to a radio. Her feet moved up and down as she pressed on a set of pedals that were connected by wire to the radio.
When she saw the two, she stopped pressing the pedals and stood up. A moment later, the radio drama that was being broadcast shut off.
"Hello, what can I do for you?"
"Sheriff Daniels sent us your way." Gerald said while flashing a badge.
"Oh Marshals, how long do you plan on staying."
"Two rooms, for a week, maybe longer." Gerald answered.
The woman nodded and pulled out a ledger and opened it up. "Names?"
"Marshal Acers and Marshal Dasher."
"Two rooms, one week. That will be ten dollars."
"Sure thing." Gerald said as he set the cash on the counter.
The woman took it and handed back two keys. "Rooms 11 and 12. They aren't on the street, they are tucked around back, but because of that, nobody should have a reason to walk past them."
"Thank you." Gerald said while tipping his hat and walking out of the office.
They went around the back of the building and found the pair of rooms that were located on the first floor.
"Get settled and then we will grab some lunch. Let's make our presence know, we will wear our badges for now." He said while taking the star from his wallet and pinning it to the vest he wore over his shirt.
Inside, Gerald found a bed, bathroom with running water. A wood furnace that could be used to both heat the room or cook a meal and a table next to the window. All in all, it wasn't bad.
Dasher needed a little time to get used to the dusty town. Even though they had only been here for an hour, Gerald was waiting for him to finish washing up.
When he was done, the two went to a café off of main street and ordered two lunches. The café was popular since it had one of largest refrigerators in the city, which wasn't a common item. That meant that the patrons were able to indulge in cold drinks with their meals. Dasher sipped on a cold lemonade while they sat on the porch of the café.
In Gerald's lap was the pouch of tobacco. With a practiced motion he rolled himself several smokes and stored them in a small tin. He set the last one between his lips while he stored to tin in the pocket of his vest.
He pulled out a match and lit his smoke.
The two sat in silence as they watched people walking up and down the busy street. Some people nodded in their direction, others smiled, while a good amount minded their own business.
Anyone of those people could be their targets. It could even be the man who just served them their lemonade. Right now, there was no way for them to know.
Unfortunately, tracking a doppelganger was no easy task. They would have to wait till the creature slipped up. Until then, they had to be ready to act at any moment.