Black Diamond.
I walked down the street and saw the group sitting in front of the cantina. I saw Ben with them and hesitated as they greeted me and I said hello to everyone. “Excuse me, but I have things I need to take care of,” Ger said then. I noticed the new dog hanging around and pet her while we talked about how he’d found her last week. Ben looked me over again, staying quiet.
“Can we talk?” I looked over at Ben.
“Oh, Trin...see what you can about the fire at the Town Hall for me please?” Ger asked. “See you all later,” he said and walked down the street.
“At the town hall? I know the one at the bank...” I said and watched him walk away. “How does he expect me to find out anything if he won’t tell me where?”
“You can ask me for a date in front of these good folks..don’t be shy,” Ben told me.
“Oh is it about all the fires last night? I didn’t see nothing,” Ben said.
“I know about the one Rikki set at the bank... But Mark already put a warrant out for her.”
“There you go, Ben. An instant date,” Sugar said.
“Anyone know anything about the town hall one?” I looked over at Sugar.
“No, I don’t know anything about it,” Sugar said. “I wasn’t here, Trin. Not sure when it happened.”
“Or where...” I shook my head. “Honestly.” I looked over at Ben and said, “I think we should talk alone... maybe over some whiskey, if it’ll help.”
“How iz everyone today?” Angel asked as she walked over then.
“Angel, you know about a fire at a town hall?” I asked.
“Oh um, vel, kinda.”
“Where’d it happen?”
“Rikki came to zeh dance lazt night and told Matt and me zat zeh law of Diamond vas trying to blame it on her and it vasn’t her.”
“Fine, fine. Didn’t realize ya was so shy,” Ben said then.
“We’re talking about the town hall, not the bank, right?” I asked Angel, ignoring Ben for the moment.
“She said, ‘zeh law of Diamond say I burned the bank and town hall, it vasn’t me, it’s a lie,’” Angel quoted.
“I know she was the one who set the bank on fire. I was there.”
“I told her I vould keep it in mind but i dont have jurisdiction in Diamond so iz not mine place,” Angel said.
“Didn’t see it but heard Mark yelling at her. Okay, that helps at least clear somethings up.. About that whiskey?” I looked back at Ben.
“Ya she mentioned both, vich I found odd,” Angel said.
“Thanks Deputy, I nodded in agreement.
Angel headed for Tombstone and Sugar walked down the street, letting me and Ben talk. On her way down the street she said, “Use your charms, Ben.”
I leaned back against the fence and looked at Ben contemplatively, trying to figure out where to start.
“Well, what ya wanna talk about?” he looked at me.
“Whatever this is... We seem to have something going on between us and I’m not sure I like it.”
“Well howdy ma’am,” Ben’s gaze focused on Lilly as she walked by.
“See that’s just it,” I said and he turned his attention back to me. “You’re nice to everyone else but me. Me, I get dirty looks when all I’ve done is try to help you.”
“I ain’t been mean to ya lady... Ya just a bit too nosey with all yer questions.”
“I’m a detective... it’s what I do. And those questions were supposed to help you find who stole your things, which you don’t seem to care about.”
“And I’m an innocent victim that don’t know nothin’. Well now all my new stuff done burned again.”
“Uh huh. Least you could do was help me. Or appreciate that I’m just trying to help.”
“And I have no clue to who done it.”
“Then why the looks?”
“I always get made to feel like I done some thing wrong.”
“Have I said anything like that?”
“Not yet... but in my experience... they always hang the wrong fella. I’m not gonna be that fella.”
“Who said anything about hanging? You’ve killed someone? Stole their horse?”
“Nope... don’t mean someone ain’t tryin’ to frame me for it though.”
“Ben... I can’t help you if you don’t respect the position I’m in...”
“Fine, fine. So what ya want from me then?”
“Besides... Number 34?” I asked.
“That ain’t me,” he grinned a bit wider. “I just passed the message along.”
“From whom?”
“See now there ya go, askin’ questions again that I really shouldn’t answer. Ya want me to do yer job for ya?”
“You threaten or warn me about being the next victim in some serial case, won’t tell me which case, and I’m not allowed to ask questions?”
“Alright, alright,” he laughed. “Since you’re not competent enough of a detective yet, I’ll tell ya a bit more. The Kissin’ Bandit.”
I looked at him and listened closely, not admitting that I knew exactly which case it was and possibly which person he was talking about. I sighed, seeing I was right. “I thought as much. Just would have been a bloody waste of time reopening that case if that wasn’t the one we’re talkin’ about.”
“Well that’s all yer gettin’ outta me. Yer on your own now.”
“And you’re not gonna tell me how you know about it? Come on Ben... that really fair?” I stepped closer.
“I use to work for him when I was a younger lad.”
“Work for him?” I blinked.
“Ran a few errands and stuff... up till we parted ways a spell back. He ran off with some rich woman...and I headed north.”
