September 30, 1899

Bisbee. 

I woke up this morning and realized that I had slept in late and yawned, walking out into the living room. Alex stood there with papers in his hand and I smiled, “Well hey there darling!” 

“Notice something different?” he grinned as I looked at him.

“Something different....?” I asked, studying him closer. 

He grinned and flashed his citizen papers. “Oh honey! Congratulations!” I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. 

“Looks like you’re stuck with me now” he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. 

I giggled and kissed him deeply. “I bought something for you... While I was up north...” I took out the necklace that had a heart which fit like a puzzle, with half on each chain. “Would you be interested in wearing the other half of this, darling?”

“It would please me very much to wear this.” 

I smiled and slipped the chain around his neck, clasping it in the back and kissing his neck softly. “Will you help me with mine?” He lifted my hair and did the clasp in the back, then stood back to smile. “Did you notice that I got a haircut as well?”

“You look beautiful,” he nodded. 

“We said goodbye to the ranch this weekend... Ma and Josh moved into a smaller cabin,” i said and he nodded. “We walked through the rooms slowly... remembering things in each... and then we stood in the kitchen and held hands, praying together.”

“It’s hard to say goodbye,” he kissed my cheek. 

“This is my home now... With you...” I held him close. 

“Home... I like the sound of that,” he held me. 

I nodded against his shoulder and didn’t let go. “Life goes on, doesn’t it?”

“It does. And sometimes it moves on to great things.” 

“Indeed it does,” I stepped back and smiled at him. “Care to take a walk with me, dear? I want to wander over to Diamond and see how things are going there.”

“I’d be happy to follow you anywhere,” he took my hand and squeezed it. 

Black Diamond. 

We walked into Black Diamond and saw Bill walking past. We greeted him and then followed him over to the gardens behind the church. “This is new.” 

“Had to attend to that waterfall,” Bill told us. “Got some people coming to remove the landslide.” 

“Landslide?” I asked. 

“It’s a beautiful waterfall that got half buried there,” Bill looked back to the memorial park. “Think I’ll have someone seed something there. It looks dead.” 

“Looks like a nice spot,” Alex looked around. “Once it’s livened up a bit.” 

“Let’s check out this garden,” I smiled. 

A woman walked over and introduced herself as Jacqui. I introduced myself and Alex as Bill continued to work in the garden. He said something to a person named Cym and I looked back to see who he was talking to. 

“Is this a memorial garden?” Alex asked as Bill lit a candle. 

“Indeed. Wat tere is of it,” Bill nodded. 

I looked at the memorial and went to wipe off the dust from the monument so I could read the plaque, “Cymbal Constantine was the daughter of the founders of Black Diamond. Her life was dedicated to keeping the mine open, so the town could flourish... at any cost, including her family’s lives. Her spirit still haunts this town and this monument is to honor her sacrifices.” 

“I gather it’s to remember someone special?” Alex asked. 

“Indeed,” Bill nodded. 

“I don’t remember ever hearing about Cym...” I turned to Bill. 

“She was mayor of this town when I arrived years ago. Well... when I returned a few years ago.” 

I nodded and went to the other memorial, reading, “You read the inscription on the base of the statue: This memorial is dedicated to Kaly Carpaccio, in appreciation of all of her hard work and support in building Black Diamond into the gem of Cochise County. May angels watch over her wherever she goes.” 

I blinked and said, “Kaly... Kaly... Why does that sound familiar...”

“She was Mayor before I took over,” he said. “I took over when she retired.” 

It suddenly came back to me as I thought back over the past few months since moving to Tombstone in May. “That’s right... I remember meeting her in Tombstone.... Back in July.” I remembered talking to Kaly on Allen Street, shortly before Ali and Gabe took over as mayors. 

“Then she vanished about a week after,” Bill continued to tell us. 

“Vanished?” Alex narrowed his eyebrows. 

“We assume she’s dead. All her things were untouched.” 

“She seemed like such a peaceful woman when I met her... Surely nothing bad could have happened..?”

“Perhaps something happened and the animals devoured here body... although no clothing was found.” 

“Animals?” I looked at him. “No body was found right?”

“Odd not to find any remains at all,” Alex shook his head. 

“No body. No hide nor hair. Vanished,” Bill shook his head. 

“Where was she living, Bill? Are her affects and stuff... maybe there’s something at her house...?” I suggested. 

