Tombstone.
Christmas passed quietly and I spent the 24th at the saloon in Diamond dancing with folks there. On boxing day, I started working at the Oriental Saloon in Tombstone and met a woman named Sakura who was from Japan. She was touring around with Pet and we talked a bit about Christmas before she headed upstairs to the room she was renting in the Oriental.
Today, I received a court summons for a trial against Billy James for attempted bank robbery, and decided to be prosecutor. It had been a while since I’d done a case so I figured now was as good a time as any to get back into it.
Billy was already sitting in his place as was Suzy Honi, the arresting ranger. Ed came in to take his spot as defense attorney and Angi came to reside as judge. Jimmi, Jack and Jessica sat on the jury and then Angi began the trial.
“Prosecutor and Defense, I trust you are both satisfied with the Jury?” Angi asked.
“Yes, your honor,” Ed nodded.
“Looks good to me,” I nodded.
“Members of the Jury, please listen carefully. You are here to perform a civic duty to the court. I ask you to keep an open mind, and to make your decision of guilt or innocence from the testimony presented to you in court with no favor or preconceptions,” Angi started and then rapped her gavel on the desktop. “This court is now in session.”
I jumped at the gavel and muttered, “Every time.”
“Accused Billy James, you have been charged with the following offenses: attempted bank robbery. Defense, how does the Prisoner plead? Guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty your honor!” Ed declared.
Angi nodded and said, “We will now hear the opening statements. Prosecutor, you may approach the Jury.”
I walked over to the jury bench and smiled at the folks sitting there. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that you have all had a blessed holiday. We appreciate you taking the time to help us allow justice to reign in this fine town of ours. This man here was seen by three esteemed citizens with his guns drawn. The law observed the incident and arrested the man before he could do any damage, physical or otherwise. I ask that you all find this man guilty of attempted bank robbery, and we’ll all be able to head home promptly to resume our holidays as the new year approaches.”
I walked back to my seat and Angi invited Defense to give his opening statement. Ed walked over to the jury bench and said, “Good people of the jury, I have a question for you: what is robbery? It’s taking something that doesn’t belong to you, correct? So bank robbery is by definition taking money or belongings from a bank that doesn’t belong to you. I intend to prove that my client did, in fact, have NO intentions of taking money or belongings that did not belong to him! Thank you.”
“Prosecutor, please call your first witness,” Angi invited as Ed sat back down.
“Yes ma’am,” I stood. “Your Honor, this will be a fairly quick case for us. I call Suzy Honi to the stand.”
Suzy walked forward and was sworn in. When she sat down I smiled at her. “Good evening, Captain. Thank you for being here early. Could you please tell us what happened that day at the bank?”
Billy put his feet up on the desk and yawned and Angi suggested, “Defense, I suggest you discuss proper court conduct with your client before he finds himself in contempt.”
“Yes,” Suzy nodded to me. “I was walking down Allen St. I walked past the bank and saw Mr James go inside.”
“Your honor, my client is a simple sort. He has had no real introduction to “respectable” behavior as such. I apologize,” Ed said and then whispered something to Billy.
“Then perhaps, you should teach him to take his shoes off the table,” Angi suggested.
“Yes judge, sorry,” Billy said and put his feet down.
“I walked around the block and as I came back I saw Mr James inside with a gun drawn yelling at Miss Bree to give him the money,” Suzy continued.
“What exactly was Billy yelling?” I asked.
“He robbed Bree? Where is my gun?” Jack asked from the jury bench and I tried to focus on questioning Suzy.
“Kris and I approached I three times ordered him to drop his gun and did not but instead told Miss Bree to give him the money.”
“So what happened when he resisted your order to drop his weapon?”
“He did not drop his gun so I shot him in the butt with bird shot which incapacitated him. He was then arrested and taken to the docs office then to jail. Inside the jail he admitted to robbing the bank.”
“Seems clear enough. Thank you Captain. I have no further questions,” I smiled and headed back to my seat.
“Defense, you may question the witness,” Angi instructed.
“I just want to clarify one thing. You’re certain he said ‘Give me the money’?” Ed asked while he walked over to Suzy.
“Yes, with a drawn gun.”
“Thank you. No further questions,” Ed nodded and sat down and I chuckled a bit.
Angi instructed Suzy to have a seat and asked if I had any more witnesses, but I said that I didn’t. In calling his first witness, Ed called Billy James to the stand. He was sworn in and Ed began his line of questioning.
“Give me the money. Not ‘give me all the money’ or ‘empty the safe’ or anything. Isn’t it true that you have an account at that bank sir?!” Ed asked.
“First of all, I didn’t yell and draw my gun.”
