May 15, 1899

Tombstone. 

I walked over to the hotel and greeted the crowd there. A barrel stood in the middle of the crowd and then it moved. I saw two feet underneath and wondered who on earth would hide in a barrel. 

Tye took hold of his guns and said, “You best come out of my hotel or that barrel’s gonna have a few extra holes.”

I followed them in and Peta tackled the barrel, trying to knock it over. “Peta hold it down I’ll try to sit on it.”

Peta grabbed at the barrel and I tried to hop on it. “Hey! Barrel! Spy! We’re onto you!” she called. 

“You gonna tell us who ya are?” I asked. 

Tye unclipped his holsters and held his grips. “Last warning. Come out of the barrel and get out of my hotel with the dirty thing or you’ll need to find a new barrel.”

I jumped off the barrel, not wanting to get shot ‘cause I knew Tye would do it. Peta tried to pull the barrel off and said, “Come out!” 

Tye stepped closer to the barrel and drew his guns. “Stand. Now.” 

“Come on barrel,” Peta persisted. 

“Must be a full moon tonight...” I shook my head. 

“Barrel, Tye’s a real good shot. You don’t wanna die like this, do ya? In a barrel?” Peta asked. 

“And he ain’t kidding. He’ll shoot,” I said. “I wonder how this would look in court.... Barrel under arrest for trying to attack hotel... Is a headline in the making, I’m tellin’ ya.”

Tye set his guns away and pulled on the barrel. “Get out.” 

“It’s going upstairs!” I cried as the barrel ran upstairs. I walked behind Tye with my gun drawn in case he needed backup and asked, “Can we shoot the ground as a warning shot?”

“Hell... can you hit the broad side of a barn? Should I get out of the way?” Peta asked. 

“Not much of a warning shot if you say its a warning shot before firing, Pinky,” Tye grunted. 

“Tye,” a voice from inside the barrel came. 

“It speaks!” I holstered my weapon. 

“What, barrel?” Tye asked. 

“Come outta there, Barrel Person!” Peta asked. 

“Why bring your guns out?” the voice asked. I tried to figure out if I recognized the voice but I didn’t. 

“You stuck? Say something rather than waddlin’ around like a fool. Ain’t no telling what you’re tracking through my hotel,” Tye said. 

“Cause you’re a barrel!” Peta answered. “You could be an outlaw here ta steal the donuts! We can’t have that.” 

“Because you’re trespassing. Get out,” Tye grumbled and pointed his guns at the barrel. 

“I am tightly packed in here,” the voice said. 

“Then tightly pack your behind outside of my hotel in that dirty barrel!” Tye ordered. 

“Ya need us ta pry you out?” Peta asked. 

“Maybe she ain’t in there voluntarily and came to get help,” I looked at Tye. “Would have thought she could have asked though... She obviously knows your voice, Tye.”

“Me, trespassing?” the voice asked. 

“I’ll get her out involuntarily alright,” Tye said. 

“I s’pose I could saw her out. If she screams we’ll know we’re sawin’ skin,” Peta said and I chuckled at that. 

“Who ARE you? I’ve already warned you. Get out with that dirty barrel and then identify what you’re doing in the thing anyway,” Tye said. 

“Or we could roll her on her side, and one person grabs her feet, and the other grabs the barrel, and we pull,” Peta suggested. 

“Just push the barrel over,” Victoria called from where she was watching. 

“I tried!” Peta told her. 

“Has anyone asked why Apache in barrel?” Dancing Cloud asked. 

“How do you know it’s Apache in the barrel?” I looked at her. 

“It sound like Waterfall. She Apache,” she said. 

“Good morning everyone!” Abby said as she walked into the hotel. 

“Dago Te, Dancing Cloud,” Waterfall replied then, confirming the suspicion. 

“Dammit Waterfall, get that barrel out of my hotel!” Tye called. 

“Shhh,” Waterfall said then. 

“Why the hell are you waddling around my hotel, much less in a damn barrel?” Tye holstered his gun finally. 

“Who put you in the barrel?” I asked. 

“Ask questions when she’s in the street. She’s ruining my rug dragging that thing around,” Tye told me. 

“Can I borrow a broom?” Waterfall asked. 

“Out!” Tye cried. 

“Err... Ya naked in there, Waterfall?” Peta asked. 

“Obviously she ain’t in there voluntarily,” I looked at Tye and then watched the her run upstairs 

again. 

“I’ll carry her out my self,” Tye grunted. 

