Tombstone.
This morning I sat in my office working on notes when there was a knock on the door. Richie’s voice came from the other side and I got up to welcome him in.
“Trin?”
“Rich, hey!” I smiled.
“Well howdy! I brought ya a coffee and no cream,” he set the mug on my desk.
“Well ain’t you sweet!” I took the drink from him. “Come on, have a seat! How are you doin’ today?”
“I’m fine I’ll be better once I get this coffee down me.”
“Yeah I’ve been given a case to do Friday in court so I came early to get prepared for it.”
“Boy you missed a party in Black Diamond last night. Everybody was there.”
“Oh yeah? I was busy breaking it off with Lawrence. Still friends though,” I sighed, remembering our conversation after leaving the Oriental. We had agreed to keep it friendly but we both had agreed that it would be better if we went our separate ways romantically.
“So this was the mans name...” Richie started. “I know a few people that will rough him up if you like?”
“It’s fine, really. He was just very private and we didn’t really do much in town... Was hardly ever around really.”
We continued to drink our coffee and talk, and I tried to put the past behind me. I had good friends.
They would get me through whatever came my way.
***
Later I walked into town and greeted the crowd in front of Kate’s. Ali said that she needed to talk to me so we went over to Kate’s. We sat at the bar and I looked to her and asked, “So what’s up, Ali?”
“We have spoken before about the possibilities of you coming to help out the sheriff in black diamond if Gabe was elected. I was wondering ifn you’re up for some extra work,” she said.
“I heard you had a big bash over there the other night. Congratulations on getting in!”
“Indeed we did, last night, had a wonderful turnout of folks. And, thank you!”
“Glad to hear that! Good to have so much support. Who is the sheriff out there?”
“Miss Paty Dalton.”
“Don’t believe I’ve met her yet.”
“And, Mister Chet transferred from Benson to Black Diamond.”
“Oh did he? As a deputy?” I smiled.
“Yes.”
“Is your sheriff around town often?”
“Also, Miss Libby will be coming to work for the doctor’s office. The Sheriff works nights.”
“Oh that’s good. I’ll have to wander out that way and see what kind of help the sheriff may need then.”
“The hours the sheriff works might perhaps be an obstacle working with you. but I’m hoping it can be worked out.”
I nodded and said, “Well I’m sure that we can work something out. If she gives me something to work then I’ll work it during the day and maybe report to her when I see her at night or something. I’m hoping to start to help the sheriffs in the surrounding areas more often as I’m not really tied down by jurisdiction.”
“Since Gabe and have high hopes for the town, we are trying to get things in order early on.”
“That’s a good plan. I like that you’re getting into it already,” I smiled.
“I got a job as their bum now. I’m quitting Tombstone.”
“What you talking about, Richie?” she asked to Richie who was sitting outside.
“I said I’m quitting the bum job here in tombstone.”
“I will talk to the Sheriff and let her know,” Ali told me.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Black Diamond. I think you made a real good decision there, Ali,” I told her.
“We will give it all that we have.”
“Well you can know that I’ll help where I can to solve crimes... and if you’re interested in some piano or singin’ in the saloon there once in a while let me know that too. I don’t mind doing that as well as the place in Bisbee.”
We walked back outside and Gabe joined us. We talked for a while about things in Black Diamond and how I would be performing tomorrow. I waved to Bree and Jess as they walked into the saloon and we talked about how Jess had become a nurse. We talked about the dance tonight at Shucks and I said I probably wouldn’t go as I wasn’t a big fan of crowds anyway.
Skyla came into the saloon then and said something about a man smelling outside. I shook my head at that and she began to drink whiskey. She started to dance and Sirus walked in then. I looked over at Sirus and asked, “Hey Sirus... Was wondering if you wanted to write up a statement for me about Ash shooting Pet, I saw you were a witness to it. I know you don’t like goin’ in court though. I’m prosecuting the case on Friday.”
“I guess I’ll write a statement,” Sirus said after some consideration. “But I ain’t goin’ to no court.”
“That’d be great. Dont’ have to be long but somethin’ I can read. I understand that you don’t like goin’ there that’s why I suggested this,” I smiled.
Sky reached in her pocket and gave Sirus a report to fill out. “Dang idiot had no right shootin’ Pet,” he muttered.
“That’s what we’re gonna prove,” I nodded.
