Tombstone.
This afternoon I rode towards the hotel and saw the group relaxing and talking.
“What is wrong Emma?” Jess asked the girl standing there.
“Is bank meant to be open with no one inside?” Emma asked.
“I thought I saw the teller walk by a moment ago,” Walker stated.
“Emma I don’t know but I am not responsible for the bank,” Jess said.
“The bank is open?” I looked over.
“I just been inside and no one is in there,” Emma said.
“That is what Emma says,” Jess nodded.
“I’ll go investigate,” I said and wandered over to the bank. I saw Bree walk over and smiled, “Oh good, you’re here. Just making sure everything’s alright.”
“Yes, thanks,” she nodded.
I looked over at the group and down at the boy Mikey standing there. “See? All’s well. Bree, have you seen White Owl?” I wondered.
“Not today.”
“Are you a cop?” Mikey asked.
“I’m a detective,” I told him.
“What you here for the killing last night?” the boy asked.
“Killing?” I blinked.
“Who got killed?” Bree wanted to know.
“Yes they killed the marshal. I was here.”
“Oh really... Is that why Lot arrested?” Bree asked.
“Oh someone was already arrested for it? Fantastic. Bree there was a bank robbery here the other day with the James brothers. Were you here?”
“No Trin.”
“Hmm... Do you have records of bank robberies?”
“No.”
“Okay,” I said and rode off to Diamond.
Black Diamond.
“That woman looks familiar,” Aly blinked then.
“Hey stranger!” I smiled, going over to hug Aly.
“I almost forgot what you look like,” Aly grinned at me.
“I know, right?”
“Does the empty house make you sad now?”
“Not as much as the distance between the three of us geographically.”
“Oh you mean Benson. We just needed a nice quiet spot and Alex wanted a place to put his chickens. I have sheep now too. They lick me. My hands.”
“One of the things that was making me excited about you guys getting married was for Alex to be moving closer to us and all of us being in the same town. Then it didn’t happen so much. Now I hardly see either of you.”
“I know. That’s my fault. I just wanted to live in a place I didn’t work and have more space.”
“No, I get that...” It’s just life. Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” I winked.
“Hey! Your welcome to come visit anytime. We’ve got cake and seesaws.”
“I know,” I smiled. “Got about four cases goin’ on right now... all in Tombstone.”
“Uh huh cause nothing ever happens here,” Aly laughed. “Actually I lied, they do.”
“Just not for a while.”
“Yeah..there are lots of time gaps between incidents. I’ve got a county warrant on White Owl who I haven’t seen so far.”
“Yeah, I saw a telegram from Jimmi about that. He wasn’t in Tombstone though.”
“It drives me nuts. I forget stupid stuff like how to use handcuffs.”
“Just means you gotta be around here more.”
“Well...I am when I can. I’ll be around a lot this weekend. Any of them cases you got for here?”
“Ugh, I have to put two children’s statements together from the conversation we had the other day.”
“That’s not so bad, at least you just have to do it once. Some adults... You have to redo things every time they want to add or you get another response.”
“But trying to put their conversation into a written paragraph is harder... cause they were bouncing back and forth from each other.”
She laughed and said, “Sorry, I’m trying to imagine you sitting there with children doing that.”
“Should I just combine the two statements into one and then get them both to sign it individually? Since they’re both going back and forth with each other and one’s not really giving an account that’s full?”
“No, two separate statements, since they are two separate people. Just what each of them say..or...find them separately and question them again.”
“Yeah but look...” I showed her. “Maybe that’s a better idea... get them on their own. Maybe that’s a better idea... get them on their own.”
“Okay give me a moment,” she said and read the interview notes. “I’d put their statements in question and answer format...since it looks like that’s what it is... One for Poppy, Sabrina, whoever else... Put your question, then their answer. Just as best you can. You might have to reword some things to make it make sense.”
“But they’re incomplete from each other... One gives facts the other doesn’t. Maybe your suggestion about getting them alone...”
“So then get each kid separately, sit down, and ask your questions.”
“Just to clarify it better.”
“Otherwise, it’s gonna be like that. Yes. But I think separate statements is important.”
“I think that’s gotta be the way to do it. Court won’t like the other format,” I chuckled.
“The judges are gonna wanna see that, especially if they testify,” she laughed.
“Right of course. That’s why I’d get them alone and apart from each other.”
“See that. Yup.”
“They are around a lot. Shouldn’t be hard to find,” she laughed and added, “I know.”
“Mmhmm. Bad news about that is the James brothers are back.”
“By the way, you have a big giant ugly weed growing in that field of peas next to your office. I tried to dig it up yesterday but it’s stubborn.”
“Do I...” I chuckled.
“My deputy told me yesterday. I’m glad they are actually. I need to catch them,” she said and we walked over.
“Well ain’t that perty,” I frowned when I saw the garden.
“Nope. Especially when the wind gets to blowin’. Vicious, like it’s a monster attacking.”
“Mmhmm. Better not leave my windows open. We could sit in the tree but then you wouldn’t be in Diamond while on duty...”
“I probably shouldn’t sit right now with wanted people around. That and I need to post this warrant in my office.”
“Mmhmm. Want to do paperwork in the office then?”
“Sure. You mean... You do paperwork,” she chuckled. “I’m just posting.”
“So you’re not stayin’ long?” I asked, following her inside as she worked on the warrant board.
“I might, I don’t know,” she said.
I sat at the desk and worked on some reports and then we headed outside. We decided to take a walk and wandered towards Tombstone.
Tombstone.
We walked over to the hotel and heard people talking about how White Owl and Halo had gotten engaged. Raz walked over and I asked him how he was doing. We talked about how he’d been there when Pet was kidnapped and he said that he’d applied to be a deputy in Tombstone.
Aly and I walked into Kate’s for a drink but my mind was still focused on cases. I realized that I needed a statement from Raz about being shot in the robbery where the James brothers were robbing the bank. I got his statement and then headed to my office.
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