Tombstone.
The sun creeped into my hotel room as I yawned and tried to wake up. I wandered into town feeling the warmth from the sunrise and headed over to the hotel area which seemed to be where people congregated in the morning. There was a woman sitting on the bench and I asked if I could join her. She nodded and I found out that her name was Muriel.
“Hi Trin!” a familiar voice exclaimed and I turned to see Alva, a deputy from Colorado that I’d known so many years ago. “How ya been? Find a new home?”
“Alva!” I exclaimed. “Yeah, I’m staying at the hotel in Bisbee actually. Think I might just take up residence there as it’s so lovely. Good to see you again!”
Tye and Peta walked over then and I sighed, still frustrated with how he acted last night at the trading post.
“Likewise,” Alva nodded. “Well one thing is for sure, and that is Tombstone really is too tough to die.”
“Bisbee’s a nice town,” Peta agreed. “Too bad nobody goes there.”
Tye came out wiping his hands in a rag and said, “Morning again Muriel and Trin. Ain’t seen you since yesterday mornin’.”
“Those savages didn’t hurt Petaline did they?” Muriel asked and I wondered what she was talking about.
“Nah they were fine,” Peta said. “They just changed Tye too much for some sage.”
“Which savages are we talkin’ about this time?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Those savages just wanted to trade today. Got a good deal on some apples, actually,” Tye shook his head.
Muriel asked Tye if he could look at a stair job and I avoided eye contact with him as I listened to the conversation around me. He said that he was hoping to take Sirus with him for the job as well and Peta said she’d stay here and protect the donuts.
“So you workin’ around here now?” I looked over to Alva.
“Uhh workin’?” Alva asked with confusion.
“Naw, she’s more the ‘robbin’ sorta gal,” Peta said then and I raised an eyebrow at Alva, amazed she’d changed so much.
“Back to my roots,” Alva smiled to me.
The conversation continued and I chuckled at the group’s humor but I was still avoiding eye contact with Tye. I couldn’t believe he’d risked his life and mine last night at the trading post and wasn’t quite sure what to think of him now.
“Trin, you get a chance to talk to the Sheriff yet?” Tye glanced over at me then.
I looked at him with a frustrated expression and simply nodded, “Yeah I talked to her,” I said with some bite in my voice. Tye just grunted in response.
“You got lots of scars Tye,” Muriel said s they continued to joke. “From all those arrows!”
I muttered that he almost had more last night and sighed, knowing that we’ll have to have it out sooner or later.
“I’m up early every mornin’, get all the bakin’ done for the restaurant, come out and check the area, work all day, only eat what I have to, handle my business at home, then chase after my kids at night. Took five of them to the cave in Benson last night. I do well enough,” Tye attempted to explain to Muriel.
“Well! I wake up... and heal people! And my house is at the top of that hill!” Peta exclaimed.
They continued to talk about having children and how Tye already had about five running around from a previous marriage. I stayed quiet, not really sure how to contribute to the conversation as I was still new to the town.
“Tye throws caution to the wind,” Muriel said then and I coughed at that, knowing it was too true.
“Really? Not Tye,” Peta shook her head. “He’s Mr. Safety Mc-Follows-the-rules. I’m surprised he don’t make his kids wear safety helmets when they ride horses.”
I looked over at Peta with wide eyes and finally said, “Mr ‘here you want some jerky’ to some natives holding up a guy? Not sure what the rules are in these parts but...”
Tye grumbled and stared me down then. “Look here, lass. You got somethin’ to say, spit it out. Don’t sit there wrigglin’ in your chair like you got a damn thorn from the wood. The hell’s gotten into you?”
“You think you can just waltz into any situation and make it better huh?” I glared back.
“What situation are you even referrin’ to? You know how many ‘situations’ I resolve every damn day?”
“At the trading post. You just waltzed out there and offered them jerky without even thinking about your own safety or mine... You didn’t even care about the damn message they left the guy with his hands up.”
“Don’t be some damn naive, pinky. I was real sure about your safety when I told you to stay the hell down. I realize you’re new around here, but those natives - they know me. They know me real well. Several trips to their own healers well. I capitalized on that and saved the man AND nobody got shot. The hell else you want me to do?” I sighed, thinking he was finished, but he was far from it. “You think standin’ there and askin’ them to be nice is gonna work? They ain’t some nervous kid wavin’ a gun around. They’re murderers and torturers, myself included. You want to walk out there next time and try to be ‘diplomatic’, I’ll stand back and watch.”
I folded my arms across my chest and kicked a stone on the porch. “A little communication would have been nice. Or maybe even giving me a chance to prove myself. I woulda been fine doing the same thing you did for different reasons.”
“Prove yourself?” Tye got louder. “Prove yourself?! Is that what this is about?”
“Jimmi was the one who told me to go out there in the first place, Tye. He wanted me to be an observer, to hear something. Ya’ll didn’t even care about why the situation was there, you just cared about getting it freaking resolved.”
“Yer blood pressure, sweetie,” Peta patted Tye’s hand.
“If you would have asked the guy the right question, you woulda been able to avoid...” I stopped when I saw the Apache woman walking over.
