September 9, 1899

Bisbee. 

This morning I sat down in front of Chezz with my coffee and pulled out my notebook. I smiled when I saw Alex coming over. 

“Hi there,” he smiled back. 

“Well hey there. Join me?”

“I’d be happy to,” he smiled and pulled out a chair, settling in. 

“Good to see you again, Alex.”

“Good to see you too, Trin,” he grinned. 

“What are you up to today?”

“Just trying to get through the day, I guess,” he shrugged. “Everyone behaving around here today?”

“Well I sing at the Stock Exchange in a few hours.. Hopefully you’ll still be around. Ain’t been a soul out here until you walked over. Nice to know I’m not the only human around,” I winked. 

“I hope so too. That would be awfully nice to hear you sing,” he chuckled. “I’m glad it’s quiet - I’ve had an odd feeling all day something bad is going to go down.”

“What gives you that idea?” I looked at him curiously. 

“Just a gut feeling,” he rubbed his belly. 

“You sure you ain’t just hungry?”

“That could be too,” he shrugged and then smiled. 

Abby walked over and I introduced her to Alex. Bree came over then too and then continued to walk on their way. Alex sipped his coffee and said, “I slept out under the stars last night with my horse... I definitely need waking up.” 

“You didn’t sleep at a hotel?”

“No ma’am. I like the fresh air, even if the hard ground is a bit rough.”

“You know they don’t charge over at the Copper Queen... Quite comfortable rooms too...”

“Copper Queen. I’ll have to remember that.”

“That’s where I spent a lot of my time when I first came to the area,” I nodded. “Didn’t even bother with a house for a long while. Some days I wonder if that would be simpler, but it’s good to have a place to meet clients who need my investigation services.”

“I may look into housing at some point. Hotel sounds good for now,” he nodded. 

“I don’t like the idea of you sleeping out there all alone and without protection, Alex.”

“Why, thank you for your concern for my well being,” he smiled at me. “I’ve gotten pretty used to sleeping outside since I left Boston. I think city life made me want to be outside forever.”

“Just doin’ my job. And you seem too nice to have to deal with scoundrels,” I smiled. 

“Nice? I’m nice to polite young ladies,” he chuckled and I laughed. “Scoundrels on the other hand...” he shook his head. “Not that I look for trouble.”

“I would hope not,” I smirked. “I must say, you intrigue me, Mr. Torii...”

“Intriguing is good,” he winked at me and I blushed a bit. “Didn’t mean to embarrass you, Deputy.” I looked down and played with the mug in front of me, trying to think how to change the subject but my mind went blank. “I could use a shave,” he said, rubbing his hands over his chin. 

“I’ve been wondering if I should do something different with my hair too...” I said quietly. 

“Looks good to me. But I ain’t one of those fancy types,” he looked at me. 

“I ain’t either. Sometimes simpler is better,” I smiled. 

“So you put a lot of people in jail, deputy?” he grinned. 

“Not as of recent,” I shook my head. “Things have been really quiet around here... Which I guess is a good thing in my line of work.”

“I suppose quiet is good,” he nodded. 

“Allows me to enjoy the good company that does come around once and a while,” I winked and he winked back. 

“I have to say I’m glad I rode into this town.” 

“I am glad for it as well. I think you’ll turn into a good friend.”

“I sure hope so,” He smiled and then chuckled, “And I hope I never give you reason to arrest me.”

“Hope not as well, for your sake,” I chuckled. 

“I ain’t ever been arrested, and I hope I don’t, but if someone were to arrest me, I hope it’d be you,” he winked. 

I looked at him and asked, “I don’t want to pry but I do want to get to know you better... Can I ask what made you leave Boston like you did?”

He nodded solemnly and said, “I don’t mind you asking.”

“Everyone has a story, Alex...” I said compassionately. 

“I followed in my father’s footsteps and became an accountant. I married my childhood sweetheart and lived a nice life in downtown townhouse,” he began. “I made good money and we decided to start a family. Unfortunately, as so often happens, my wife died in childbirth and the son she bore only lived minutes longer. I couldn’t bear to stay in the house any longer and sold everything I had and bought a horse.”

I reached over and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Alex...”

“Thank you,” he smiled at me. “I headed west and got all the way to where the land dropped off into the water near San Fransisco. I spend some time there, working on the railroad, mainly with immigrants. That’s where I got this strange tattoo.”

I looked over for the tattoo and kept my hand on his arm as he talked. “City life is not for me, and I missed the long days of riding the wilderness - so again, I left to find something. Not sure what, but it wasn’t there. And I ended up here.”

“Sorry, I must not be seeing the tattoo...” I smiled at him. 

“The tattoo is mostly covered by my shirt, although peeks out at the top and sleeves. It covers most of my body,” he said and I smiled, seeing it now. 

“What does it mean?”

“It is an Asian design of a dragon - it’s to give strength. Now you know my story.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me...” I nodded. 

“I was happy to. What about you? I don’t want to pry either, but how did a pretty young lady end up way out here?”

“Well... I actually grew up in Canada on a ranch with my parents and brother... I met a man who lived in Texas and came down to marry him, but he... was killed in a stagecoach accident before we could have the ceremony,” I started. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he nodded. 

