Black Diamond.
I walked into town this morning and saw two rangers riding on a horse together. It was odd, since there wasn’t usually rangers in these parts unless something was going on or it was payroll. “Howdy you two. Everything alright?”
“Hello miss,” Mickey greeted me. “Just getting ready to patrol. How are you today?”
“We have a couple of strangers in town might keep an eye out on them,” Amara warned me.
“I’m doin just fine. Strangers?”
“The outlaw type,” Amara nodded.
“Well I would keep an eye on Ben for sure,” Mickey put in. “The other ain’t much trouble with out him
“Great,” I blinked then. “You mean someone else finally agrees with me that the man is trouble?”
“Time will tell,” Mickey nodded with a wink.
Well it’s about damn time,” I muttered.
“Have you met Amara?”
“Yes I believe we have met.”
“Yes, she showed me around when I first came here,” Amara smiled at Mickey.
“Oh good. Well we wont keep you.”
“Alright then, stay safe you two!” I smiled and then walked over to see which outlaws were being talked about. I frowned when I recognized both Sera and Gina. “Fantastic,” I muttered under my breath but tried to be nice. “Hi everyone. Nice to see you again, ladies.”
“Morning,” Ben smiled at me. “Wonderful weather we havin’, ain’t it?”
“Indeed,” I nodded.
“Somethin’ wrong?” Sera asked.
“Me? Wrong? Why would anythin’ be wrong?” I looked at her.
“Cases piping up on your desk or something miss detective?” Ben looked at me and I glared at him, knowing most of my cases had to do with him.
“Well Miss Trin, I imagine it was boring around here without us,” Sera said then.
“Hardly. I’ve kept myself busy enough,” I said, though it had been very quiet lately.
“We will liven it up for ya,” Sera promised.
“Goodie,” I muttered. “I’m going to walk around town.”
As I walked away, Ben made kissy noises to me and I shook my head as I climbed up the tree beside Alex and Aly’s place, pulling out my notebook.
Tombstone.
An hour later I wandered over to Tombstone and saw Joe and Sabi still talking. “Hey you two!”
“Hiii Miss Trin!” Sabi grinned.
Joe chuckled and nodded to me. “You’re not looking for outlaws as well, are you?”
“Ain’t my job to look for ‘em, just to figure out who they are and what they did,” I winked at him. “How are you two?”
“I am okies thanks Miss Trin. How’s you?” Sabi asked.
“I am my normal cynical grumpy and wonderful self, so pretty good really,” Joe replied.
“I’m doing okay, thanks. Been another quiet day.”
“Same here, no customers for a week now,” he paused. “I may need to turn to a life of crime or get a second job.”
“Just to give yourself something to do?” I chuckled. “I sing this afternoon in Bisbee at least... that’ll give me something to do.”
“Ya got any good jobs and work?” Joe looked at Sabrina with a laugh.
“I did sir... but after this mornin’ when I found out my daddy was a criminal everything is different.”
“How’d you find that out?” I blinked at her.
“Miss Muriel told me Miss Trin...”
“Shouldn’t believe anything that woman tells you,” I blinked at her.
“Ya daddy is an outlaw?” Joe looked at her.
“Ya see I thought my daddy was a very nice, very good native man. But she said he was actually just a white guy that didn’t take a bath and was bad... so tha cavalry shot an kilt him.”
“Seriously hon, don’t listen to her....” I shook my head.
“I don’t think that is true Sabrina,” Joe said softly.
“But it makes sense.”
“It does?” I looked at her and noticed Ben calling over to say hi to Sabi as he passed by.
“Do you know Mr Lot Sabrina?” Joe asked.
“You see mommy was married ta my daddy.... an if he was a crimnal, that explains why she likes...” her voice trailed off as she looked over at the wagon where Ben was riding along.
“I don’t think so Mr Joe,” Sabi shook his head.
“Why she likes...?” I prompted, noticing Ty standing in front of the newspaper office.
“Why she likes Mr Ben Miss Trin.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well cause she married a crimnal maybe she wants ta marry another one?”
“You finally agree with me that Ben is a criminal?”
She looked from the left to the right and nodded. “Yes ma’am. I saw him....”
I leaned down to her level and asked, “You saw him what, hon?”
“I am sure your mommy is a sensible lady,” Joe said then.
“I’m not supposed ta say Miss Trin.”
“You want to talk about it somewhere inside?” I looked at her and she nibbled her lip nervously. “It’s okay sweetie, you can talk to me.”
“But if he is a crimnal and my daddy was a crimnal then I should be too... and if I am a crimnal then I shouldn’t be talkin to tha law.”