“You’re the detective, pinky. Not me. Once I made sure his life wasn’t in danger, I left. That’s how I work. Someone robs the bank? I don’t give a damn. Someone tries to kidnap a citizen? They’re gettin’ my boot in their ass. Do you understand that? You want to know about some message, feel free. But I did what was necessary and saved that man’s life with no injuries to anybody, and only weapon I used was some jerky.”
“Yeah, I get that but I also get that there’s a bigger picture here and you don’t seem to give a care about it.”
“Tye cares about lotsa things!” Peta put in.
“She thinks I don’t know about the bigger picture,” Tye huffed and looked at Peta.
“He’s always goin’ out of his way to take care of people! Even if it makes that vein in his head bulge and he turns purple and his hair turns gray,” Peta said. “There’s a big picture? What’s the big picture?”
“Look,” I stared directly at him. “I get that this is your town and you care about these people. You wouldn’t be doin’ what you do if you didn’t. Would just be nice if ya respected those of us trying to help solve the bigger problems that are behind the small ones.”
“This is the problem with pinks. They think because they got some little piece of paper callin’ them a detective they always gonna find some secret behind every door. It ain’t my job anymore. And you wanna go find some mystery out of some fella gettin’ held up out in the canyon, be my guest. But I ain’t gonna stand around and wait for you to dig information out of a man that’s scared and near messed his pants,” Tye went on.
“Oh, is she a Pinkerton?” Peta asked then.
“I left you to do what you’re supposed to be good at. I did what I’m good at. What more could have actually happened?” Tye asked.
I sighed and said, “You’re right, it coulda ended a lot worse. We each have our jobs to do but...” I shook my head, thinking that I was going to have a hard time convincing them that the Pinkerton reputation isn’t as soiled as they think. “Look, we just want truth. We don’t want to solve things with violence if we can avoid it.”
“If you’d notice, ‘detective’, I solved the problem with jerky and some quick thinkin’. You should be asking me for pointers, since I DID solve it without weapons and you don’t even carry any.”
“Just saying that it sounded like the situation was resolving itself out. They seemed like they were ready to leave after they gave him the message. If we’d waited a couple seconds longer they would have been gone.”
“There’s the big picture that you are missing, because you ain’t been here but a few days,” Tye argued.
“I know damn well what the big picture is. The judge has already assigned it to me as my first case, thank you very much,” I said proudly.
“You leave them to their own accord, and they think they can get away with it. I reminded them that even though I don’t wear a Marshal’s badge anymore, I am still here, and I will still not stand for them harassing the citizens of this town.”
“How do you know he was being harassed?” I pointed out to him. “Were they holding out bow and arrows directed at him?”
“Your first case, eh? Maybe sometime I’ll show you my old files with over 100 cases from last year alone. Don’t come cryin’ to me when you need help if this is how you think you should behave after getting free help,” he said angrily.
I sighed and looked at him, knowing I’d been defeated. “Look, I’m sorry. I just care so much about finding the truth and I wish others would respect that. I’m grateful it didn’t go worse than it did I just think if we’d waited a bit longer everything would have been fine.”
“It don’t matter what they were actually doing. Harassment or trading. That’s why I approached with jerky and jerky alone.”
“You want to see poor handling of a bad situation? Get Kristoff to help you with the Apache. He woulda shot all three and then told them they were under arrest.”
“Yep, he pretty much woulda,” Peta agreed.
I started to understand his side a bit more and wished I hadn’t gotten so upset about it. “Tye, I’m sorry. You’re right, okay? You win.”
“I stepped in there and determined the situation right up front. And this ain’t a win or lose situation, Trin. We’re on the same damn side. You want to figure out the truth - ask your questions then come and talk to me. I knew good and well if I had stayed there, that fella woulda remained dumbfounded at me for my behavior. You took over the official bit and sounds like you did a fine job at that.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I just got so caught up in watching you walk out there so casually I couldn’t understand it after you’d been so forceful of me not going out there,” I nodded in agreement.
“I don’t know you, Trin. I don’t make habit of lettin’ the rookie take point. 23 years as a marine taught me that. Give it time, and I’ll be fair.”
“I understand that,” I nodded. “You don’t know where I’ve been or what I’ve done. We’ll give each other time to get to know each other and maybe next situation that comes up we’ll work better together. It’s just that you gotta understand, it’s been a long time since I was in a town where there were actually lawmen who gave a damn.”
“And I told you yesterday, Trin, that I ain’t ever met a pinky that were worth a damn at all.”
“I get that too. We just gotta give each other a chance to change our minds about one another. I’m sorry I got too worked up.”
“Trin... ya think too much,” Alva said and I chuckled, knowing she knew all too well.
“It’s my job to think to much,” I winked at her.
“And I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance. I ain’t known for sittin’ around and thinkin’ about how to handle situations when they’re happening. I get in there and do whatever I need to do to protect the victim,” Tye apologized.
“Guess I just wanted to make sure he was actually a victim.”
“Good thing I didn’t come out with weapons drawn then.”
I nodded, agreeing that that would have made it a lot worse. Tye explained to Alva that he’d been a Marine for 23 years and then a US Marshal up until about a month ago. He said that he still assisted the law and I felt stupid for making such a big deal out of things. “Tye, we okay?” I asked him hesitantly.
