Black Diamond.
This morning I met Ali and we headed over to the cafe for coffee. Nim joined us and I was relieved to see that the rumors of her death were unfounded. Richie joined us and Ali asked for me to tell her what happened on my trip. I told her that I would wait for everyone to get here and he sat down at the table with us.
“You know who I thought I had seen last night when we was coming out of Ghenna?”
“Who’s that?” I asked Ali.
“That fella Sunset.”
“And the hits just keep on coming,” I blinked. “What time last night?” I asked as Nim brought out the pot of coffee.
“Ain’t too sure what time it was. Wasn’t paying attention to the time. Had more important things on my mind.”
“No worries,” I nodded to Ali.
“This is good, needed it this morning,” Nim sipped her coffee. “What an evening yesterday.”
“Tell me about it,” I nodded to her.”
“What did I miss?” Richie asked.
“Indeed it was, Sheriff,” Ali nodded.
“I come home from a somewhat uneventful trip home where I just told my brother and mother about Sunset being in town, and made sure they were safe which they were... And I get caught up in a gunfight where I narrowly avoid getting shot, then I wander outside and narrowly avoid getting kidnapped.... Then, to appease the idiot, I let him take my damn gun ‘cause I got lots more in the safe in the office.”
“Who was shooting and who was kidnapping?” Richie asked.
“Punk stole my gun. Almost kidnapped me. Figured I’d be a burden.”
“Ol’ Punk,” Richie laughed.
“I didn’t know you was almost kidnapped,” Nim said. “Kris never did say who he was coming to arrest last night, did he?”
“He sure didn’t,” I shook my head.
“Kris arresting? That’s like me digging a ditch. It won’t happen,” Richie pointed out.
“Said to shoot anyone in there that wasn’t TJ,” I said.
Nim smiled, “Kris gets tough when he has good folks backing him up.”
“Said he had a warrant for an arrest, deputized some girl I still don’t know the name of...”
“Kimmie?” Nim asked.
“Perhaps. I don’t know.”
“First thing I heard coming from Kris was asking Kimmiee if’n she wanted to come shoot someone,” Ali said.
“Oh then yes, Kimmee...”
“Trin, you should remember that name, she is perhaps the finest gun in these parts.”
“So I just hid under the table and watched while they shot each other ‘cause I didn’t know who to shoot.”
“If’n asking her to shoot folks is a way of deputizing, I reckon we are going to have more problems than there already is out in Tombstone,” Ali sighed.
“That’s what it sounded like,” I nodded. “I distinctly remember hearing the word ‘deputizing’.”
“Oh Trin!” Richie exclaimed then.
“What?” I looked at him.
“We have the perfect helper for you! She’s aching to be a detective and is an ace of a person.”
“I went in to make a land payment to the mayor and ended up in a mess,” Nim said.
“Jessica James,” Richie told me. “She’s the help you need in your office.”
“Oh yes, Jessica, she dropped me a mail today about someone stealing her jewels.”
“Six, perhaps, seven of us in Kate’s and all I know is Kimmee was ready to shoot folks and an arrest was to be made,” Ali went on about last night.
“But not specified for whom,” I nodded to her.
“Kimmie has been around these parts longer then me, and yes, she loves to use her guns, as few have proven better with them,” Nim said.
“That’s why I didn’t know who to shoot,” I looked at Ali. “I didn’t really like that TJ was in kahootz with Kris.”
“Then Gabe and I were arrested for defending ourselves in Kate’s,” Ali said.
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.
“They just better be glad it wasn’t Jessica James on their ass...” Richie smiled.
“You didn’t pull the first guns though,” I said to Ali.
“No ma’am. I drew after the gunfire started.”
“I remember,” I nodded. “That’s why I stayed and watched, so I could remember details.”
“Was ready to draw after I heard Kris ask Kimmee if she wanted to shoot someone and they came into Kate’s.”
“That’s when I pulled too. But I guess Serenity and Punk didn’t like that so much so they took my damn gun. Would have taken me too if I didn’t talk my way out of it.”
“Punk wasn’t inside of Kate’s as far as I know,” Ali said.
