Bisbee.
This morning I walked around town and sat down in front of Chezz with my coffee. A man walked over and I smiled, waving to him as I stood. “Don’t believe we’ve met sir. I’m Deputy Trin Paige.”
“Please to meet you, the name is Ryker Raynes.”
“Ryker, a pleasure. New in the area?”
“Just arrived yesterday.”
“Well this is my favorite little town in the area. We’re in Bisbee... A sleepy little hollow most of the time. Relaxing, peaceful.”
“Excuse me Ma’am, I have a prior engagement to tend to,” he tipped his hat then.
“Pleasure to meet you. Hope to see you around, Mr. Raynes.”
“You too Trin,” he smiled and walked away and I went back to my seat.
It wasn’t long before I saw Pet walking over. “Hey there!” I greeted her.
“Hey girlie! I hope you’re having a fabulous day!”
“Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Been busy with folks a lot lately and rehearsal.”
“Glad one of us has been busy,” I nodded.
“Oh?”
“Been deathly quiet for me lately. At least it’s court time again being the weekend. Just got the docket in this morning.”
“How did Monday go?”
“Monday...” I tried to think back. “Oh the gig!”
“Yeah, the singing deputy-Pinky.”
“Went well! Had a lot more people there than most... Probably because it was a holiday...”
“That is wonderful,” Pet smiled.
“So you’ve been busy over there?”
“How about somethin’ like that for next month?”
“Something like what for next month?”
“I don’t even know what day of the week it is,” she chuckled. “I’m thinkin’ next month. I’ll know more come Saturday afternoon.”
“Well keep me posted,” I smiled.
“Will do. How’s that man of yours?”
“Man? Which man would that be?”
“I don’t remember his name. That new fella where you said ya’ll connected and sparks. Ty? Is that his name?
“Ah the British man...”
“Oh, I din’t know he was British.”
“He sent me a telegram over a week ago and told me to not wait for him... His business has been keeping him out of town.”
“Gah!” she stomped her foot.
“He did say though.... that he hopes when things get settled down, he’ll be able to treat me like the queen I deserved to be treated as...”
“Well, that’s something ain’t it?”
“Since then I’ve had men professing their attraction and then disappearing after a couple of days... I’ve kind of lost faith in the whole thing really. If Ty shows up again some day... It’ll renew my faith in the other species.”
Mysti walked over then and we greeted her. “So we should form our own club or something,” Pet suggested.
“The three of us could,” I nodded.
“The Bold and Beautiful and Bored!”
“Nice to have another doctor in the area, eh Pet?” I asked, nodding to Mysti.
“Girl, I love it. Congrats, Mysti!” Pet smiled at her.
“I love that name but leave out the bored we need to be positive. Maybe change that bored to exciting as an affirmation,” Mysti suggested.
“Hope it means I’ll get to see my good friend around here more often,” I winked at Mysti. “Hopefully not from the hospital bed.”
We talked for a while and then started dancing in the streets to pass the time. After a while, a man walked down the street and then Ryker and another man walked over to us. The other man introduced himself as Jackson Monnet.
“My apologies being so hasty earlier, I was on my way to see someone,” Ryker came over to me.
“It’s alright. Join us all for a drink and you’ll have made it up to me,” I looked around the group.
“My pleasure,” he smiled and I led the way over to the saloon.
The group followed, though Pet had gone off to deal with some things in town. The four of us gathered in the bar and I went around behind the counter to serve drinks.
“So, what makes this Bar so interesting?” Jackson asked.
“Right now? The fact that ya’ll are in it,” I smiled.
“So what can I get ya’ll?” I asked, waving to the man entering the saloon. “Come on in, Sir.”
Ryker and Mysti ordered some whiskey and I poured them a couple of shot glasses, sliding the glasses down to them.
“So you are the local doctor?” Ryker asked Mysti.
“Well yes Sir, I am new at it but I plan to go far,” Mysti nodded.
“Well, did someone make a portrait out of you Miss?” Jackson asked and looked up at the picture above the bar.
“No sir...” I chuckled at him and looked over to the other man walking into the saloon. “Don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Whiskey please,” he said as he sat down at the bar. “I’m Alex. New in town.”
I took the bottle and poured another shot of whiskey, sliding the glass down to him.
“Mighty fine whiskey, Miss Trin,” Ryker smiled at me.
“Alex... Pleasure to meet you. You got a last name? There’s a few different Alex’s around,” I looked at him and then looked to Ryker. “Glad ya liked it. I’ll keep pourin’ till this bottle here is empty.”