“Tye! Let her get out in a room if she wants,” Peta insisted. “There’s a private room over here, Waterfall.” 

“Waterfall, you want me and Petaline to take you to a room and get you out?” I asked then. 

“Take her to the street and get her out,” Tye ordered. “Look at the scratches she’s leaving on my floor!”

“No, we’re gonna take her to the private room,” Peta argued. 

“No, take her out,” he shook his head. 

“Let it be. Who knows what put this poor woman in there,” I looked at him. 

“Waterfall, are you naked in there? Is that why ya want a room?” Peta asked. 

“Fine. You two pay for the damages. Coming out of your work donuts, Peta. You handle the damn barrel,” Tye grunted and I rolled my eyes, but was satisfied that we had won the argument. 

“He’s been in such a mood today!” Peta shook her head. “Come with me waterfall. Err... follow my voice.” 

“I care more about Waterfall at this point,” I shrugged and followed them into the room, closing the door behind us. 

“Alright, can we pull this thing offa ya now?” Peta asked. 

“You can talk to us, Waterfall. Just girls here now.” 

“Yes Peta.” 

We worked together to pull the barrel off her and Waterfall stood as Peta rolled the barrel outside and dumped it off the balcony. “Well! You’re dressed! What was that all about?” she asked. “Why the hell was you in that barrel?” 

“You alright, Waterfall?” I asked. 

“I will be soon,” she said and I looked at Peta with concern. 

“Talk to us... It’s okay. You’re safe now,” I insisted. 

“Did that Spirit Woman lady lock ya in there?” Peta asked. 

“Do you need Peta to look you over? She’s a doctor...” I suggested. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout Tye, he’s just got some PMS I think. Also he ain’t been laid in DAYS,” Peta grumbled and I chuckled. 

“I am going through a bad time. I wanted to hide,” Waterfall said. 

“Why did you want to hide?” I asked, relieved that she was at least in the barrel voluntarily. 

“It easy, I know she my kind.” 

“What did she do? Why ya all upset?” Peta asked. 

“It’s okay, you can talk to us,” I insisted. 

“I am trying to marry and not fully sure how to do it.” 

“Was it that fella you’re marryin’?” Peta asked. “Ohh... they won’t tell ya? The Apache? That don’t seem right.” 

“The chief’s wife don’t want you to get married?” I asked. 

“I not say that just she is busy with other things to help me,” Waterfall said. 

“This is why I like livin’ in sin. Well, ask someone else ta help you. There anyone else in the tribe who’s married?” Peta asked. 

“And that was enough for you to want to hide in a barrel?” I narrowed my eyebrows skeptically. 

“Maybe I should of come into town in your kind of dress.” 

“If ya wanna marry in town, you can do that. Or you can have an apache weddin’. It’s up to you,” Peta said. 

“I’m sure you could talk to Pet Karu about it, right Petaline?” I looked at her for clarification. 

“Oh yeah, Pet’s real nice, and she’ll help ya set it up. May even help ya talk to Aleaya ‘bout it.” 

“You seem to know Dancing Cloud well enough too… Lots of people to talk to other than the chief’s wife.” 

“She may know somethin’ about Apache wedding, even. I think her daughter got some injun blood.” 

“Pet has I know that," Waterfall said. 

“Just no more hidin’ in barrels, alright? That could get ya hurt," I told her. 

"Yep. And Pet may be around soon. She often is. I’ll tell her that you was havin’ questions," Peta nodded. 

“I get hurt in town dressed like this,” Waterfall told us and I sighed, knowing that was probably true, but I stayed quiet and listened to them talk. 

“Dressed as an Apache? Someone tried ta hurt you?”

“More by words, Peta.” 

“Hmm. Well you gotta use words back. Tell ‘em they smell like horses with diarrhea. Or they got faces like a caved in pumpkin. Or they look like a monkey’s butt if the monkey had been sittin’ on a waffle iron.” 

“We were just worried someone put ya in that barrel... We didn’t know what was goin’ on,” I said. 

Waterfall hugged Peta and she grinned. “See! That ain’t hard.” 

“Well I guess we can all head back downstairs then?” I smiled. “I didn’t get my coffee yet.” 

“Before Tye shoots me,” Waterfall said. 

“Don’t you worry about Tye. And Peta, I’ll pay for cleaning if ya don’t have enough,” I shrugged. “On top of what I already owe him…” I sighed. 