“Nope he wasn’t. He caught up with Serenity and me in Bisbee. Guess she sent a smoke signal to him or somethin’.”
“Then, when we were sittin’ in jail, there was more gunfire,” Ali continued and I listened to her, curious what happened after Punk and Serenity left me alone in Bisbee.
“That was one poor place for a gunfight to start,” Nim sighed.
“I could hear the guns and shouting all the way over in Bisbee,” I said.
“TJ and Kris deserved to get shot, you can’t stand in a hallway when its the path of all the bullets,” Nim smiled.
I chuckled and said, “That’s just putting a target symbol on your back.”
“Yes ma’am, but I do believe I surprised Miss Serenity,” Nim sipped her coffee.
“How’d you do that?”
“I dropped her, and managed one bullet in Punk before he got me.”
“He got you?” I shook my head.
“They was shooting at the back door and TJ standing right there. The door has a window and as the fine sheriff here knows bullets can go through windows,” Ali continued the story.
“Yea, in a situation like that, do like I did, stand back and wait for the door to open, nothing you can do up close and personal with it except die, which TJ found out,” Nim added.
“See so even then TJ wasn’t on Kris’ side?” I asked.
“No TJ was, he is trying for the Sheriff’s job in Tombstone,” Nim told me.
“Still seems weird,” I shook my head. “Like when he was back as a judge in...” I blinked at her and asked, Sheriff?!?”
“Yes ma’am, his application is in.”
“Well now I’ve seen just about everything,” I rolled my eyes.
“Can I say something?” Richie asked.
“Yea, you moved fifty feet today, your allowed a few words Richie,” Nim told him and we laughed.
“What in the hell are you all talking about? I have been lost since ‘Good morning’!”
I almost spilled my coffee and said, “Dang it, Rich.”
“See what happens when you sleep all day? Ya get lost,” Ali told him.
I finished my coffee and said, It’s morning coffee in Black Diamond and I sure as heck missed it.”
“Tell Trin about you being arrested in court Ali....” Richie told her.
“You were arrested in court?” I raised an eyebrow.
“We was arrested in the doc’s office and had to wait for Kris to get fixed up. I figured we had done our time already when I left seeing the door of the cell open. Sheriff here, talked with gabe. Gabe and I went peacefully back to tombstone with her. Neither her nor Pierce had keys to the cells so we just done our time sittin’ in the sheriff’s office with them watching us.”
“Piers was there?” I blinked and looked at Nim.
“I like how Piers handled that. Yea, he wanted to go up to Ghenna with me, but I didn’t want anyone there with me for that.”
“Oh hell Richie, Kris was telling us to hurry and get in a cell when we was first arrested yet he was behind Gabe, Miss V and I,” Ali looked at Richie. “Three of us in a cell. Piers wasn’t up in Ghenna.”
“Nooo when you got arrested in court, silly.”
“Is Piers law now?” I asked.
“Piers is a Ranger,” Nim answered.
“Of course he is,” I smirked. “I miss everything.”
“What are ya talking about Richie? They didn’t even have no cot in that cell. I had to sit on the floor in there.”
“Oh you mean when Ali was held in the cell in court and Gabe bailed her out? Think I heard all about that one already,” I chuckled.
“I didn’t have no bail, nor charges.”
“No, mayor bailed her out.”
“Oh, okay forgot that part then. He did tell me about her making her point and getting held in jail.”
“Oh Adrian demanded your release right?”
“He did,” she nodded.
I laughed at that and we continued to talk about what had been going on around town while I was gone. Libby joined us and I realized I should make a witness statement for the events of last night. I headed to Tombstone and sat in front of the office, writing up a statement.
Tombstone.
I talked with Ali for a while and then talked with a man named Johnson. Pet came over and asked how things were going. She asked if we could talk and I told her that I was free now.
“Well seems that fella was out lurkin’ again,” she told me. “He said something about hoping to find ya alone horseback riding. He didn’t see me as I was collecting laundry from the hotel.”
“Horseback riding alone, huh?” I grew serious and looks to her.
“I could only make out bits as he was muttering and stammerin’ so.”
“Where’d ya see him?”
“In Bisbee,” she said and I swallowed hard, realizing that Sunset now knew where I lived.