“We never weren’t okay, Trin,” he nodded to me with a grunt and I sighed with relief.
The conversation continued and then it was just me and the Native left there as everyone went off to do their business. I walked over to the sheriff’s office and went to talk to Ansar. “Why were ya shooting ya guns?” he was calling out.
“Don’t know who it was,” Alva shouted back.
“Alva just said she was gonna come see if the bank windows were bullet proof,” I said to him.
He looked around and saw foot prints in the dirt and tried to figure which way they went. “Damn, did you marshals take calsses now?” Alva shot back at him.
“Oh, saved me the trouble of looking for ya,” Ansar said to her.
“What, can’t a woman walk around now?”
“I seen ya with guns out and I heard the gunfire, then I seen ya take off. Ain’t hard to figure out that much,” he said and I chuckled as I walked back to the hotel to read more from the Apache dictionary.
Later in the day I decided to take a walk and familiarize myself with more of the town. I found Pet standing in her garden and waved over to her. “Nice place you have here,” I smiled.
“Thank you kindly.”
“I thought I would take a walk around town and saw you standin’ out here.”
“So Trin, are you finding the accomodations to your liking?”
“Oh absolutely. It’s a fantastic place to stay.”
“Ahh that is wonderful to hear.”
“No ghosts either,” I winked.
“We can have a meet the guest day or something,” she giggled. “‘Cause I’m sure you all may pass each other, but not know that each other live there.”
“I wanted to talk to you about something actually... Figurin’ you bein’ the clergy and all you might know things, though I understand there may be confidentiality issues.”
“Sure, oh of the utmost! I won’t betray the trust you put in me.”
“I’m looking into this whole issue of the Apache natives having a greater presence in town...” I started. “It’s kind of my first official case here and I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it... About the Apaches or what you’ve seen them doing.”
“Case?” she looked at me.
“I’m a Pinkerton Agent.”
She nodded and said, “Well, of late they have been all over the place. From terrorizing the town, scalping, even burning buildings. Then there was silence. Or they would ride through and make comments but leave afterwards.”
“When’d this start?”
“Oh, that was months ago. Now, I’m hearing rumors that they have taken to stealing. Seems every place has a little something missing. They even stole from the church. A candle, from the altar.”
“They did? When?!” I asked, shocked.
“About two weeks ago now,” she said after thinking about it.
“Really...” I took out my notebook and started writing down information. “You have any names or witnesses or anything like that?” She snapped her fingers as if remembering something else she saw and I asked, “What is it?”
“Yes, I was with Dr. Freja this past Saturday morning, taking my prayer walk, and she informed me that medical supplies were missing from the clinic. She and I walked toward Broken Arrow so she could get some supplies from the Healing Hogan there, and we stepped into the Trading Post there. And you wouldn’t believe what we saw.”
“What did you see?”
She pointed to the fort and said, “Well if you follow me, you can see for yourself.”
She stood and I followed her down the street to the trading post. I smiled, remembering being there with Poe the night before, and suddenly wondered if I’d see him again today. Pet stopped at the post and pointed, then put a finger to her lips as if signifying to me to stay quiet. I nodded and she whispered, “In there are all the things taken from town so far. Even from the school.”
I wondered why they would just hide them at the trading post where it was obvious to anyone who went there. We started to inch closer to the trading post and she said, “It must have been a rat I heard.” She indicated for me to come in and I walked in, looking around. Everything was there, just as Pet had said.
“Why on earth would they just leave it all here? Can’t we just take it back to where it belongs?”
Pet ran out to deal with something and I walked back to the town, not wanting to be alone at the trading post. A native woman stood just outside the trading post and I hesitated but greeted her.
“Dago Te,” I said in the Apache language.
“You know Apache words?” the woman asked. I remembered people in town calling her Dancing Cloud.
“Some of them. I was just looking around and going to head back to town.”
“Strange place for a woman to come.”
“Just getting to know the area.”
“You not like Native much, then you in Native lands,” she observed.
“This is Native lands?”
“Nearly.”
“I didn’t know. I’ll keep walking back to town then,” I sighed.
“It is where Native sell things.”
“Safe paths,” I said and then walked back to town. I went to the hotel, hoping to find Tye. “Tye?” I called out.
“Last I saw he was at Muriel’s house!” a woman called back in response.
I thanked her and then nodded to Josh and the two girls in front of the saloon. The girls names were Bria and Angel. We talked for a while and then I found the woman who had been shouting earlier sitting on the balcony of the hotel.
“Did you say Tye was at Muriel’s place?” I called up.
“Yeah,” she called back.
“Do you know where it is?”
“End of Allen in Goldfield. Where Tombstone stops and Goldfield starts. I imagine you wander around Goldfield long enough, you’ll find him.”
“Thanks so much!” I waved and turned around, seeing Skyla at the sheriff’s office. I went over to her and said, “Skyla... I need to find Tye...”
“Oh, whatever for?”
I realized that she’ll work to talk to as well and nodded to the office. “Inside?”
“Certainly.”
We walked into the office and I said, “I know where all the stuff is that was stolen!”
“In the trading post again?” she sighed.
