December 23, 1869

Georgetown. 

This afternoon I walked into the saloon where a crowd had already gathered. It was the night before Christmas Eve and people were in good spirits as they celebrated the approach of the holiday. I met a couple named Jack and Lillith Warblood and Lillith said that she needed to find a horse and the law office. 

“What’s this about a horse?” I asked curiously. 

“Well the horse is next to us,” Lillith said. “Found her in the mines.” 

“The mines eh?” I looked over at the horse outside. 

“Recognized it being Coffee Bean from the livery, so I took her.” 

“Wonder how she ended up in the mines,” I nodded. 

“She was stolen,” Jack said. 

I looked over at Sam who was listening with interest and then asked Jack, “How do you know this, Sir?”

“She was whining and stumbling her hooves and looked hungry.. and hopefully we didn’t do anything wrong by taking her. Thought taking her to the law office to make sure its was okay,” Lilith said. 

“No way the horse could untie itself,” Jack shrugged. 

“The horses are usually firmly secure in the stables? They’re tied up?” I asked Sam. “Couldn’t have just opened the door on their own?”

“Yeah Trin, they came into town, some woman was shooting at them. So I told her to bring Coffee on in,” sugar explained.

“Some woman was shooting?” I asked Sugar. “Can you describe the woman?”

“Tied to porch of a house not a stable. She wore black,” Jack said. 

“Yes, when we got to town we were talking if best to take her to law office or to the stables... due to her condition and being hungry and tired as well,” Lil said. 

“This woman.. wearing all black... Was she Native or paleface?” I asked.

“Pale. Has a knife in her boot,” Jack said. 

“And this lady approach us and interrupted us, and asked a bunch of questions about the horse, and walked behind her back, the horse of course, and she got a bit worried so I backed the horse up, and reached for her knife. I’m assuming she would try and leash out at me to get a hold of the rope. Yeah, blonde, wore a hat if I don’t remember wrong.” 

“I showed her my old badge and decided to attack me first,” Jack said. 

“You’re sure the horse didn’t belong to the woman with the knife?” I asked them. 

“Oh no. Definitely not. Not the way she spoke and behaved,” Lil shook her head.

“There is no way she could own this horse,” Jack said. 

“I seen that woman way long time back,” Sugar said.

“You had, Sugar?” I looked at her. 

“She was a bit... nervous. She could have claimed the horse but she just leashed out and demanded us to give her to her... Not a word of owning or similar,” Lil said. 

“Yes I have, she came in the saloon one day before it got remodeled,” Sugar told me. 

“She speak to you, Sugar?” I asked. 

“Yes back then she did.” 

“I am pretty sure I am the only person who lives up there now,” Karan said. “Me and Chane.” 

I nodded to Karan and asked, “Sugar, how was the woman’s demeanor when she talked to you? And did she say her name?”

“It’s been a long time ago, maybe six months ago or more.,” Sugar answered. “She was friendly... think her name started with a j, but cant quite recall it. She was decked out with six shooters for sure.” 

“She have a knife back then?” 

“In her boot,” Jack said. “Could of been hidden back then too.” 

“Don’t recall, she never pulled a weapon back then,” Sugar said. 

“Just makin sure it’s the same woman,” I said. “So this woman who’s name starts with a J... she had a knife... and a gun cause you said she was shootin’... One gun or two?”

“Well it was the same face, I’m a thinkin,” Sugar said. “I think two back then. She looked like a gunslinger.” 

“I don’t know but for whatever reason, she leashed out and hurt Jack when he tried protecting me...” Lil said. 

I pulled out my notebook and started writing notes. “Where abouts in the city of mines did you find the horse?”

“I was on the ground by then she came at me with her knife before I could shoot,” Jack said. “Near a house. I could show you if you like.” 

“In the mines,” Lillith said. “I was showing jack around, since he back with me after being away for a so long... We got lost.” 

“Maybe sometime when I’ve got more backup, Jack. I’d rather go out there with Sheriff Nile or Sheriff Duke,” I said. 

“And there where the calls from a horse that lead us to this house inside of the mines,” Lil said. 

“Suzy, good. Just the girl I’m hopin to see,” I looked at the door as Suzy walked in. 

“Oh you were..?”

“Suzy was wonderin if you could answer a question or two for me. The horses in the stables... are they tied up securely?”

“Most of the time they’re locked in there stalls, but I do let them out to get exercise in the pastures.” 

“Locked, but not tied up...” I nodded. “So whoever stole the horse, the woman perhaps... Would have had to obtain the key somehow. Where do you keep the key?”

“They aren’t really locked with keys,” Suzy shrugged. 

“Or the woman had an accomplice,” Jack suggested. 

“You said the stables were locked,” I looked at Suzy then back to Jack. “A definite possibility.” 

“Locked so the horses can’t get out..” she laughed. “Not from humans.” 

“So anyone could easily get in and take a horse,” I nodded. 

“Yes.” 

I thought to myself how the crime could be not a robbery as much as the attack in the City of Mines. I looked at the others and said, “Well we’ll definitely take a look around the City of Mines for this woman you’re describing.. Perhaps we’ll see her and her accomplice out together. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I’m more concerned about the attack than the robbery of the horse at this point.”