“That’s where I was. I don’t know what direction he headed off to after that though. What gives with this fella Trin? You don’t look so good.”
“Thanks for lettin’ me know. Guess I have to keep watchin’ my back then. Not that I don’t have enough trouble with Punk stealin’ my damn gun.”
“Fella? Sunset Moon?” Paisley asked.
I looked over at her and asked, “You know Sunset?”
“I saw him by the clock tower. Wanted me to pass a message to you Trin... Cole too but I won;t pass one on to Cole.”
“What was the message?” I sighed.
“I just met him today.”
“What was the message?” I asked her again.
“Was looking to get you alone. Nothing more.”
“Is he smitten, Trin?” Pet asked.
I shook my head, knowing that being smitten was just the cover, and I rubbed my hand through my hair. “I can’t be alone with him. It just can’t happen.”
“He is a charmer. Why would he want Cole?” Paisley asked as Bella walked over.
“He wants me,” I sighed. “And not for love.”
“Yes, he was looking me over... I could just feel it.”
I sighed and looked over at Paisley. “Stay away from him if you can.”
“Hmm do you think he has other intensions Trin which are not honorable?” Pet asked me.
“What sorta fella is this?” Johnson asked then.
“The kind you don’t wanna get mixed up with. Trust me,” I looked at him then back at Pet. “I’m damn sure of it. Sorry about the language.”
“Forgiven,” Pet nodded.
“Well, who are you talking about?” Bella butted in.
I realized I had to tell them who this guy was and took a deep breath. “He killed my father fifteen years ago and now his gang is going after my family, and me specifically.”
“There was a woman with him,” Paisley said.
“Reckon you should beat him to it, put him under the snakes,” Johnson advised.
“A woman with him?” I looked at Paisley.
“Her name was Tambra.”
“Tambra? Were they... acting as lovers?”
“Not really... Standing near, not close,” Paisley said and I wondered what this twist in the story meant now.
“Something is definitely wrong,” Pet observed.
“Are you related to Cole in any way?” Paisley asked.
“Now who would admit that?” Pet asked.
I shook my head and said, “No. But Sunset saw me and Cole talking when he first introduced himself to me... He probably thinks Cole’s protecting me.”
“He asked for Cole too and if he is going after family...”
“If he’s going after family?!”
“You did say that Trin. That he is going after family, and if he is also looking for Cole.”
“Yeah, I said that he killed my father and I was pretty sure that he was goin’ after me. If he told Cole something about going after family that just confirms it. Damn it,” I muttered, kicking the fence.
Pet excused herself to do some chores and the conversation continued. The man who hadn’t had a name had decided to call himself Bubba, and we talked about that as I tried to calm down from the news about Sunset. We talked about TJ going up for sheriff and Bubba said that he was applying to be a deputy, as was Josh apparently. I met Jessica James, the woman Richie had been talking about, and thought to myself that Richie must be smitten the way he was going on about her. She said something about her necklace being stolen and while we were talking, Sunset came over to the group.
“My my, what have we here?” he asked with a smirk.
I blinked and stepped back a bit as the others greeted him. He had the look of a predator and his prey in sight and I didn’t want to bolt quite yet. “What do you want, Sunset?” I asked him finally.
“Don’t you know, Miss Trin...?” he asked me, stepping closer to me and looking me up and down. “I want... you!” I swallowed and felt a chill go through my spine. I backed up, moving towards the hotel and he said, “Just remember, you can run, you can even attempt to hide. But I shall have you.”
“What do you want from me?”
“This town can actually be quite romantic at times,” Alva said from the sidelines and I knew they didn’t understand how serious the interaction was.
“Just... everything!” he said to me. He got of his horse then and walked over to me.
I rethought my idea of going into the hotel, knowing it probably wasn’t the smartest place to go. “Just let it be, alright? You killed him, just let it stay in the past where it belongs.”
“Now, now,” he walked closer. “My associate will be displeased to hear you talk like that.”
“You’re ‘associate’? Tell me, who is this ‘associate’?”
“Well, one of them is already in Goldfield at my cabin...”