“I stayed there with his sister for a while but then moved to Colorado where I stayed for a few months. I published the newspaper there for a while, and became a detective as the investigation for the truth really interested me. I moved around that area from town to town after some things happened in Colorado... My brother came to tell me that our father had been killed.”

“Again, I am very sorry to hear that...” 

“I started to wander around after that, searching for something too... I don’t know what, maybe belonging or family. My brother was often busy with ma at the ranch and didn’t have time to be with me down here... I almost became a member of a gang in Kingsley actually... Thought it was what I had been looking for. Somewhere to belong. They said that they were on the side of the law, good people, just different method of justice... I actually was a member for a while I guess... Then got out when I realized that my two close friends no longer had time for me anymore though I had moved there with them. So I started to wander more... Ten or so years later I found my way here. The man that killed my father... he pursued me here last month. But then he realized he couldn’t kill me as he’d been told to. He promised to protect me but died while we were running from his associates.”

“It seems I’m not the only one who found Tombstone with hopes of a better future,” Alex observed. 

“I have seen a lot of death... First my fiancé was killed, then my father, then my best friend was shot point blank right in front of me.” He touched my hand and I squeezed it back as I continued.  “Sunset’s death rocked me hard. Brought it all back. All the memories. It has been hard to rally back from it and trust again.”

“I do understand that,” he smiled. 

“Sunset being the one who was killed last month while trying to protect me.”

He looked away for a bit and I looked down, the memories of all those times flooding over like a torrent. I felt a tear start to roll down my cheek and looked down. 

Alex reached over and wiped the tear away with his thumb. “Old memories have a way of doing that, don’t they?”

I nodded and swallowed hard. “Sometimes I wish my memory was not as good as it is. I wish I could forget...”

“Yes, a good memory is a blessing and a curse,” he nodded. 

“But I remember everything...” I sighed. 

“Thank you for sharing your story,” he looked at me and held my gaze. 

I nodded and leaned against the table, still holding his hand. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, you may ask me anything.”

“Is it strange to long for that kind of adventure... even the hard ones... just to feel... something again? I feel as if... all these men leaving me... the ones in the past and the ones who leave and disappear recently... I feel like it’s made my heart grow cold towards the concept of ever finding love again.”

“No, it’s not strange. I think we all want to feel something. Even when it’s hard. Maybe especially when it’s hard.”

“I just...” I sighed and looked back at him. “Do you think it’s possible to find someone who is one hundred percent committed... Who....” I blinked, remembering Tom then. “There was another man I loved who died... or at least was rumored to be killed... The last man I dated when I was in the Georgetown, Colorado area. The town was flooded and they said he found his body. I never saw him again.”

“Possible? Yes. I think it is.”

“I’ve seen too much death, Alex. Too much tragedy. When do I get my happy ending?”

“Death is stalking all of us,” he shook his head and then smiled. “Not today though!” I swallowed hard and wiped a tear away and he squeezed my hand. 

“I’m scared, Alex...” I admitted. 

“Scared?” 

“I’m scared I’ll always be... alone.. flitting from man to man without getting attached, always getting hurt and left behind.”

“It’s hard to get attached when there is always that worry of hurt.” I nodded at that but stayed quiet. 

He squeezed my hand and said, “Sorry, I get quiet when I think too much.”

“You’re the first person in a long time that I’ve felt comfortable telling that story,” I looked at him. 

“I’m glad you felt comfortable with me. I also feel comfortable with you, enough to tell my story as well.”

“That is a rare thing to find, Alex.”

“I agree. I rarely feel comfortable around people. I prefer to stick to my horse,” he grinned. 

“Same here. Guess growing up on a ranch did that to me... I received a telegram a while ago from Joshua saying that Ma was thinking of selling the ranch.”

“Would that make you feel strange, even not living there, to know it wasn’t in your family?”

“Yes... I grew up there... So many memories from childhood... Even though it was long ago that I lived there, I still visited from time to time and it is still home.”

“I don’t have a home to go back to or anyone back east I care much about, but I understand.”

I looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, you’re right... At least I have had that home to remember the good times...”

“Ever shot anyone?”

“Yes... but I don’t like to do it. It was a couple of months ago on Allen Street... He shot at the ex-sheriff and her deputy. While there were children around. I had no choice. I can count on my hand the number of people I’ve shot.”

“I try to be peaceful myself, but there are times when something drastic needs doing.”

“My boss when I began working as a Pinkerton always said... ‘The information you gain is more valuable than the battles you fight.’ That always stuck with me.”

“Good advice,” he smiled. 

“Yes it was,” I nodded. “Do you mind if I go and change for my performance and collect my thoughts a little?”

“Not all. You go right ahead and do what needs to be done.”

I stood and then walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Alex...” He stood and I didn’t even ask but just wrapped my hands around his waist, hugging him tightly. “Thank you...” I looked in his eyes. 

“You are welcome, and thank you. I think we both needed that.”

“You know where to find me... Hope to see you at the Stock Exchange in an hour.”

“I will be there,” he nodded. 

I smiled and walked towards my house, looking back at him again before walking inside to change for my gig.