Tombstone.
This morning I stood and talked with a group of rangers and Hayden. Zeth said he was taking young Sammy Grey out for a ride on patrol and Aeryne thought it was crazy to take a child into such a potentially dangerous environment. I had to agree, but there was nothing I could say since I had very little to do with the rangers as it was.
I wandered over to the sheriff’s office to take a look at the warrants board and Rock came over to join me. He went on the rounds and I offered to help but he just wandered off on his own. I found a horse near the bank and went to pet it until I heard noises behind the bank. I walked back and saw Rock with a man I didn’t know by the back door.
“Papers saying I’m the new banker. Take it up with the mayor if ya don’t like it,” the man was saying to him.
“Everything alright, Rock?” I asked and greeted Meg who I hadn’t seen in ages. Rock took out his gun and ran after the man. I muttered and shook my head as I heard Rock shout for a doctor seconds later. “Guess I should go find out what’s goin’ on.”
I said goodbye to Meg and went out to the street and saw the man laying down with blood on his arm. “What happened, Rock?”
“Sir, maybe I can help get you to the clinic?” I offered.
The man stood up weakly and said, “Miss help... Get law... Please, before he kills me.”
“Yes, do help him Trin,” Rock looked at me.
“Yes sir,” I smirked a bit and went to him. “Where were you hurt?”
“This man done shoot me in the arm trying to steal my papers from the mayor himself!”
“Come on sir, let’s go to the clinic,” I said and started to walk with him to the clinic but he kept talking.
“This law man said going to kill me if I try leaving his side.”
“Rock, let me take him to the clinic,” I looked at him.
“Not that he hasn’t already doomed me to death. I’ll probably die of infection from the wound,” the man muttered.
“Rock,” I said firmly. “We need to get him to the clinic.”
I was finally able to get the man to the clinic and helped him up on a bed where I reached for a bandage to put on the wound, stopping the bleeding from the arm. “Want to tell me what happened while we wait for a doc?” I asked him.
“I was standing at the back of the bank when that MAN came up behind me.”
“Standing at the back? What were ya doin’ back there?” I asked as I held the cloth against his wound.
“He was telling me all sorts of stuff about picks. All I was doing was standing at the back door admiring the wood.”
“Uh huh.”
“I was just standing there when he shoved a gun in my back telling me to hand over all my papers. The thief!”
“I see you got him here okay,” Rock said, walking into the clinic.
“No thanks to you,” I looked at him.
“Trin?” Rock looked at me.
“You didn’t need to shoot him,” I shook my head, hoping the doctor would get there soon.
“He first said he was the banker... We all know Bree is our banker,” Rock told me.
“Yes, seh is,” I nodded.
“There more than one banker, dunder-head,” the man on the bed muttered.
“Whats all that racket ..” Adrian’s voice came from behind me and I turned to see he had come into the clinic.
“Whats all that racket ..” I asked Rock.
“I told ya, I’m new,” the injured man muttered.
“Hey Adrian, Rock shot this man here in the arm,” I informed Adrian. “Adrian, I’ve been holding a cloth against his arm to stop the bleeding until someone got here. He’s all yours.”
“So he lied about that... and never got a chance to read his ‘so called’ papers,” Rock said.
“How did you know he lied?” I asked.
“That ain’t my problem. You were in a rush,” the man said.
“Lead poisoning huh?” Adrian asked and opened his bag.
“He lied about being the banker,” Rock said.
“Lying’s a crime punishable by the Good Book, not your weapon,” I said to him. “Did you see him trying to open the bank door? Did you see him going into the bank door? Did you see him holding a bag of money?”
“Mayor gave them to me himself,” the man said. “Mayor... that’s right... Tall guy. Bet ya all know him. I left the papers back there.”
“No Trin... I arrested him for attempted bank robbery and resisting arrest.”
“Did you even see him with a lock pick in his hand?”
“No bag at the time,” Rock shook his head.
Adrian took out a flask of whiskey and a shot glass. He filled it and then drank it with a hard swallow looking at the man on the bed. “What Mayor would that be son?”
