Tombstone.
As I walked through town this morning and saw the bank doors wide open. I saw Payton run down the street and, growing curious, I wandered over. I slid my gloves on and walked inside to see the door was open. I took out my equipment and found child-sized fingerprints on the doors of the bank and sighed. Going back to the vault I found money missing from the box near the safe and swore. I found crumbs of donuts on the floor and frowned, leaning back. “Damn it... What kind of kid would...” I muttered.
I walked out of the bank with a sigh and realized something as I headed for the orphanage, knowing that Natalie had just told me she’d been talking with Payton before going to read in the tree. I remembered Joe telling Natalie also that Payton had been more curious about Ghenna lately. I went over to the orphanage and pounded on the door angrily.
When there was no answer, I walked back to Allen Street and found Jamie in front of the hotel. “Jamie, have you seen Payton anywhere?”
“Oh hi Miss Trin. No, I haven’t seen her this morning.”
“Dang it.”
“I saw her um... Saturday night. Maybe she went fishing.”
“Fishing. Right,” I sighed.
“What you need her for?”
“Just... let me know if you hear her talking about doing anything bad okay? Or if you see her hanging out with Rikki. Or by Ghenna.”
“Okie dokie.”
“I need to check something,” I said and went back to the bank, seeing there were donuts missing on the counter and walked back out of the bank, punching the door with my gloved fist.
“Trin, everything okay?” Alex asked, walking over.
“No. Really not.”
“What’s wrong?”
“A kid stole from the bank,” I said, knowing the frustration was all over my face.
“A kid?” he looked at me with shock.
“And I’m pretty sure I know which one. Walk with me.” I pointed to the counter and said, “See here? Donuts missing.. And back here...” I led the way to the back. “See the box?”
“Yeah.”
“Ten dollars stollen. See the donut crumbs on the floor? The little fingerprints and little footprints?”
“The donut bandit, eh?” he looked like he was trying not to smirk.
“Alex. A kid stole money. From the bank. A KID!!”
“You think you know who?” Alex shook his head.
“I saw Payton run from the bank as I walked over to see why the doors were open. She never wears shoes. She has been asking Joe about Ghenna and I know she hangs out with Rikki more lately. Doesn’t take Sherlock to put these pieces together. Now I just need to find her and compare these prints.” I kicked the wall and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
“Think she’s doing this because she needs it or do you think she’s trying to prove something? Or just stupid kid stuff?” Alex asked.
“She’s been hanging out with Rikki and asking about Ghenna, Alex..” I looked at him. “I don’t like the sound of that. And now she’s robbing banks,” I sighed as we walked outside.
“Well, at least you’ve got finger prints.”
“Yeah but I need hers to compare them to. And footprints. I need a drink.”
“Are you legally allowed to just ask for them? Or do you have to be sneaky about it?”
“I can go up and ask her but I doubt she’ll give it to me. I need to write up this report before I forget the facts. I’ll catch up with you?”
“Maybe you can help me later,” he nodded.
“I won’t be long, I hope,” I said and headed to my office.
About an hour later I walked back to the sheriff’s office and saw Ansar sitting in front of the office. I sat down beside him and said, “Hi.”
“How’s it going?”
“Well I’m writing another incident report...”
“For who this time?”
“Ready for this one?”
“I guess..”
“Payton.”
“Payton? You sure?”
“Pretty damn sure,” I nodded.
“What they do..?”
I wrote in my report and looked over at him, reading while I wrote. “I walked into town and saw the bank doors open and walked over, seeing Payton running from the bank. I walked in to find the doors wide open and donuts missing from the front counter.”
“Yeah I saw them bested as I walked into town. Spent a hell of a time fixing them all.”
“I dusted for prints and then walked in to find the box open and ten coins gone from inside. Around the room were little fingerprints and footprints so I gathered them for evidence.”
“Yeah. I haven’t seen those two other fellas around at all.”
“Me neither. Here’s the thing, Ansar. Payton’s been hanging around with Rikki a lot... asking about Ghenna... Telling Nat she don’t like me and the law ‘cause they made her apart of that whole thing when we arrested Zan..”
“But was she involved...?”
“Rikki? No, I don’t think so. I believe this was all Payton. And I need her prints from her to prove it for sure. She’s fourteen, Ansar.”
“Yeah, I know,” he nodded.
A woman we didn’t recognize walked over to us then and asked, “Guys do you know how to picklock?”
I looked at her, then looked at Ansar.
“I do, why?” Ansar asked.
“Can someone teach me?”
“Sure, step one, kiss your hand. Then slap it on your rear,” Ansar told her.
“I’m sorry let me get this straight...” I stared at her. “You’re asking a US Marshal and a Pinkerton Detective to help you pick a lock?”
“Whoops. Um...”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I smirked.
“I didn’t know you are detective. Sorry.”
“It’s a one-way trip to a cell,” Ansar told her.
“I was joking.”
“Sure you were,” I chuckled and Ansar laughed too as the woman walked away. “Thought they made our badges shiny enough for people. Guess not.”
“Coulda let me mess with her a little?” he pouted. “Ain’t like she was going round to rob it after saying that.”
“Uh huh, just gotta knock the stupid out of some people.”
“Well... It’s not stupid if they don’t know any better. But then I wouldn’t even ask an outlaw how to pick a lock. Just asking for trouble. Hi again.. Bye again...” Ansar said to the woman as she passed us again.
I chuckled and called out to her, “Want help learning how to shoot someone too?”
“More like learn how to get shoot,” Ansar chuckled.
“I was joking guys!” she called and continued to walk past.
“Mmhmm. You have your fun, I have mine,” I told Ansar and saw Alex walking over. “Hey Alex.”
“I can shoot you if you want!” the woman called.
“Hey,” Alex walked closer.
“Great, then you can stay in Ansar’s hotel of horrors,” I looked at the woman firmly.
“I think that’s a threat,” Ansar looked at me. “Can’t I arrest her for that?”
“Hmm... Threatening a detective?” I thought about it.
“That’s a joke,” she laughed nervously. “No please!”
“At least Alex would be here to heal me up,” I looked over and the woman said goodbye. I saw Alex walk over to the well nearby and wandered over to him. “Lose something?”
“I’ll give ya one hundred coins to stitch a tater into her skin of she gets shoot,” Ansar said.
“My wedding ring,” Alex nodded.
“And you’re wanting it back?” I smiled at him.
“Make a wish really hard,” Ansar said.
“Yeah, I want it back,” he said and I couldn’t help but hug him.
“The well ate it,” Ansar noted.
I asked him for a long stick and Ansar went into the office to retrieve a fishing pole. After maneuvering the pole down into the well, the ring was retrieved and Alex took it off the hook carefully, placing it in his pocket.
“That worked out well,” I smiled.
“One hundred coins or a payment of a sac of taters is all the thanks I need,” Ansar said and I laughed.
“Nice pun, Trin,” Alex raised his eyebrows at me.
“Didn’t even realize that pun,” I laughed then.
“Well is about time someone used some puns around here. I got like a thousand horse puns I been waiting to try,” Ansar muttered.
“Just glad you got your ring back, Alex,” I smiled.
We bantered back and forth for a little while and then Alex headed home. Ansar and I talked about Alex and Aly and how happy we were that they were back together. I told him about being Alex’s best man and then headed pushed myself off the post I was leaning against to headd home.
“See ya Ansar. Will keep you posted... Get it? I just leaned off the post.”
“I’ll give ya a standing novation for that joke but I like sitting,” he smiled.
“See ya, crazy man,” I smirked and headed down the street.
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