“Yes, as I recall you were there, yet again, to try to get your money from your account, weren’t you? Something that has proven quite difficult to do.”
“I was opening my account. Maybe I draw my gun; I never rob banks.”
I tilted my head to the side a bit, writing down a counter question.
“Hmm. You’re a simple man, aren’t you sir? You believe in simple things, like an honest day’s work over ‘book learning’. That makes things like bank accounts kind of difficult to handle I imagine.”
“Yes sir. My wife and my twins just moved here.”
“I see. So when Christmas was coming around, and you needed the money from your own account, it was frustrating when the people at the bank just kept telling you that you needed this form, or that form in order to get it, wasn’t it?”
“Yes I was, mister.”
“I see. No further questions.”
“Prosecutor, you may question the witness,” Angi instructed.
I walked over to the stand and smiled, “Hi there, Billy. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
“I understand that forms can be very frustrating to fill out, but you do understand that banks in these parts have a system that they must follow in order to protect the finances of the citizens, right?”
“Objection, your honor!” Ed said and I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What is your objection?”
“Those very forms were, in this case, stopping a client from getting to his finances... so any ‘protecting’ was protecting the bank from having to pay out what was owed!”
“Your honor, those forms prove that the money Billy was asking for was indeed his own money,” I looked at Angi.
“Now I reckon I’ve been to the bank a few times, and never had to fill out anything, but since this is the line of questioning she’s pursuing, I’ll allow it.”
“Thank you, your honor,” I smiled. “At first, Billy, you said that you didn’t yell or draw your gun, but then you said that you did draw your gun but didn’t rob the bank. Which is it?”
“Well I didn’t have cash on me when the Ranger arrested me.”
“I don’t believe that’s an answer,” I looked to the judge for clarification.
“Well, I reckon he just admitted he wasn’t successful in robbing the bank,” Angi said.
“Did you or did you not draw your guns at Bree?” I asked again and looked at Angi. “Your honor, with all due respect, we are here for attempted bank robbery. The word ‘attempted’ implies that he wasn’t successful.”
“I believe that would be what I said, Trin,” Angi nodded.
“Your honor, you’ll understand where I’m going when Billy answers the question,” I smiled at her.
“I didn’t draw gun at Bree. If I did, I shoot her,” Billy finally answered.
“So you are saying that a calvary captain lied in a sworn statement and on the stand in a courtroom where she is also a judge?” I looked at him.
“Objection!” Ed cried.
“Grounds?” Angi asked.
“My client didn’t make any statement about the evidence submitted. The perceptions of others were never mentioned in his statement just now.”
“I’m sorry your honor, I’ll include that in my closing statement,” I said.
“Thank you, Miss Trin,” Angi nodded.
“No further questions,” I said and sat back down.
“Defense, do you have any more witnesses?” Angi asked.
“No more witnesses here your honor.”
“We will now hear the closing statements. Prosecutor, you may approach the Jury.”
I walked over to the jury and smiled at them. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve heard a clear testimony from the Captain of our esteemed cavalry explaining the incident where she and another lawmen witnessed Billy James threaten Bree and specifically say ‘Give me the money’. Seems like his intents were clear to me that he wanted money that wasn’t his own, and that he used weapons to promote his request. When asked if he did or did not draw his gun at Bree, he said that he did not. However we heard from Captain Suzi Honi in her statement on the bench that she did indeed see Billy with his guns drawn, and assisted Kris in the arrest. I ask that you find Billy guilty of attempting to rob the bank, as his motives are fairly clear.”
I went back to my seat and Angi invited Defense to give his closing statement. Ed walked forward and said, “Good people of the jury, what we have here is simple. We have a man who, admittedly, might get confused and not handle such things as bank transactions which we take for granted. We have a man who found his request for the money HE toiled for being denied due to things he couldn't grasp. Finally, at wits end, we have a man who demanded his money. Were guns involved, or was it merely someone from outside the bank thinking they saw guns? Certainly no shots were fired other than the one that injured my client according to the report. In the end it was a simple matter of someone wanting his money so he could provide his family a good Christmas, and the bank not working with someone who might not be quick to understand their ways driving that man to the brink of any expectable tolerance. Thank you.”
“Members of the Jury. The accused faces your decision for the charges of attempted bank robbery,” Angi said to them. “You have been given testimony in court by the Prosecution for the offenses charged on the Prisoner. You have also heard the argument presented by the Defense. I ask you to retire to the Jury Chamber to make your decision, appoint a foreman and return with a verdict, unanimous or by majority, of guilty or not guilty.”
As the jury walked back to the room to deliberate, I leaned over to Ed and asked, “Up for a drink after in the Oriental? I work there now.”