“Yeah, last name’s Torii,” Alex said.
“Torii... That’ll work,” I smiled at him.
Mysti asked me for a drink and I handed her the glass of whiskey. “Nice to see so many new folks in the area,” I winked at her.
I continued to serve drinks and then Cora came into the saloon. She was fairly quiet though, and Mysti went over to the piano to play some songs. I didn’t know that she could play and it was perfect background music for the conversation.
“So Alex... what kind of work do you do?” I asked him.
“I was an accountant back East - Needed a change of scenery so I moved out here. Not sure what kind of work I’ll be suited for.”
“Well there’s lots of opportunity out here.”
“Will this cover the drinks? Mine, Miss Cora’s and of course one for the bar keep?” Ryker set some coins down on the table.
“Well darlin’, I’m on duty but I’ll let ya pay for my coffee,” I smiled at him.
“An accountant .. well there’s a sure a lot of businesses here .. and they will need accountants,” Cora said.
“So... The West Indies, eh?” I looked over at Jackson. “What prompted such a move, if I can ask?”
“Anyone know a good place to get some clothes, if I’m settling here I guess it’s time to get some clothes,” Ryker asked.
“Sometimes life gets a little messy,” Alex winked and I nodded, knowing that truth all too well. He lay his head down on the counter and I looked over at him with concern.
“You alright, Alex?”
“Bad idea to drink whiskey on an empty stomach.”
I reached behind the counter and grabbed a muffin, setting on a plate and pushing it to Alex. “Eat that.”
“Thank you, Trin,” he smiled. “You saved my life.”
“My pleasure, darlin’. Infinitely worth saving I reckon,” I smiled at him.
“What’d I miss?” Jackson woke up from his reverie then.
“Was just wondering what prompted such a move from the West Indies to here,” I looked over to him.
“Well, the West Indies were no place for a Voodoo person like myself,” he said as he pulled a little white mouse out of his pocket, making me back up slightly.
“Tell me about voodoo, Jackson, please,” Mysti asked with curiosity.
“You always make it habit to walk around with a mouse in your pocket?” Ryker asked him.
“Feelin’ better?” I looked over to Alex and smiled.
“Yes, ma’am. Much. Thank you.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“I’d like to know what ever you are willing to share about it.. I think it is fascinating,” Mysti smiled sweetly at Jackson.
“Well, there’s not much to know about it. I use the ancient ways with a doll and a piece of hair from my victim,” Jackson said and I chuckled a bit at that.
Ryker stood and walked over to the door, pulling out a cigarette.
“Is it always for hurting? Can it ever be used to heal?” Mysti asked with curiosity. “I always want to know more ways to heal.”
Jackson got up then and walked out the door without saying more. Ryker came back over to the counter and asked for another whiskey as did Alex, and I continued serving drinks. Mysti headed home and Bree came in to join us. I made coffee for the boys and Alex smiled at me. “Always good to get on the good side of the deputy.”
“Good to have some company today... My shifts are generally quiet,” I stated.
“I’m sure glad I wandered in this direction,” Alex smiled.
“Hood to meet some citizens. If I’m gonna be settling in I should get to know the folks around here.”
“Likewise, darlin’,” I smiled at Alex and looked to Ryker. “Hope to see you boys around more often.”
Alex headed home and then Bree went to open the bank. I switched badges to my Pinkerton badge and went around to join Ryker on the other side of the bar.
“What’s that badge for?”
“I’m a Pinkerton Detective when I’m not a deputy,” I smiled.
“Oh nice. A woman of many colors, so to speak.”
“Mmhmm, you could say that indeed. And how about you... what kind of work are you leaning towards perhaps? Law? Medical? Something else?”
“Well, I want law but I have been offered a job as caretaker of a ranch until something opens up.”
“Oh have ya? That might be nice too.. If you wanted to be a detective and help me out with investigating... you could do both,” I winked.
“Sounds like something I could be very interested in,” he nodded.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Working beside a pretty lady is always a bonus,” he winked at me and I blushed at him.
“Well ain’t you a charmer,” I said softly.
“I do try,” he grinned.
I looked over at him, having had too much bad luck with men lately to feel optimistic now. I sipped my coffee silently and sighed slightly.
“What would I have to do to apply for such a job?”
“Well since you’re new around here the first step would be to get those citizen papers in order... then come back and talk to me,” I smiled.
“I can do that. Do I have to wait to citizen to talk to you?” he smiled back.
