Tombstone.
I walked into town with my mug of coffee and sat in front of the Epitath, ready to start work again. I wondered if I’d be reunited with Tyson, the man I missed dearly and whose arms I wished to be in again. I hadn’t seen him since we had parted ways last week and I needed to talk to him about how things had turned out. We had communicated by telegram throughout the week since but our interaction had been interrupted by things that would distract us from replying to one another promptly.
I sipped my coffee and watched people walking back and forth, and then saw Bria and Twig walk over. They told me they had been out riding in the hot air balloons and I saw Angel land her balloon in the street in front of us. She told the girls to join her and they ran off to keep riding around.
After some silence, Waterfall came over with a stomach so big it looked like she was about ready to give birth any day now. “Good morning, Waterfall,” I greeted her with a smile.
“Dago Te,” she smiled and sat down slowly.
“How is the baby coming along? When do you expect it?”
“Soon. Think I have four moons to go.”
“I hope all goes well and everyone is healthy,” I smiled.
“Yes, I have been eating well.”
“Glad to hear that.”
“I am supposed to see the town healer. I will head that way after I rest.”
“That is a good idea.”
A black husky came running over to us and nuzzled up against me. I pet her behind her ears and smiled seeing it so happy. “Any news around town?” Waterfall asked then.
“Other than some shooting yesterday between Wedge and a man who resisted cooperating with him... not much really. I hear there’s a new gang of women outlaws?”
“Women outlaws?” she asked and I nodded as I scratched the dog behind her ears. “So my sister not in trouble?”
“Who is your sister? I’ve been away for a week so I’m still getting caught up myself.”
“Ahh been on travels?”
“I was dealing with some family business up north,” I said and rubbed my arm subconsciously.
“The cold north,” she nodded.
“It was cold alright,” I sighed. “Not in the weather though.”
“Ahh that cold.”
“My mother and brother had been receiving threatening letters from the gang that killed our father, saying that we still owed them the money that he owed them.”
“Oh my, that not good.”
“I guess they claimed that Dad went rogue and owed them a bunch of money, and when he couldn’t pay they killed him. That happened about ten years ago now... I remember that day like it was yesterday. But now they’re still going after us for the money Dad owed them. I still don’t believe that my father went rogue. He was a good man. He cared about nothing more than the protection of his family. They shot me when they saw me, Waterfall. My arm still hurts from it. I worry that they may not be safe.”
Waterfall looked at me with wide eyes. “Did you get it treated there by a healer?”
“I wrapped the arm up myself,” I shook my head. “It’s fine it just stings still... I guess the bullet might still be in there... All I was concerned about was getting my family to safety then myself back here.”
“I can look at it lady,” Waterfall offered.
“That might be a good idea... It still hurts quite a bit. “Where would be best?”
“I know your healing hut now.”
“Okay let’s go,” I stood and lead the way to the clinic. When we got there I sat on one of the beds as she washed her hands in the water and boiled some more. I lifted the sleeve of my shirt as she crushed up an herb mixture and put it in the water. She got some cloths and came back over to me.
“Are you going to be able to get the bullet out? I should have seen you sooner shouldn’t I have?”
“Lady there are already signs of infection,” she told me as she dipped the cloth in the water and then rubbed it on my skin. I cringed, not liking the news, but had guessed it was inevitable. “I can get the bullet out. It may be tender while I do.”
“Guess there will be a scar too,” I nodded.
Waterfall used a bit of water to get the bullet out. “It better a little scar than no arm to use.”
“That’s true,” I winced at the contact. She smiled and poured a little wild water on the wound and put her finger in to search for the bullet. I cried at the pain, wanting to be anywhere but there.
“Ahh found it,” she observed, plopping the bullet on the table and rubbing her herbs on the wound as she found her needle. I winced when I saw the bullet and swore softly under my breath, knowing that the gang had gotten away and that this wasn’t going to be the last bullet pulled from me.
“Ahh Angel,” she said to the girl who walked into the clinic then.
“Miss Trin, what happen?” she asked me.