“Yes, I saw him trying to open the door... So did Spin,” Rock said.
“Alright then.”
“And why would a real bank go in the ‘back’ door?” Rock asked.
“I agree but you still need evidence of a crime, not just an assumption,” I nodded.
“You know there Mayor.. the fancy one.. umm Fishwald.. umm Kinderson...”
“Ahhh Fishwald .. never did trust him...beady eyes,” Adrian played along and I chuckled a bit.
“If you both saw him tryin’ to open the back door and lookin’ suspicious, then fine,” I nodded to Rock.
“Even Spin questioned his reason for being there.. Spin saw his lock pick as well.”
“Have a lay down now son..” Adrian instructed.
“Ah see this here fella know the mayor of the town,” the man pointed at Adrian.
“Yup... you’re a lucky pup today.. It’s a graze.. but a nasty one at that,” Adrian said.
“I will cuff him mayor as soon as he is well enough to go to jail,” Rock said.
“You might want to get a witness statement from Spin as well, Rock. Since he saw the lock pick too,” I suggested and thought to myself that this was going to be a fun trial.
“You done this before, haven’t ya? I do want a scar. Ladies love a good scar,” the man looked at Adrian as he worked on the wounds.
“I will after I get this one safely in jail or he gets himself out on bail,” Rock promised.
“Mmhmm,” I nodded and watched as Adrian worked on the man.
“If this guy keeps protesting in innocents then he can have his day in court ..get himself a lawyer and all that,” Rock commented as we waited.
“Or a bigger gun,” the man muttered as Adrian continued to treat his wound.
“You got that right, Rock.”
“Boy you can not get a better lawyer than Trin here...and I hear she works free for men with scars,” Rock grinned.
“I’m a prosecutor, Rock. Don’t be goin’ hirin’ me to the other side,” I looked at him.
“Then Trin you can prosecute him. Throw the book at him,” Rock smiled.
“Now.. you take it easy for the next half of an hour..” Adrian said to the man when he was finished treating the wound. “Don’t need that to start bleeding up again.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard to do from inside a cell,” I smiled.
“Send the Bill to Mayor Fishbinder,” Adrian suggested and I chuckled.
“Is he good to got to jail doc?” Rock asked eagerly.
“He good to go,” Adrian nodded as he collected the bloodied rags. “Don’t cuff him... Wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Okay dude... You’re under arrest, see?” Rock said to the man.
“It’s Fishwald, Mayor Fishwald Kinderson,” he corrected to Adrian.
“Mayor Fishbarrel wound’t like his guests in Jail to be dropping dead,” Adrian smiled.
“Aye then he has to go quietly,” Rock nodded. “Trin will you follow behind him with your guns drawn?”
“For havens sake man do ya job at least,” the man tried to hand Rock his gun and I sighed, drawing my gun and standing behind him.
“Follow me then sir. The detective will be right behind you,” Rock said and took the gun. “Wow you had a gun. Surprised you did not try to use it.”
“Shall we, gentlemen?” I asked.
“Course I did. I’m not fully stupid. Unlike some...” he said and I smirked as I followed them to the sheriff’s office. “How much is my bail and time?”
“Okay first things first. What are you called?” Rock asked after closing the door to the office.
“What are you called?” the man looked at him.
“I am called Deputy Rock of Tombstone.”
“Then I am Deputy Rock of Tombstone,” the man said.
“What’s your name, Sir?” I chuckled and kept my gun drawn as Rock holstered his.
“Deputy Rock,” the man said again.
“What’s your real name?” I asked.
“Stop playing or your bail is goin up sir for obstruction of justice,” Rock warned.
“John loin heart the third,” the man said. “If ya call this justice.”
“I do. Okay John... The charges are attempted bank robbery and resisting arrest .how do you plead?”
“Can ya tell me my time cause I am starting now, even though not in a cell. And can i have some cake? Or that just for law?” John asked.
“I will see how much time you will get. One second.”
“Wonder if ya can even count that high,” he said and turned to me. “So how’s life?”
