May 6, 1900

Black Diamond. 

I walked outside and saw Dakota sitting outside the sheriff’s office. I guessed that meant Aly was inside. I went to knock on the door and Aly called out, “Who is worth me getting up that’s out there?”

“It’s Trin. You busy?” I called in. 

“Uhm, not for you!” 

I smiled and unlocked the door, walking into the office. “Come in! Oh wait, I’m not at home. Hold on, let me get off my lazy ass to...oh...” 

“I have a key. I just didn’t want to interrupt if you were busy with somethin’,” I chuckled. 

“Didn’t know you had a key. I am ok with this,” she grinned. “Um, well not like I get naked in the office.” 

“How are things? Workin’ hard?” I smiled. 

“Yeah I’m writing up this warrant on Jack. Finally.” 

“Never know... you’re the engaged one,” I winked. 

“Uhm, yeah, and not sure my co-workers would like walking in on that,” Aly chuckled. 

“Anything else going on that I can help with?” I asked.

“Yes? Close the door?” she laughed. 

I walked out to look around and looked back, “Your fiance’s out here, you still want me to close the door?” I winked at Alex as he dismounted. 

“Hey Trin! Hello folks,” he said and I looked over to see the couple standing near the office. 

“Hello folks. Everything alright this evening?” I greeted them. 

“Oh yes, we are out for a stroll,” the man said. 

I could hear Aly sigh inside the office and looked at Alex, “I don’t think she heard the part where I said her fiance was out here.” 

Alex grinned and headed into the office as I focused on the couple outside. “It’s a nice night for a stroll.”

“Yes it is. How are things tonight?” the man asked. “No trouble, I hope.” 

“None as of yet but the night’s still young,” I smiled. 

“Are you law miss?” the woman asked. 

“I’m a detective... I help out the law when they need me. Name’s Trin Paige,” I smiled. “Mickey, right?” I looked at the man, recognized him. “Weren’t you a deputy here once?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’m Mickey. I’m sorry, I thought we met. I can’t keep up.” 

“Don’t think we’ve met yet though, ma’am,” I looked at the woman and looked back at him. “We’ve met, Mickey.” 

“Trin that lady is Amara, she was on the jury on Sunday,” Aly said from inside the office. 

“This is Amara,” Mickey introduced her. 

“I think that’s the same woman anyhow, you were on the jury, right?” Aly asked from inside.

“Oh hello, yes I remember you from the jury now,” I smiled at her. 

“Rikki’s?” Amara asked. 

“That was quite a busy weekend for me. Yes I believe it must have been the one for Rikki...”

“I saw that one. Was a heck of a trial,” Mickey commented. 

“Still ain’t sure how I lost but it is what it is.”

“Trin...” Aly started as she and Alex came outside. 

“Aly, it’s fine. I’m over it.”

“Remember I said our job is gettin’ it to court. wait. You said that,” Aly laughed. “See I don’t even have to open my mouth.” 

“Relax, woman. Just talkin’,” I shook my head at my friend’s worry. 

“I’m relaxed!” she promised. 

“Well that was a good trial. I hope to see more,” Mickey said. 

“Well if the Young Guns keep this up I’m sure we’ll see plenty in the area.” 

“They happen often,” Aly said. 

“They seem to be more active lately.”

“We been staying away from the guns,” Mickey said. 

“I saw them take a lady the other day,” Amara said and I looked at her. 

“You witnessed them kidnapping Bree?” I asked. 

“I want this one with Jack to go to court, I think it will eventually, I don’t wanna do a warrant on it, but, with the evidence...I swear I’m gonna make that boy do jumping jacks in the cell,” Aly said. 

“Do you think you saw enough that might help us in court?” I asked her. 

“I saw her get in the wagon,” Amara said. 

“Think you could write up a witness statement about what you saw? We didn’t think anyone witnessed that,” I smiled. 

