December 9, 1869

Georgetown. 

I was working in the newspaper office when I saw Icca through the window. He banged on the wall and I rolled my eyes, calling out, “You know there’s this thing called a door!” He banged some more and I sighed, going outside. “Most people would knock on the door,” I told him. 

“I’m not most people,” he smiled and I nodded, seeing that response coming. 

“What can I do for you, Icca?”

“I just came to say you look very nice today. That’s all.” 

“That’s it?” I looked at him suspiciously. 

“Yep.” 

“Well... thank you,” I stammered, not sure what else to say. 

“See ya!” he said and walked away. 

I walked back into the office after watching him go and shook my head, confused. I saw Emily through the window then and went out to greet her. “Come on in from the cold. How are you today, Emily?” I asked, noticing the buttoned shirt under her jacket. 

Emily blinked and did a double take, stamping her feet on the floor. Her shoes were completely inadequate to the task of keeping the cold away from her feet. 

“It’s okay, you can trust me,” I told her. She blinked and cocked her had, scratching her head through her hat. “I’m a friend, sweetie. I just want to find out how I can help you best. Can you understand me?”

She nodded and then we heard shooting down the street. All of a sudden we saw flames crackling from the newspaper office. I took Emily by the hand and we ran out. We shrieked seeing the fire and I called out, “Fire at the newspaper office! Someone help!” 

Sam ran over to see what the commotion was and I called, “Sam! It was.. and we were ... and...” The fire seemed to die down as quickly as it started and I blinked in surprise. 

“What fire?” Icca asked, walking over. 

“Icca... I...” I looked over. 

“Whats happening?” Sam looked around. 

“The corner of the office... There was fire... And now it’s...” I looked at Emily for confirmation and she nodded at me. “We were inside talking and it..” I eyed Icca suspiciously as he held a pail of water. 

“What fire?” he asked. “You feelin’ okay, Trin?” 

I held Emily’s hand and said, “Sam, I’m not crazy... Emily saw it too... Right Emily?” Emily nodded, her eyes wide in agreement. 

“Mornin’ Sam,” Icca looked at him, like I was crazy. 

“I am not saying you are crazy, I am just saying that if there was a fire there seems to be no evidence of it now. No burn marks or anything,” Sam rubbed his chin and relit his cigar. He turned to Icca and nodded. “Mornin Ic.” 

“Sam... Icca came to bang on my window, I came outside and he said I looked lovely... Then he went outside. Emily came in and I started talking to her and then we saw the fire in the corner of the building and ran out,” I said and Emily looked between the men, nodding insistently. 

“Maybe you should lay down, Trin,” Icca suggested. “Workin’ too hard.” 

Sam walked over to the building and looked around to inspect it. “Sam it...” I stood frozen, confused. “That’s where it was,” I said as Emily walked right up to the building and pointed at it. Sam continued to examine the building as Emily stared at Icca, lips pursed. 

“I swear to God Icca if you had anything to do with this... Putting a child at risk...” I glared at him. 

“I’m here with a pail of water... Ready to put out a non-existing fire. Wolf! Wolf! I just came by and told you how nice you looked today.” 

Sam wandered around and then shook his head and looked back at me while Emily continued to glare at Icca. 

“You may wanna lay down, Trin,” Icca suggested again. 

“The only time I’m gonna lay down is when you’re behind bars for disturbing the peace and threatening the life of a child,” I glared at him. 

“All work and no play makes Trin a dull girl,” Icca shot back. 

“Well there could have been a fire. Two out of three people seeing something can’t make it nothing.. but there is no damage and strangely we have no way to know what caused it or why it went out so fast,” Sam gave me a stern eye. 

“It was there, Sam. I swear to you,” I insisted and folded my arm across my chest. 

“I’m going back inside,” Icca said, pouring iced water on the ground from the bucket. 

“No matter what we must follow the fact agent,” Sam said. “Right now these are the facts. You and Emily saw a fire. I do detect a slight hint of smoke that is enough for me to believe there was something. The fact that Ic saw nothing could suggest he was turned away during the time of it.”

“If ya have another fire, don’t hesitate to yell, Trin,” Icca said. 

“There, a hint of smoke. I’m not crazy,” I glared at him. 

“See ya Sam, Emily... And you still look nice today, Trin.” 

I watched Icca walk off and kicked the side of the news building in anger. 

“I would keep a close eye on things. With JJ running around we cant be too careful,” Sam said and I nodded. Downy walked over and I tried to calm my anger. 