“You’re not a criminal...” I sighed. “What makes someone a criminal is what they do... not what their parents did.”
“I can go and work in my house if you two need to talk,” Joe offered.
“That’s what Miss Pet said too Miss Trin but I don’t understand. I come from my mommy and daddy so I am the same as them.”
“But honey you don’t know for sure that your daddy was like that. Let’s look into this more, okay? You and me.. We’ll figure this out together.”
She looked at me and nodded, “You can help me ma’am?”
“I sure can. But you gotta tell me what Mr. Ben did.”
Joe sat down and started to work on something and Sabi looked from the left to the right nervously. “Well... a little while back I ran away from home when Miss Muriel said somethin else about me... And while I was run away I felled off a rock and hurted my arm... So since it hurt a lot I decided ta come home... and I was coming back into town back by that train tracks behind tha hotel... An as I was coming around tha corner I heard a giant BOOM!”
“Like a gunshot? Or more than that?”
“No big big, and loud! I could feel it shake inside me,” she said and I sighed, remembering my own interactions with dynamite. “So I looked around tha corner and saw smoke comin out of tha bank. And Mr Ben ran in, then a few minutes later ran out with money.”
“Ben did what?!” I raised an eyebrow and blinked at that.
“I asked him about it... he said it was our secret... that he ran in ta make sure everyone was okay... and just couldn’t resist tha money. But Miss Trin thats not all.... I also saw another guy runnin off... but I didn’t know who he was...”
“Was this here in Tombstone?” I looked at her.
“Yes ma’am, right over at the bank over there,” Sabi pointed at the bank.
“When did this happen?”
“Oh gosh Miss Trin, a while ago. I broked my arm when I fell and its all better now.”
“Was this ever reported?” he asked quietly.
“There’s not been a single warrant against Ben except that robbery of Dakota’s necklace,” I looked at Joe with concern, then back at Sabi. “Which went to court and he was charged guilty. Hon, we need to report this to the deputies. He can’t keep doing things like this and people can’t keep thinking he’s a saint.”
“She was really mad, but he told me it was cause she wanted him ta be her boyfriend and he said no,” Sabi said.
“Who was really mad? Your mom?” I asked.
“Problem is if nobody reported there was a robbery, there is not a case,” Joe looked between us and gaved a surprised look at Sabi’s last statement.
“No ma’am, Miss Dakota... I heard them talkin in tha saloon one day,” Sabi said.
“So what are we supposed to do now, Joe? Let it go? Pretend it never happened?” I sighed.
“Need to check with the law, but if we don’t know when, the case will be thrown out,” Joe shook his head.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I nodded to him.
“I think Mr Ben scared her cause I ain’t seen her since. But Miss Trin... Mr Ben gave my mommy a ring... like they are gonna be super extra special friends. Mommy asked me what I would think if he became my daddy. So ya see?”
I blinked at that, swearing under my breath at all the weddings happening around here.
“And what did you say, Sabrina?” Joe asked her.
“I said it would be okay as long as Mr Ben promised never ever ta go back to jail again,” Sabi said. “I figgered that would mean he would have ta be good... but now I don’t think I was so smart... I am only 6 Miss Trin... my worst problem should be choccie chip cookies or peanut butter....”
“What is it with folks getting married so quickly here,” Joe shook his head.
“I know kiddo,” I went over and hugged Sabi. “Do you want to talk to a lawperson and see what they suggest?”
“I did Miss Trin.”
“You did? You talked to them about this bank robbery and dynamite thing?”
“Well... kinda...” she nodded and I looked at her. “It’s a secret, Miss Trin. If Mr Ben is my daddy I gotta mind him.”
“Sabi... he’s not your daddy yet.”
“See? I gotta be a crimnal too!”
“Tell me... who did you talk to about this?” I asked, though I had a feeling I knew who.
“Well.... I kinda talked about it with Miss Stormy... since she is gonna be Poppy’s momma and Poppy is my bestest friend I figgered I could trust her.... But we mostly talked about Miss Kat....”
“Gently with her Trin,” Joe said softly and I nodded, trying to relax though I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Sorry, I don’t know them,” he said about the names she’d mentioned.
“Miss Trin?” Sabi looked down at her shoes with worry.
“Yeah hon?” I looked at her and she winced a bit, holding something back. “What, honey?” I tried to ease up on her.
“Are you an outlaw pertendin ta be a detective?” she finally asked.
“Oh Sabi, absolutely not... I stand for justice and the truth. That’s all. I’m trying to put the bad guys away,” I looked at her. “I may not be able to arrest them but I can help those who can find out who did things.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Okies, I am glad Miss Trin. It’s just so hard to know who a body can trust in ‘dults Ma’am.”