“Maybe Cym took her,” Bill suggested. 

“Cym?” I looked at him curiously, and Alex looked between me and Bill appearing just as confused. “An angel that watches over Black Diamond...” 

“I’ve seen evidence of her ghost.” 

I shook my head, having heard enough about ghosts since the first investigation with Dutch Solo. “Ghosts aren’t real, Bill.”

“Let me show you something. Both of you, follow me please.” 

I looked to Alex, unsure, but followed Bill up the narrow staircase and onto a hill that overlooked two bridges that joined together in the distance. “Bill, what does this place have to do with ghosts?” I asked, still caught up on that part of the story. 

“See the crate of dynamite where the bridges meet?” Bill asked. 

“Yeah?” We looked over and nodded at the same time. 

“See the crate of dynamite? It’s very unstable. Kick it and it goes off. See if you can hit it from here. Shoot it.” 

“Yikes,” I nodded, taking a mental picture of the bridges. 

Alex took his gun and shot at the crate, hitting it perfectly. 

“Legend has it... Cym puts it back when it blows.” 

“In the night, when no one’s around? How’d this legend start? Nice shot baby, by the way,” I looked at Alex with a smile. 

“Thanks,” he grinned back. 

“There! She did it again!” Bill exclaimed and we looked over at the crate. It had suddenly been restored to normal again. 

“How the...” I shook my head in amazement. 

“What..?” Alex peered across the canyon. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Bill bowed his head and made a cross gesture and I shook my head. “There’s something going on over there.” I started to walk over to the bridge to go near the dynamite but Alex grabbed my arm. 

“Wait! That stuff’s dangerous!”

“Cym got blowed up trying to save some miners when the mine collapsed,” Bill told us. 

“Alex... something isn’t right over there and I wanna know what. How long ago did the mine collapse?” I turned to Bill. 

“I know, sweetie, but I’ve worked with explosives before and in the way they are right now, they could blow at any minute,” Alex told me. 

“About five years,” Bill answered. “Kaly served four before she retired.” 

“Did anyone investigate the mine collapsing?” I looked at Alex, trying to put the timeline together. 

“It was almost like she resigned and they called it retired.” 

“Odd,” Alex noted. 

“What caused the mine to collapse?” I asked. 

“No one knows.” 

“There’s gotta be records or something... They must have looked into it...” I shook my head. 

“I personally suspect fowl play. Cym saw to it the mine was in good shape. Inspected it regularly.” 

“It does sound like a convenient way to get someone out of the way,” Alex agreed. 

“Mmhmm,” I nodded to Alex. “That’s why I’m intrigued.”

“Kaly did have that crate carefully removed and carried it off. Next day... there it was again.” 

“How did the crate get there though is the question...” I shook my head. 

Alex looked at me and said, “I think you’re right, we need to take a closer look. But, VERY carefully.”

“Kaly was afraid someone would get killed,” Bill said. 

“And in that fear it got herself killed...” I looked at Alex, shaking my head and knowing I was guilty of doing the same thing. “Bill, does Diamond have a library?” 

“Nope... the closest library is Tombstone. All records are there. Existing records, that is.” 

“Guess we’ll have to take another trip,” I said somewhat cheekily to Alex. 

“I’ll never say no to a trip to the library,” Alex smirked. 

I laughed and held out my hand to the mayor, “Well Bill... We’ll look into this and keep you posted. Could prove to be a very interesting case.” He shook my hand and I said, “We should head back to Bisbee. It’s almost time for me to play at the Stock Exchange.”

“Would be nice to know the answers,” Bill nodded. 

“Well answers is what I’m in the business of finding,” I winked at him. 

“We’ll figure it out. At least some of it,” Alex promised. 

“See you soon, Bill. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Have a good day, sir,” Alex said and we headed back home. 

Bisbee. 

When we arrived at home I changed for my gig and then we headed to the Stock Exchange where I played and sang for an hour. When I was finished I went to join Alex at the bar and met a woman named Kaycee. 

“Well I think I’m going to whisk my man away before he needs to do some work this evening,” I announced and Alex chuckled at that. “Well honey I can’t help that you work in that miserable hot desert so much.”

“Makes it such a pleasure to come home to you, though, Trin,” he smiled. 

We said goodbye to everyone and headed home for the evening.