“You already knew,” I said, a bit disappointed. “Why can’t we just take it back?”
“Cause the damn marshals got involved making it a federal case,” Skyla sighed, “and tying my damn hands on it. Not that I’m happy about that.”
“Because it’s over the Tombstone county line? In ‘Native’ territory?” I asked, thinking I should still talk to Ansar about it.
“Well partially that and apparently they are waiting on the ‘president’ to sign a damn form he’s too lazy to do yet!” She was clearly upset and I rolled my eyes in agreed frustration.
“Dang technicalities,” I rolled my eyes. “So they’ll just keep doing it ‘till the feds do something about it is what you’re sayin’?” When she nodded I hesitated and said, “What about a bounty hunter?”
She raised a puzzled eyebrow but simply said, “A bounty hunter’s job is only that which the court issues, unless law asks them fer help. They can’t touch anyone else without getting suspended from their duties.” I tilted my head to the side and remembered something Jimmi said yesterday.
There was a knock on the door and Sky asked the woman outside to take a seat and wait for her. “I can let you go, I know you’re busy.”
“Thank you Trin,” she nodded. “But do please start making a list of what you know is missing so that way I can be sure I am at least aware of everything.”
“Will do. Talk to you soon,” I nodded and headed out of the office.
I found Tye outside the hotel and wandered over, relieved he was back in town. He was talking with Sirus and I nodded to them both and asked, “Tye, you got a sec?”
“Sure, Trin. Just finished up some work with Sirus, there.”
“I’ll let you two alone. Gonna get myself a drink anyways,” Sirus said.
“No rush,” I nodded.
Tye set his rag back in his belt and asked, “What can I do for ya, Trin?”
“Can we talk inside? An office or somethin’?”
“Well, I ain’t really got an office. Do all my accountin’ at home. This is prime space here on Allen Street, so every room is used for proper work rather than a fancy office.”
I sighed, wishing I had the key to the Pinkerton office and said, “I really don’t wanna talk out in the street.”
“Alright, let’s go across the street.”
We walked over to the marshal’s office and he sat down at the desk. I stood across from him and he said, “So, alright, ya got me alone here.”
“I wanted to talk to you about something without the risk of a native comin’ by and hearin’. First of all... I wanted to apologize again about earlier.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Bah, enough of that mess. Water under the bridge. I don’t have time for grudges.”
“Alright then,” I nodded. “I saw all the stuff that has been stolen over in the trading post. Now my understanding is that we can’t do anything about it locally because it crosses state line over into Native territory, correct?”
He shook his head and patted his pocket grumbling to himself. “Sort of. I don’t follow the whole mess as much as I once did, but far as I know its part of a larger investigation now and bein’ considered by the military too. See, US Marshal’s bein’ injured ain’t no light thing. When I got captured, they done sent 20 soldiers and a posse from the town together to get me. That were back when they first started gettin’ aggressive - tried to kidnap the mayor and I got him to freedom, but had to let them take me to get him safe.”
“Why is it bein’ considered a military case? ‘cause they tried to kidnap the mayor?”
He looked at me for a minute, his brows furrowed. “Naw. That were a different time. This one here - they done shot and near killed a Marshal and injured me, a retired Marshal. Marshal’s have got the whole thing on lockdown ‘til they figure what they’re gonna do. Orders from high up, see. Them Apache are protectin’ these stolen things like they made them themselves... so prevent a war, we gotta handle this delicately.”
“You not come into Apache Trading post again, next time I take scalp, you steal from Apache white eyes preacher!!! Trading Post closed, open soon you come back then!!!!!” we heard a voice shouting outside and Tye ran outside to check what was going on. I ran after him and followed.
“HELP!!!!! HELP!!!! THIS APACHE IS AFTER ME. SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!” Pet was shouting as she was running through the street.
“Oh hell no!” Tye shouted. “Ya ain’t hurtin’ Miss Pet!” he drew his guns and ran after them.
I ran around trying to find them and Tye and Skyla both announced that the native had gotten away. They were in the streets with Pet and I ran over, relieved to see that Pet was okay.
“I was showing the new Pinkerton where it was,” she was saying.
“Miss Trin, okay,” Skyla nodded..
“Trin left and I couldn’t get...” she huffed again, trying to catch her breath. “Outta there in time and she... Come after me.”
“Pet, what... I left ‘cause you left!”
“Ok Pet, relax. You’re safe now,” Skyla insisted. “But I wouldn’t recommend going out there again.”
Tye looked at her dumbfounded and asked, “What in sam hell were you two doin’ over there anyhow? The apache is protectin’ that place like a starvin’ dog on a piece of meat!”
I looked from Tye to Pet and Skyla sighed, rounding on me, clearly upset. “Don’t you ever let her do that again! I know what to help both of you unarmed,” she spit the word out slightly as she spoke.
“I was showing Trin... I figured we’d be safe...” Pet removed her hat and wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
Sky glanced back to Pet and said, “And you know better!”
“Pet, I’m glad you’re alright,” Tye shook his head.
“She was showing me the trading post. I didn’t want to go but I figured there was something important I should see,” I explained.
“I want to file a report!” Pet called out.
“Well have to do that with the marshals or rangers, Pet,” Skyla told her.