“Tye won’t shoot ya. Like I said, he’s got some male thing goin’ on. Don’t understand it. Real grouchy today," Peta said. “Naw, I owe him money too. For eatin’ work donuts. Let’s go downstairs. We’ll see if we can get him ta calm down,” she looked at us. 

We walked downstairs and I made myself a coffee as Peta talked with Tye. He insisted she could pay for the repairs on the rug and I took my coffee outside as Peta and Tye bantered. Peta tried to gain his attention and when Dancing Cloud asked where the barrel was and I guessed it was still in the street somewhere. Tye and Peta started to walk towards Pearce and I talked to Victoria about the incident with Waterfall and how grumpy Tye was. Abby and Victoria worked on fixing up the rug and I brought my cup back to the sink in the kitchen to clean it. 

I headed back out to the street and talked with a little girl named Angel as we played with the dog, whose name was Pawsie. Angel told me her uncle was Josh and that Bria was her cousin. She said her father was killed on a trip out there from Iowa and I told her my father was killed too and that my ma lived far away. Angel said that Josh was engaged to Paige and she was excited about having a family again. 

I headed to my office and then went to the shooting range where I practiced shooting. I went to the office to work on the master citizen list. 

*** 

A few hours later I walked over to the sheriff’s office and met a man named Andrew who was talking with Skyla. Andrew used to be in law and we talked about how quiet things were. I sat down and pulled out my notebook to get some more work done and then told Tye happy birthday, though he seemed less enthused about it. 

I heard a lot of shouting an hour later in front of the office and wandered over to find out what was going on. “Lot of hootin and shoutin’ goin’ on out here. I miss somethin’?" I asked. 

“A man died,” Skyla shrugged. 

“Naw, jest one of them German blowhards heading to Boot Hill,” Ru shrugged. 

“Well so long as ya’ll took care of it,” I shrugged. 

"Oh we took ‘care’ of it,” Ru nodded. 

“We always do,” Sky nodded. “Well Tye shot him and Ru, well she took the bullet out and put it back in and then took it out again. Funny sight to watch.” 

“Well done,” I smiled. 

“Well I had to make sure I had the right bullet,” Ru said. “He coulda had an old one in there.” 

“Um Ru, that’s ya story and ya sticking to it.” 

“And it fit so I figure chances of him getting shot twice with the same bullet is low.” 

"Never a dull moment,” I chuckled. 

Ru mentioned a piano player over in Bisbee and I told them about how I played piano as well. Ru suggested I should talk to her later about playing piano there at the saloon. I walked over to my usual spot and sat down with my notebook to take more notes as Sky told Tye happy birthday and he continued to grumble. 

Suddenly a man shouted out, “Cid is here to shoot Ceser in the back, for shooting me catching him on a bank robbery... If I were you Ceser, start counting your #$% days!” 

“Who the heck is Cesar?” I asked, looking at Tye. 

“Cid!” Sky shouted out to him. 

“As long as your name isn’t Cesar, you have nothing to worry about. I will not respond at all!” Cid shouted back. 

“Cid you best respond to me and get ya arse over here front and centre!" Skyla shouted to him and I chuckled. 

“What if I go by Cesar on the weekends?” Tye shouted back. 

“Cid, don’t make me hunt you down get ya arse over here now!” Sky shouted. 

“Like I already said.. your name not Cesar, you have nothing to worry about.. I ain’t not gonna get threatened by any law. I am on a town line, outside jurisdiction,” Cid shouted. 

“Who said I was law?” Tye laughed. 

“That's it, Cid. I don't care where ya at. I’m coming!” Sky shouted and wandered off, but I stayed seated in case they needed help. 

Richie came over and we talked about how I was a Pinkerton agent and was looking for people, but I didn’t mention who. 

I headed back towards the office and blinked when I saw a man in the street. He looked famliar, but I couldn’t place him.

“Howdy ma’am. Long time no see.”

“Hi there,” I said with some surprise. 

“Have ya seen my brother lately? I haven't seen Duke in months.” 

“Have we met?" I asked, trying to remember him. 

“It’s Mac, Duke's brother.” 

“Goodness I haven’t heard of ya’ll in ages!” I exclaimed. 

“Yeah, he hasn’t been the same since he lost bein' a sheriff.” 

“Well a lot's changed,” I nodded. 

“That it has.” 

“You around these parts now or just wanderin’ through lookin for your brother?” 

“I am held up in Broken Arrow,” he said. We continued to catch up and then said goodbye as I headed back to the office.