August 23, 1899

Bisbee. 

This morning I woke up after a night of disturbed sleep. I went over to Chezz to get myself some coffee and began my shift. I hadn’t slept much the night before and hoped that the monotonous task of filling out profile reports for the Pinkertons would be distracting enough for me to move on from what I had witnessed yesterday. 

A few hours later, Bree came out of the bank and I waved to her, then decided to head to Black Diamond to see if Matt was around. 

Black Diamond. 

I walked into town and smiled when I saw Matt. He smiled and greeted me, “Afternoon, Deputy Detective.” 

“Well hey there Deputy. All alone?”

“Seems like it,” he nodded. 

“Feel like some company? I could use a break from the paperwork.”

“Love the company,” he smiled again. 

“Where to? We have some catching up to do.”

“We can sit on the bench here... or go to the saloon... or the cafe...” 

“Cafe seems good a place as any.”

He led the way to the cafe and pulled out a chair for me. “Come, there is fresh coffee.” He went inside and got two mugs and the pot of coffee, setting them on the table and serving coffee for both of us. 

“Nothin’ like a gentleman serving coffee...” I smiled at him. 

“How things going, Trin? It has been a while since the shootout in Bisbee.” 

“Yeah... Things are.. Well... Sunset is dead,” I looked down. 

“Hope that the coffee is good...” he said and then listened. “That’s good news, isn’t it?” 

“No... He... I guess I didn’t even tell you about all that did I?” I shook my head. 

“No, you did not. What happened? The last that I heard was that he wanted to kills you after he killed your dad years ago.” 

I sighed and leaned forward. “Matt... Sunset was sent to eliminate me so that he could get the medal back for his associates, who my father worked for in the war... The medal was worth a lot of money... He killed my father because he was told to because Dad went and did his own thing but kept the medal... Sunset told me that he couldn’t kill me though... because we’re both Apache... He promised to protect me. I talked with him for half an hour in his cabin and he explained everything. If he wanted to kill me he had lots of opportunity to do so then.”

“Did he tell you who sent him?” 

“Anyway... he told me who the associates were... Clint and Harm Houston... Clint was my first case that I ever investigated and solved here in Tombstone... I was shocked when I heard of his involvement. Matt... The day before yesterday I saw Sunset in Tombstone running around looking afraid. Harm was there too but she was masked and I didn’t know it was her yet. We hid in the Birdcage Theater for a while but then wandered outside to see where she was. We made a break for Bisbee but she...” I hesitated and looked in his eyes, getting emotional again at the memory. He reached over and took my hand and I squeezed his tightly, grateful for the physical support. “She shot him... point blank... he went down hard and I turned to see he wasn’t running with me anymore. She wanted me to...” I looked away at the memory. 

“It is okay... Take your time,” he sighed and continued to hold my hand. 

“She wanted me to... to drag him to the gallows,” I interlaced my fingers with his, using the other hand to wipe the tears, knowing I needed to let these emotions out for the past couple of days. 

“Not a good way... Why did she want that? And why you?” 

“I don’t know...” I shook my head. “But I couldn’t do it. I asked her what she really wanted from me and then I gave her a fake medal I’d had made up in case something happened like this... and I ran... But Matt...” I hesitated, knowing there was more. “BB was there too... She threatened me that if I came after her she’d kill me and whoever else was with me. I’ve been pursuing her for months... It was sheer bad luck she was there then too.”

“Two at the same time? Do they know about the fake medal?” 

“Who knows. They’ve probably figured it out by now but... I don’t know. Maybe now that Harm’s killed Sunset she thinks she’s done enough. I can’t be sure if I’m safe or not.”

“You know that if you feel threatened, you just need to give me a holler,” Matt nodded. 

“I know... I just... I haven’t been able to talk to anyone except Jimmi and Pet about this... I... I haven’t slept, Matt.”

“Where who live?”

“BB and Hamm...” 

“Ghenna I’d suspect... Not sure where Harm and Clint are living these days...”

“Perhaps is better to go have a talk with them... After all, you are law now,” Matt suggested. 

“I’d rather let it be until they continue to do something. I’m already going after BB for an open warrant...”

He took a handkerchief out and dried my tears. “You need to sleep and rest, Trin,” he said softly. 

“I close my eyes and I see... I see it all...” I shook my head. 

“Perhaps... Nah... That would be out of place...” 

“Perhaps what?” I looked at him. 

“Perhaps I... would keep... company when you... sleep.” 

“But... Mysti... Ty...” 

“Mysti.. she is dealing with the issues of her dead husband.. I cannot be tied down...” He said and I nodded with understanding, knowing that Ty was hardly around anyway but somehow had still stolen my heart. “Besides, it’s just keeping company for you to find rest...” he caressed my hand and whispered. 

I smiled, knowing he was right and that I did need protection too. “I suppose you’re right... Ty will understand the need for the protection...”

“I am sure he will..... he would not want for you to be in a state of defenseless...” he held my hands. 

“You still live in that home with the teepee? Out in the middle of nowhere?” I looked in his eyes. 

“That’s the ranch of Mysti... I stay there while she is on travel back east.. but usually sleep in the open under the stars.” 

“And that’s supposed to make me feel safer?” I winked, a bit of the playfulness returning. 

“You will be with me... that will be enough,” he winked with a mischievous smile. 

“I’d be more comfortable at my place... Where there’s four walls and a door that locks...” I chuckled and stroke my thumb along the palm of his hand. 

“Well... we can go to your place if you prefer, but you will have to guide me... I do not know where is located...” he blinked. 

“Not many do, that’s the beauty of it. It’s nicely disguised by my Pinkerton office.”

“Oh? Detective... that is very clever,” he smiled. 