“Excuse me, I need to go for a bit,” Alex said and walked down the street. 

“Honey, they will come after us,” Mickey warned and put a hand on Amara’s shoulder.

“I just saw her in the wagon and they took off,” Amara said. 

“If she saw that I’d take a statement. Poor Bree must have been so distraught she didn’t know who was around,” Aly said. 

“I don’t want them on me,” Amara said. 

“Mickey, they won’t. They’re more concerned with bankers and nonsense lately,” I handed her a blank statement and she took it. “If you could write down anything you saw it would help us greatly.”

“And law,” Aly said. “They are more likely to bother me than either of you.” 

“Very true. Besides, do they even know who ya’ll are? They might not even recognize you enough to come after you,” I put in. 

“I don’t want anything to do with them,” Amara shook her head. 

“That’s fine then, it’s not mandatory. Can’t force anyone with it,” Aly said. 

“Well maybe it would stop them,” Mickey suggested. 

“We have enough evidence anyhow Trin,” Aly said but I stayed quiet, knowing that an actual witness would go a long way. 

“It’s up to you, Amara. I got your back,” Mickey promised her. 

“I’m gonna go finish this warrant, Trin, before Suzy arrives, she’s gonna want to sign it,” Aly said then and walked into the office, closing the door behind her. 

“Sure Aly,” I nodded to her. I looked back at the couple and said, “There’s no pressure at all either way... just if you want to fill out something about what you saw, it would be appreciated. But I ain’t gonna force you to do somethin’. I understand your hesitation.”

“Are they going to hang that guy?” Amara asked. 

“Which guy?” 

“The outlaw.” 

“Jack?” I asked and she nodded. “Wasn’t a hanging charge unfortunately.”

“What is a hanging charge?” Amara asked. 

“Murder, I think Amara,” Mickey said. 

“Yes murder is definitely a hanging charge...” I nodded. 

“Mickey? Can you shoot?” Amara asked. 

“I can,” he nodded. 

“He was a deputy once... I should hope so,” I winked at Mickey. 

“Yeah,” he nodded again. 

“And the only charges that are hanging are High Grading... not really sure what that is... Horse Theft... Killing... and Revenge Shooting,” I told them. 

“I could use some new guns but this old one works just fine,” Mickey said. 

“Can you show me?” Amara asked. 

“How to shoot? Yes. We have to go visit the range.” 

“Good to have someone teach you how to shoot,” I smiled. “And Amara... promise me you’ll think about that statement?”

“Maybe you should help them, Amara,” Mickey suggested. “Someone needs to stop these outlaws.” 

“Not until I learn to defend myself.” 

“Do you have a gun?” 

“Definitely a good idea to learn how to defend yourself. I can completely understand that fear,” I smiled. 

“Just the one I think I got when I came here,” Amara told him. 

“I could buy you one.” 

“You’ve got a good man there, Amara,” I smiled. 

“Let’s go to range,” Mickey suggested. 

“I’m going to head inside and work on some paperwork. You two stay safe. You can drop off that statement in my mailbox across the street or here at the sheriff’s office.”

They said goodbye and Mickey said that he was sure Amara would do the right thing. I walked into the office and sat down at the desk with a sigh, not saying anything as Aly was working hard. 

She looked over at me and told me about a visual she had of Mark walking in on her and Alex doing something and I just laughed at her. I decided to write down a copy of the charges on the wall so that I would have them with me all the time, since apparently I didn’t have them memorized as well as I had thought. Alex knocked on the door and I went to let him in, then returned to my paperwork. Aly looked around to see if she had a copy of the charges on the wall but she couldn’t find one so I continued to write. We continued to do our paperwork as Alex worked on a drawing at the other desk. 

“Do you guys always have this much fun at night?” Alex asked at length. 

“Sometimes we get shot,” I chuckled. 

“When Tye made up his warrants, did he include your detective reports, the ones with the evidence, on the warrant or on the report on the warrant? Or do you not know?” Aly asked me. 