I cringed at the sound of Goldfield, realizing he had already put down residence. “He thought I was taking too long to finish the uh... business we started fifteen years ago. Would you like to meet him?”
“Oh really? And what was that business, hmm?” I looked at him, standing my ground.
He approached me quickly and I felt a knife against my back. “Now listen up, Missy. You’re coming with me and I promise not to make too much of a mess when I’m done with you. In fact, you might enjoy my game,” he whispered into my ear.
I swallowed hard and felt the knife, remembering the feeling of it so many years ago. “Really? It’s gonna be like this?”
“Really. Now come with me out the back door.”
“Don’t move, Trin,” Muriel told me.
“I... what do you want?” I swallowed hard.
“Is he kidnapping her?” Alva sighed.
“Just trust me. More of them will come if you don’t do as I say. Anyone of them could have been sent to kill you, just as I have been.”
“Put the knife away and I might trust you better,” I told him softly.
“After seeing you, I just don’t have the heart,” he said and ran.
“You don’t have the heart to what, kill me?!” I asked and watched him run away. I swallowed hard and leaned back against the wall, catching my breath.
Black Diamond.
Paisley offered to go with me to Black Diamond and file a report about what had just happened. We went there together and I told Nim everything. I wrote out a report and Paisley did the same. I went out and told Ali what had happened, and asked her if I could use her place to rest. She opened the door for me and I went in to fall asleep on the couch.
Tombstone.
A few hours later I walked into town, looking around in full alert after an intense couple of days. I found Pet doing some writing and asked her if we could talk. I told her everything and how I shouldn’t be afraid because I was a detective, but now we were talking about personal threats against me, not just another case.
“I have been seeing some new faces in town lately,” Pet said pensively when I was done.
“You have?” I looked at her. “You think he’s telling the truth? That he’s brought others along with him?”
“From the way I heard it, as I was leaving the party in Benson last night I came through Goldfield. I heard yelling and screaming coming from one of the cabins, then a thud. Seems they was talking about ‘how come something was taking so long’ and ‘how come they come to check up on him’. It was the thud that got me, and I ran outta there as fast as I could. I can show you the cabin if you like.”
I considered it and asked, “Are you sure we should? What if he’s there?”
“Just in case you’re in Goldfield, you know which place to avoid.”
I nodded and stood, “Might be a good idea. Lead the way.”
Goldfield.
As we made our way into Goldfield, Pet pointed out the cabin across the water. I nodded to her warning to keep quiet and really didn’t like how close it was to the town. I waited for her signal to come closer and she said that it seemed quiet. She started to knock and then fainted.
“Pet?!” I whispered loudly. I leaned down and put my hand on her forehead, “Pet, damn it, come on, Pet...”
I decided to stay, not caring if Sunset came home. I had had enough and it was time for some answers. From around the cabin, I heard someone coming closer and he stopped dead in his tracks, as shocked to see me as I was to see him.
“Trin!!! Hurry inside.”
I nodded, following him in, and he gathered Pet and brought her inside too. “Nice place you have here,” I said, trying to keep things casual as he closed the door.
“Oh, pardon the... mess...” he said as he put Pet on the bed and lifted another sheet to cover the body on the ground. “They are looking for me. Were you followed?”
“I figured instead of you dragging me here on your own terms, I would come willingly so we could talk this out. No one followed us,” I shrugged.
“Trin, I meant what I said. Yes! They hired me to... eliminate you and return with your father’s medal. Yes! I took one look at you and realized I couldn’t do it. And yes! They are sending others to finish what I should have done, but couldn’t.”
“This is all about Dad’s medal?” I sighed.
“Uh huh.”
“Not about money that dad owed you because he joined that gang?” I folded my arms across my chest. “Like they told me when I went up north and they shot me down?”
“The medal is a symbol that we all carry. No one leaves the gang Trin, no one. Those who try, die!”
“The medal is from his army days. Not from some gang... He was a soldier...” I shook my head.
“Your father tried to buy his way out. True, he was... and our battalion all received that medal. It’s our trust bond.” He reached into his pocket to take out his own medal and held it out for me. “See! It’s not often that Apaches receive anything good from the United States government.”
“So wait... he was a soldier but the group he was a soldier with was actually a gang, not with the official cavalry?”