“I’d say loads happened that day before I got here that shouldn’t,” Sky shrugged.
I looked between Skyla and Sirus longingly, wishing I could have what they had. “How do you guys make it work?”
“I be quiet and done do everything she tells me too,” Sirus handed me a report.
“Thanks for this,” I nodded.
“Yeah yeah, don’t be goin’ tellin’ anyone I done it,” he told me.
“Now why would I do that, Si?”
“Trin, make what work?” Sky asked.
“Make relationships work... Seems I keep finding men who ain’t ever around enough to make a commitment, or they’re too private and I can’t ever hold their hand in public.”
“Well its even harder when ones law and ones outlaw... but Sirus knows me well enough ta know I’ll shot him. Done it before.” She stopped ad gasped, seeing Sirus slam the bottle hard against his forehead, shattering the bottle and sending him crashing to the floor with his head gashed open.
“Damn it Sirus!” she yelled at him.
He sat up and looked at both of us with confusion. “Ya beat that statement outta me!” he said.
“Sure I did,” I chuckled. “Wonder if anythin’s goin’ on in Black Diamond...”
I decided to wander around and let the two of them sort out whatever had happened.
Bisbee.
As I walked into Bisbee I saw a woman sitting in front of her house. “Howdy ma’am!” I waved to her.
“Afternoon, Sir,” she smiled back at me.
“Oh I’m a woman actually. Detective Trin Paige,” I chuckled. “Nice day out ain’t it?”
She blushed with embarrassment and said, “I am so sorry, must be my eyes going, but I hate those glasses they give you these days.... pleased to meet you, I am miss Scara.”
“It’s alright. Nice to meet you, Scara,” I chuckled. “You live here in Bisbee or somewhere close by?”
“Yes, the house above the church at the end of town.”
“Lovely! I live in Bisbee too. Nice area.”
“Yes it’s wonderful, I am glad to be moving back. I have been away in England for the past year and returned last week.”
“Oh that sounds wonderful too! Well welcome home! What were you doing all the way over in England?”
“I was trying to find someone, but sadly couldn’t find them. They might have returned here, but I gave up my search and decided to settle down. Have I missed much happening here?”
“Oh? Perhaps I could help... Finding people is what detectives are best at,” I winked.
“Well lets see, his name is Omega Doobie. Used to live round here but no idea where he is now.”
“Omega... Haven’t heard that name round these parts but I can keep an ear out for ya. Where did he live around here do you remember?”
“He used to live in a small town south of here, then the last piece of new I had was of him living here, but no idea where.”
“Hmm... Well I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Maybe a description might help?”
“Someone told me a year ago that he had traveled to England, so thats why I left, turns out that fact was false.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
She thought back and said, “Hmmm he had black hair, tan, usually a goatee or small beard. When I knew him he had long hair but I think he might have cut it now.”
“Always a possibility. Maybe you could show me where you live so I know where to come if I find him?”
She invited me over to her house and we walked up the steep hill beside the church to her home. She opened the door and welcomed me inside. “Well this here is my little house, would you like to come in? I might have an old photo to show you of Omega.”
“Oh I would love to come in and see that. This is a lovely home you have.”
“Thank you kindly, please take a seat while I search for that photo. Any questions I can answer for you?” She asked as she started shuffling around boxes and drawers looking over papers and old photos.
“What is the nature of your relationship with this Omega, if I can ask?” I asked as I sat on the couch.
She coughed and looked down, “We were, still, was married.”
“What happened, Scara?” I asked, smiling as things became more clear.
She flipped over the photos, tossing some back in the drawer she had just opened. “I don’t know, he started acting strange then he walked away. I remember it clearly because he was eating a chicken leg as he walked. I haven’t seen him since.”
I tilted my head to the side and asked, “A chicken leg, ma’am?”
“Yes a cooked chicken leg,” she chuckled. “We were at a party for a friend of ours and he just left suddenly.”
“You said he was asking strange?” I prompted as I pulled out my notebook.
She sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. “Yes. We were going through a bit of a trouble patch in our marriage, and were arguing and in and out of each others lives. He was talking about how he should be alone as I was too good for him, or he was too dark and troubled for me.”
“And you were obviously opposed to the idea, so he took the easy way and just left?”
“I guess so,” she nodded. “I have been trying to find him to ask why, and if we are now divorced or what we are, because my father wants me to move back to England to marry another man.”
