Tombstone.
As I walked into the hotel this morning to get a coffee before heading out, I was greeted by Peta asking right away, “Mornin’, Trin. Tell me, you ever been in a house that’s so clean that it makes ya feel uncomfortable?”
“I just don’t want to get sick because someone left out some damn cheese between the sheets,” Tye said.
“Well just check your sheets for cheese before ya go to bed! Ain’t that hard! I’m used to it!”
“Nah, clean is refreshing,” I walked over to grab a cup of coffee.
“Pfft. I can’t be responsible for it if everyone around here is crazy,” Peta said.
“Hey, I KNOW you won’t take care of both, and that’s why I’m willing to give up my old house so that I can take care of the new one, because its pretty damn well gonna be a full time job with you living there.”
“You got coffee in there, Tye?” I said to him.
“Every day, Pinky. Every day. We’re a restaurant. That serves coffee. We’re open every day. We have coffee every day. You’re a damned detective. It ain’t that hard,” He looked at me.
“Need some before I hit the road. Was going to leave yesterday but I got a bit delayed,” I nodded to Tye.
“Ya leavin’? Why?!” Peta looked at me.
“I need some days away to ... clear my head,” I told her as the conversation continued with others in the lobby.
“What happened in yer head?”
I shrugged and helped myself to some coffee and adjusted the bag around my shoulder. I didn’t want to leave but Tye was right. I needed to clear my head before I could do any productive work. Besides, it was only a few days. I saw Ansar and asked him if we could talk privately.
We walked over to the sheriff’s office and I took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize.”
“Alright, what’s this about?” he asked.
“For how I acted yesterday. I had no right to talk to you like that and I’m sorry.”
“Talk to me like what?” he gave me a confused look.
“I’ve not been myself since I heard some pretty bad news Sunday... I’m going out of town for a few days to clear my head. When I asked you why Clint hadn’t been arrested that day about a month ago... Ya’ll are workin’ hard to find him and I wasn’t respecting you as I should have. Or Kris.”
“Oh well. Don’t worry about this. Clint a hard case to catch. If it was easy it would been done already. That man escapes more time then he gets got.”
“Yeah, I know. I just... I need to clear my head so I can do this job well ’cause right now I ain’t.”
“Look, whatever ya think ya said that ya thought bothered me… Don’t stress over it. You don’t know Clint as well as we do. You done a lot more then ya think ya have.”
“I haven’t done anything but accuse people of not doin’ their jobs and hearin’ lies about maybe him bein’ dead, though I still don’t believe it. Pet came to me the other day and said Harm told her that Clint was dead. I’m not gonna believe it until I see his corpse or until I hear it from her directly and see genuine grief. And even then, all that can be faked. I wish there were some way we could know for sure if he was dead…”
“Look for his corpse,” Ansar shrugged. “That be a good use of your skills.”
“If Dominic was seen with Clint... heck who knows maybe he’s dead too.”
“Where would I start looking? Last he was seen was here, a month ago.”
“Hmm.. his friends?”
“Maybe... but they could be lying to throw me off..”
“If ya knew where he had died maybe ya can look for a grave there.”
“But where? He coulda died anywhere.”
“But then most men go in an unmarked grave.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ll wander around while I take a few days away. Thanks for this, Ansar. Always good to talk to you.”
We said goodbye and I headed out of the office.
Black Diamond.
I walked towards Black Diamond and greeted Richie. “Town’s quiet today,” he commented.
“Yeah... I decided to take a few days and clear my head... am hangin’ out around here probably for a couple days.”
“Well I didn’t even know this place was here.”
“Cute little place eh?”
“I gots me some exploring to do. Why it sure is.”
“You could join me for a drink if ya wanted.”
“Well thank ya, believe I will.”
“Could use the company…”
“Well wonder the town so quiet?”
“So what have you been keeping yourself busy with these days?”
“I’m gonna get that punk in jail for shooting me.”
“Still goin’ after him huh?”
“Yes ma’am. He’s not gonna get with it.”
“You talked to the law about it yet?”
“I really don’t know why I’m worried with what he says nobody listens to him….. just him trying to smear my good name. Oh… yes I talked to marshal and sheriff.”