“We made a pact that day. We were sent out to confuse the enemy, a special team.” “Well you’re sure confusing me at least,” I sighed.
“To bring back the medal would mean we, uh, they had finished the job.”
“A group of Apache gang members were given soldier medals so they could confuse the enemy?” I remembered how I had tried to ally with the Apache so that the outlaws would be confused by my involvement.
“We were soldiers; your dad, me, a handful of others. But we also, oh well,” he ran his fingers through his long hair and said, “Well, we got out. We expected more than a medal, but a hero’s welcome. We were promised things by the government. We never received them. So we declare a personal war.”
“So what... I give you this medal now and it’s all over? No more threats, no more creepy looks? Why did you hold a knife to me this morning when you weren’t gonna do anything after all?”
“Don’t you remember my words about unfamiliar faces?” Sunset sighed. “I’m sure if they sent one, they have sent ten.”
“Because you couldn’t do it... Why?”
“Because I honor tribal law. Apache don’t kill Apache.”
I smiled softly with relief that my identity for once wasn’t going to bring me danger but save my life. “So what now?”
He looked at the man on the floor and said, “Unless that Apache’s life is threatened, for now we keep you safe. Where is that fella, uh, Cole is it?”
“Why?”
“‘Cause he thinks I want to kill you, and he’s gunnin’ for me.”
“Well until now, I thought you did too. I have friends all over this town, Sunset. They won’t let anything happen to me.”
“Well... I could have killed you countless times, my dear, but didn’t.”
I nodded, “I know you could have...”
“I will die protecting you from the ones who are not your friends,” he promised, “the unfamiliar faces in the crowd.”
I shook my head, amazed at this new twist. I never had thought that Sunset would be on my side. “I just...” I looked around for a spot to sit but didn’t want to sit beside the body on the floor.
“My brother gave me that medal.. when he told me about dad being killed...”
“Let’s move away from... that...” he suggested, wanting to get away from the body in the living room.
“It’s all I have left,” I started to get emotional. “I haven’t told anybody about this since coming home but... Mom’s thinking of selling the ranch.”
“Please don’t cry beautiful. Please. I don’t think I could bear it.”
“Without the ranch where I grew up... without a place to call home...” I shook my head. “This medal is my only tangible memory.”
“It is prime property and will yield a good sum of money. You will always have memories and home is in your heart.”
“My whole life, Sunset... Until I moved to Texas to marry a man who...” I started to cry and looked away.
He handed me a handkerchief and invited me to sit outside for some fresh air. We went to sit in the chairs in front of his cabin and I looked over at him. “I just... this morning you were the man who put a knife to me. Now... you want to protect me?”
“Yes I am. The Great Spirit is amazing that way. I tried to explain, to keep up appearances and give you cryptic hints. We have to work on that, Miss Detective,” he winked at me playfully.
“I was too blinded by my fear.”
“Well we are going to need a plan. Earlier today I saw another moving through the crowd, so they are here already.”
“You did? When you had the knife to me? Who was it? Tambra?”
“No, not Tambra. Although...” he started but remained quiet.
“Who then?” I asked.
“Well, we have to discover that. But in the mean time... Cole will still think I’m trying to kill you. So..”
“I will talk to Cole. He may not believe me though.”
“Bring him here, then he will believe. Just like you did.”
“Well... I kind of don’t have a choice do I? Like you said, if you wanted to hurt me you would have done so already.”
“But make it soon. That body is beginning to decompose in this heat.”
“Just for my own sanity... Who is the body?”
“For your safety, the less you know, the better off you will be.”
I sighed, knowing that answer was coming. “I guess that makes sense.”
“They might try to torture you before... uh.. and stop if they discover you know nothing.”
“What makes you think they won’t still do that?”
“I know this group... they wont stop unless we can get the drop on them.”
“How?”
“Well, perhaps we can lure them into a bottleneck situation. Somehow... hmm I’ve been scouting Bisbee. Blocking the two back exits out of town.. block the front.. then have a sniper pick them off.”
“I like that,” I nodded. “How about I talk to Cole and then get back to you about what he thinks?”
“You bet!”