“Really? I didn’t know we could work outside of the court!” Ed replied.
“Of course. Angi there runs the orphanage, don’t ya your honor?” I looked at the judge.
“Sure do,” she nodded. “I’m also the undertaker. There ain’t enough trials to pay the bills. Them orphans don’t stop eatin’.”
“Sure is true,” I nodded.
We waited in silence while the jury continued to discuss and when they came out Angi asked who the foreman was and Jimmi pointed to Jack.
“Oh, me. Well we the members of the jury say he’s guilty as hell,” Jack stated and I smiled widely, writing down 5-2 on my notebook.
Angi nodded and turned to the defendant. “Billy James, you have been tried in a court of law and a Jury of your peers has found you guilty of the following crimes: Attempted Bank Robbery. You will be fined 20 dollars or detained behind bars for the duration of 10 minutes.”
“Okay, murders in town will start,” Billy muttered.
“Ranger Suzy, please take this man out of my sight,” Angi ordered.
“Okay mister, what will it be? Pay or go to jail?” Suzy walked over to him.
“I will pay,” Billy nodded.
“This court is closed,” Angi concluded.
“Good work,” I smiled to Ed.
“I did my best,” Ed nodded. “Missed it by that much.”
I said goodbye to the others and headed out of the courtroom to work on my report for the records.
***
Black Diamond.
Tonight I walked into the saloon in Diamond just as Rikki was kicking a gun aside from a man who was clearly wounded. I observed members from both the Alvord-Stiles gang and the Young Guns gang gathering in the saloon and decided that perhaps this wasn’t the best time to enter Diamond. I followed Thad and the man to the clinic, with Jess walking close behind. As we walked out I heard Dash say, “Sorry ya had to see that on yer first day here in Dash Diamond.”
In the clinic, Jess and Thad lay the man on the bed and I looked between them. “What happened, Thad?”
“Well let’s see...” he started as Jess went to work tending to the man’s wounds. “Dash wanted the town, we said no. Mr. Redd wanted to talk to Dash.”
“He’s got his own damn town. What’s wrong with Ghenna?” I looked at Thad.
“And Dash said to tell him in the open,” Thad continued.
“Thad, you there partner?” Redd groaned.
“Uh huh... Redd wanted to be the hero, huh?” I looked over at the man on the bed.
“I’m right here, Mr. Redd,” Thad walked over to him.
“Is the town safe yet my friend? Did we do it? Maybe now they will return..” Redd said weakly.
“Well it didn’t look good,” Thad shook his head. “I’m tryin’, Redd.”
“Thad, where the hell is the law?” I asked them.
“You Der lady,.. stick around we’s gonna talk,” Redd looked over at me.
“Sure thing. I’m Detective Trin Paige,” I nodded and walked over to him. “Dash shot ya?”
He nodded as Jess gave him a tablespoon with medication on it and he swallowed it, then cringed at the taste.
“Um, there is no law,” Thad said.
“I admire you tryin’ to be the hero though. Did you even have a chance to draw your own weapon in response?” I asked and then blinked at Thad. “NO law?!”
“And no court.”
“No...” I shook my head in dismay. “Damn...”
“No bank...”
“Hey now! I tried my best on the banks!” Redd yelled then.
“Yes, but it’s better you protect the town. They keep burning the town, or trying to,” Thad said.
“What happened to Devin? He was a deputy ‘round here when I came at Christmas...” I asked and Redd laughed at that so I stared at him. “And what’s funny about that?”
“TJ got fired.”
“I heard about that...”
“Devin and the others quit...” Thad went on.
“Robbed a bank the next day but I never heard why he was fired,” I shook my head.
“We two people, me and Bill, got locked up in the safe,” Thad said.
“Devin is a no good fake, TJ is a outlaw so is his girl Lisa Now the town is overrun by Dash and his, and the Wild Bunch, and the Young Guns.. It’s a hard task to take’em all on miss,” Redd told me.
“We will just do the best we can,” Thad said.
I nodded to Redd and said, “Trust me, I know... Ain’t good the gangs are ganging up together though. This ain’t gonna end well. Why is Diamond always the target?”
“I’m not sure,” Thad shook his head. “The next thing you know one of us will be kidnapped.”
“As if you ain’t already been kidnapped enough,” I looked at him.
“I will raise hell, I will move the waters to get you back my friend..” Redd said.
“True,” Thad nodded, “But I always come back alive.”
“Yeah, I know ya do... Don’t make it a good thing though,” I nodded.
“True. You must handle pain real good, Redd,” Thad said as Jess worked on putting stitches over the bullet wound.