“Well don’t let him get to you. Trust me, I’ve had enough people doin’ that to me in my past. You just gotta be true to who ya are.”
“Well just don’t understand how he get by with just shooting a feller.”
“Cause they’ll just let anyone in on their jury is why. When the jury is stacked with outlaws, which way do you think the verdict’s gonna go?”
“Ru did a right fine job patching me up. Yeah, I understand that. Maybe it will take a bullet in his gut to make him learn.”
“Until that gets fixed, ain’t no justice gonna be served even if we know all the facts. Richie then you’d just be incriminating yourself.”
“Yeah I know… just makes a fellar mad is all.”
“I get it, Rich. Trust me I do.”
“So how’s the job going with Pinkertons?”
“I’d love to find the man who shot and drowned my man in that fire back home last week… I ain’t gonna risk my life goin out there to try and find who it was though. Some things ya just gotta let be because the alternative is worse.”
“Oh no…” Richie placed a hand on my shoulder out of support. “I had no idea, Trin.”
“Yeah, I got the news Sunday. It’s why I’m here... I needed a few days to clear my head, as it were.”
“Well God bless ya Trin… ifin there be such a feller.”
“God and I ain’t been on the best of terms lately either.”
“Well I don’t understand him if there such a man.”
“That makes two of us,” I sighed.
We took a drink of whiskey and he looked at me, saying I could use the whiskey when I couldn’t sleep. “Back to the Pinkertons… How you liking it?” he asked.
“I’ll like it better when I can do the job well,” I shrugged. “Seems some men are harder to track than others. Though I did close my first case this weekend.”
“Well if they’re stacking jury boxes against ya.”
“Heck forget about the jury. I just want to get them to court and I can barely do that.”
“Some are smarter than others… do their bidding and go lay low.”
“Just gotta be patient. But I’m not a very patient person,” I winked.
“Yeah now, Miss Trin, you gotta be. Ifin your not it makes you one of them almost like me wanting to see that PUNK drug thru the mud.”
“Trust me, I’d love to get my hands on him too,” I said with a slight smirk.
“Oh you too crossed paths it seems?”
“Yeah,” I nodded and grimaced slightly.
“Well is it being nosey if I asked what happened?”
“Course then the next day he goes and impersonates a marshal and gets himself shot… Really would love to stop being attracted to men who then get shot up the next day. Seems to be a pattern of mine.”
“Just how many names has that man got?”
“I know him as Poe.”
“You and Punk he was your feller?”
“No, nothing serious at all,” I shook my head. “We just…” I sighed. “Doesn’t really mean anything more obviously. He ain’t come back to find me since.”
“Miss Trin, I know it ain’t my business… but people will judge you by the company you keep.”
“That was before I knew who he was. When I met him he was just a bounty hunter.”
“And I know you ain’t that kinda people. Well I hope it ain’t him you been losing sleep over.”
“No... I’ve been losin’ sleep over the man I loved who was killed in that fire. Hadn’t heard from him in years… Thought he was off doctorin’ or somethin’… Or that he was done with me…”
“Well Miss Trin, you just don’t worry. You’re a pure sweetheart. You find love whenever you want it.”
“Didn’t expect... this.”
“What part, Miss Trin? It’s Tombstone. So horrible in ways it shouldn’t stand, but it draws you in so… Something over this town, I do believe.”
“I don’t understand,” I looked over at him.
“Well in this town Miss Trin it seems you better not let anything surprise you.”
“That’s true,” I nodded.
“Everything bout this town screams run away and never come back, but once you been here a day or two it gets hold of you and you cant leave.”
“That’s for sure. It draws you in and you can’t escape it. I don’t want to be gone for a couple of days but I really do need to stay here in Black Diamond and rest,” I nodded.
“Getting off that stage is everybody here’s first mistake.”
Is it okay with you if I head back to the hotel in Bisbee and get some sleep?”
“Sure thang, Miss Trin.”
I stood and put the whiskey flask back in my bag. “Thanks for the company, Richie.”
“Whenever you want a ear to bend u just give me a yell.”
“I will do that for sure,” I nodded.
We said goodbye and I walked through Bisbee, exploring a bit. I hesitated in front of the church and hesitantly walked inside. I sat down in the front pew and let the silence wash over me, trying to breathe in some sort of peace.
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