June 18, 1899

Tombstone. 

This morning I walked into town and smiled seeing Richie sitting in his usual spot. “Well hey there, darlin’!” I greeted him. 

“Well, just in time to fill my cup,” Richie smiled at me. 

“What, no ‘hi, good morning sweetheart’ or kiss of greeting?” 

“Well Miss Trin, Sweetheart, you would have surely gotten such greeting with my coffee,” Richie snickered. 

“I’ll remember that for next time,” I chuckled. 

I got an idea then and stood, looking at him. “Give me a minute. Let me try that entrance again.” I leaned over and squeezed his shoulder as I walked into the hotel. I went into the kitchen and poured two mugs of coffee before taking the cups back outside. 

“I think she is teaching me a lesson in manners,” Richie commented as I set the cups on the table and leaned over to kiss him. 

“Good morning, darling.” 

“Well, Miss Trin. Coffee for me? Well thank you sweetie.” 

“Mmhmm,” I sat back beside him with a chuckle and reached for my cup. “So how are things today?” 

“Sleepy day since I been here.”

Sommer asked Richie if he knew how to build a hot air balloon and he said that he couldn’t. Dancing Cloud came over then with Waterfall and they talked in Apache. I asked Richie if we could go home and he nodded, so I led the way back home. 

***

I walked into town and saw the crowd in front of the saloon. They were talking about yet another shootout and I shook my head at the conversation. Cole was in the middle of it, wanting to shoot down Voo. 

“Cole, I guess my words don’t mean anything anymore,” I walked into the saloon and stayed by the doorway so I could hear what was going on. 

“My guns ready,” Cole gloated. “He call me a tool. That enough for me. He’s a clown.” 

“Damn straight,” Ru put in. 

“You are a tool, Cole,” Victoria shot back. 

“Well when ya’ll figure out who shot whom, drag what’s left of ‘em down the way,” Ru said and headed to the clinic. 

“Up to you, you ugly stupid tool,” Cole said. 

“He looks more like target practice than a tool,” a woman said. 

“My vote is both,” Voo stated. 

“I shoot nice and careful around the ladies if I have to,” Cole promised. 

“Kind of a wash up and a joke,” Victoria said and Voo laughed at what the other woman said. 

“Laugh, mister. Ya miss and shoot me ya regret it,” she promised him. 

Cole pointed his guns at Voo and I walked out of the clinic with a frustrated shake of my head in Cole’s direction. I nodded to the woman in front of the clinic and greeted her, saying I was trying to find something to do. Seeing things were settled down between Cole and Voo I went to sit in front of the hotel and pulled out my notebook. 

“Oh, I forgot to congratulate you and Cole, Miss Vic,” Abby pointed out as she was sitting at a table beside us. 

“On what, Abby, is that?” Victoria asked. 

“I heard that you and Cole were dating. I think that is so wonderful when two people can find that special someone they are to be with.” 

I raised my eyebrow at the rumor and tried not to laugh out loud. 

“Abby I am ashamed of you passing on rumors  I thought you were better then that,” Victoria shook her head. 

“I am not passing any rumors, I am simply congratulating you,” Abby said. 

“And I had that special someone who just died and it was not Cole.” 

“Oh, Jenna... Come over here a sec,” I said, spotting the newspaper editor. 

“Hiya, Trin,” she smiled at me. 

“I was sitting here with Frank ... something -or-other... He was commenting on how great the paper was. Thought you’d like to hear it,”I smiled. 

“Thanks... it means a lot,” she grinned wide. 

“Absolutely. Just thought you’d like to hear it,” I said, ignoring the women bickering beside us. “I’m impressed too. Used to run the paper over in Colorado and Georgetown. It ain’t easy work.”

“Then you know it gets intense around deadline.” 

“Oh I for sure do. I was runnin’ the thing mostly by myself. Looks like you’ve got a good staff though.”

“There are a lot of people who contribute... not a staff so to speak, but some great people who send things in.” 

“If ya ever need help let me know. I may be able to write somethin’ for ya once in a while.”

“I’d love that... any time you want,” she smiled. 

“Alright. When’s the next deadline?”

“July 5.” 

“Lots of time then.”

“Yep,” she nodded. 