“Yeah, sheriff. You can’t,” Tye agreed.
“Oh and by the way, folks, thanks for coming. I don’t know what I would have done if she caught me and no one was around,” Pet said. “So I really appreciate ya’ll being here.”
“You know if I’m in town no harm will come to you, Miss Pet,” Tye looked at her worriedly.
I stood there, looking lost in the confusion and wondering still what I had done wrong.
“Well, I don’t blame you for staying in plain sight. If you’d gone into a building - we may not have been able to find you and you could’ve gotten cornered,” Tye breathed with relief.
“Church she would’ve been safe,” Sky said then.
“In the church? You think the apache would respect our God?” Tye asked.
“Yes, they do,” Muriel said. “It’s off limits to an Apache.”
“They stole from the Church too,” Pet pointed out.
“Oh Sky. If you could’ve seen the atrocities I’ve seen committed in churches...” Tye shook his head.
“She’s right, she told me just before we went out there that they’d stolen from the church,” I said. I let them talk then and just shook my head, frustrated over the whole event.
“Let’s head in the back here. Careful with the door, hinge is a bit loose and I haven’t gotten around to fixin’ it,” Tye suggested. “C’mon Trin,” he said to me.
We walked into the hotel and Tye gave both me and Pet some lemonade. Sirus talked about how he’d burned the trading post down once and I just sat listening to them, drinking my lemonade. I didn’t feel much like joining in the conversation as I’d thought Pet had wandered off somewhere’s so I headed back to town. I didn’t think I had been putting her life in danger.
Eventually I pulled out my notebook and got to work writing notes about the Apache and what I’d known so far. I ignored the conversation around me and just focused on writing, trying to relax myself. They continued to talk about natives and what they had done in the past.
Eventually Pet looked at me and said, “Lozen is one to watch for. Sometimes by the time you see her, it’s already too late.”
“That is the truth,” Muriel agreed.
“Understood. Thanks for the heads up.”
“I was alone with Aleaya and Lozen. Didn’t have my badge anymore, so I couldn’t arrest them, but weren’t gonna allow them to set the place on fire,” Tye explained.
“Well the Chief is not the greatest fighter. He usually gets shot.”
“Chief... oh... maybe not. But he’s a master of subtlety,” Tye said. “When he doesn’t want to be found, you ain’t gonna be found.”
“No, he has a cave he hides in,” Muriel said.
“Where’s the cave?” I asked, suddenly interested.
“It is over by the mine,” Muriel answered.
“And where’s the mine?” I chuckled.
“He hides... whenever there was an attack he would run and hide,” Muriel said.
Pet looked up towards the hills and I followed her gaze, guessing that the mines were in that direction.
“The Apache only care about those who are Apache. They’ll protect their own to the death,” I put in.
“They only care about the White Mountain Apache...” Muriel said. “Not the renegades.”
“Good point,” I nodded.
“You never see them teaming up and they are more active,” Muriel shook her head.
“I’ve seen Cherokee, Cheyenne, and Apache all work together against the whiteman before,” I pointed out, remembering. “It’s not frequently the case though.”
“I feel bad for Dancing Cloud. She’s like an icon around here. Always peaceful. Only gets aggressive if pushed too far,” Tye shook his head.
***
That afternoon I went to the welcome class where Adrian, the mayor, explained the ins and outs of the towns and the different job opportunities available. I talked with him about running the Pinkerton office again and he seemed to be approving of the idea since there hadn’t been Pinkertons in the area for quite some time. I left the meeting feeling encouraged, thinking that I would be able to work officially in the near future.
That afternoon I walked back into town and smiled to the crowd sitting in front of the saloon. I met a woman named Paige, who was Josh’s girlfriend. I reminded Tye that we had gotten interrupted in our conversation and he said, “You pinks always got questions. You still need me for somethin’?”
“Well yeah... we only just started talking about the topic at hand before we got interrupted...”
“Just started? Hell? I musta been talkin’ to you for an hour over there!”
“Though maybe I could talk to both you and Ansar at the marshals’ office and kill two birds with one stone, as it were,” I looked from him to Ansar. “Didn’t really resolve anythin’, did we, Tye?”
“That’s assumin’ there’s somethin’ to be resolved,” Tye shrugged dismissively.
“You want to talk to me about what?” Ansar asked.
“This Apache situation,” I said to him.
“Yeah, we’re trying to get a hold on it.”
“Perhaps we could get a hold on it in a more official setting? I have some suggestions.”
“I suppose... if the Marshal can chat now, I can come too,” Tye gave me a disdainful look.
“Or we could just hang out outside and let them keep stealing things from under our noses. You know, whichever you boys prefer,” I looked between them.
“Lass you don’t wanna cross that line. Ya ain’t got no business judgin’ how I handle things, Pinky,” Tye spit on the ground.
“Just sayin’ we’d get a lot more done by talkin’ about it. They’re putting stolen goods right in plain sight in the trading post as if to snub us.”
“Well I’m putting a list together of all the items taken,” Ansar told me. “Gotta get the mayor to sign off on it and then run this thing. Sorta complicated. To make sure if people just ain’t misplacing items.”