“Guess I’ll just go back in and work on the article about JJ since everyone seems to think I’m crazy... again,” I sighed and remembered the incident in the courthouse in Amiville over Dutch’s ghost and shook my head at history repeating itself. 

Sam took me by the arm and I stopped. “I didn’t say you were crazy, but we have to follow the facts. I told ya I believe there was a fire, but we don’t know how or why.” He let me go and I nodded without a word. He shook his head and said, “You two be careful.” 

I walked over to my office and slammed the door hard, knowing in my heart it had to have been Icca but I didn’t say anything and sat at the desk. Nile walked into the office. “Sheriff,” I greeted him. 

“Anything new? I got your report the other day,” Nile said. 

I nodded. “Anything new... let’s see... I was just about killed.”

“Oh? By that Vlad fella?”

I shook my head and explained, “Emily and I were talking in the office here when a fire started in the corner of the building. We ran outside and Sam ran over when I shouted for help. The fire went out before he got here.”

“Ah I see, must of not liked your wood.” 

“He saw the faintest hint of smoke but he believed me at least.” 

“Ah okay, well you making enemies already?”

“You don’t believe me?” I looked at him. “Emily out there saw the whole thing too.”

“Ah alright let me ask her,” Nile said and opened the door, seeing Emily standing outside still. 

“Howdy Miss Emily, did you see the fire Miss Trin is talking bout?” he asked her and she looked up at him, nodding slowly. “Did ya see anyone light it?” he asked and she stomped her foot on the ground, shaking her head and looking down at her feet. “Something wrong with your feet?” She looked up sharply, then slowly shook her head. “They cold?” he asked and she nodded. “They cold?” he asked and she nodded. “You need to warm them up? Or a new pair of boots?” he asked and she blinked. “Yeah definitely a new pair of boots, those shoes ain’t no good for winter. Maybe ya should go back inside with Trin and i’ll run down to the general store and see if they got any boots in your size. What size ya wear?” She looked in the window, and then suddenly dashed off. Nile looked at me with the window open and said, “You are letting all the warm air out.” 

“Just wanted to be able to hear.”

“Well she said there was a fire and some cold feet,” he said and I slammed the window angrily, not in the mood to be questioned about such trivial things. “But did ya notice the color of the dress under her jacket was blue? Similar color to the button.” 

With the window closed, I couldn’t hear him anymore, and waved him inside. He walked into the office and I asked, “What were you saying, Sheriff?”

“I was trying to tell ya somethin’ important you pain in the rear. Slamming the window on me.” 

“Sorry, I was just about killed and Emily’s life was in danger. Forgive me for not being in a good mood.”

“Bout Miss Emily there. But did ya notice the color of the dress under her jacket was blue? Similar color to the button we got”

“Oh?” I asked, glad for a change of subject. 

“Killed from a small fire, you must not be used to town then, fires happen all the time. We got lanterns and wood, it’s bound to happen,” Nile said. “And yeah I noticed that before she ran off the blue dress she was wearing, looked pretty fancy. So I’m not sure where she always runs off to, maybe I should follow her one day.” 

“So ya have anything else for me?”

“I guess not,” I shrugged. 

“Ah alright.” 

“Just writing a column about what happened yesterday.”

“I got one more question for ya, who broke the flag off my mailbox?”

“The ... flag?”

“Yeah, the one that lets the post office know if they got any mail to pick up there. Well the pony express man. I walked out of my office and the flag was broken off and gone.” 

“Can I come see?” I looked at him, surprised.

“Sure.” 

I followed him out to the sheriff’s office and examined the mailbox as he said, “See, there was a little red flag on the right side of it. It’s gone now.” 

“Strange...” 

“Yeah. Only thing near it were some horse prints.” 

“There’s some foot and hoof prints around the mailbox...”

“Well the foot prints may be mine. I walked round it. The hoof prints were here first.” 

“So what are you thinking, Sheriff?” I asked, pondering the hoof prints. 

“Not sure, could of been just a hungry horse, I think if anyone wanted to mess with me, they would of ruined my nice Christmas decorations.” 

“The flag on the mailbox seems kind of minor,” I nodded. “If someone wanted to mess with you they’d set something on fire or something,” I winked at him. 

“Yeah probably. Well I’ll let it be for now, flag isn’t important.” 

We talked for a bit longer and then headed into town. 

***

This afternoon I walked into the saloon where there was a big crowd of people hanging out and talking. I chatted with people there for a while and Joey stormed out of the saloon. TJ fainted and then Mimi took care of her. Vic Hollow continued to play music on the record player as we kept talking. 

