December 11, 1900

Tombstone. 

I walked into Annie’s this morning and smiled, seeing Kef. “Just the lady I’ve been looking for!” 

“Hm?” Kef looked over. 

“You mean that night those James brothers were in and made a mess of the place?” she tilted her head. 

“Mmhmm. I was wondering if you could possibly write up a statement for me? I’ve got a bunch but I still don’t know who killed or shot poor William and Wolvie.” 

“Well I don’t know about who shot who... I fainted right about the time the bullets started flying and one hit my arm,” Kef said and scratched her head. 

“Would you still be able to write a statement for me? Unfortunately not many saw who shot whom. But I could use all the statements I can get.” 

“Well yeah, I can try my best,” she said and I passed her a blank statement. 

“Just so you know for the first line… the date of the incident was December 2.” 

Kef nodded and looked the form over. “When do you need this back?” 

“As soon as possible please. With this case happening over a week ago I’d love to get this thing solved. But I’m not sure I’m going to get all the answers I want.” 

“Alright then. Things are a little busy today with the show tonight, but I’ll try to get this written out as soon as I can.” 

“Right, thank you hon.” I waved as Reb came in and smiled as she greeted me. “I’ll let you ladies get ready. I just wanted to touch base with Kef quickly.” 

“Mm. Anything for them James boys to get their due,” Kef said and nodded. 

“Hi Trin. Good mornin’ Ma’am,” Reb greeted the woman there. 

“That’s what we like to hear,” I said and smiled at her. 

The woman at the counter tilted her head, giving a little nod to Reb, and lit her cigar. I waved to the ladies and headed down the street. 

I walked towards the bank where Bree and Steven were talking. “So you any close to solving the case?” Steven asked. 

“What case is that, Steve?” 

“Any.” 

“Unfortunately not,” I said with a sigh. 

“Any I can help with?” 

“No one can tell me anything. I have no idea who killed those two people at Annie’s when the mayor was held up and it was robbed.. I have no idea who robbed from Pet… At the hotel…” I said. 

“Me either, Trin,” Bree said. 

“I know who done that. Heard them talking about it,” Steven announced. 

“Oh really? Wow, who was it?” Bree asked. 

“Why should I believe you, Steve?” I looked at him. 

“No one should rob, much less our Pet,” Bree said. “Steven is good man, Trin.”

“Up to you. I am a changed man,” Steven announced. 

“Oh really?” I looked at him skeptically. 

“Yup,” Steven said. 

“Yes, I know he is,” Bree nodded. 

“But Steve hearing them talk about it ain’t enough proof that they did any murder,” I said. 

“Gonna be a lawman someday,” Steven said with a shrug. 

“Yes, you will be,” Bree exclaimed. 

“I guess stranger things have happened,” I commented. 

“Want me to torture it out of them? Wait, no, I can’t do that.” 

“I rest my case,” I said and rolled my eyes. 

“Last night even Lot in jail,” Bree said. 

“What did Lot do?” Steven asked. 

“Yeah there was some Wild Bunch encouraging a shootout in town last night,” I said. “I walked away since no one deputized me and I couldn’t help.” 

“You said wrong thing to Trin now,” Bree said. 

“Yep. Until someone deputizes me, I can’t join in gunfights legally. And only the sheriff or deputies can do that.” 

“Shame I missed it,” Steven said. 

“Law sure needed help last night too,” Bree commented. 

“I was right there, Bree.” 

“I know.” 

“No one asked.” 

“Well, wait ‘till I get my badge,” Steven said. “Then the law ain’t gonna be push overs anymore.”

“I left as not want see it. And when came back they still doin it. But had heal Angel and Jess was doing Shaun and Lot had fainted. He a real wimp sometimes,” Bree explained. “Give Mary her other sugar cube as I take from my pocket. And Silver his Jerky. I must close now but soon return.” Bree locked up the door and headed down the street. 

Joe and Bianca came over and I decided I needed a drink. Steven asked if he could join me and we went into Kate’s for some whiskey. “I need to get out of this mood,” I muttered. 

“What mood’s that then?” Steven asked. 

