October 8, 1869

Amiville. 

This morning Adder, Logan and I sat in the sheriff’s office doing paperwork when there was a knock on the door. Logan invited the man in and I asked, “Can we help you sir?”

“Howdy, Names Jeb Hawkins, the man there,” he pointed to Adder, “Said in the saloon the other night ya’ll could use a good man, who is handy with a gun. “ 

“That we can. How long have you been in town?” Logan nodded. 

“Bout a week now, but lived here before, was a Deputy up in Rock Creek Idaho and a marshal here in town before I went back home,” he nodded to Adder. “Howdy.” 

“Detective Trin Paige. Pleasure to meet you, Jeb,” I held out my hand to him and he shook mine. 

“Nice to meet ya too, Ma’am.” 

“Please have a seat... help yourself to a cigar...” Logan motioned to the seat near the desk.  He looked at the place where the cigars should be and pulled out a peppermint stick. “Or maybe a sweet?”

“Naw, I am okay thank ya,” Jeb chuckled. 

Logan took a bite out of his stick and put it back into the drawer. “Very well. So, which marshals did you work with?”

“Hey Callaghan... Throw me one of those?” I requested and he tossed one to me. 

“Nice toss. You missed your calling as an athlete,” I winked. 

“Well worked some with Stacie... more so with Dom. Had a lot of trouble from a group of outlaws up in Rock Creek so spent most my time up that way.” 

“I see... well since you have prior experience with people that we know, I don’t see any reason why we can’t give you a position.” 

“Well thank ya sir,” Jeb smiled and nodded. 

Logan fished around in his drawer for a deputy badge and set it on the desk. “I’ll need to swear you in...” 

Jeb picked up the Bible and nodded. “Yes, been through this part a time or two.” 

“Now, raise your right hand and repeat after me...” Logan began and Jeb repeated as Logan instructed: “I solemnly swear to uphold the law to its fullest. Never turning a blind eye to corruption and disorder.... To protect the innocent and ensure their safety at all times, even it involves putting my own life on the line... To stand in front of the sheriff if bullets should fly, at least until he unholsters his guns...” he grinned a bit and we looked at him with confusion at his last line, not recognizing it from the job description, but Jeb repeated it anyway. 

“That last one was a joke by the way... it’s not part of the job description,” Logan laughed. 

“Need a doc!” We heard Chels yell then and I wondered what was going on. 

“I’ll go see what that’s all about,” Adder said and left the office. 

“Aww, I don’t mind doin’ that last part of it,” Jeb chuckled. 

“Can you add detective and undersheriff to that part too Logan?” I chuckled. “And uh, deputy sheriff.. We wanna protect Mel and Maffe too,” I winked. 

“Lastly, I swear to always present myself in a respectable way so that I can be sure not to disgrace the rest of my team or to bring a negative image to law men,” Logan said and Jeb repeated it. Logan laughed at me and said, “He’s only one man Miss Paige!” He grinned and stood to shake Jeb’s hand. 

“Welcome to the team Jeb! Now I’ll just get you on the payroll... and we’ll be set,” Logan handed him his badge. “Oh and the folder.” 

“Congratulations, Jeb,” I smiled. 

“Thank ya ma’am,” Jeb smiled and put the badge on. 

Logan opened his drawer stufed with papers and looked at me. “You have a folder?” 

“Um... No?” I looked at him with confusion. 

“Sorry, I thought that maybe you did...” Logan nodded. 

“Nope, no one gave one to me. I’m just a detective...” I shrugged. 

“Ah here we go!” Logan found a folder and handed it to Jeb. 

“Ugh and here is the paperwork,” Jeb laughed. 

“Everyone’s favorite part,” Logan laughed. 

“Thankfully I don’t have to do it... I’m just a detective... I let you guys do the report,” I smiled. 

I heard guns going off outside then and grew more curious. When the gunshots died down I said, “Reckon we best go out there huh?”

“Yes yes... the firing has stopped but we ought to go check it out,” Logan grumbled. We walked out and Logan tipped his hat to a person nearby. “You see any shooting? We heard bullets...”

“Sit still Sir. I will be back,” Rayce started to work on a man’s leg nearby. 

“Yes ma’am,” the man nodded. 

“Oh you poor thing....” she said. 

“Poor horse...” The man said. “Who is the bastard who did that???? I’ll blow his head off!” 

“Well I don’t see anything...” Logan looked around. 

I walked over and saw the horse on the ground and turned to Logan. “This horse here’s down. I think that’s the situation, boss.”

“They ran off that way!” Rayce pointed to the cabins down the street. 

“You will be okay, I promise,” someone said to the horse. 

“Someone shot a horse...” I looked back at Jeb and Logan. 

“Please, hold her still, I don’t want to get kicked.....” Rayce requested. 

Logan found the group around the horse and we walked over to them, though we didn’t know anything about vet work. We talked about Dione and how she was the vet but hadn’t been around much. Stacie came over and and we told her the situation and then I headed back to the office. 

An hour later I saw Rayce standing in the street and asked, “How’s things?” 

“They are alright. Two healings already today,” she smiled. 

“Wow, busy day today.”

“How about with you?”

“Well I’m thinking it’s time I start asking around about this trial and the poisoning of TJ. You know anything about that?”

“Judge TJ was poisoned?” 

“Allegedly. Were you not at the trial for Buu?”

“I was not privy to the trial, I was outside for a few minutes, but the doors were locked.” 

“Ah I see... Guess I should talk to some marshals... find out who was there...”

“I saw a few people in the window. Trax, Karan-the-floozy-doctor, both Buu’s, Sniper the outlaw, and Marshal Stacie. Along with Marshal Tristan.” 