“Yep he did. Just attached the incident report with all the witness statements,” I replied. 

“Now that would be fun,” Alex said then. 

“You want your best friend and fiance to get shot?” I looked over at Alex. 

“Okay fine,” Aly glanced at Alex. “I’m not going to be doing this long tonight, hell I’m almost done.” 

“No, I don’t want you to get shot.” 

“Then we get to go arrest Jack?” I asked. 

“I want to dance later, hopefully it won’t be cancelled like last Tuesday,” Aly said. 

I looked through my files and blinked, “Aly! I know what High Grading is! It’s going into a mine and basically steeling ore you’re not entitled to.”

“Yeah but I need Suzy or a judge to sign it before I can make the arrest,” Aly said. 

“It probably will be. And doubtful anyone will get shot,” Alex shook his head. 

“I do have two warrants on Lot, the only problem is finding law AND lot in Tombstone at the same time to arrest him,” Aly said. 

“You sound so disappointed at that,” I looked at Alex. 

“That is high grading?” Aly asked. 

“Yep apparently. Basically stealing from someone else’s mine,” I said. 

“Not that I want anyone to get hurt or anything. I’m just saying... no one ever gets shot around me,” Alex shrugged. 

“Poor rejected doctor...” I chuckled. “I love that there’s an ‘unwanted’ after ‘harassment. As if that needed clarification.”

“Right detective. You never complain of not having cases,” Alex teased. 

“Okay fine,” I chuckled. 

“Okay it’s ready for a signature,” Aly said as she finished attaching papers together. 

“Yay!” I exclaimed. 

“Honestly though, I hope no one gets shot tonight. I’m too tired to deal with that,” Alex said. 

“Done, I’m done!” Aly said. 

“I’m not but you guys go have fun.”

They started to banter back and forth as I continued to finish my writing. When I had finally decided that I had done enough, I looked over. “You guys know I’ve been in Tombstone a year officially today?”

“Wow, we need to celebrate, Trin!” Alex said. 

“We do?” I asked. 

“Oh really, well congratulations! That’s a lot of tumbleweed-tolerating,” Aly smiled. 

“One year! That’s really cool!” Alex exclaimed. 

“I guess it is...” I chuckled. “I mean when I was in Colorado, Kansas, whatever... I never stayed in one spot for more than three months. Even Texas I was only there for six months before it was too hard and I had to move to Colorado.”

“I can’t imagine moving around,” Aly said. 

“It was awful.”

“I used to travel a lot too like that. But there’s something about Tombstone that keeps us,” Alex said. 

“There is... It’s felt like home in spite of the stress,” I nodded. “Okay you know what screw it, I’ll finish this later.”

“Home wouldn’t be home without stress. That’s heaven,” Aly smiled at me. 

“I want to celebrate my one-year anniversary in this town with my best friends.”

“Yay!” Alex grinned. 

“So what are we gonna do?” 

“Hey I don’t wanna be responsible for you not getting things done,” Aly smiled. 

“It’s for my benefit only.. doesn’t matter when it gets done.”

“Smoke some opium?” Alex asked and ducked. 

“Listen you...” I glared at Alex. “I let you put that stuff on me once.”

“I’m kidding!” he chuckled. 

“And only because we thought that wound was infected.” 

“That’ll look real good on me if Tye or Suzy show,” Aly said. 

“Better be,” I punched Alex playfully. 

“I’ve got a lot of other really fun drugs in my bag too,” Alex said and I sighed. 

“Alex!” Aly exclaimed. 

“Let’s go to the cantina. There, I gave a good suggestion.”

“Ooo we can have margaritas,” Alex smiled. 

“There you go,” I said and we walked over to the cantina. 

We sat down outside with our burritos and margaritas and talked for a while and enjoyed the evening. It was so good to relax with my best friends and know that I had finally found a place that I could call home.