“Between me and Richie we see lots,” I winked. 

The women kept arguing and Victor walked over. Cora came and she sat down beside me. Victor noted that the way people were shouting he would be safer standing and I chuckled, putting my notebook away. Cora told us about how she was opening up a general store in Bisbee. 

“Anyone hear if the sheriff got her memory back?” Ali asked. 

“The sheriff lost her memory?” I looked over. 

“She did. Last night in a shootout she was wounded and lost her memory. Then Mister Si come to take her home. She be hollering for help and he gagged her.” 

“Gagged her?” I raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes Miss Trin, he did. She didn’t remember anyone.” 

“Wow... What caused that?” 

“Ya’ii wasn’t sure exactly what caused it. She thought perhaps Sky might have hit her head.” 

“Hmm... that’s strange. Don’t sound much like Skyla to hit her head randomly like that. Something must have happened.”

“Oh there was some shooting going on when she hit her head, and some fighting too,” Abby put in. 

“Well, there was a big shootout,” Ali nodded. 

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” I chuckled. “Who shot whom?” 

“I’m not sure,” Ali shook her head. “I ran into the Epitath when I heard the gunfire.” 

“I missed it but came in when everyone was in the clinic all shot up,” Abby laughed. 

“You didn’t see anything from inside?” I asked. 

“My guess...” Voo started. “Sheriff probably figured out how much a loser she was and tried to pass herself off as crazy.” 

“No miss Trin,” Ali laughed at me. “It happened near the doc’s office.” 

“Ya’ii was the one healing?” 

“It was just her for a while, and then another doc came to help I believe.” 

“You remember who?” 

“I don’t remember.” 

“Dang, you writing a book or something?” Voo asked. “What’s with all the questions?” 

“Might be information I need to know sooner or later, Voo. Just doin’ my job.” 

“Oh, I see. Another one of them nosey types.” 

“If you call bein’ a detective and a prosecuting lawyer nosy professions, then yep that’s what I am.”

“Gabe and I made our way home shortly after the shooting. When I came back to town, lots of folk still in the docs office,” Ali said. 

“Sounds like quite the eventful evening.”

Alvin walked over then and I sighed, going quiet. Ali asked him something about writing up a proposal and Alvin said he talked to the man the other night. They continued to talk and I stayed quiet, not really wanting to talk with the group about anything. Eventually I decided to walk into the hotel. Cole and Alvin continued to argue outside as Cora and Pet came into the hotel with me. 

“You may wanna stay in here,” I suggested. “The men are trying to prove themselves to each other yet again.” 

“There’s trouble abrewing,” Cora observed. 

“I try and try to change Cole’s mind and get him to stop shootin up the town... and he doesn’t listen. He’d rather keep getting his butt thrown in jail,” I sighed. “I give up. There’s no talking to him.”

“Well, live by the gun, die by it also,” Pet observed. 

“True. Why do you think I stopped wearin’ one?” I asked her. As they continued to yell at each other outside I said, “Apparently our friendship meant nothing to him if he kept goin’ on like this, even though I tried to talk him down.”

“Oh goodness... You think they’ve calmed it down and then they start all over,” Cora sighed.

“I wasn’t able to see that happen last night,” we heard Ali mutter outside. 

“What happened last night?” Pet wondered. 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to find out,” I sighed. 

“What kind of shenannigans are going on today? Last night? With Miss V you mean?” Libby looked outside a bit. 

“Gabe told me almost the whole gang drew on him,” Ali said. 

“Miss V?” I looked around. “Miss V was involved?” 

“Yes...” Libby nodded. 

I walked outside then and sat down beside Cole who was sitting in front of the Epitath. “Start talkin’.” 

“Cole... Watch it.” 

“Let it go, Al,” I looked over at him. 

Cole started swearing at Ali and Al got up from his chair. “I said watch it...” 

“And I said drop it,” I looked at him. 

Richie walked over then and I pulled him into the hotel, relieved to see him. I got us some coffee and said, “I’m learning,” I winked. 

“Well thank you ma’am,” he smiled. 

I leaned over and kissed his cheek and went up to the balcony of the hotel with him to watch over everything. “What a day,” I sighed as I leaned my head on his shoulder and told him what had happened.