“Hey there Trin,” Icca greeted me. “Whatcha doin’?” 

“Was just wanderin’,” I glared at him, still suspicious of him setting the fire this morning. 

“How about some tea?” 

“Tea?” I blinked.

“Tea,” he nodded. 

“With you?” 

“It’s old out.” 

“Well that fire you set made me feel warm enough,” I glared at him as the others continued to take care of Twist. 

“Why not? I make a dang good mushroom tea. Ya mean the fire that wasn’t there?” He held back a smile and thanked. “So how about some mushroom tea?” he asked and I just glared at him. “Why are you in such a good mood, Trin?” 

I shook my head and turned around before heading home. I walked into the house and relaxed by the fire, then headed to Wyoming. 

Wyoming. 

I walked into the Cherokee village and petted Manipi and his female puppy friend as they played with each other. Howling Bear and Whispering Wind joined eventually and they told me everything was peaceful at the village. Dances with Fire joined us and we talked with the rest of the tribe that was in the village. Calle, a little child, was frightened because she had been mistreated. She’d come to the village for safety from it. I told them about becoming a Pinkerton Agent and then headed home after talking with Dances with Fire about the dogs together. 

Georgetown. 

I walked into the house and saw Eagle in the kitchen. “Hey there, Honey.” 

“Hello there dear,” he hugged me tightly. 

“How are you doing this evening?” I asked, pulling him close. 

“Very tired. I’ve been out trying to hunt and gather, but with little luck.” 

“Would you like to journey to Wyoming? I’m sure the tribe there will help us find things? Or we could rest on the couch a while and talk first?” I looked at his tired eyes. 

“I’d love to do that.” 

We sat on the couch and I leaned into his arms, rubbing his arm comfortingly. “You’ve had a long day, my dear...”

“Yes, it has been very long. I just want to rest right now with you in my arms.” 

“I have had a long day also...”

“Please, tell me about it.” 

“Well... It started with Icca pounding on my window at the newspaper office and telling me that I looked nice today,” I told him. “That’s all he wanted to tell me... Then he went out into the streets and this girl, Emily, came into my office... She’s the one who has the mysterious button.”

“Well, you do look nice....”

“Not the point dear,” I chuckled and stroked his cheek. “So Emily and I are just starting to talk... Well, me talking but she was communicating by looks and movements.. I was just about to get something out of the girl when we saw flames in the corner of the building.” I shook my head angrily. “We ran outside and Icca was there... with a pail of water... I shouted fire and Sam came running, my boss. By the time Sam got there the fire had disappeared. But Emily and I knew what we saw.” 

“What building was on fire?”

“My newspaper office. It was not random, I assure you. Sam went to smell the corner in question and he smelt the faintest hint of smoke... So he believes me that there was a fire at least, we just don’t know by whom or why. Though I’m pretty damn sure...” I sighed and looked at him. “Sorry.” 

“Do not be sorry. We all get frustrated at times.” 

“Icca was just so smug on the streets... And then tonight he even had the nerve to ask me for tea... I just kept walking. This evening...” I continued. “I went to the saloon and Vic was playing his music... Twist fell down but Mimi, the doctor, was there to help her. It was all just so much in one day I went to Wyoming to visit the tribe there... They were glad to see me. It had been a while.”

“Twist does seem like a character.” 

“I informed them that I was now a Pinkerton and that I could help them officially if they ask for my help... I would just have to get the case approved by my boss. They seemed very happy for me, as this is the position I’ve wanted for a long time. To actually have the authority to do something productive...”

“It is nice to know that you are able to help someone.”

“Hopefully they will take me up on it...” I sighed and nuzzled closer against him. “I have missed you, my dear...”

“I have missed you as well, even though I may seem only half here at times,” he snuggled closer. 

“You have much on your mind...” I nodded. 

“I do wish we could spend more time together..” he rubbed my face. “What would you like to do?”

I held him close, enjoying the relaxing moments of silence between us. “We should get some sleep, honey...”

“I think so too.” 

I stood and held out my hand but he pulled me back on the couch with him. “Okay, we’re sleeping on the couch tonight...” I chuckled and leaned my head on his chest, closing my eyes. “I could get used to this..” 

“I am too tired to move and it feels too good having you right here.” 

“The fireplace, the candle... falling asleep in your arms...” I smiled as he kissed me and I fell asleep in his arms.