“Oi! I ain’t got all day!” Tye called from across the road and I followed Ansar over to stand in front of the sheriff’s office.
“Well?” Ansar asked when we got there.
“Look Tye, again, I’m sorry but I just think we’d be more productive if we talked about this
together.”
“Well spit it out,” Tye grumbled.
“The stuff’s over at the trading post. It’s sitting right there. There’s gotta be a way just to buy it back. You said it yourself earlier, anyone can go in and out buyin’ stuff. If it’s a federal case, let one of the marshals do it.”
“You got that kinda cash, Pinky?” Tye narrowed his eyes.
“Well there are papers and stuff to sign,” Ansar said. “Seems they’re coming up with bills of sells and it’s just come down to building one hell of a case.”
“Then let’s build it,” I nodded to him. “We’ve got bounty hunters don’t we?” I thought of Poe. “Let’s get them in on it and...”
“Bounty hunters? Get them on what, exactly? You seen the bounty list? They ain’t the most effective bunch,” Tye grunted and shook his head. “Ain’t led by the most effective man, either.”
“No, I haven’t seen the bounty list,” I shook my head.
“We have to go about it a different way this time. I know it’s hard to understand,” Ansar waved a hand. “I don’t get it myself really, but I just do what the big boss says.”
An old man walked by and I looked over, feeling something in his presence. It was similar to the feelings I had last night at the trading post but I shook my head. There was something different about him that made me confused. “Dun’ mind me, I’m jus’ ‘nutha ol’ dirty minah, passin’ by.”
“Yeh well we see that just fine. If yer passin’, pass already. Hell,” Tye grunted.
“That all though?” Ansar asked me and I looked back to him.
“I can help gather info for you, the judge has already assigned the case to me. I just wanted ya’ll to know I’m in this officially, not just as a curious newcomer to town.”
“Official and Pinks don’t belong in the same thought,” Tye shook his head.
“Well you can rest easy about this one case,” Ansar said. “Any other case it be not the same, but this one’s sorta touchy if one don’t handle it right.”
“I get that, really I do. That’s why I just want to help you get all the information you need. I can even document it all if ya’ll don’t feel like doin’ the paperwork,” I said.
“Ya wanna be law, ya wanna do a service to the town, get an app right here and show you can be tough enough for this town workin’ for the sheriff,” Tye suggested.
“I’m offerin’ to do the desk work here. Let ya’ll alone and just sift through information. With me behind a desk I won’t be in yer way when the gunfights happen,” I shook my head.
Tye squinted his eyes towards my hands and didn’t say anything. I saw his gaze and put my hands in my pockets casually, wondering why the look. He grumbled then and asked, “So what were the big deal yesterday with that fella anyway? The one you got all in a hissy about the way I handled it?”
“Thought we’d decided to let that go?” I looked at him.
“Yeh, but you never did tell me about the whole mess. Just decided I weren’t out of line.”
“You good at tracking people down, Trin?” Ansar asked me.
“Depends who you’re askin’ me to track down,” I said, ignoring Tye’s question.
“Oh outlaws and thugs. Ya know normal stuff.”
“That’s what we investigators are here for, ain’t it?” I asked him.
“Let’s see... A Clint, a Nikki and a Dominic,” Ansar listed.
“Clint? Clint Houston?” Tye grunted.
“Gonna give me any info behind these names or...?” I looked at him.
“That’s the one, Tye,” Ansar replied.
Tye looked back to me and then back to Ansar. “Tell me ya ain’t sendin’ the lass after him, just gatherin’ info?”
“Then there are the names of the people I have had the most hardest time tracking down,” Ansar said and Tye suddenly knotted up his face, looking between the two of us. “And information on finding them would be helpful.”
“I can ask around, see what I can dig up.” I hoped that Poe will be helpful for this and wondered why he hadn’t shown up in town yet. “Niki and Dominic have last names?”
“I tell ya right now, I ever see Clint Houston again, I’ll bring him in myself. Damn the bounty,” Tye said then, relaxing his shoulders and starting to check his guns.
The old man, who was still sitting close to us, coughed then and I looked over at him curiously.
“Dominic’s last name is James,” Ansar told me as he pulled out a small piece of paper.
Dancing Cloud walked over then and I cringed. Tye watched me and greeted the native then said to me, “Dammit, Pinky. I done told you, this one ain’t like the others.”
I nodded to Ansar and then looked over to Tye. “I’ve heard that line before. Right before they wanted me to join in their scalping games.”
“You get Dancing Cloud mad enough to scalp you, I’ll probably help her,” Tye shook his head.
“Dancing Cloud not scalp,” the native promised.
“I’ll do what I can to track these three down, Ansar. Thanks for the opportunity,” I said, going back to the original discussion. I looked to Tye, wondering if I’d get anywhere asking him about Clint since he had such a strong reaction to the name, but I saved the conversation for later. “I’ll do what I can. Might as well get started now. I’ll be in touch, Ansar.”
“Don’t hold yer breath, Marshal,” Tye sighed.
“Those men aren’t safe,” Ansar warned me. “I just want their locations, not you getting shot.”
“I’ll do my best to avoid it then.”
“But then you could always hire Tye as a bodyguard,” Ansar suggested. “Former US Deputy Marshal.”
