Tombstone.
This morning I walked into town and got a coffee from the hotel before heading back to Kate’s. I sat down with my notebook and then a man walked over towards me. I looked up and smiled, “Morning sir. Don’t believe we’ve met yet.”
“The name is Ash. It’s good to meet you. What do you do around here?”
I smirked a little, thinking he won’t be so pleased to meet me come Friday afternoon. “Oh, I’m a Pinkerton Agent,” I said the half truth. “And you?”
“I’m an enterprising man. I have my hands in a little bit of everything.”
“Uh huh,” I nodded. “Sounds like me.”
“It’s a good thing to be,” he smirked.
“One of them ‘can’t sit still’ folks?”
“Somethin’ like that. I like making financial withdrawals from time to time, it spices up the life.”
“Mmhmm,” I said knowingly.
“You into that too?” he smirked and swaggered a bit.
“Nah, not really my thing. My money’s kept safe in a secret place,” I winked.
“Mmm, I bet,” he looked down at me suggestively and them smirked.
“How long you been in town, Sir?”
“Not too long, just a little bit.” He swaggered over to the side and I studied him.
“You been drinking, Sir?”
“Just drinking the beauty of this town,” he smirked.
“Uh huh.” I tried not to laugh at the irony of the situation and just shook my head in amusement.
“What’s a Pinkerton Detective doing in Tombstone?” he wondered.
“Same thing a detective would be doing anywhere else... Investigating and helping solve crimes,” I smiled.
“Oh, I love solving crimes.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“I like the financial variety; helping people who have trouble with their money.”
“Is that what the kids call it these days?” I chuckled.
“Mmhmm,” he laughed.
Muriel walked over and I leaned back in my chair as Ash greeted her. I rested my notebook in my lap, waiting for the man to speak again and smiled in the silence. At length he said it was good to meet me and then walked away.
A man named Johnson walked over and started to talk to Muriel in front of the hotel. He called out to Ash who had ridden over on a coach and asked where he was from. Ash pulled up onto the curb and spit tobacco on the ground when Johnson said he figured Ash was an easterner. Ash got defensive and hopped off the cart, putting his hands to his guns.
I walked over then and said, “Howdy, gentlemen.”
“Ain’t needin’ to go there son,” Johnson lowered his hand to his own gun.
“Then you’ll be movin’ along now, won’t you friend?” He looked at me and said, “Beggin’ your pardon, this might not be the best time for chattin’.”
“Actually I think it’s the perfect time for chattin. Does everything have to be solved with bullets?” I looked between them.
“Well I ain’t gonna be leaving town,” Johnson said definitively.
“Well I find my friend Bull and Et solve my problems quite nicely,” Ash referred to his guns.
“Only creates more problems, Sir. And more paperwork for the rest of us.”
Johnson looked over at me and then back to Ash. “Seems this fella thinks so, I’s reckon.”
“Well paperwork would be someone else’s problem seein’ as how I wouldn’t need to fill nythin’ out other than the certificate of this man’s sad departin’,” Ash said. “His exit visa, if you will.”
I looked over at Johnson and, though I already knew his name from introducing himself to Muriel I said, “Don’t think we’ve met. Detective Trin Paige.”
Johnson snorted a laugh at Ash’s boast and that got Ash to draw his guns. Johnson did so as well and I backed up slightly.
“Now sir, come on. Does it really have to come to that?” I looked to Ash.
Johnson drew his gun and shot down Ash quickly then, to avoid getting shot himself. “Well son that was rather unfortunate,” he said as Ash groaned in pain. I shook my head at the two men and suddenly wished I was a Deputy again. “Hope there’s a doc who can fix ya up,” Johnson said to Ash as he holstered his guns.
I looked over to Ash and asked, “Shall I go get you a doctor?”
He nodded weakly and I walked down to the clinic to see if there was a doctor around. Seeing no one I walked back to the hotel and called out, “Doctor needed at the hotel in Tombstone!”
“No doc in town?” Johnson asked me.
“Don’t appear to be,” I shook my head.
“Sure a real shame,” Johnson frowned.
“Sir, perhaps it’d be best if I help you to the clinic in case one can come,” I suggested to Ash.
I tried to get the horse to allow us to get Ash off the carriage but the horse was spooked and wouldn’t let me near her. I backed up and looked over at Johnson. “Sir, I know that you shot him but I really could use some help here.”
“What can I do to help?” he asked, obviously stifling a laugh.
“We need to get this man off the carriage and to the clinic.”
Sirus came over then and he helped me get Ash out of the clinic and took the gun away from him. We staggered over to the clinic and I helped him sit up on the bed as we waited for a doctor. “Rest there, Sir. Hopefully someone will be by to help you soon.”
