September 23, 1869

Amiville.

A couple of days later I walked into town and saw a man standing behind the sign near the saloon. I walked over to him and he grinned at me. “Oh hi there.” He spoke in a thick Irish accent. 

“Hello,” I smiled. “New in town? I ain’t seen you before.” 

“You could say that. I came from Colorado North.” 

“Ah Colorado North,” I kept a safe distance between myself and the stranger and said, “I’ve traveled through there. In town on business?” 

The man laughed and said, “Outlaws aren’t really my cup of tea, and that seems to be all you find there.” 

“Don’t I know it,” I chuckled. 

“No, no business. Just walking around is all.” 

“Ah, well it’s a fine town to do that in. I’ve been here a few months and it’s starting to feel like home.” 

“Maybe I’ll end up making it my home as well,” he smiled. “It does seem friendly.” 

“It kinda draws you in,” I smiled back. “I wasn’t even planning on staying this long.” 

“I think I might look around to see if I can find myself a place to rent.” 

“Would you like some assistance? Maybe I could buy you a drink first?” 

“As much as I would like that, I think I’ll take off on my own for a bit. But I might look you up if I have questions?” 

“Okay sure,” I nodded. “If you don’t find me at the saloon I’ll be at the newspaper office. It’s right around the corner down the left to the street. I run the newspaper.” 

“Thank you for your help,” he nodded. 

“My pleasure, Sir. I’m sorry, I didn’t even tell you my name. I’m Trin Paige,” I shook his hand. 

“Logan Callaghan,” he smiled and shook my hand. 

“Pleasure to meet ya.” 

“The pleasure is mine, Miss Trin.” 

We parted ways and I walked into the saloon where I took a seat at the bar, pouring myself a mug of coffee. Rosa walked in and we talked about the weekend and our respective relationships. Logan came into the saloon and I introduced him to the judge. We sat there and talked for a while and then I headed out to get some writing done. 

That afternoon I asked Sean if we could talk about the paper and I asked him if he could find a writer to cover a couple of empty columns that needed to be taken over. He suggested that we could have a child do an article and write from their perspective and I agreed that would be a good idea. We continued to talk with people as they came in and out of the saloon. 

Eventually I went outside and sat on a bench to get some fresh air. I met a man named Sniper who was new to the area. He said he did know the mayor for a long time though. We talked about my writing and how I run the newspaper and wrote novels. He said his name was Sniper and he joked that his mother had been an opium fiend. 

That evening I went to Kansas to visit Hawk and his tribe. When I got home I noticed a huge crowd in front of the saloon and I asked Trax what was going on. He said that Ami shot at the marshals claiming Jakob was a rapist and a woman beater. Jakob tried to hang Ami without a trial and the townsfolk didn’t like that at all. 

“Well yes, she broke the law and would have been punished for it like any criminal,” Despres told Trax, hearing us talking. 

TJ came over and I looked at him nervously, wondering how to act around him now since I’d seen him in the cave last month. He nodded towards me and I raised an eyebrow, curious. 

“Well it’s up to the judges what will happen now,” Despres said to Trax. “I’m only doin’ my job as to take down and bring in the ones out here who would break the law.”

“No problem with that, marshal,” Trax nodded with a smile. “A trial is the best way.” 

“Good to see ya back alive,” Despres said to me then with a chuckle. 

“Alive?” 

“Yeah well, in one peace,” he corrected himself. 

“Ya thought James would kill me out in Louisiana huh?” I winked at him. 

“Somethin’ like that yes,” Despres chuckled and I laughed in response. 

We talked for a while longer and then I went into the saloon and sat at a table with Trax. “You wanted to tell me somethin’?” I asked him, knowing he wanted to tell me about a story for the paper. 

“Yep,” he looked at me and began, “Well I was in the candy store... and heard the gunfire echoing round town.” 

Bill came into the saloon and we greeted him as I said, “Wait, candy store? We have a candy store?” Looking to Bill I said, “Did you know we had a candy store?” 

“Went to see what was going on and saw the marshals shooting at the mayor by the marshals’ building,” Trax continued with the story. 

“Why on earth...?” I raised an eyebrow. 

“Crowd was gathering as the marshals started to talk about hanging the mayor then and there. They trussed the mayor up and started hauling her to the scaffold. Townsfolk started getting uncomfortable when Jakob had her up under the noose, and started trying to get ‘em to stop.” 