“That stuff you gave me Thad, i likes it reeel guud,” Redd told him.
“It does work good, huh?” Thad giggled.
“How’s your pain, Mr. Redd?” Jess asked him.
“Livable, Miss Jessica.”
“That’s good.”
“I need to talk to this detective here though at my place,” he told her.
“You need to keep your wounds clean and dry, watch for any redness,” Jess told him.
“Yes, Miss Jessica, I will do that.”
“I have all the time in the world. Seems we have a lot to discuss,” I nodded to him.
I waited until Jess had cleared him from the clinic and we said goodbye to her and Thad while Jess looked after another wound of Thad’s. Following Redd outside, he led the way to the office that had once been mine and Alex’s Pinkerton office. I sighed a bit at the memories and then focused on business.
“Ma’am, I ask that you lay your guns on that table by that row of chairs,” Redd instructed.
“What kind of business is this?” I looked at him.
Redd walked over and lay his own gun on the table as a show of good faith and then walked over to his desk and sat down with a sigh. I watched him and then did the same thing, shrugging as I sat down.
“Alright, I’m listening.”
“In this town with no law there is a service that has become mine and mine alone. I take jobs from everyone all round Arizona and with that some things happen as you just saw, There is things I do which normal law wouldn’t think nice and tikkity boo. But these requests help me keep some form of order which as you can see is not always the best type of order. But I only do anything I do in the best interest of the people of this town, The law abiding citizens.”
“So you’re acting as a detective but one that is willing to bend the law to protect the town?”
“No,” he shook his head. “It’s more like something you’d hire if you need someone taken out. It’s the sort of thing that i need to do so I can keep up on my ammo and my sanity.”
“So you act as law even though you have no badge,” I looked at him skeptically, unsure how it’s different.
“There’s not always a good ending is how it’s different, ma’am.”
“Fair enough. So you’re a gun for hire... What’s your plan on overtaking all these gangs trying to take over Diamond?”
He sighed and said, “Keep that little tid bit to yourself but the plan is since I am only one guy is to do it one person at a time...”
“Don’t worry darlin’, your secret’s safe with me. Though the law in Tombstone might see it differently. You’ll have to be discrete about it.”
“If we could get some sorta force, to take these guys head on they might think twice...”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Honey I’ve been around these parts since May... The gangs always win ‘round here. They’ve got the numbers.”
“As I’ve come to realize, but maybe one of these days I will get lucky. I just know for a fact that I have bitten off more then I can chew.”
“Well, I hate to be the glass-is-half-empty kind of gal but... I’ve seen this place go through cycles and unfortunately it feels never-ending. What we really need is good lawmen willing to do their jobs well so that cases go to court. Then we need good lawyers who are willing to go the distance to bring justice to this town. Especially on hangin’ trials.”
“I don’t see it happening, honestly,” Redd nodded.
“Then we’re caught in an endless cycle... Unless you and I put our heads together and figure out how to derail them from the inside.”
“The Wild Bunch are not as bad,” he nodded, “They never tried to gun me down, but them others are the worst. Maybe you can ask the Wild Bunch leader for some help? I need to stay here and keep some sort of something in place.”
I thought about Lot and Sniper and wondered how good the chances were of getting either of them on my side. “Now that is an interesting idea... You mean get the Wild Bunch to fight against the Alvord-Stiles and the Young Guns so that we have the lesser of the three evils here in Diamond?”
“It could work, but I don’t know how I don’t know what sort of things we’d have to do.”
“I have some ideas up my sleeve... You leave Lot and Sniper to me... I’ve known Sniper long before comin’ to Arizona... I’m sure I can talk some sense into him at least.”
“Well Miss, you can go do what you need to do, I am going to try and get some feeling back in my arms alright?”
I smiled and stood, walking over to him. “I work over at the Oriental in Tombstone. We can meet there if it’s too dangerous for us to meet here from time to time.”
“I look forward to working with you, Redd. Hopefully we’ll get this town back in order soon enough,” I reached out to take his hand.
“To order, and what it brings,” he shook my hand and winced in pain.
I frowned and asked, “Are you sure I can’t escort you home? Seems like you got hit pretty bad there.”
“I’ll sleep here tonight. It’s alright.”
“Alright then... You take care, Redd, and we’ll talk soon.”
“Be safe,” he said.
“You too, hon,” I winked at him and went out of the office, picking up my gun on the way out.
In the streets I greeted Jack and Sommer on their way to the saloon and then said hi to Devin who was walking over. I asked him to walk me home to make sure that I got there safely and he did so. When we arrived at my apartment under the office, he hugged me tightly and said goodnight before walking back outside as I got ready for bed.
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