“Can you get us some tea?” Waterfall requested.
“I got shot... when I was back home up north this week... I hadn’t gone to a doctor yet to get... the bullet out...”
“Oh yes miss,” Angel ran fast over to the hotel to get tea and then came back with the drink.
Waterfall smiled and stitched up my arm, smiling. “An old saying - a warrior needs both arms to use his bow.”
I winced at the stitching and looked at her. “I also need one arm to write. Guess that’s going to be sore for a while.”
Angel returned with the tea as Waterfall wrapped up my arm with the cloth and tied it up. “It will be a day or so. Drink the tea. It will help with the pain.”
“Careful Miss Trin,” Angel said as I sat up slowly and blinked at the dizziness.
“Thank you for helping me. I really should have looked at this sooner,” I looked to Waterfall.
“Yes, sooner the better,” she agreed.
“I guess we should get out of here and get some fresh air. How can I pay you, Waterfall?” I tried to stand up off the bed slowly.
“Pay, you can put some coins for me in general store.”
“Here, you can use these to buy some food. Thank you so much,” I handed her some coins.
She placed the money in her pouch and I decided to go sit in front of the sheriff’s office. After a while I went back to my office down the street and greeted a man I hadn’t met yet who was standing in a street, but he didn’t answer and I just walked up to my balcony and reclined in the chair, pulling out my notebook.
Eventually I decided to walk down the street again. I met a man named Don Cheney and as we were talking we heard a shout from the bank. “Law! Law! The bank’s being robbed!”
I apologized and ran off towards the bank and saw Ansar standing wounded in the doorway. “You okay, Ans?”
“Yeah, I will be fine,” Ansar said and started to limp toward the clinic.
I watched as the banker shot down Tessa inside and looked over to Libby who was standing by. “Libby, looks like Ansar will need you at the clinic.”
“Just comin’ ta make sure you still livin’,” Serenity said as she walked into the bank and held her hands up.
“Yes ma’am, I’ll head that way now,”Libby told me and walked down to the clinic.
I looked into the bank with confusion at the sight of Tessa. I didn’t think the girl I had known since Colorado was prone to this type of behavior, but I supposed people could change over time. “What the heck is going on in here?” I asked as I walked into the bank.
The banker jumped a bit as his cigar fell from his lips to the floor. He swung his gun towards the door and held his gun out towards Serenity. “Aye, who goes thar!” He noticed me and said, “You... you might want to stay back now... Got an armed criminal over here.”
“Tessa, what the heck are you doing?” I asked, ignoring the banker with his gun drawn for the moment.
The banker turned to me and asked, “Hey you! Are you law?”
I looked over at him and said, “I’m a detective. Close enough I’d say. What happened?” I sighed as Dancing Cloud pushed her way into the bank and just watched from the sidelines.
“She ain’t an armed criminal. Caryin’ two guns don’t make ya a criminal right away. Seein’ as she didn’t get the prize, she didn’t succeed. Now you wanna see an armed criminal...” Serenity said as she knelt down beside Tessa. She then shifted her skirt away to show her legs covered in at least three guns, a few knives, and a few other items. “Armed criminal.”
I rolled my eyes hearing Serenity and said, “Alright ladies, let’s leave the poor banker alone.”
Serenity shrugged and looked to Tessa, stripping her guns from her and sticking them into her own belt. “I ain’t teasin’ him. Just lettin’ him know he at least in safe hands, fer now. And what a possible future may have..”
Seeing Tessa bleeding a bit as she lay on the floor I said, “Serenity, could you please help Tessa get to the clinic?”
“Long as I get ta keep her guns,”
“That’s between the two of you,” I shrugged.
“Looks like I’m keepin ‘em then. Come on you, don’t go bleedin’ on my dress either. I do that enough mahself,” Serenity walked over to Tessa and tried to help her towards the clinic.
The banker, meanwhile, was still shaky as he put his gun back in his holster. “She shot at that poor dern deputy done walking in here...” he turned to me. “Now you kin clean this all up right?... Still got a business to run you know, my boss gets mighty unrestful when we have to close early.”