“The one of frustration... Doesn’t matter what I do it seems... I’m no more steps ahead the next day.” 

“Yeah this town dose that to ya. Just when you think it’s going good, bam some shit happens and your back to the start.” 

“Mmhmm. You really changing your ways?” 

“Who said I wasn’t always good, but from a different perspective?” 

“I’ve heard that before,” I said with a smirk. 

“But the answer is yes.” 

“‘I’m helping the law... just uh... without a badge.’” I mimicked and he laughed. “‘I’m getting justice a different way…’ ‘I’m doing what the law isn’t…’” 

“Hell, when I get my badge this town is gonna know about it,” Steven said. 

“That’s for sure,” I said with a nod. 

“All them wanna be outlaws gonna have a nasty shock. Should say all them wanna be old me. Hell, I used to scare myself some times.” Steven finished his drink and poured another, topping up my glass. “There ya are.” 

“Thanks, Steve.” 

“And for the record, I ain’t gonna shoot your fella,” Steven said and laughed. “So Trin, let’s talk about you.” 

“About me?” 

“Yeah. That okay?” 

“What do you want to know?” 

“So why a Pinkerdick?” he chuckled. “Sorry… Pinkerton. Dang whiskey is kicking in.” 

“Well… A bunch of years back I was working as a consultant with the law and then got into some things with the Natives in the area… I was helping them figure out how to stop attacks from outlaws in the area.” 

“How did you do that?” 

“They didn’t exactly respect me for it though until I put on the badge and decided to be a Pinkerton. Then I was with the law instead of just on my own. But I still wasn’t completely law.. So I was still a good thing in their eyes, for a while..” 

“How did you stop the outlaws?” 

“Till they decided that I was causing more trouble than I was helping, since I was running from my own ghosts and was maybe using them to hide, I don’t know…” 

“What ghosts?” 

“At any rate... the tribe I spent months trying to build trust with decided one day that I didn’t matter... that I was a traitor because I was helping white men more than them..” 

“Figures.” 

“To the point where they were gonna burn down the town and the sheriff’s office with me inside, in spite all the times I’d tried to help and be friends with them and listen to their stories. They even trapped me in a fort where I was talking with someone for advice and they blew it up while we were inside. They went to take me hostage but I sweet-talked my way out.” 

“You were lucky then.” 

“That was when I left Georgetown. Moved back to Colorado and worked as a Detective...but then the Apache there took war on the town. I had to choose, yet again. Which side to be on... who to help or protect…” 

“Dang you had some bad luck.” 

“To the point where the Native chiefs were on trial and they wanted me to prosecute against them. The Cheyenne kid saw me though and it ruined their trust of me forever. I didn’t even take the trial. I couldn’t. I just... I couldn’t. Anyway.. Again, I was left with nothing.” 

“Your health.” 

“Moved to Oregon with some friends, then to Kingsley where we uh… Tried it your way for a while, let’s just say that.” 

“And a pretty smile.” 

“They were going to get vengeance on the Natives... somewhat not legally..” 

“Really?? Tell me more.” 

“I was even part of a gang for a while. Sort of... they were more vigilantes who helped the law catch bad guys. Didn’t last though. The two people I moved there with kind of... deserted me to do their own thing. So I wandered for about ten years…” 

“Long time.” 

“Left with nothing but my own family up in Canada. My father had been killed…” 

“Sorry.” 

“In that whole journey I found out that I was part Apache... Four generations back… Which made all of this Native journey even more difficult.” 

“I lost my family.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that…” I nodded. “Thing is... I finally found Tombstone and started fresh. Then the man who killed my father came after me.” 

“Thought you had something in ya coz you got guts. Who was it?” Steven asked. 

“Was also connected with Clint Houston, go figure. I’m sure you know that name. Harmini killed him. Right in front of me.” 

“Clint?” He grinned. 

“Then told me to bring the body and hang him but I couldn’t, because he had saved my life... because he was good friends with my father and hadn’t wanted to kill him. No, not Clint. But he knew Clint. He was a native named Sunset.” 