“Talking about the mayor?” Sniper confirmed as he walked into the saloon then. 

“Yeah, Trax is just filling me in,” I nodded. 

“Chelsey and Stacie stayed on the ground while Jakob, who seemed real anxious to kill the mayor quick, stayed on the scaffold,” Trax explained. “The deputy mayor showed up and demanded they let her go and then started to incite the townsfolk to take up arms against the marshals. A number of us did pull guns in an attempt to stop the linchin’ so she could go to trial. Marshals pulled theirs too and a Mexican standoff ensued.” 

“Now I am really upset I missed it,” Bill muttered. 

“I went up onto the scaffold to try and talk Jakob down and with the townsfolk against them the marshals backed down and took her inside to a cell.” 

“Fun times,” Sniper commented. 

“Never a dull moment, I’m tellin’ ya,” I sighed. 

“Deputy mayor wanted the mayor in the sheriff’s custody ‘cause about then the mayor started yelling that Jakob was a woman beater and...” Trax looked around again, “and then the mayor started saying Jakob had ravished her sister Jane in the desert impregnating her and leaving her to die as he rode off laughing.” 

“Oh my... That doesn’t sound like Jake at all,” I shook my head. “Not the Jake I know.” 

“Sean the doc arrived to tend to her wounds and sounded like he had to stop Jakob from smacking her round to shut her up but I didn’t see what happened,” Trax said. “Only heard him telling Jakob to stop.” 

I remembered then that Jakob had announced that he was going to check on Tristan and looked at Trax. “What’s going on with Trist?” 

“No clue,” Trax shrugged. “That about wrapped it up, Trin,” he continued. “The townsfolk started leaving as things had calmed down and the deputy mayor ran off to telegraph someone.” 

“Unbelievable, Trax. This place is getting crazier and crazier.” 

“Yep. Jakob and the mayor both were acting weird, as bad as each other.”

“I’ve not had much interaction with Ami, to be honest,” I shook my head. “Jake I know a bit better though, and these rumors don’t sound like him.” 

“Trax, what was the end result? What happened to the mayor after we left?” Sniper wanted to know. 

“They locked her up and she is out and about now,” Trax answered Sniper. “Not sure about in between.” 

“So no hanging then,” Sniper nodded. 

“Not yet. They had a small chat outside just before so who knows.” He looked at me and said, “Well Trin, there’s your story.” 

“You tell it well,” I looked to Trax. “You wanna write it for me?” 

“Nope, I suffer from a mild form of real bad spelling and grammar,” Trax grinned. 

“That’s what Sean’s for. He’ll edit it,” I winked at him. 

“Well Trin, you are the newspaper woman. If ya want scrawlings then fine. If ya want it readable...” 

I laughed and he said that he should check on the candy store because Tabby wasn’t there. Turning to Sniper, I asked him if he’d found a job yet and he nodded to Bill saying that he was his boss. I looked at Bill, then saw Buu coming in, and Bill grinned at me. 

“What’s wrong, lil lady. The walls closin in on ya?” 

Trax walked in then and I asked if we could head home. He said he just got there so I looked at Sniper and said, “I thought you were different but... Guess not.” 

I walked out of the saloon and down the street with a sigh. I heard someone coming up behind me and turned, seeing that it was Trax. “Dang Trax, you scared the crap out of me.” 

“It’s just me, Trin.” 

I saw activity by the clinic and sighed. “I feel like I should be heading home... But I just feel like something else is gonna happen with all them walking over there.” 

“Sure thing, Trin,” Trax nodded and furrowed his brow. 

I heard someone walk past and jumped, then saw it was Rebel. I stepped closer to Trax when I saw Sniper and Bill, feeling like I had nowhere to hide. 

“You sure are jumpy today, Trin,” Trax observed. I swallowed nervously and looked over at him, unsure. “So what’s up?” 

“I don’t know but... maybe we should get inside.” 

“Sure, feels like de ja vu doesn’t it?” When I announced I should probably head home he said, “Need an escort, Trin?” 

“The ten steps to the newspaper? Sure, why not,” I winked at him. 

“Never know when a rabid squirrel will jump at ya,” Trax chuckled and he led me to the newspaper office. I said goodnight and he waved to me as he headed back down the road.