I sighed with relief as the women made their way out of the clinic. “Just relax, sir. We’ll get these two to the clinic and then you and I can talk.”
“Come on trouble maker,” Serenity said and led Tessa out of the bank.
“I do appreciate it,” the banker nodded a bit, taking a deep breath.
“You alright, Sir?” I asked him when we were finally alone as Dancing Cloud walked out of the bank as well.
He glanced down, feeling across his torso as if looking for any bullet wounds “I appear to be fine ma’am...” he muttered in a surprised tone.
“Glad to hear it. I’m glad we could get them out of the bank peacefully without more people injured.”
“I suppose I best get a mop and clean all that their blood... You can come right back when yer good n’ ready.
“She didn’t take anything then, just threatened to?” I nodded to him.
“As far as I recall, yes indeed. She seemed to have made a lot of threats, mhm.”
“What kind of threats?”
“Just some stuff about opening the door, along with telling that feller that came in here, to go on about his business else she’d shoot him.”
“Which feller would that be? Ansar?”
“Aye...”
“And then when he didn’t leave her alone she shot him down so he shot her? Or did you shoot her?”
“That’d be him, yes indeed... Shot gunned that poor boy down before he could get his guns more then halfway out the holster... Then she began firing upon that there door, along with the wall I was standing behind, leaving me no other option but to run on out and return fire.”
“Of course, out of protection for yourself. Makes sense to me. I’m just glad you’re safe, Sir. Don’t even think I know your name?”
“Er... You can call me Banker Kemp,” he muttered with a tip of his hat. “And you might be?”
“Detective Trin Paige. Pleasure to meet you, Kemp.”
From outside we heard a man shout, “Get your ass outside now, banker! You shot my wife!”
Kemp jumped, watching the man come in with his guns drawn and I turned. “Hey now, the bank is closed until further notice mister. You turn on around and go about yer business.”
“Let me talk to him,” I said and the man just glared back.
“Who cares if the bank is closed. You shot my wife!” he just glared at Kemp.
“Sir, please calm down. He was acting in self defense before your wife shot him,” I tried.
“Hey now, I shout a thief, and a would be killer had I not intervened. Now you just go right on down to the hospital there, and give yer woman comforting, there ain’t nothing fer you here,” Kemp jumped a bit at the shout.
The man took a deep breath and said, “Well ma’am the law clearly states no revenge shooting. If he shot my wife its out of revenge. I want him charged.”
“The law also clearly states no shooting lawmen,” I looked directly at him.
He glared at me in anger and said, “I will put away my weapon if you press charges on this man and have the court decide his fate.”
“Sir I’m just a detective. I can’t make official arrests. I can let the law know of your side of the story though and let them determine what to do...”
“Now sir, I was defending myself. After yer woman shot that poor dern lawman down, she immediately went after me like a wild dog,” Kemp put in.
“Shut your mouth banker no one speaking with you!” the man yelled and shook his head.
“Well alright then,” he took a step back and muttered.
“Let’s just all take a deep breath, shall we boys? We don’t need any more blood shed today,” I looked between them.
He looked at me and took another deep breath. “You are right ma’am but I wish this man to be tried in court for shooting my wife.”
“Will you holster your weapons if I promise to talk with the law about this?” I smiled that he was remaining calm, even though I knew for a fact that Kemp wouldn’t get put in court as he was acting in self defense. At this point though, I was going to say anything to get rid of the man.
“If you give me your word as law official,” he nodded to me.
“I can’t promise you the outcome, Sir, but I can promise you that I will talk with them about what happened here today, now that I know the full story.”
“Well forget that if you don’t know the outcome,” the man pulled aimed and fired at the banker. I tried to jump out of the way but he turned and shot at me before running out of the bank.
I swore at the pain in my leg and looked over to Kemp to see if he was alright. We helped each other to the clinic where Libby took care of us and bandaged up our wounds. I was beginning to think I’d seen a little bit too much of that room and when we’d been cleared to go I went back to my office after saying goodbye to Kemp.