“Do you want to marry this other man?” I raised my eyebrow as the plot thickened.
“No, but that’s not the point,” she shook her head. “My father wants to see me settled down and taken care of, this other man can provide it, so I really do need to find Omega.”
“I understand the predicament you find yourself in,” I nodded. “I hope we can locate this man and bring some closure to your life so you can move on.”
She drew circles on the table with her finger and nodded, “I hope so, something needs to be done soon. I just hope he hasn’t gotten himself killed, but I did check the graveyards and he is not there.”
I nodded, knowing that would be the first spot I would have looked too. I wondered if she’d found the picture so I could see what the man looked like. I had a brief thought that the man might not want to be found and asked, “Ma’am, can I ask... What kind of a lifestyle does this man lead? Is he an upstanding citizen? Own a business or lead a different position?”
She took out the photo she had under her bead and said, “Here, this might be helpful,” as she passed it to me. “But I must warn you also, he used to be, well, somewhat of an outlaw and trouble maker. Before that he was a Marshal for a little while. So as you can imagine I have no idea what he would be doing now.”
I took the photo from her and listened to her. When she said the word ‘outlaw’ I cringed and asked, “How long ago was this picture taken?”
“He is a good man really,” she said as if she noticed my reaction.
“He is a very handsome man,” I said, looking at her and being careful to use the present tense.
She smiled and chuckled, “One of the reasons I fell for him.”
“Could you tell me a bit more about your relationship? How did you meet... how were your parents responsive to the match... that sort of thing?”
She rested her head on her hand and smiled, “Well we met outside of Tombstone long ago, in a small Saloon where we danced the night away. I was working as a Saloon waitress and he was living in Tombstone. He brought me here, and we settled down in a small cabin in these parts just south. Everything was perfect... My father never met Omega, he didnt want to acknowledged him. Father always wanted me to marry an Englishman and not a cowboy.”
“As I suspected,” I nodded in understanding.
“Yep he really didn’t like Omega. But Omega wanted to prove himself the better man and became a Marshal, I was so proud of him. But then it all went downhill one day. He started dabbling the in legal system. Eventually he became an outlaw.”
“Dabbling how...?”
“He would let outlaws get away with more than they should for small prices, that sort of thing. Letting outlaws know bit of information. I was very angry at him for that.”
“I can imagine. I reckon he made a few enemies with the law...” I nodded.
She sighed and said, “At that point we were married, and so I made it my duty to stay with my husband and support him in whatever he did. Even if I didn’t like it.”
“Of course... The frustrating duty of a wife...”
“He did, on both sides. Anyway, he started spending less time with me and more time out doing whatever he was doing. Then I had to leave for england for a while for a family emergency. He didn’t want to come do i went alone. When I returned he had gone... well... full outlaw and like a stranger to me.”
I shook my head in dismay at the story as she began to get emotional. “When I came back he said that I had abandoned him, but it was a family emergency I had to go to. Then at the friends party he just left, and thats the end of it.”
“Well ma’am I surely will be on the lookout for this man. If for nothing else then for justice to be served and for you to gain the closure that you need,” I promised.
“Thank you, I just need to understand what happened and what will happen now. If I marry this other
gentleman or not,” she wiped her tears away.
“Of course. I would want those answers myself.”
“So what will be your plan of action?”
“I plan to ask around for starters... ask the local lawmen around the area if they know of any of this, see who’s seen him last maybe.... I have several friends in the law field being a detective as you can imagine. Several of them have been around for quite some time.”
“Thats good, there might be so hope still. And what will you do if you do come face to face with him?”
“I’ll see what kind of a state he’s in first. If he seems approachable I’ll come up to him and ask if we could have a chat. I hope to not have to bring you up right away because he may not be well-receptive to that... I would just want to make sure I had the right man, get to know his story from his perspective, maybe eventually ask if he’d ever been married...” I looked to her for approval thus far.
“That seems like the best approach. I wonder if he will even remember me,” Scara nodded.
“Just be careful around him, if he was anything like he used to be when he left he might shoot you or grab you into bed.”
“Well ma’am I assure you I won’t let him go that far. Perhaps just make him think that’s what I want but not actually do it if you catch my meanin’... So he trusts me... But I’d have to make sure he is unarmed somehow...”