“She done kept me busy enough all day I should be chargin’ her,” Tye grumbled and I laughed at that.
I wandered down the street and watched from a distance as Tye became curious enough about the old man and went over to him. He asked him who he was and the man started to walk off down the street.
“You good with yer hands? Where you minin’ at anyhow? What kinda work is that for an old man? What do they pay you anyhow?” Tye asked the man.
“Ohhh.. ju’s one of ‘em ol’ Timers up in the Hills, yanno,” the man said.
“Bet them bastards that employ you don’t pay you well enough. I’m lookin’ for good help. Turn around here and lemme get a better look at ya. Bet you got workin’ man’s hands. Good with tools and such.” Tye stuck out his hand and said, “Tye Durden. I own the hotel right across the way. What they payin’ you? You any good with whitewash or glasswork?”
The man narrowed his eyes a bit and said, “Ohhh, I’d be migh’ fine to oblige ya, buddy but ol’ man Menkes dun’ like me wanderin’ off too dam’ looong.”
“Bah. I’ll deal with your cheapskate of a boss. Now I know yer workin’ too hard and not gettin’ paid enough. Set yer stuff down and go have a bite on me, maybe we’ll...” suddenly Tye stopped dead in his tracks and drew his guns. “The hell you think this is boy? I’m a retired Marshal and know the Marshal Bill. Drop yer act right now.”
The old man blurted out a name I didn’t recognize and said, “Ohhh heelllll.. noooo. I amz Bill.”
I wandered over to the hotel so I could hear better but still duck for cover if I needed to. “Hey, Sirus. I saw guns come out so I came over here,” I greeted Sirus who was standing there.
“Welll yeesseee,” the old man said and motioned his hands upward.
“Oi, Sirus, c’mere!” Tye shouted.
The old man fumbled a bit towards Tye. “Ooofff, pardon’ me.”
“Stay here, Trin,” Sirus warned me and I nodded.
When Sirus made his way over to Tye and the old man, Tye said, “Take this man’s pack. He’s claimin’ to be old bill, the marshal.”
Suddenly I saw the old man drawing out a blade and attempting to shank Tye. I blinked and then backed up into the hotel as Tye shot the old man down. I waited until it was over before I stepped out of the hotel and got closer again.
“Grab my gun, Sirus. Watch him,” Tye told Sirus. Holding his rag to his wound Tye said, “Damn! I like this shirt. You’ll be payin’ for it!”
I watched the interaction, still confused though I was certain that this man was under disguise because he had impersonated an old marshal. I wondered why my heart was still racing with some kind of recognition. Tye pulled the man’s pack of and started rustling through his things, pulling out any guns, ammunition, explosives, matches, blunt objects, and anything that could be used as a lock pick.
“Dammit. I ain’t got my cuffs on me. Hell. Grab his feet. I’m going to get answers from this idiot.”
Si nodded to Tye and took hold of the man’s feet. Tye reached under the man’s shoulders and lifted him up. “Let’s get him to the clinic. Pinky!”
I heard Tye call and came over to see what I could do to help. “Get off yer behind and pick up these things I took off him, and my gun I dropped. Bring ‘em to the clinic.”
Tye carried the man to the clinic and said to me, “Then, in the drawer next to the icebox in the kitchen, bring me my cuffs.”
I nodded and went into the kitchen of the hotel to find the cuffs. I wandered over to find the drawer by the icebox, getting out the cuffs, and headed over with them to the clinic. I struggled to open the door and dropped the cuffs, then kneeled down to pick them up as I opened the door with my elbow. I went into the clinic and dropped the stuff on the counter beside Tye, handing him his cuffs personally.
“Remove his boots, cuff his ankle to the table,” Tye took them and handed them to Sirus.
I went over to look at the man on the bed closer, still unsure. A vision of him on the bed suddenly flashed recognition of something in his voice from earlier, then I remembered last night and gasped. “Poe...”
“Watch him,” Tye said as he grabbed a clean cloth. “He gets away, ain’t either of you gonna hear the end of it.”
I leaned against the counter, shocked that the man I’d spent time with last night was now laying wounded in the clinic bed. I thought to myself how this scene was all too familiar. Tye meanwhile headed next door to send a telegram and I shook my head, not believing it. “Poe, damn it...”
When Tye walked back into the clinic I turned to him. “It’s the bounty hunter from last night,” I told him in a weak voice.
“Yeh?” he grunted as Kris came into the clinic along with Ida and asked what happened.
“This fella here was claimin’ to be Old Bill. When I called him on it the fool pulled a knife and sliced me good right here!” Tye explained.
“You shot one of my bounty hunters,” Kris complained.
“His name’s Poe,” I sighed. “He’s a bounty hunter.” I knew that I could have kept the information to myself but with-holding it would get me arrested too.
Tye grumbled and shook his head. “I want him arrested and charged with impersonatin’ an official and weapon used in a crime.”
“He’s one of mine,” Kris said then. “You shot one of my bounty hunters, Tye.”
“One of yers? Well you should tell him to not be so damn foolhearty.”
“Guys please,” Ida sighed, trying to take care of the man.