“I should head back to town,” I stood then, looking over at him. “Thank you, Sunset... you just answered questions that I’ve been asking for fifteen years.”
“I am glad that you are no longer afraid of Sunset,” he smiled at me.
“You can’t really blame me,” I winked.
“Safe paths, shade and cool water.”
“Safe paths to you too,” I smiled and walked back to my office.
Black Diamond.
Noticing the crowd, I went straight over to Nim and asked her if we could talk. I led the way into her office and said, “You may want to close the door. Nim, Sunset’s not our guy.”
“Explain? How do you confuse who had a dagger at your throat?”
“I want to retract my charges against him.”
“We can do that easy, I simply don’t turn in the witness statements.”
“I went to his cabin today with Pet, to see where it was. He came and didn’t appear to be a threat, and I wanted answers. So I went inside with him and we talked...”
“You will need to have Miss Pasiley come voice to me that she wants to also retract.”
“Right, Paisley... Let me get this out first though. We talked... Sunset said a bunch of asscociates came to torment him because he was taking too long to kill me. Pet can vouch for that, she heard them shouting... Thing is... he and my dad did work together as soldiers in the war, and they were both Apaches... I guess the army sent their group in as soldiers to confuse the enemy because they were Apache. Problem is... that group all received a medal... But they wanted more than that. They wanted to be thanked by the army for the work they did... I guess the medal’s worth something because they wanted Sunset to get it off me. He was hired to eliminate me and get the medal. But he took one look at me and realized he couldn’t do it... because we’re both Apache. My father was third generation Apache, making me fourth generation. But whatever the past... Apaches don’t kill Apaches. There are only a few people in town that know that I’m Apache... Pet and Skyla and Tye Durden. I didn’t want that news going out because I didn’t know what it would mean with the Apache tribe here. The thing is...” I looked at Nim. “Sunset promised he would protect me and keep me safe now that he had seen me and knew he couldn’t kill me. If he wanted to kill me, he had a lot of opportunities to do so and didn’t take them. But the associates, the ones who want the medal, they’re still out there. And we have no idea who they are.”
“So, what did you and Miss Pet think should be done about it?”
“I haven’t talked to Pet about it. Sunset wants to get some guys from town and bottle-neck them somehow in one of the small towns... Once we figure out who they are. Pet fainted when she heard the footsteps at Sunset’s cabin and we went inside where Sunset and I talked.”
“Sadly, you lack the resources in Tombstone at the moment.”
“I need to talk to the others and tell them that Sunset isn’t the enemy anymore... But not with V and TJ out there. I don’t know if I can trust them. I know I do... You’re really the main law I can rely on, as well as Wedge who I’ll have to talk to as well.”
“Wedge can help you more then I can, he covers the whole territory.”
“That’s true. I just wanted to tell you first because you’re the one we came to to give the statement. This is good news, Nim. Finally the questions I’ve been asking for fifteen years have been answered.”
“I will tear yours up, but please have Miss Paisley tell me to do the same with hers.”
“I will,” I nodded.
“Let me know what I can help with Trin,” she smiled.
“Will do,” I nodded and followed her outside.
I pulled Cole away from the group and asked him if we could talk.
Bisbee.
We headed over to Bisbee and I told him about everything that Sunset had told me. He wanted to know how many associates there were, and how we would find out who they are. He said that he couldn’t be around all the time, but he would do what he could. I hugged him and went back to Black Diamond to talk to Gabe and Ali.
Black Diamond.
Back in town, I asked Ali and Gabe if we could talk. We headed over to the cafe and I told them everything that I had told Nim and Cole. They asked how they could help and I asked them to keep an ear and an eye out for anyone asking weird questions about me. They assured me that they could do that, and they could do it without always having to follow the law. I told them that’s why I was talking to them as well and they promised me they could help whenever they could.
Tombstone.
I had one more conversation to do before the evening was finished, and that was with Lieutenant Zeluco. I walked over to the fort and saw Wedge walking over to the building. I asked if we could talk and we went into the kitchen where we sat down. I told him all about my day and he agreed to keep me safe if he could.
Feeling much safer knowing I had so many people watching out for me, I headed back home for the night and went to bed.
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