“I know kiddo... but you can trust me. And you can trust Mr. Joe here..” I told her.
“An I trust Miss Dancing Cloud too,” she said and smiled a bit more.
“I know what you mean, Sabrina,” Joe smiled at her.
I looked from Sabi to Joe, my patience wearing thin with the situation with Ben.
“I wish my daddy was here,” Sabi said then. “Then I would know if he was a good person or a bad one.”
“So what can you do if the law ain’t doing anything?” Joe looked at me.
“I’m gonna go to the top,” I looked at Joe. “The sheriffs are gonna hear about this. And the mayor. I need a drink,” I sighed.
“Which mayor?” Joe sighed.
“Adrian. I’ll take care of it, Sabi,” I promised her.
“Yes Miss Trin,” she nodded.
“And what about the marshals? Can they help?” Joe tilted his head to the side, looking surprised.
“Help what? I need to tell this to a Tombstone lawman but there ain’t one around yet so I’ll have to wait until Matt or Angel are around.”
“Well I rarely see any law, so good luck with that,” Joe muttered under his breath.
“Matt and Angel are around a lot in the evenings. When you’re fast asleep,” I winked at him, trying to relax in front of Sabi.
“Um... If you tell folks though... Mr Ben will know I told. Cause I am the only one that knows.”
“I won’t bring up your name hon, I promise. I’ll say that someone told me, and won’t tell them who. I’ll tell them that the person was a child and didn’t want to get in more trouble, okay? You said something about another man with him... Do you remember him? Did you find out his name?”
“Well the new couch is darn comfy,” Joe nodded and looked at me. “Surely he will know it was her.”
Sabi looked over, a bit surprised to see Dancing Cloud, and asked, “Yes Miss Khoon Gyah Pahn?” Dancing Cloud moved over a bit and lifted a finger to her lips and Sabi nodded, looking down quietly. “I still wish my daddy was here. He would fix it all.”
“Kiddo, I think I need to talk with Mr. Joe for a while,” I looked at him knowingly. “You stay safe, okay hon?” I reached down to hug Sabi and then stood up.
“Yes Miss Trin. Thank you,” the girl hugged me warmly.
“Joe? Can we go to your place for a bit?” I asked, looking at him.
“Take care, Sabrina,” he said and then looked at me. “Sure, the pot’s on.”
I led the way to his house near the fort and we walked inside, sitting down on the couch. “He’s gonna get away with this too, isn’t he?” I sighed.
“Yep, who will believe a six year old kid and he seems friendly with her mother.”
“But if the six year old kid is willing to turn on him then he must have done it.. She wouldn’t just make that up.”
“Yes but you cant pit a six pear old kid in the dock; and if the law have done nothing what can you do?”
“So what, we just wait till he does it again and then report it to law? What if she’s the only one who witnesses that, too? She’ll keep getting caught in the middle and before we know it he’s training her to do the same damn thing,” I said, getting upset.
“Well by that time sounds like he will be married to the mother. I really don’t know what to do. The law has to take responsibility here.”
“So what do I do?” I leaned my head back against the wall.
“You do your job, but you have to protect her at all costs.”
“And when they ask who told me I say it’s an anonymous source.”
“Which means he will get away with it. So who is Stormy?”
“A deputy in Diamond who does absolutely nothing. The very least, she could have told someone in Tombstone about it, even if it wasn’t in her jurisdiction.”
“You’re in a difficult position. Do you want justice or the kid protected?”
“But getting justice will get the kid protected in the long run. She had the guts to tell me what happened... she doesn’t want to see it happen again... only way I can prevent that is telling a deputy.”
“Then that’s what you do, but you have to protect the girl,” he said quietly.
“How?”
“And you wonder why I am an undertaker,” Joe looked at me. “Somehow you need her mother on your side.”
“You’re right. Go to the mother... that’s it.”
“So who for instance was the woman Ben was driving around today on the wagon?”
“Adrianna? Would be my guess. I didn’t see the wagon, was focused on Sabi.”
“I didn’t know, just thought there was a woman on it. I didn’t recognize her.”
“But then why wouldn’t she have greeted her mother?”
“Maybe she didn’t see the woman and just saw Ben. So try and get the mother onside.”
“Try to become friends with her. Make her trust me,” I nodded in agreement.
“Yep, and just throw innocent remarks in thought you saw Ben riding with her today and see how she reacts.”
“Good idea,” I nodded.
“But yes show your a good friend and check if there are any unsolved bank robberies.”
“There aren’t. I just checked the warrant boards...”
I decided to head over to Bisbee and get ready for my gig. I hugged him and then went outside.
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