“Did you not listen at all? He came at me with a knife. See this right here?” he pointed to his wound.
“Duke is that you?” Poe asked then as Ida worked on cleansing the wound.
“Poe, can ya hear me?” Kris walked over to him. ‘What happened? It’s Kris, Poe.”
I watched them talking and kept silent, too upset to say anything.
“I done told you what happened. He’s still got the damn beard on.”
“Duke,” Poe said then to Kris. “I got ‘im Duke, I got ‘im good.”
I felt like I needed to sit then and moved over to an empty bed to gather myself. I watched as Kris said, “Tye, I gotta place you under arrest.”
“Yer right he ain’t himself! Ya need to tell yer bounty hunters that when they’re confronted... oh no. That ain’t happenin’. I defended myself, got 3 witnesses there.”
“Then they can come and testify in court,” Kris said.
“It was self defence, Kris,” Sirus put in. “Tye gave the fella every chance. The man came at him with a knife.”
“You can piss right off if you think I’m walking out of here in cuffs. I’ll go over to the jail with you and tell you again, when you’re listening, what happened,” Tye grumbled as I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees, still in shock but staying quiet. “But don’t stand there and play favorites because I’m faster than your bounty hunter pal here.”
“And maybe you should decide if you want a badge or not, Tye,” Kris told him.
I remembered that Poe was the one to bump Tye and then had raised the blade and said to Kris, “He’s right, Sir. It was self defense.”
“Go climb a tree, Kris. I don’t need a badge to defend myself. And yesterday I was checkin’ on the bank because that’s what I do. I fix the bank.”
Skyla barged into the clinic then and asked, “What the hell is going on here?”
“Tye shot one of my hunters,” Kris told her.
“Because the hunter came at Tye with a knife,” I finished the story for him.
“Oh, you mean William,” Sky looked over to the man on the bed.
“And I’m about to shoot another!” Tye gritted his teeth.
“He’s been causing issues in town a lot, Kris,” Skyla told him.
“Then pull, Tye,” Kris challenged. “We will go outside right now and do it.”
Tye glared at Kris. “And this is why you make a poor damn lawman! You want everything to turn into a gunfight!”
I was still in too much shock as I saw Poe without his shirt on and remembered more images from last night. I shook my head, trying to forget now.
“Tye shut it for a second and go with Sirus and cool off.”
“I gotta see the doc, Sheriff. That bastard came out me with a knife,” Tye showed his wound to Sky.
Sky nodded to him and said, “Then close ya trap.”
Kris walked out and Tye just grumbled, replacing the rag over the wound. I watched Kris walk out and looked to Skyla then. “Sky...”
“Alright now, one at a time,” Skyla said. “Sirus you first. What happened?”
“The crazed hunter fell there was talking to Tye, then went at him with a blade. Tye moved away but was left with no choice to defend himself,” Sirus explained.
“Thank you,” Skyla nodded. “Trin, you next.”
I looked around the room, still in a daze. “It’s true. Poe pushed him and took the blade out, then Tye had to defend himself.”
Sky nodded and said, “Tye?”
“Tye called me up close to take the man’s pack,” Sirus continued. “So I was right up close.”
“I didn’t realize it was Poe until I... saw him on the bed in here and it hit me,” I said then.
“Why the bed?” Sky blinked over at me and I blushed and looked down.
“He was all dressed up like an old man and claimed to be Bill Hayabusa! Old retired Bill! He stood and looked right at me, a retired Marshal, and claimed to be another retied Marshal! When I told him to drop the act - which woulda been damn fine, I woulda laughed about it and let him go on, he lunged at me with a hidden knife!” Tye explained.
Skyla’s eyes went wide with anger and exclaimed, “He claimed what?!”
“And that’s the man I did the jerky thing with yesterday! He shoulda known damn well after that that I wasn’t a threat!”
“Ok I got him,” Skyla said and moved over to Poe. “Trin, are you hurt too?”
“Not physically,” I muttered.
“Now, if you, Sheriff, feel the need to set me up a trial over this, I’ll go with you and talk it over. But Kristoff there was wantin’ to march me outta here in cuffs and then told me to draw on him! You was right there and heard that!” Tye sighed.
“No you ain’t under arrest,” Sky sighed at him. “I take it no law was present at the time?”
“I told him, plain as day, that I’d go with him and talk over the whole thing with him at the jail if need be. But he weren’t havin’ it. He was more upset that his bounty hunter got shot and wanted me to get in cuffs over it.” He shook his head and said, “Nope. Just Sirus, Trin, me, Dancing Cloud, and that fella right there. No one else in sight.”
“Well sadly, William is already on suspension over being in jail,” Skyla shook her head. “This ain’t gonna help none. I’ll wait for Ida to get done and take him in.”
I stood up, unable to be in the clinic anymore, needing to breathe. “It okay if I get out of here?” I looked around.
“Go ahead Trin,” Sky nodded then said, “Oh. Trin, please fill this out.” She handed me a paper and I nodded.
She handed Tye a witness report too and I said, “Let me know when the court date is, Sky.” I glanced back at Poe one more time before opening the clinic door and heading outside. I looked around town and then just headed back to my hotel room, still in shock.
No comments:
Post a Comment