“Ahh…” 

“But anyway… That was the end of it. Because of my heritage that had given me such trials... it saved my life. So now I continue to investigate because you never know who you might be able to help... or what stories need to be solved or told. Guess you didn’t want the long version, did you?” 

“Sure I did. Now I feel like I know you.” 

“And somewhere in the last four months I met Thomas. We’ve been together since and both adopted a child from the orphanage… Now we live together in Bisbee, like a family, but I’m not ready for marriage yet. Too many people have disappeared in my life…” 

“I was married. And kids.” 

“Were you? What happened? Your turn now.” 

“They died,” he said and wiped a tear from his eye. 

“I’m sorry... how?” I looked at him. 

“I came home one day from the bank and and. I found them, dead,” he said and I reached over to put a hand on his shoulder. “Someone shot them. They killed my wife and my boys. All that was left was a red sash.” 

“I’m so sorry Steven…” I nodded knowingly as he held the ring on the chain around his neck. “Did you ever find them? The people who did it?” 

“Not really, but I murdered everyone who I ever saw wearing a red sash. I wiped out the cowboy gang.” 

I sighed and squeezed his shoulder. “I avoided everyone that was Native… Until I came to Tombstone. It becomes apart of you, doesn’t it? The things you go through…” 

“Why do you think I am a little crazy?” 

“Crazy or... passionate?” 

“I was a God-fearing man, never touched a gun before that day.” 

“If someone had told me a month ago I’d be having drinks wtih Steve Itano... of my own free will... I would have laughed. You used to terrify me.” 

“Had you heard of me before you met me?” He laughed. 

I tried to remember and finally said, “Nope I don’t believe I had.” 

“Good.” 

“But that day when you followed me to Bisbee…” I shook my head. “That rattled me quite a bit.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that.” 

“I could barely focus on singing.” 

“I do kinda have that effect on folks.” 

“Wasn’t exactly a good thing…” I looked at him. 

“They think I am crazy because of the stories folks tell about me.” 

“I rarely listen to stories unless there’s evidence.” 

“Most of ‘em I am sorry to say are true.” 

“Well maybe now you can make up for them.” 

“I did kill the mayor’s horse and eat it in front of him while he was tied up, dangling off the edge of the town hall roof. And yes, I did line up a group of people to see how many I could kill with a single bullet. Three was the answer. And yes, I tied up the whole cavalry on the rail track after storming the fort with a gatlin’… Hell, I still got my longest crime spree warrant.” 

“The past is the past, huh?” I asked him and we greeted Amara as she came in and then headed right out of the saloon.  

“To new beginnings,” Steven said as he held up his glass. I smiled and clinked the glass in return. 

“I just... am so lost on this damned case. Five witnesses so far... You’d think one of them woulda seen who shot Will or Wolvie. But nothin. All they can tell me is about the robbery and the assault on the mayor. I’m waiting for a statement from Kef… Then Mahko and June are my only options for help.” 

“She was in Annie’s earlier.” 

“Yeah I talked to her when I first got into town today. She’s working on it, I hope… But I doubt she saw anything. She said she didn’t see who shot whom after she got shot. But then I don’t know who shot her yet so that’ll help…” 

“So who shot her? Can anyone remember who was standing where? Like on a drawing?” 

“That’s how my witness list got so long,” I said and showed him my report so far. “Haven’t seen Zan either And Adrian won’t give a statement.” 

“Hell Trin, like I said. To new beginnings. Did you know I was a banker before my family was killed? I was real clever.” 

“How come you never wanted to do it here?” I looked at him, stopping with my drink. 

“‘Cause I spent half my time robbing to to fund my hunt. Folks thought I did the things I did for fun. Well, in the end some of it was.”

“What ended it?” I asked curiously. 

“I found a letter in my wife’s things.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“She said that if ever anything happened to her she didn’t want me to change. That she loved me for me and no other reason.” 

“So you found that recently then?” I smiled. 

“Yup. Spent ten dang years killing folks. Lost ten dang years.” 

“I’ve been working on my memoirs... From before coming to Tombstone. It’s been therapeutic to read through everything again… But there are some things I suppressed that I didn’t want to remember. You and me both, Steve.” 

“I don’t blame ya,” Steven said. 