“I thought you’d be impressed,” I winked. 

I led him home and he held me close, comforting me after an emotional few days. 

***

This evening I was sitting in front of my office when I saw Raz walking over. “Evening Miss, you seen a tallish woman with a badge on her chest around here? She’s got green eyes and looks gray under strange lighting.” 

“Well hey there. Come to relieve me of my paperwork have ya?” I smiled. 

“Might as well. What sort of paperwork might this be?” he asked, studying me closely. 

“Let me go clock out and get off duty. I could use the break.” I walked into the office and wrote down when I was done my shift and then walked outside. “I’m all yours,” I smiled. “Good to see you!” 

“Well, aren’t those lucky words?” he smiled and turned to the empty town. “So... where to?” 

“Hmm... Could use a coffee... How about Chezz Paradise? It’s becoming my favorite place to relax.”

He looked a bit lost and then said, “Shall we?” he asked, holding out his arm. 

I put my arm around his and led the way to the cafe. He went behind the counter and poured us a couple of cups of coffee and then came over to set the drinks on the table. When we were seated I asked, “So what have you been up to since I saw you last?”

“Oh, all sorts of nothings,” he said evasively. 

“Going to be vague tonight, eh?” I chuckled. 

“Well, if I could say more and be less boring I surely would. But truth is, I’ve just been wandering around meeting new people in the next town.” 

“There are surely lots of people to meet... I’ve kind of been enjoying the quietness of Bisbee, helps me actually get some writing done.”

“You’re a writer then? How many jobs do you have around here?”

“Too many it would seem. Writing is how I think through what’s happened during the day... going over conversations with people and incidents. Helps keep the memory sharp.”

“What sort of writing do you do?”

“Like I said, mostly journaling...” I smiled and drank my coffee. “As a Pinkerton I have to know everything about everyone... so remembering what happens each day is important.”

“Don’t think you might be getting in too deep? The job, the writing? Put too much of that in your head and you won’t sleep at night.”

I looked at him seriously and said, “Trust me, Raziel... Journaling is not what keeps me up at night. Watching the man who killed my father get shot at point blank while he and I are running for cover... That’s what keeps me up at night.”

“Are you still looking for him?” 

“He’s dead...” I said, trying to distance myself from the emotion so I didn’t break down like I had earlier today in Matt’s arms. 

“Oh... I’m sorry I asked.” He looked around awkwardly and sipped his coffee.

“It’s fine...” I shrugged. “He was sent to kill me too but he couldn’t do it. He landed up trying to protect me and saved my life by giving up his.”

“I hope you don’t mind me asking but... if he’s dead, what are you searching for?” 

“Searching for?” I looked at him. 

“Well, I got the feeling your stories that you decided to be a detective in search of something.” 

“Truth... reason... logic... trying to understand why people do the things that they do and presenting folks with facts instead of fiction,” I smiled. 

“I see... Well, I can’t say I’m glad you’re out there taking the hits for the rest of us, but it’s nice someone out there cares enough to do it.” 

“Well... I learned that by just being a detective I wasn’t getting very far. I needed to become one of the lawmen as well. Being law in Bisbee meant I’d be under a slightly different punishment system, so the mayor allowed it. It helps me do both jobs well.”

“You’re not worried about over exhausting yourself? Making mistakes?” 

“That’s why I keep meticulous notes.”

“And what happens if you lose those notes?” 

I looked at him seriously, not liking the turn of this conversation and wondering suddenly what he’s up to. 

He caught my glance and said, “Well, speaking hypothetically. Don’t listen to me though. I’m just making conversation.”

“Everything is kept secure in a place no one knows about,” I assured him. 

“So... “What do you do when you’re off duty?”

“I’ll be honest... it’s hard for me not to be on duty... My life is my work... There are suitors from time to time but I generally try to live in the moment because you never know when you’ll get one again. Since I moved to Bisbee... I haven’t really ventured into Allen Street much in the evenings anymore... Not as much a fan of the crowds...” I smiled. “And how about you, Raz?” I asked, turning the table of discussion. “You know a lot about me... Tell me something about yourself.”

“Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you that it’s fairly boring... I’m originally from Charleston and came here when a few friends and I got the idea to head west in search of greater opportunities.. Well, not all of them made it. It was...a rough traveling experience. The ones who did turned back towards Charleston.”

“I’m sorry to hear,” I nodded to him sympathetically. 

“Me too...” he sipped his coffee. 

“I’ve lost many friends I was close to as well. We can talk about something else. I still don’t know much about what you do for a living...” I reached over and put my hand on his arm comfortingly. 

“It’s alright. Enough time passes, you learn to live with it.. you know.”

“I do know,” I nodded. “Sometimes too much time passes...”

“Well, look at us,” he smiled faintly then. “Just the happy ones, with the entertaining conversations.”

I looked over and said, “I saw a card table over there... Feel like playin’ some Poker?”

He took my hand and kissed it. “I would, but I should probably get going. Thank you for the lovely time.”

“Are you sure...? Did I say something wrong?” I looked at him. 

“Not at all, in fact you’re the reason I showed up in Bisbee at all.

“Alright, I guess if I can’t change your mind...” I realized I was disappointed that I was losing his company for the evening. 

“Oh... I’m sure many things could change my mind,” he looked me up and down and then said, “If I don’t see you again tonight, have yourself a good evening.”

“Alright, I’ll try. Thank you for the coffee and conversation. I’ll see you soon I hope,” I sighed. 

“Take care of yourself,” he smiled. 

I nodded as we headed out of the cafe together. “Have a good evening.”

I walked back to my house and went to lay in my bed, crying over an emotional day and the fact that I still hadn’t heard from Tyson.