“How come you parted ways?” I asked, reaching out to touch his arm softly.
“Couldn’t stand his woman... and I tired of being on the run.”
“I respect that.”
“I still make a few deliveries for him but...that’s as far as it goes.”
“So you’re still in contact with him.”
“Came back to Tombstone to get away from my own woman and retire. Yeah, I’ll be headed up his way in about a half hour. Seems my retirement was short lived.”
“I really want to be able to trust you, Ben,” I sighed and leans back.
“Well Miss detective... one thing I’ve learned around here...trust no one. Ya don’t gotta trust my word, ya hear it for yourself soon enough my words be true.”
“It’s not your words I’m having a problem with. You been up to Benson lately?” I looked at him with a tilted head.
“Me in Benson? Not that I recall... why?” he grinned more.
“Oh just curious. I don’t get out there much. Startin’ to hear about it more though.”
“Ghost town from what I heard... ain’t had a reason to be.”
“Alright well... if there’s nothing else...” I looked at him.
“Nothing else I can think of.”
“Alright then. Stay safe, Ben.”
“You as well,” he said then and said, “Ya never catch me!”
“What was that?” I looked back.
“Eh, thinkin’ to myself is all,” he smiled wide.
“Uh huh,” I shook my head and walked away.
Sugar met me as I walked towards Bisbee and asked, “Hi Trin... Any luck?”
“No,” I sighed.
“I’m sorry, I was not around at the time.”
“Just need some answers. Before all this stuff...”
“I understand. Well I wish you luck... really.”
“Thanks I’m gonna need it.”
“See you later then!” she said and I continued on towards Allen Street.
Tombstone.
I walked into Tombstone and smiled widely when I saw Joe. “Well you’re a sight for sore eyes!”
“Well hello there! Sore eyes in what way?”
“Oh mine... My head is spinning right now. How are you doing, Joe?”
He looked at my legs and said, “You do like walking through rivers. Is anything the matter?”
“Lots of things the matter right now. Could use a sounding board... or a friend,” I looked at him.
“Sure. Where would you like to go and talk?”
“Anywhere. I’ll follow you.”
“I only have the undertakers, you recommend somewhere,” he laughed.
“Come on then,” I smiled and led the way to the Oriental where I sat at the bar.
“Would you like a drink?” Joe asked as he went behind the counter.
“Whiskey would be great,” I nodded.
He nodded and looked for the bottle, taking the top off with his teeth and setting the bottle on the bar. “What’s the matter, Trin?” he asked softly as he took two glasses and poured the whiskey in them.
“A case has reopened and I really wish it’d stayed closed. The mayor in Diamond told me to figure out about a fire at the town hall and wouldn’t tell me it was in Diamond, so I had to figure that out on my own.”
“And what case is that?” he asked as he placed some coins in the till and sat down beside me with the two glasses, handing me one.
“And I have a case about a fire in Benson and the man who I know is responsible for it ain’t talkin’.”
“So do you think both fires are related?”
“I think that the fire in Benson and the reopened case are related, with the same individual in both, but I’m not sure how to prove it.”
“I assume no evidence at either scene,” he looked at me.
“Oh there’s evidence,” I sighed. “A whiskey bottle with initials on it. But no prints cause of the fire. Just initials. But I confronted the man I think responsible and he lied to me.”
“Well he is not going to admit it is he,” he nodded. “Are the initials the person you suspect?”
“But I can’t prove it,” I nodded.
“Agreed, he will just say that somebody is trying to frame him. What sort of fellow is the man?”
“Funny that’s exactly what he said... he said he wouldn’t answer my questions about another case ‘cause he didn’t wanna get framed and hanged for something he didn’t do.”
“So he is not stupid then,” Joe rubbed his chin. “You need a witness or a way of making him tell somebody else.”
“Yeah problem is Benson’s a ghost town and no one’s ever around. So no one saw the fire. Which means there’s no witnesses. Which means I’m screwed.”
“I hope not, but he may become over confident, and from what I remember most arsonist do work when nobody is around. Was any reason given for the fires a note or anything?”
“All they found was the bottle. And everyone who I talk to about the initials agrees with who I suspect it stands for. But it’s not enough.”
“Does the man live in either of the towns that had the fires?” he asked, sipping the whiskey.
“Yeah. In Diamond where there was a bank fire last night which I know was done by Rikki, and this town hall fire that I have no idea what happened but Rikki mentioned it to some people and said she didn’t do either fire.”
“So they want to burn their own town, has the person had a problem with the mayor?”
“Not that I know of... But then...” I thought about the James gang wanting to take over the town and shook my head. “No... That would be too easy.”
“But then what?” he looked at me.
“Thing is... the sheriff’s office fire happened in Benson. Not our town at all. The other two fires were in Diamond and I’m pretty sure Rikki did them both.”