He grabbed some gauze and started to look at his wound. He tried to stand to grab some rubbing alcohol but I told him to stay seated and helped him tend to the wound, though he seemed to know what he was doing. “Well if you could take your clothes off it would help me get better even quicker,” he smirked.
“I’ll bet,” I chuckled. “You’d like taht a bit too much I think.”
“Maybe just some fresh milk would be nice,” he laughed some more.
“I ain’t puttin’ on a cute little nurse outfit either.”
“You sure?”
“It’d be nice if you’d put on a nice sherrif’s outfit. Somethin’ hot. Or something more revealing?”
“This ain’t hot enough huh?”
“Hope I see more of you after I get out of this joint.”
I chuckled and said, “I’m sure you will.”
“Oh I bet,” he winked at me and I chuckled, thinking to myself if only he knew that I would be prosecuting him tomorrow in court but I stayed quiet.
I walked out of the clinic as the man rested up and exhaled deeply, not really enjoying being in the clinic.
“Howdy ma’am,” Johnson greeted me as he walked back over. “Don’t think I rightly caught your name.”
“Detective Trin Paige. And you are?”
“Uriah Johnson.. or just Johnson will do.”
“Nice to meet you, I think, though you just cost me time in the clinic with an older flirtatious man.”
“He tried pullin’ his guns on me.”
“I know he did. Was in self defense,” I nodded.
“He ain’t given me no choice. Fella shoots like he drives; not well.”
“How long you been in town, Sir?”
“I been here off and on a few months.”
“Seems I would have met you before,” I tilted my head to the side.
“More off than on. Ain’t had to shoot no one before.”
“Ain’t a nice feelin’... I had to shoot someone the other day ‘cause they shot a lawman and a past Sheriff... There were kids around and I had no choice. Still feel like I could have defused the situation better though.”
“Seems so. I just try to solve things without bullets, like you saw me try to do earlier. Of course him drawing his guns kind of pre-empted that resolution...”
“Rightly so.”
“Wasn’t arguing the point. Well I best get back to the office. I have a gig over in Bisbee in about an hour I should prepare for. Playin’ piano and singin’.”
“That fella Sirus done said he shot a preacher,” he said and I nodded grimly. “Good day to ya miss Trin.”
“You too, Johnson. Stay safe,” I waved and turned back to my office.
***
Bisbee.
This afternoon I played piano in Bisbee and realized that I still wanted to be with Lawrence. I knew I needed to talk to him when I saw him again but tried to keep focusing on the music.
Tombstone.
I walked into the courthouse and clocked in as I got to work looking in my mailbox. I saw that the trial for Ash had been canceled and sighed with a bit of relief after the morning I had had with him. I hadn’t really been looking forward to facing the man in court. I saw my new assignment and got to work, researching the case. As I read about the case for Desire slapping Tally, I thought that the defense might argue that Des was slapping her out of self defense if Tally hit first, so I thought I’d better make sure that’s how it had happened. I wondered why Ali’s statement was the only one that mentioned the girl hitting Des first.
Black Diamond.
I wandered over to Black Diamond and smiled when I saw Ali and Gabe standing in front of their house. “Ali, can I chat with you a sec?”
“Of course,” Ali nodded after we’d greeted each other.
“Just wanted to ask you about the incident with Desire the other day... I’ve been assigned to prosecute the case. I had a couple of questions for you.”
“Sure, go right ahead.”
“Your report mentioned something about Tally hitting her first?”
“Yes that is correct, from what I recall happening.”
“Do you remember why?”
“To be honest, I don’t.”
“Hmm... Just wondering if she was hitting her out of self defense or as an act of violence.”
“Not that I recall.”
“Which one?” I chuckled.
“It wasn’t out of self defense. From what I remember Tally was on the walkway. Miss Desire was near the stage. Miss Desire and her husband were being told to leave town.”
“So Tally was on the walway, Des was near the stage in the street... Tally hit her and then Des hit her back?”
“That is what I remember, however there was a lot going on.”
“Alright, I guess I’ll have to ask someone else why Tally hit her first then...” I nodded.
“If you can give me some time to try and recall the night and what I saw, I can get back to you.”
“Sure, that works. I need to do some things in the office this evening but I should be around tonight.”
“I will get back with you soon then,” Ali nodded.
“Thanks Ali. If you need to you can just drop it off on a note on my desk.”
“Will do,” she nodded and I smiled to them as I turned to head back to town.
***
Tombstone.
Tonight I received a telegram that court had been canceled this week due to the fact that there weren’t enough cases to attend to as my case for Desire had been canceled as well. I walked into town and waved to Cole and Paisley. “Evening you two!”
“Evening Trin!” Cole greeted me.
“Hi, how are you Trin?” Paisley smiled.