“About being a detective, yes,” I chuckled. “So a handsome man like you ain’t already married off? I find that hard to believe.”
“No ma’am, no wife, no kids. Just me,” he smiled and then said, “What if the job isn’t the subject of conversation?”
“Try me,” I smiled.
“A lady such as yourself have a man in her life?”
“There have been a few suitors from time to time... No one who stays more than a few days though. In my line of work I enjoy the moments that come ‘cause God knows you may never get another one.”
“Is there a suitor now?”
“No one worth writing home about. Not till one proves himself enough that he’s actually going to stay longer than an day or two will I start being optimistic about him.”
“What would a man have to do take a pretty lady like yourself out sometime?”
“This is an awfully good start,” I tipped the mug towards him.
“Indeed it is,” he nodded. “You know, maybe if that man was in the same line of work, it might help too?”
“Not so sure about that... Sometimes it’s nice having differences. Gives more variety in what to talk about.”
“Where’s this ranch you’ve been offered a job at?”
“Miss Angeles? Bree’s niece.”
“The Army captain... General, rather.”
“I believe so, yes.”
“Bree said they needed help around there and she would ask her niece.”
“I grew up on a ranch in Canada... Got a telegram from my brother recently though that they’re selling the ranch and moving to somewhere smaller... Things have not been easy for our family as of late.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It is... That ranch was home... And now it’s tainted with tragedy,” I sighed, recalling the past mont.
“Always sad losing the place you call home,” Ryker rubbed my back lightly.
“I’ve been laying low since some stuff happened last month... My father had been killed fifteen years ago see... Last month, the man who killed him came to town around here looking for me... I guess his associates wanted him to finish the job and kill me, to retrieve something of my father’s that I had been given when he died.”
“And what happened to the man?”
“He held me at knife-point but then said that he just couldn’t do it... and ran off. That afternoon I decided to face it and went to talk to him. He told me that he had killed my father but his bosses had made him do it... My father and him were in the army together...”
“I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
“Thing is... Sunset couldn’t kill me. He just couldn’t do it, so his associates were coming to town to find him and finish the job themselves. Sunset promised to protect me and then one day... the 22nd of August... I saw him running through Allen Street in Tombstone... he said that his associate was after him. We hid in the theatre for a bit then went outside to make a run for it but... One minute he was running with me... the next... he was down on the ground bleeding.”
“Dang,” he shook his head.
“His boss told me to help her get him to the gallows but I just couldn’t do it. I gave her a fake medal instead of the real one she wanted from me and just ran. I’m sure he died there on the spot. He died trying to protect me. I’ve had to live with that guilt since...”
“But it’s not your fault.”
Dante, my dog that had been around months ago, came into the saloon and licked my hand. “Dante...” I reached down and pet the dog sadly. “It was my fault though... he was sent to kill me... He couldn’t do it... So he was killed while protecting me,” I said to Ryker.
“Beautiful animal,” Ryker smiled.
“This is my dog Dante... I haven’t seen him in a while...” I scratched the dog behind his ear.
“Does he bite?”
“Only if he feels I’m being threatened.” When Ryker held out his hand to the dog I said, “It’s okay Dante. He’s friend.” Dante licked Ryker’s hand and I smiled. “He likes you.”
“Nice to know someone does,” he smiled and took a sip of his coffee.
“Well I’m just starting to get to know you but I like what I see so far. Anyway... because of that happening so recently... It’s been hard for me to regroup since... Gosh, was that two weeks ago today..?”
“Oh wow, I can imagine that would be rather hard to regroup, seeing what you saw and all.”
“I just... I’ve been hiding behind my deputy badge and not doing too much out of Bisbee... I’ve been starting to try and reconnect with friends in Black Diamond but... found out a long-time friend who had lived there moved out yesterday without even saying goodbye.”
“That’s gotta be hard. Maybe we should work on getting you out more.”
“I’ve had so many man try and persuade me to do just that, and then they go and disappear without os much as a goodbye.”
“I assure you, Miss Trin. I am not a magician.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day..”
He rubbed his hand over my back once more before finishing his coffee and I smiled, enjoying the sensation of his touch. “Would you care to dance, Miss Trin?” he asked as he removed his coat.
“I would love to.”
I took his hand and followed him to the dance floor. We danced for a while and then I showed him my office and place upstairs. We sat on the couch next to each other and continued to talk, getting to know one another better. Whether this would be a lasting thing or not, I knew that we had started a good foundation for friendship.
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