***
This afternoon I walked out of my office and Ella came up behind me. “Howdy,” she greeted me.
“Hi Ella, how are you?”
“Calm today so far,” she replied.
“Was an attempted robbery on the bank earlier... that wasn't so calm.”
“Oh my.”
“Yep. Then got shot in the lag and the banker got shot too.”
“Oh my, was the doctor about?”
“Libby was here.”
“Good, I not want a friend hurt for long.”
I smiled and hugged her. “It’s good to see you again.”
We said goodbye and I went to sit in front of the hotel. There was a crowd in front of the bank but I just sat down at the table, not wanting to stand. A man walked over and sat down beside me. I hadn’t seen him before and I greeted him, “Hello Sir.”
“Hello my name is Matthew.”
“Detective Trin Paige,” I smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you Detective Trin,” he smiled.
“You as well. You new around here?”
“Yes I am. This is my second time to town.”
“Ah well it’s a good place to live and work. Lots of small towns around this main area where you can rent houses.”
“Yes. Only I do not wear guns.”
“You can work without wearing guns.”
“Yes. Most people who talk with one another do wear guns,” he said.
“I didn’t for the longest time but...” I nodded. “Things are not as safe for me these days especially in this line of work.”
“Howdy folks,” June said then, walking over to us.
“How are you today, June? Good to see you again.”
“You too, Trin.”
June and Matthew greeted each other and gave their introductions and then I asked, “Are you looking for work, Matthew?”
“If I stay in Tombstone I will be.”
“... the town that has a man fer breakfast every day, or so the sayin goes,” June chuckled.
“What kind of work?” I smiled and chuckled at June. “Don’t scare him off now.”
“I think what ever kind the town has to offer me.”
“Miss Trin,” he looked to me then. “Is your work difficult?”
“It can be at times... this morning I got shot for just having a conversation with a man and he didn’t like what I had to say. Even though there was nothing I could do to change the reality of the situation.”
“A man shot you?” Matthew raised an eyebrow and said, “That makes me angry enough to want to buy a set of guns and hunt that man down for you.”
“He wanted me to promise that a man would go to court for shooting his wife, but I don’t have that kind of power. I can only tell the law the full story. His wife had attempted to rob the bank and shot down a marshal, the banker was shooting her out of self defense.”
“Who shot you Miss Trin?” Matt asked.
“Don’t know his name yet, but he was Tessa’s husband.”
“I do not know Tessa.”
I looked over and smiled to Ali as she sat down on the bench beside us. “Maybe I should be hanging around in your fine town, Ali. Might get shot less.”
“I’m real glad you made it back safely. I reckon it is quieter in Diamond,” Ali smiled at me.
“I don’t know about safely, but I made it back. Got shot in the arm near the end of the trip... Didn’t end quite the way I wanted it to. Waterfall took the bullet out of my arm this morning. Then I get home and get shot again,” I sighed.
The conversation turned to how things were going with Ali and Gabe being the mayors in Black Diamond. I let the talk surround me as I pulled out my notebook and wrote notes. The man that shot me walked by and I looked at Matt but said nothing.
Sirus and Skyla came out of the saloon and I waved to them, happy to see them again. After a while Sirus noticed a woman walking into the hotel and he walked in after her, though he said he just needed a drink. Shortly after, the girl came out of the hotel and said, “Excuse me....I am in need of a Sheriff....is anyone of the law here or no?”
“Does a detective count?”
“No one here is law but ya can do a report over there on the door,” Sky told her.
“If you can arrest people...then yes, you count,” the woman nodded to me.
“Nope, guess I don’t count then. I know lots of people who do arrest though,” I shook my head.
“I was accosted in a hotel, along with another lady and a child....I need justice,” she said and looked over at Sirus.
“Sirus Dean Terrmain!” Sky growled and shouted. I cringed, thinking he was going to be in trouble and decided to wander off to look for Matt who had walked off.
I found him in the Crystal Palace and asked if he wanted some company. He nodded so I sat down beside him at the bar and we drank whiskey as we talked.
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