“Thank you, that helps... Who were the marshals guarding the door?”

“You are welcome. It looked like chaos in there when I saw it. Marshal Stacie and Marshal Tristan I believe.”

“Good to know. Thanks Rayce, I appreciate the information. Should head off now.”

“Tessa was there too. Along with other outlaws. You’re welcome, anything I can do to help”

“Have a good afternoon. Hopefully it’s quieter for you.”

“Me too.” 

I walked down the street and knocked on the marshal’s door. When Stacie shouted that it was open I walked inside and she asked, “How can I help ya, Miss Trin?” 

“Well... TJ came to me last night.. Said he wanted me to figure out who poisoned his drink.. I was told you and Tristan were guarding the door... Hoped maybe you had a list of attendees?”

“Well to be honest it was kinda busy we don’t keep notes on who went in, but I can tell ya that TJ was seated before any went in.” 

“That’s good to know... So you think someone went in before the trial started... before you guys got there?”

“And I never saw no one doing nothing so it musta been done before court.” 

“Like one mind,” I nodded. “Anything else you can think of?”

“I was on the supply run to the stranded folks in Kansas and it was straight to court after it.” 

“Anyone acting suspicious?”

“They was all looking suspicious Trin,” she laughed. 

“Well sure, but moreso than normal,” I chuckled. 

“They always look the same in my eyes... but if you ask Tristan he mighta noticed somethin’.” 

“I’ll talk to him. You know if he’s around today?”

“I’m not sure about now but I reckon he will be before the day’s out.” 

“Thanks for your help, Stacie. I’ll go see what I can find out.”

“Anytime, Miss Trin.” 

I walked outside and nodded to Bravo and some others in the saloon. I asked if they’d seen Tristan anywhere but no one had. I talked with Tessa about the twins. Outside, Bill, Nell and Bridgett were talking. 

Bravo asked me to watch Jade at the piano but we changed our minds and decided to take his daughter out of the saloon and walk away from the outlaws. We found Rayce and Logan talking and I asked if they’d seen Adder anywhere. I went to the office and worked on paperwork. 

This evening I walked past the office and Logan invited me inside. He offered me some chocolates and we talked about how he’d tried to decorate the office a bit. 

“So how’s the new deputy workin out?” I asked after a while. 

“No idea... I’ve hardly had a chance to talk to the guy.” 

“I don’t know much about him.”

“Eh... he seems alright though I think. He seems to know Stacie.” 

“We still sure that’s a good thing?” I chuckled. 

“Well... at least we think he might be decent.”

“True,” I nodded. “Care for a stroll through town, boss?”

“Why not take it out on the street, you fellas, and have it out with your fist like real men, and let the saloon be!” Gigi shouted from the saloon down the street. 

“That doesn’t sound good,” I cringed. 

“Oh good lord... let’s go see what’s going on over there,” Logan groaned and we walked down the street. 

“The Five Horsemen were in the saloon, I think causing mischief,” Rayce was saying as we walked towards the saloon. “I didn’t think ti was a big deal but someone just yelled.” 

“Seems there is a mess over there...” Logan said. 

“Did you hear that?” Jake nodded towards the saloon. 

“Sure did,” Logan nodded. 

“I mean hell tis the best damn watering hole in the territories... why muck it all up,” Gigi complained. 

“Hell, I’ll have to or Grampy will have to clean it up.” 

“After you,” I held out my hand. 

“Sheriff! Good evening! Miss Trin!” Mel greeted us. 

“Hey there Mel.” 

“I am fed up with outlaws coming in her and making trouble!! You three horsemen GETOUT!” Karan shouted. 

“Everything alright in here?” Logan looked around. 

“Yep everything is fine, ya can go,” Cathy grinned. 

“No, it not fine,” Karan shook her head. “I have asked these rude people to leave this private place.” 

“Excuse me, please,” Logan said then. 

“Brendan! Good to see you again!” I greeted him. 

“Hi there, Trin,” he nodded to me. 

“Been a while, Brendan. Care to join me outside and enjoy the, uh, air?” I asked as things started to relax around the saloon and the outlaws walked out. “That was easy,” I thought to myself. 

“What was that?” Brendan asked. 

“Kitty used to be a nice girl,” Karan sighed. “Drinks are on me.” 

“I know, Karan. Frustrating how much she’s changed,” I nodded. 

“Bill and his bunch making trouble again Karan?” Brendan asked. 

“Hell, they had 30 minutes with just me n’Mel n’you Karan...” Chane said. 

“I found out that some folks think the women who dance here are floozies!!” Karan shook her head. 

“Gonna be a good story in the next paper,” Sean smiled. 

“You wanna write it?” I winked at him. 

We continued to talk and banter back and forth while we drank and enjoyed the evening. People came in and out of the saloon and I sat at the bar, enjoying my whiskey and the peace and quiet. I met a woman named Smash and we talked about how there wasn’t much going on lately. 

“Miss Trin ... can I ask you to write something for me?” Karan requested. 

“What’s up?” I looked at her. 

“Would you write a little something about the girls who dance here in the saloon ... how they are hard-working women and not floozies or loose women?

“Would be a better article comin from someone like you or Gramps... But I’ll see what I can do.”

“I think its a grand idea write about the dancers here I’m sure you guys got some interestin histories if ya look into them,” Smash said. 

“Everyone has a personal story ... it might be nice to hear them. Miss Smash is right!” Karan nodded. 

“We were trying to do that with the DYK column. Will try my best to get that up and going again,” I nodded. 

We continued to talk and we talked about how the horsemen were bullies and we couldn’t keep giving them the attention they craved. After a while I decided to head home when more outlaws started to show up again. I talked with Rayce and Logan down the street before heading home for the night.