“So maybe you have two people after all then, but you said Rikki confessed the fire at the bank. Who is this Rikki?”
“No she said she didn’t do the fire at the bank but I know she did. I was there when Mark was yelling at her. But that she’d mention the town hall and the bank at the dance... says she knows about the town hall fire somehow.”
“You dance?” he hesitated then and then went back to the point. “Who is Rikki and why would she burn the town?”
“If a man asks me, I dance,” I winked at him. “Rikki is an outlaw who lives in Ghenna.”
“That means trouble then,” Joe sighed and looked at me. “I am sure you are danced off your feet with all the offers then.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you. Truth is I don’t get to dance nearly as much as I like,” I smirked a bit and sipped my whiskey.
“Well that makes two of us, my clients are not the most active people,” he nodded. “Not sure how I can help you Trin, sounds like to me it may be forces in Ghenna against Black Diamond, but why use the same bottle with the same initials.”
“Joe remember... the fire with the bottle happened in Benson.”
“Apologies I thought you said two of the fires started with whisky,” he shook his head. “So sounds like your man for Benson and Rikki for Black Diamond. “Was distracted imagining you in a dress at a dance,” he smiled.
“Glad I’m not crazy,” I nodded in agreement. “You know... we could just dance right here... Wouldn’t need the dress or the event...”
“Would be honoured on one condition,” he stood and took my hand.
I held his hand and asked, “And what condition is that?”
“You dance with me with in a dress one day just the two of us and leads her to the dance floor,” he said and moved with me to the back room where we could dance.
“It’s a deal,” I smiled and moved around the floor with him.
“Is this okay?” he asked me as we moved.
“This is perfect.”
“Well your legs may be a little damp from the creek,” he chuckled, “But you feel good close up if you don’t my me saying.”
“It’s nice to be close with you. I’ve been thinking about you, I’ll be honest,” I smiled and danced up close to him.
“In a good way I hope?”
“Most definitely... you left quite an impression on me, Joe...”
“Sometimes that can be good and sometimes that can be bad,” Joe looked at me. “Pity you didn’t bid for me at the auction.”
“Oh come now, did I really need to bid on you? Got you to dance with me, didn’t I?” I winked and slid my hands down his sides.
“That’s true,” he put his hands on my waist, “But would mean I would be with you for a two hour date tomorrow. Of course assuming you would like a quiet date with me and I am not being presumptuous.”
“We’ll just have to make our own date then, won’t we?” I smiled, pulling him closer.
“Indeed we will,” he grinned and gave me a squeeze. “Now when would you suggest we do that and where?”
I blushed and leaned against his chest, smiling at the prospect of a date with him. “We can play that by ear, I think... This feels like a pretty good date here right now though, don’t it?”
“It does indeed,” he said and drifted with me around the floor.
“This really is nice,” I loved the feeling of being in his arms.
“And looking forward to dancing with you when you’re not wearing a gun,” he said and ran his hand around my waist.
I inhaled as he did, “Mmmm Will be nice, yes.”
“Is this helping your case?” he smiled, looking in my eyes.
“It helps me relax and think with a clear head, so yes,” I reached up to caress his neck softly.
“And what does this do to your head?” he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. I moaned and kissed him back gently. “You know I am going to kiss you properly now, don’t you?” he whispered.
I felt the electricity surge through me and nodded with a smile, “I’m not stopping you.”
He leaned in and kissed me softly as we stood still. As our hands explored one another I gasped at the intensity from his kiss and his touch and leaned my forehead against his, exhaling deeply. “Oh Joe...”
“Yes Trin... Would you like to change the condition of that dance before I leave you?”
“Change the... leave me?” I looked at him, breathless.
“When you dance with me it will be in your undergarments,” he whispered and kissed me again.
I swallowed hard and looked in his eyes, “I take things a bit slower than most women...”
“Thank you for saying that,” he rubbed his nose against mine, “Because that is the answer I wanted to hear, as you will find I do as well.”
I sighed with relief and looked in his eyes. “Don’t mean I don’t enjoy... certain things... but I don’t want to disappoint you if you’re just wantin’ to...”
“I take things slow and I am not here to find a lady and move on to another. I am slow and steady, but yes I do enjoy certain things so that works both ways... Simply if we do it will be because we want to and when the time is right.”
“Mmhmm.. I’m not willin’ to settle down and then move onto another man either. Kinda done with that. I want to get to know someone and know that he’s gonna stick around before it becomes too serious...” I smiled at the fact that we were on the same page and kissed him again.
“Well my track record here I met one lady and was with her for two years, so that should tell you something. I need to head out so place my hand where you would like it and I will kiss you goodnight.”
I placed his hand on my heart and smiled, “I will see you soon, Joe...”
“Indeed you will,” he kissed me softly before slowly letting me go and heading out.
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