August 31, 1900

Tombstone. 

This evening I walked out of my office and waved to Payton who was walking down the street from the orphanage. She waved and I asked her how things were going. She told me that Sabi had been shot and that Rikki was around. I sighed and headed into the clinic, wondering how on earth that had happened. 

Walking into the clinic, I saw Rikki on one bed and Sabi on the other. It didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what had happened here but I wanted to stick around anyway just in case there was a different story at play here. While Jess worked on Sabi’s wounds, I walked over to her bed and held her hand, trying to calm her and assure her that it would be okay. I was relieved beyond words that Natalie hadn’t been working in the clinic when Sabi was brought in. My own emotions started to take over, though, and I found myself focusing more on little Ruby Stine  as she told her new mother Angeles what had happened. 

“Sunshine, you okay? What happened?” Angeles held her daughter with concern as I turned to watch them. 

“Sabi was shot mommy,” Ruby clung to her. “Poppy and I stay here with her.” 

“What...? Who in hell shot one kid?” Angeles was surprised. 

“That’s what I want to know, Angeles,” I nodded to her. I have a feeling it was Rikki who was just here and Kris took her to the jail.” 

“Sunshine come seat with mommy and told me what exactly you remember?” Angeles instructed. 

“Poppy and I were walking near town and we heard shots, then we came here, when we saw all the people,” Ruby sniffed as she talked. As Sabi cried for home and I tried to comfort her, Ruby jumped at the scream. 

“Calm down sunshine, Mommy is here,” Angeles held her daughter tighter. 

“Sabi was laying here on tha couch, and Poppy and I held her hand. She said a lady helped her, she was sittin here, now she’s gone,” Ruby went on. 

“Sunshine you know who bring here a Sabrina?” Angeles asked. 

“A lady with blonde hair, I didn’t ask her name, but I thanked her.” 

“Now, where was the gunfight?” 

“I don’t know mommy.” 

Angeles asked Payton if she saw something but she hadn’t. I continued to try and distract Sabi and hold her hand while Jess fixed up her wounds. The way she called me her aunt made my heart break at the sight of her on the hospital bed. We may not have been relatives by blood but I felt like she was family the way I cared about her. 

When Jess was finished stitching up the wound and gave Sabi instructions on how to care for her bandages, I turned, unable to watch anymore. “I need to figure out who did this.” 

“Find out when they plan ta let Rikki go.. I wanna be there.... waitin...” Payton frowned and said vehemently. I could hear the anger in her voice and knew this wasn’t going to end well. 

“I have the feelin’ she was behind this but no one’s said so specifically,” I said. 

“I don’t really care... She dies,” Payton nodded. 

“Payton.... Let the law handle this. I don’t want you in more trouble,” I tried to instruct but Payton had already stormed out of the clinic, slamming the door. 

I walked out of the clinic since there was nothing more I could do here and headed for the sheriff’s office. I knocked on the door and waited until a man opened the door for me. I noticed Payton standing near the office but I ignored her for now and focused on the door. 

“Yes?” A man opened the door and I didn’t recognize him. 

“I’m Detective Trin Paige. I’d like to know how my niece was shot and if the person who did it was arrested.” 

“David has not yet been arrested.” 

“David, huh? David shot her?” I blinked, suddenly realizing that David Darkwatch must be alive and well. 

“His warrant is in waiting to be signed.” 

“Can I come in, Sir?” 

“Yes ma’am,” he nodded and stepped back. 

I walked into the office and smiled at him. “Don’t believe we’ve met?”

Woody said that he had to go release someone and I nodded, waiting by the desk. He went to the back and unlocked the doors for Rikki as she left the sheriff’s office. I wondered what she had done but since she’d already been arrested there was nothing I really needed to do. 

“Please take a seat, Miss Trin. We have met, a long time ago,” Woody told me as I sat down at the desk when we were alone. 

“Here in Tombstone, Sir?” 

“Yes ma’am. My hair was shorter.” 

“What’s your name, Sir?” 

“Woody McAllister.” 

I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to remember. “Odd... I don’t think I’ve got a file on ya... I do remember a Woody but not from here. Great to have you on board though, Deputy. So what exactly happened with Sabi?” 

“Well the bullets from Davids guns went past me. She sadly was behind me down the street.” 

“Ah, she got hit in the crossfire,” I sighed with a bit of relief. That was easier to accept than someone deliberately shooting a child. 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Well as long as she wasn’t the direct victim, that’s the main thing. Glad you’re able to write up a warrant right away.” 

“We are hoping to have it signed soon. Ranger Spin is working on thats warrant. I am glad she will be okay.” 

“Well if you need my assistance with anything I am here. I have an office here as well as a lab over in Diamond.” 

“I’ll be sure to stop by if we need assistance.” 

“I’ve got a statement here for an incident in town but I still need to get one more person’s statement. Think I’m going to see if I can find her in town. Thanks for filling me in, Deputy. I appreciate that.” 

I headed outside and found Bianca standing in front of the hotel. I smiled and walked over to her. “Hey there Bianca, just the lady I’m lookin’ for.” 

“Hiya Trin!” 

“I was wondering if you could help me out with a witness statement... Do you remember the night that Zeth got shot? I believe it was last Monday? The Twenty-fifth?” 

“Yeah some creepy robbed the bank. Zeth went after him.” 

“Would you mind writing up a quick witness statement of the shooting you witnessed?” I asked, handing her a blank form. 

“Sure.” 

“I believe you’re the only other one who saw anything other than Jimmy.” 

“I’ll do anything I can to help.” 

“That’s great. As much information as you can remember would be awesome.” 

“But I don’t know  the the fella’s name that shot Zeth though.” 

“Well anything you can remember will help I’m sure.” 

She filled out the statement and handed it to me. I thanked her and headed back across the road to sit in front of the sheriff’s office. As I wrote out the report for the case, I knew we didn’t have enough to convict anyone in court. The only witnesses we had were Zeth,, who didn’t know for sure who shot him, Bianca, who didn’t know anyone, a kid who couldn’t be in court, and an outlaw who probably wouldn’t testify. I dropped the file in Aly’s mailbox but I had a feeling she would just laugh at it. I felt a bit of relief though as all my cases were now closed except those that had gone cold. And most of those cold cases involved people who were never in town anymore, so we would never solve them anyway. I got up and headed home to find out what Natalie was up to.