December 14, 1900

Tombstone. 

This afternoon I walked through town and saw Jess wearing a bandage on her head. “

I see you got shot.” 

“Yep, I missed my head with a bullet.” 

Mr. Strider walked over and we greeted him as I said, “I’m waiting for one more statement to be done tonight then I’ll be able to clear my case list again.” 

“What can I say?” Jess asked. “I haven’t been up to the range in awhile and i am out of practice.” 

“I didn’t even know you wore a gun, Jess,” I said to her. 

“I do when I am not in Tombstone. Could shoot pretty good there for awhile.” 

“Jesse, good to see you again,” I said as I saw him walking over. 

“Howdy, Trin, and Strider. May I speak to you both privately?” Jesse looked between us. 

“I was just leavin’ anyway,” Jess said. 

“Sure, Jesse. We can head to my office?” I asked. 

“Was is das?” Strider asked and I led the way. 

When we sat in the office, Jesse sat down across from me and I offered him whiskey, but he didn’t want any. I looked around and asked, “Where’d our ranger go?” 

“He should be along shortly, what i am about to say he already knows, You may not know it though. So I will fill you in,” Jesse said. 

“I’m all ears,” I said as Strider came into the office. 

“Did you know he James Gang turned very violent? They killed the Sheriff. Myself and a lot of us tried to take them down but we all got shot down. They Hung Angel.” 

“I had not heard,” I said with a sigh. “After Thomas got shot we went home quickly so that he could heal.” 

“I am still out for blood They can not be allowed to continue like this.” 

“I wholeheartedly agree.” 

“I had hoped that the Wild Bunch would put them in their place, but it seems like this is our problem alone.” 

“Jesse, you wish to be a lawman someday, yes?” I looked at him. 

“I will become a Ranger if I have my way yes.” 

“I think you could do more. I think you could be a deputy or a marshal someday. But my point is… We cannot rely on the outlaws to solve our problems. We must solve this legally and with the help of the local deputies and rangers and marshals.” I looked over at Strider and said, “Strider, good of you to join us. Care for some whiskey?” 

“I’m fine,” he said simply. 

“I don’t think that it can be solved in way you speak. We proved that, they take it to their home turf and then, in the thick of it, they have the advantage.” 

“But we have to try and get them individually,” I said and nodded to Jesse, jumping as the clock tower chimed seven times. “Not that you or I could do much without a local deputy present… Or a ranger…” I looked at Strider. 

“What I am proposing may help us.” 

“When no local law is present, I’ve been told that Rangers have full power to handle any situation. What is your proposal?” 

“We need warrants,” Strider said. 

“We need judges,” I said with a sigh. 

“We Give them a reason to come to us. We jail one of them, and put some charges on him. Make the bail something he can’t just buy his way out of,” Jesse said. 

“I will have warrants on the James brothers as soon as I get this last statement.” 

“When they come into town all pissed off we are ready.” 

“I am waiting on one statement that will prove murder. I’m told that this person witnessed one of them murdering a lawman.” 

“We have two people on top of the the sheriff’s building. And two across from the sheriff’s office.” 

“It’s also a case that includes assault on the mayor by all three of them as well as robbing Annie’s.” 

“And one in the clock tower.” 

“The second I get this statement, I can bring it into Tombstone Law and they will bring it to a warrant. Then we can put your plan in place if we have enough people.” 

“And once we have that, we need some good people on the ground. We need to be aware of how this town works.” 

“If we have warrants we take them,” Strider said. 

“I just need a bit of time, gentlemen,” I said and nodded to Strider. 

"We need to avoid getting gunned down like last time.” 

“I have been working on this case for over a week.” 

“Otherwise they have to be aggressive,” Strider said. 

“I finally have a solid lead and once this statement comes in... we can nail one of them, at least, for murder. The others for assault and robbery. And a million other charges I can think of.” 

“Can you not nail them for killing the sheriff?” Jesse asked. 

“And I have been assured that this statement will come by the end of the evening. Was no other law around for the hanging of the sheriff?” I looked at Jesse. “Who all witnessed it? Did anyone write statements about the hanging, or was anyone arrested at the time?” 

“They gunned us all down, and gunned me down. I saw them ride towards Bissbe and thats where I am sure they hung her. I went there and saw her in the noose. After that… They came back to town and held it down on lockdown. While nick got fixed up by the doctor.” 

“You know the drill by now,” I said as I took out the witness statement and winked at him as I handed it to him. 

“I tried to take them down but failed.” 

“Could you write that up and include anyone else you may have seen there that could help us?” 

“I wouldn’t be a good witness. My memory of that day is fuzzy.” 

“Well you just told me the start of this case. I need every perspective I can. Who all was there?” 

“Well, Strider was gettin fixed up. Wedge was there. Zeth was there. I don’t remember enough to write a statement.” 

I handed Strider a witness statement and said, “What you just told me would be plenty, Jesse. I need something to start with... What day did this happen?” 

“On the eleventh, I think,” Jesse said. “All this happened right after you left with Thomas.”

“Alright so let me get this straight… We arrested Anthony, Nick and Dominic for the gunfight that happened in the bank…” 

“Yes. They came back and gunned us all down.” 