“Right now?” I chuckled. “Entertaining. This is better than readin’ a book.”
“Who can read this days? That some fancy schoolin’.”
“Ten minutes for resisting arrest... Makes twenty-five minutes all together,” Rock said.
“I’m a detective, John... We need to read a lot.”
“My name ain’t really John. You know that, right?” he looked at me.
“I know,” I smirked. “Gonna tell me your real name?”
“You willing to serve that time now, John?” Rock asked.
“Good, I was worried there for a moment,” John said. “I thought I was,” he looked at Rock. “I told ya I started it a while ago. Or do ya need to lock up the bad old banker... who ya shot in the back, mind ya?”
“Yes I need to lock you up... Or let you out on bail ‘till your court date,” Rock said.
I went to get a cup from the shelf and poured some water, handing it to John. “Here, have a drink of water.” I was hoping to get his fingerprints from the cup and looked over at Rock. “Might want to tell him how much bail is, Rock.”
“My twelve kids are going to wonder why I didn’t make any earnings on my first day, and deputy Rock will be to blame for no food or shelter for another night,” he sniffed.
“I will as soon as he tells me which it will be, bail or jail.”
“Rock, you still got his gun?” I asked, since John hadn’t taken the drink of water.
“Aye.”
“Can I see it please?”
“Okay, jail it is,” Rock said as John walked himself into the cell.
“Not like I was goin’ anywhere standing over there...” John said and I holstered my gun, putting on my gloves and trying a different tactic to get his fingerprints.
“Rock? That gun, please?”
“I wouldn’t bother. He probably lost it on his way here,” John muttered.
“Rock?” I said a bit louder.
“Yes?”
“Can I please have that gun of his?”
“Okay,” he said and handed me the gun.
“What ya going to do, dust it for prints?” John asked me and I winked at him, taking the gun. “All ya going to prove is its my gun..”
“Need to get out now, Trin, or do you care to chat with the prisoner? I do have an arrest report to make out,” Rock said to me.
“I’ll examine this now,”I said and sat down, dusting the gun for prints. I lifted the prints and put them aside for my fils. Rock sat down and wrote his report and I took the gun and saw no bullets missing from it. I took out a bullet and put it in a bag to set aside in my files. I had a thought and then walked over to the cells again. “Rock, did you actually see a lockpick? Or something used as such?”
“I think he done passed out. Might want to get a doctor,” John teased.
“Rock?” I asked again.
“Yes?”
“Did you search him for a lock pick or something of that nature?”
“Nay, I got too busy with this report. Will you do that for me please?”
“Sure, he searched me.. but he just forgot to take my gun is all. Why I was more then happy to hand it over,” John said.
“Alright mister, I’m comin’ in to search ya. No funny business, alright?” I walked close to him.
“My time up already? You open that door, I’m leavin’.”
“Your time ain’t up. Even if you get out here, still have those doors to get through,” I smiled.
“No it ain’t up. Be up at 9:35 am,” Rock said.
“Guess you’ll have to let me all the way out,” John smiled.
I tried my key on the cell but it didn’t work and sighed. “Alright we’ll do this the hard way. Come on over close to me here.”
“That’s like three minutes? I’m sure you can let three minutes slide for a cooperative man,” John insisted and looked at me. “I ain’t kissing you. I ain’t like that, Miss.”
“My boyfriend wouldn’t like that anyway. Just let me search ya.”
“Boyfriend?” he looked at me and I nodded with a smile. He patted his hands down his sides and said, “See? Nothing.”
“Come on, I won’t hurt ya,” I shook my head.
“That’s what the last gal said before taking my jewels... with her foot.”
“Do I look like that sort of girl?” I chuckled.
“Yes. He look like that sorta Gal too,” he pointed at Rock.
“I’m tryin’ to help ya here. If you’ve got nothin’ to hide, then I won’t find anythin’ on you, now will I?”
“Don’t grab my ass ok?”
“I’ll try and resist,” I said and reached through the bars, patting him down. I patted down the front of his vest and found a small piece of metal. “Now this is a funny thing to be carryin’ around.”