“Between Kingsley and Tombstone… I didn’t even tell you the worst of it,” I said and shook my head. 

“The Cherokee chief.. the one who tried to burn down the fort I was in and kill me?” 

“Was your uncle?” 

“He had found one of the girls who had shot him and me and they scalped her. Right in front of me. Then he handed me the knife and expected me to join in.” 

“Dang…” 

“After everything I’d done to convince them of less violent solutions…” 

“You should have cut his balls off. Bailey would have.” 

“It was awful, Steve. And then he cut a shape on her wrist. Which had happened to me long before... in Idaho... An outlaw boss had cut my forearm to remind me of who was in charge.” I showed him the now very faded scar. 

“Hunting knife did that?” he looked over. 

“He held me in that cave until I promised I wouldn’t print anything about the fire his gang set in the paper I ran. I wasn’t in the cave long but it felt like longer. My friends were in the cells locked up. I couldn’t save them.” 

“Lucky he didn’t rape ya.” 

I nodded and said, “TJ was there actually.. In that cave… He was one of them. But he was trying to get them to let me out.” 

“Tj? Lisa’s TJ?” 

I nodded and said, “Sniper was also part of that gang.” 

“Was it the wild bunch?” 

“It wasn’t... it was the five horsemen.” 

“Can’t say I know them.” 

“They surrounded the church where I was talking to a sheriff and taunted me to come out. The judge came and was gonna try to sell me to them to shut them up. Then the leader shot me down and spread rumors about me. I was forced out of that place. I’ve been through hell and back, Steven. It’s made me a tougher detective.” 

“Well…” He cleared his throat. 

“I won’t take crap from anyone and I won’t step into gunfights willingly. I know it’s just what they want. And I won’t show them my fear because that makes it worse.” 

“Yup.” 

“But when the law doesn’t even bother to ask me for help, or when people can’t tel me names of who did the worst crimes... I feel like I’m useless.” 

“They used to call me Mad Dog because I could smell fear and it drove me crazy.” 

“I want justice done. But I can’t bring murder charges to trial on these men until someone tells me they saw them shoot these two men. It’s driving me crazy, Steve.” 

“It’s just a waist of your time. You could be with your fella and kids.” 

“I know…” I nodded. “But I can’t give them an incomplete report.” 

“Then don’t give it to them. Wait it out.” 

“Or I just give it to them and tell them that out of the ten million witnesses, no one saw anyone shoot Will and Wolvie.” 

“Someone will brag one day in the wrong place. Then you have a confession.” 

“I hate cases being open too long though. Then by the time the trial happens no one remembers anything.” 

“Won’t even need a judge then.” 

“You gonna get a confession out of the James brothers?” 

“Could string ‘em up. I will. They are the first to on my list.” 

“Good luck with that.” 

“But I will not be arresting the wild bunch.” 

“If you get a badge, you’ll have to.” 

“I will be killing them.” 

“You won’t be able to pick and choose. And you won’t be able to do that legally.” 

“In self defence.” 

“

Why are you so bent on killing them? You were apart of them for so long... What did they do to you?” 

“They destroyed what the wild bunch stood for. What I set up.” 

Bree walked in and then told me, “Trin when have time look in Prudy’s shop and see these bauble deco. Your tree is cool!” 

“Well Steve, it’s been great to talk to you but I should really get going,” I said to him. 

“My pleasure Trin,” Steve said. 

“I will let ya talk now. See you later,” Steven said. 

“Thank you for sharing your story with me, Steve. You can stay, Bree. I need to get going.” 

“And you with me,” Steven replied. 

“I feel that when people want to know one another, it’s important to be honest. Now we feel like we can understand each other better.” 

“That’s all I ever am.” 

“I know more about why you are the way you are... and you me.” 

“See, I ain’t all bad,” he said with a smile. “And you’re one strong woman.” 

“If you say so,” I said with a shrug. “Feeling kind of useless and weak lately. But time will tell. It gives me more time with my family, as you say.” 

“The ones that make you feel weak are the ones who fear you. Always remember that.” 

“Very true. Thank you, Steve,” I said and we waved goodbye as I headed out of the saloon.