“Anthony posted bail. Then Dee comes and causes a ruckus so then Angel denied bail to Nick and Dominic. Then..  Thomas walks outside and gets shot by…” I tried to remember. “William. Unrelated to the James Brothers.” 

“I shot down William,” Jesse said. 

“That’s when we left. After that…” 

“They came back and shot us the place and kidnapped Angel.” 

“In Tombstone.” 

“Yes. They went and Hanged her.” 

“Probably because she denied bail.” 

“And then challenged us to go get them.” 

“You were at the doc office, Trin?” Strider asked. 

“When the men were first arrested yes,” I said to him with a nod. “I was deputized and helped bring them in. But then my husband got shot and I went to help him and brought him home.” 

“We went there and got shot up a second time,” Jesse said. 

“I think this happened on the 12th, Jessee. ON Friday,” I said. 

“After that they came back into Tombstone and had guns a blazing to anyone who was walking around. i tried to scare them off twice. And got shot down twice. And wound up leaving that night in a wheelchair along with Zeth.” 

“This sounds like a witness statement,” I said and winked at Jesse. 

“If we have warrants we can draw on sight. Otherwise must wait for a move,” Strider said. 

“Strider, we need witness statements in order to create a case. I need to know who was all in town,” I told him. 

“As we know.” 

“Okay so Jesse, you tried to scare them off but got shot down. Then what, they brought Angel to Bisbee and hanged her there?” I asked. 

“I can’t remember the name,” Strider said. “But I’d recognize it.” 

“It’s okay if you don’t have names. Others will. I just need things written down from both of you if you were both there.” 

“Well the first time they came back after all those had been freed they shot a lot of us down. That’s when they took Angel.” 

“What are the names?” Strider asked and we both gave him the list. “Well, anyway I was shot by one in a holstered gun condition,” he said eventually. 

“Can you write down what you witnessed please, Strider?” I asked and looked down at his paper. 

“Was a random kind of event,” he said. 

“I need to know who was all there so I can start gathering statements.” 

“That’s all I can remember,” Jesse said and handed me his statement. “They shot down Suzy and Wedge and Kristoff, myself, and Tater.” 

“Ansar was there?”

“Yes. I calls him Tater.” 

“Did he survive?” 

“He was shot down yes. But far as i know he was alive last time i saw him that night.” 

“Suzy, Wedge, Kris and Ansar... were any of them killed as well?” I asked. 

“There it is,” Strider said and gave me his statement. 

“They all got shot down but we all made it back to the clinic,” Jesse said. 

“I’ll be sure to find them all. Thank you, Jesse,” I said. 

“That’s the best I got, Trin.” 

“And thank you for your report, Strider. Hey, it gets me started.” 

“Ya doing a fine job, Trin,” Strider told me. 

“Thanks Strider… I do what I can… Just glad we left town when we did.” 

“Bye now,” Strider said and headed out of the office. 

“But Trin, let me ask…” Jesse stayed seated. “How is my friend Thomas?” 

“He’s just fine, thank you for asking. He’s resting today I hope.” 

“I really tried to get William down before he got shot.” 

“I am grateful for it. I just wish I knew who else was there that wasn’t law… Shall we take a walk, Jesse?” 

“Lead the way. Do you have a horse?” He asked as we walked down the stairs and onto the street. 

“I do but I was hoping to stay in town for now. I need as much information on this as I can. You know... You’d make a good Pinkerton.” 

“What’s a Pinkerton?” 

“You’d probably get frustrated with the lack of ability to arrest though.” 

“You’re right.” 

“I’m a Pinkerton Detective. Basically I help the law solve cases like this mammoth one from Friday night... When they can’t get the statements they need, I do it. And try to prove who did stuff.” 

“I would end up shooting someone,” Jesse said and looked over to greet Grant who was standing in front of the hotel as we arrived. “Private Cole. Think you might be able to help Miss Trin and myself?” 

“If I can, sure,” Grant said. “Friday night… some, I think. Why?” 

“Not that Trin,” Jesse said. 

I looked at Jesse and told him, “I need to know if he was there. We can’t do anything about the James brothers until we have warrants, Jesse. Were you here when the James brothers were shooting up the town, Grant?” 

“I was wondering, if the Cavalry would lend us some some of their horses,” James said. 

“Yes, I was Friday night. Saw and heard some of it,” Grant said. 

“Think you could write a statement for me?” I asked and handed him a blank statement. “Anything you can remember. Names, events... as much as you can write down about the shooting and if you saw them take Angel to Bisbee.” 

“Was that the time that Angel, Zeth and you got some of them down and one was jailed?” Grant asked. 

I put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder, seeing him go quiet. “It’s a good idea, just... not the time for it yet.” I nodded to Grant. “Yes but it happened after all of that. When they came back for revenge and shot up the town and then took Angel. Pretty much a bunch of lawmen were shot down.” 

“Ooh no ma’am, I went to sleep after I was healed. I was wounded in the first shootout.” 

“Oh okay... well that’s a good thing for you at least.” 

We thanked him for his help and I let the men talk as I headed back to my office.