“I got no idea. The only I’ve seen was that Lady... and she wasn’t nice at all. That’s for sure,” Lil insisted. 

“Tell me, how long have you been an ‘agent’?” Jack asked. 

“Almost a month now,” I answered. “But I’ve been a detective long before that.”

“That woman had her guns drawn,” Sugar said and Lil nodded. 

“I’ve been officially with the Pinkertons since the beginning of the month but before that I was a detective in Amiville, then a lawyer in Colorado Springs, then again a detective in Nebraska. Moved here and became a Pinkerton, then a Deputy as well,” I answered him. 

“At five we will move over to the Bowman house for food and wine,” Sugar announced. 

“Really,” Jack laughed. “Under who were you a detective?” 

“She was running after us, shooting, when she was attacking Jack,” Lil explained. “I just jumped up on Coffee Bean and made a run for it. Didn’t have so much time to take out my guns... I’m sorry, Darling.” 

“Sometimes we can’t control the situation,” I told Lil, knowing all too well, and then looked over at Jack. “Amiville was a long time ago... But I worked under Sheriff Nathan and then under Sheriff Callaghan,” I sighed. 

“Only I was under the good days,” Jack laughed harder. “Under Sheriff Zakk,” he threw his old badge on the table. 

I sighed and looked at him seriously. “Sir, I left Amiville for a reason. I could tell you stories, Sir. I’m sure you’d understand my trepidation though for discussing that particular location. Moving to Georgetown was the best thing I ever did.” 

“I understand,” he laughed. “I couldn’t stand Richie.” 

“We been out in the world traveling for quite some time now,” Lil said. 

“Besides, he hates the mask,” Jack laughed. 

“Everyone hates the mask....” Lil grinned. 

“You found a good place here, Lillith. I hope ya’ll stay around. Perhaps you could join our law team, Jack,” I suggested.

“Ohh, I love it here for sure,” Lil nodded. 

“Maybe, but we travel a lot nowadays,” he said. 

“We go where we find the money, more or less,” Lil said. 

“I became a Pinkerton so that I wouldn’t have to worry about the jurisdiction, but then I saw that Sheriff Nile wanted my help so he asked me to become a Deputy as well,” I said. “It means I can focus on the attack that happened to you in the City of Mines, and I’ll consult with him about the horse robbery.”

“Depends. I like to do things my way,” Jack said. 

Downy walked in and I asked her about the blonde woman but she wasn’t familiar with the description. Suzy however said, “As a matter of fact, yes. I had someone just the other day acting very odd.”

“Oh really?” 

“Yes, I had just took Sheesh, my horse, out to pasture and to fix up his leg. He had scrapped it on something, so I was cleaning it in the pond there. Buu came over and I asked him if he liked my new horse. He said yah and that it looked very strong. And predicted it would sell for a lot.”

“Oh really?” I said again, growing curious. 

“He walked off after I said I wouldn’t sell Sheesh for anything. Mio broke out of her stall after that cuz the latch is broke and ventured out to graze with us,” Suzy explained. 

“What was that name?” Jack asked. 

“You know Buu?” I asked Jack. 

“I fix up Sheesh and take him for a walk to stretch out his leg. Buu must have came back and took mio cuz she was gone when I returned,” Suzy said. 

“Mio ain’t his horse. Last I checked he didn’t have one,” I shook my head.

“Bad temper kinda ugly looking?” Jack smirked.

“Sounds about right,” I nodded. 

“But I’m not sure if it was Buu though,” Suzy said. “Just assumed as he was acting strange.” 

“I’ve known him since Amiville,” I said. 

“Yeah, I met him once,” Jack nodded. 

“Seems rather coincidental he was there right before the horse went missing.”

“Yes,” Suzy nodded. 

“No one else was around and as you say the horses couldn’t have unlatched the door,” I said and Lil nodded in agreement. 

“Spit on my mask and said I would see him again real soon,” Jack muttered. 

“Oh really, Jack? He threatened you?”

“Back in Amiville.” 

“Didn’t see many others,” Suzy said. “Well both horse were out to pasture, so I suppose that made it even easier to steal them. But know one else was around but Buu and I that I saw.” 

“Well Trin...” Jack said. “If you are going for Buu I want in.” 

“I’ll consult with Sam,” I smiled. “I won’t do anything without his approval. Buu is a very dangerous man and it would be suicidal to go after him without a fellow lawman or two.”

“Suicidal?” Jack laughed. “I’ve been trough hell and back as a law man.” 

“Was bein slightly facetious. I’ve been against worse than Buu,” I nodded and looked at him seriously. The unspoken agreement was there between lawmen that some things were better left in the past. I looked over as Sam seemed to pay more attention and asked, “Sam what do you say? We’ll go out to the City of Mines and poke around when we get some more manpower?”

“Sounds good to me,” Jack said. 

“We will speak of this matter soon. Now let’s adjourn to the Bowman House, shall we?” Sam suggested. 

“Let’s head on,” I smiled and followed everyone across the road. 

The Bowman House was a boarding house in the middle of town with several rooms for rent. A big table had been set with all the different parts of the traditional Turkey dinner. We enjoyed the dinner and ceased talking about cases as we relaxed and celebrated together.