“That wont happen,” she shook her head. “He always has his gun on him. Thats why I say be careful with him.”
She looked in her bag on the table and pulled out a coin purse. “How much do you charge for your services?”
“Depends on how much the information is worth I guess... Why don’t we work out a price as we go along and see how things progress? Usually anywhere from 100 to 500 dollars depending on the danger of the case though.”
She pulled out some coins from her purse and started counting, then handed me the coins.
“Thank you, ma’am. I will do my best to find out what I can and will keep you posted.”
“Please do your best, I am sure you will have a higher chance of finding him than me,” Scara smiled.
I nodded and stood, walking outside.
Tombstone.
I looked around town for someone to talk to and found Cletis standing amongst the crowd. I asked him if he knew an Omega Doobie but he said it didn’t sound familiar.
Ella came over and told me that some bad boys were trying to rob the bank. She said it was Voo and someone in a mask, and that they were trying to get the kids to help them with a ladder. I wandered down the street towards the men and greeted Dave who was standing there. Angel told us that Voo had asked her to open the bank door. Ella told Dave what happened and then I saw Pet coming over. I asked her if we could talk in the dining room and she nodded, following me down the street.
“There’s a couple of things I want to talk to you about,” I said when we’d sat down in the dining room of the hotel.
“You bet. What can I do for ya?”
“Firstly... I am going to be prosecuting the case against Ash on Friday at 1:30, in the shooting incident the other day.”
“That is rather fast,” she shrugged.
“Well... was wondering if you could tell me a bit more... You hadn’t seen this man before he shot you?”
“Actually yes, I had. Seen him, well met him the day before.”
“Oh? So he knew who you were...”
“He was standing out front of the bank in the morning justa shootin’ away at the bank doors, trying to get ‘em to open so he could make a withdrawal.”
“A withdrawal huh?”
“Mmhmm.”
“He didn’t think to just knock on the bank door?”
“He thought the bank should be open. although he was new to town. I don’t reckon he had time to make a deposit, if you catch my meanin’.”
“So you said in your statement that he said, ‘I shot her’. Who was he referrin’ to?”
“I was the only ‘her’ on that side of the street face down in the dust. Angi and Jamie was still sittin’ or standin’. So they wasn’t shot none. Now where were?”
“Okay so... he yelled that he shot you ‘cause you had gone to tell him to get out of the bank since there was no law around... You said you’d seen him the day before tryin’ to get in the bank too... I think the details make sense now. Would you be willing to be a witness for me in court? The trial’s Friday at 1:30.”
“I wish some one had given me a chance to look at my schedule when they plan these things.”
“I’ll make ever effort to be there, yes.”
“I know... I hope you can come. I had one more thing I wanted to ask you about before we head back into the street... Does the name ‘Omega Doobie’ ring any bells with you?”
“Hmm... Omega Doobie, can’t say as I recall the name. Why?”
“I’ve been assigned to look for him by a woman who just moved back into Bisbee. Thought I would ask some of the people who’ve lived here a while ‘cause apparently he lived here a couple years back. Has since disappeared and she’d like me to find him.”
“No, I don’t think I know that person.”
“If you hear the name around the town, you’ll let me know?”
“Of course, Trin, but...” she leaned in. “Did he do something... bad?”
“I don’t know just yet, but I’ve been warned to be careful around him.”
We heard a horse wining outside and went to see what was wrong. We pet the horse a bit and Pet seemed to know it well so I let them reunite and wandered back to my office.
On the way there I saw BB standing in the street talking with Cletis and Harm, Clint’s wife. Cletis walked away without doing anything. I saw Richie sitting on the balcony of the undertaker’s office so I went up to sit beside him. I watched as BB, Punk, TJ, Tx and Harm talked. Cletis announced that he had a warrant for Tx but then TJ shot him down.
I sighed and said, “Gettin’ bloody sick of the lack of law support around here. Where’d Deputy Dave go?”
“Shut it Trin, or you’re next,” TJ called up to me.
“Yes sir,” I said somewhat mockingly. “I need a walk,” I looked over at Richie.
“Don’t get any ideas, Trin,” TJ warned me.
I sighed and just walked off to Black Diamond.
Black Diamond.
Later this evening I sat in the courtyard with Richie and Lawrence. I met Souzan Walton, Chet’s wife, and then headed home to Bisbee.
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