“Frustrated that court got canceled again this week but what can ya do? Just out wanderin’ focusing on investigating I guess.”
“I do love helping out when I am in town on the jury. Miss Dee often asks me,” Paisley told me.
“Yes I love jury duty too. More relaxing than prosecuting, but both are fun for me,” I winked. Well I’ll wander on I guess. Have a good evening you two.”
I waved to them and then found Sirus in front of the hotel. He waved over at me and I asked if I could join him. I sat down beside him at the table and we talked about how there was nothing to do tonight. He told me that only a few people could control the situation and I just had to accept it. Johnson came over and joined us and I told him about Ash’s trial being canceled. Sirus asked Johnson what he did for a living and he said that he mostly gambled. We talked about how Richie was a card shark and how they should play together.
A lady walked over then with a badge on her chest and she looked around, “Howdy. Anyone knows a lady named Trin Paige? Miss Alicia told me she is usually sitting outside this hotel.”
“That’d be me,” I smiled and stood.
“Never heard of her, nope...” Sirus joked and I nudged him in the shin playfully with my leg.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Alicia told me you were interested to work in our town,” she smiled at me.
“I’m interested in helping out wherever I can. There something you needed help with?”
“Right now, I don’t have a job for you, but would be nice to meet you,” she smiled at me.
“You must be sheriff Paty then?” I surmised from the questioning.
“Yes I am,” she smiled.
“A pleasure,” I smiled back.
“Ya got a job for me over there? I’d make a real good bank teller or something along those lines,” Sirus looked up at her.
“Mayor Gabe or his wife are the ones hiring not me Sirus,” Paty said to him and I chuckled.
“Ohh so your their little gopher.. Ok so that jobs off the table... Noted.”
“I can only hire deputies.”
“Well ma’am, in that case, I have a question,” I looked at her. “Was wondering if it would be a conflict of interest for me to be a detective over here and a deputy over there...?”
“Well I don’t know that...”
“Could do detective notes while acting as a deputy there in Black Diamond?” I wondered.
“I saw outlaw judges, dove doctors... So anything is possible miss.”
“Perhaps we could head over and talk to them now, Paty? Sorry, Sheriff I mean?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
“See you later fellas,” I waved and followed Paty over to Black Diamond.
Black Diamond.
We found Ali standing in front of the cafe and Paty said, “Hey miss Alicia, Trin is interested in law applications too.”
“Thinkin’ about it... haven’t really made up my mind yet,” I nodded.
“Let me give you an application. If you decide you wish to become a deputy, fill it out.”
“Well you have time to think about it,” Paty smiled.
“Sure that sounds good,” I nodded.
“Besides she is also a prosecutor,” Paty pointed out.
“Ali and Gabe know me well,” I promised her.
“Let me go grab one from city hall. I will be right back.”
“Question for you...” I nodded to Ali. “Even possibly not a deputy position but maybe even just a detective position? In the law group still here with my head office in Tombstone?”
“Not sure if detectives are part of law, isn’t private agency?” Paty asked.
“I guess it is...” I sighed.
“That is something I will have to check on. I’m not sure if a detective is allowed in the law group even if they are helping law. I would need to ask Mister Mayor about that,” Ali said. “But, let me go get the application for you.”
“Sure. Let me talk to the big guy about it some more.”
She went to grab the application from the city hall and Gabe walked over. We talked about the possible arrangement as Ali walked over and handed me an application in case I decided to do the job. I figured I would have to give up being a Detective so I knew there was still some things to think about. I asked them if there were any open cases at the moment then and Paty told me the bank was robbed, though there were no clues left behind. I told Paty my office was in Tombstone and TJ walked over the. He looked injured and said that he fell and hurt himself.
Not really believing it, I walked over to the clinic where he was walking towards and said, “Yea, damn old coot shot me.”
“You said someone shot me?” I asked TJ as I walked into the clinic. He was laying on the bed and looked like he’d fallen asleep so I just stood back and waited. When he did I said, “Oh good, you’re awake. You want to tell me what happened?”
“Some old coot in town was being an ass.”
“Which one’s that? Cletis you mean?” I guessed.
“No, his name was Charlie.”
“Charlie? Who’s Charlie? Never heard of a Charlie.”
“Some new fella. He just grazed me.”
“And he shot ya? Never known TJ to take a bullet,” I chuckled.
“Hell I don’t know,” TJ looked between me and Abby who had come into the clinic. “Maybe I just fell.”
“It doesn’t happen very often that he gets hit,” Abby noted.
“Hence the comment,” I nodded to her.
“Miss Abby can you help him with his jacket while I wash my hands? I’ll clean and bandage him up unless you would like to do it,” Ali requested.
I backed up and said, “Well I guess ya don’t need me then.” I walked out of the clinic and headed home.
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