“That’s something I found on the ground,” he insisted.
“Put in your report that when searched, there was a piece of metal on him in his front vest pocket,” I said and put the metal piece in a plastic bag, handing it to Rock.
“Yes, thank you, Trin.”
“Made of gold, ya see? Thought might be worth something to feed my poor staving TWELVE kids... Hey! I need that to feed my kids!”
“Now hon, your name ain’t really Jon... What is it?” I asked him.
“John the third, King Richard, Henry the First. Pick one.”
“Right. What is it? Come on, we just shared a moment there with me touchin’ ya all over. That count for nothin’?” I winked at him playfully.
“Ya took my only means of feeding my twelve kids.. and my wife.”
“Guess you’ll have to find yourself a good job then, Sir.”
“Or ya can give me back my gold and gun and I’ll put off.”
“You’ll get your gun back when you’re let go. Without any bullets in it,” I looked firmly at Rock.
“And when is that? I ain’t got all day, ya know.”
“Yes Trin?” Rock looked at me.
“Rock, take the bullets out of the gun and give it back to him when you’ let him go.”
“And the gold?” John asked.
“Okay, give me his gun back then, Trin,” Rock laughed. “What gold?”
“It’s on the table right there, Rock.”
“Okay.”
John tried to reach through the bars and grab my gun. I jumped back and said, “Nice try.”
“Dang boy you want more time added?” Rock asked.
“I think I’m done here,” I looked at Rock.
“Ye got blood on the handle I was going to clean it off,” John pointed to the gun.
I looked down and said, “Don’t see any blood.”
“That was an attempted jail break,” Rock said.
“Was it? I didn’t try anything but clean and help her...”
“More lies you’ll have to take up with the Good Lord when you’re out,” I told him.
“Want me to add some time for that attempt on you Trin?” Rock asked.
“Nah,” I shook my head.
“You’re lucky, boy,” Rock frowned and took out his keys to unlock him. “Time’s up.”
“Yeah you’ll be saying that again soon,” John said and followed us out to the office. “My gun?”
Rock took the gun from the desk and emptied all the bullets. He handed the empty gun to John and then John bent down to pick the bullets off the ground. “Not very smart...” he said and
“We leave only empty shells on the floor man,” Rock said and drew his gun. I drew my gun just in case and said, “Sir, drop it.”
“You want out, or dead, boy?” Rock asked.
“The door. I told ya I ain’t got all day, ya know,” John said.
“Empty that gun first even if they are empty shells,” Rock said.
“Open the door please.”
“Not till you empty that gun.”
“They’re just empty casings, Rock,” I told him.
“Why... I don’t want to buy more bullets. Your silly fault or just emptying the gun just any old where. Bullets fall to the ground. And I got a family to feed.”
“Yes but it is the principle of the thing,” Rock said.
“So why would I want to spend money I don’t have on bullets?”
“I told ya.. Get a real job,” I looked at him.
“I do.”
“Great.”
“I told ya, I am a banker.”
“Sure ya are.”
“Now the door.”
“Yea a real job. Robbing banks ain’t no way to support a family. Not reliable,” Rock grinned.
“Ya not very bright, are you?” John asked.
“Empty the gun, then the door.”
“THE... DOOR...”
“Insulting the law is less bright, I would say.”
“What ya going to do cry? Get over ya baby. Ya already proved ya a chicken shooting me in the back. Now the door if ya please. Or ya need me to turn around again?”
“Nay no crying is allowed in the law...you stay shut in with the two of use till you empty that gun,” Rock said.
John turned around and Rock walked up to him, taking his gun and putting it on his desk. I sighed and went over to get the gun, emptying the casings and setting them into the drawer, and handed the gun back to John. “Are we done?”
“The door,” John said.
“Yes out you go now.” John walked out and I exhaled finally, holstering my gun as Rock sighed. “He was one hard-headed dude.”
“I’m heading out for a bit,” I looked at Rock.
“Aye be safe.”
“You too.”
“He may want revenge,” Rock said and I nodded, heading out of the office.
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