Tombstone.
I walked into town this afternoon and greeted Chris and Paisley in Kate’s. “We were talking about you earlier,” Paisley said.
“Oh were ya? What’d I do now?”
“We think you should figure something out.”
“Oh yeah? I’m desperate for something to do.”
“Seems Chris and Miss Lauren have same last name.”
“Miss Lauren?” I asked, looking at Chris.
“Now, how many have last name Lyric?”
“Hmm… Well… Leo… Zan…” I thought about it.
“Um… Trin, Zan took her maiden name back.”
“I bet there is a story and a connection,” Paisley said. “And you are good at digging those connections up.”
“She did?” I looked at Chris and put a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s okay.” He nodded.
“Sorry to hear that, hon.”
“It’s okay, really.”
“So tell me about Lauren,” I said, taking a seat.
“Seems Miss Paisley and Doc Jess are convinced Miss Lauren and I are related.”
“Oh really?”
“Somewhere distant relation or something,” Paisley said, stressing the word ‘somewhere’.
“How so? You don’t know her though?” I asked.
“Same last name, but I don’t think we are.”
“Would need family genealogy records or something. To prove it.”
“She’s new in town. I met her over the weekend. Very nice young woman.”
“At least she’s nice.”
“But honestly… Not many Lyrics around…” Paisley mused.
“That’s true. She did say it’s a common name where she’s from,” Chris said.
“That’s true.” I nodded. “Where’s she from?”
“Said her family came from up Canada originally.”
“Oh? What area? You know that’s where I’m from as well.”
“I have no idea.”
“What brought her to Tombstone?”
“Like I said, we just met. You’ll have to speak with her.”
“Just thought you might have asked her in your first conversation.”
“Didn’t wanna seem too nosey.”
“Fair enough.” Chris glanced up and turned a bit red, then took off his hat to fan himself. I saw his look and said, “Think I’m gonna go see if there’s anything happening at the office.”
“Need some water Chris?” Paisley asked.
“Bye Trin.” Chris said and I walked outside.
I walked over to the sheriff’s office and waved to the crowd. Jade, Angel, Joan and Omega were all talking, and Omega told me he had stubbed his toe on the hill and I told him that that town had been there as long as he had. We talked about how Natalie and I were working on our journals and how we were glad that a particular group of outlaws finally have left our family alone.
“Trin, have you ever met Mr. Pinkerton?” Joan asked.
“Mr. Pinkerton?” I looked at her.
“Yes Mr. Allen Pinkerton who started the agency.”
“I have not, no. No, he started it long before I joined it. I joined the agency in 1870.”
“Oh. Just wondering.”
“The agency was established in 1850 Allan actually died five years ago.”
“Oh wow, that is news,” Joan said.
“Good year. I hear the Pinkertons cleaned up Deadwood, that was quite a job,” Omega commented.
“Sure did.” I nodded. “Proud to be apart of the organization.”
“Aye heard was lot trouble there before he did that,” Jade commented.
“It’s a paycheck I guess.”
“Sure is. Even if there’s nothin’ to do.” I winked at Omega and looked over at Joan. “How are things at the ranch, Joan? Thomas said a horse went missing? Did you find it?”
“Is it true that the Pinkertons started to protect the president?” Joan asked.
“I believe they did yes.”
“Yes. Midnight wondered back to my ranch,” Joan replied.
“Oh good.. Glad Midnight returned..”
“Trin, you need to talk to Irish ‘bout that heard of horses,” Jade told me. “He sure got it building up. He ‘bout busting out the corrals at his and Enola’s house!” She laughed.
“That’s great to hear, Jade.” I chuckled. “I’ll have to visit them soon.”
“Aye I had them over the other day for a visit. They seem so happy.” Jade smiled at me. “He making fine vet.”
“I’m sure he is. Very proud of my cousin.” I smiled at her.
Joan said goodbye and headed to her ranch and then Omega headed off as well with Jade. Looking over at Angel I said, “Tell me you have something for me to do.”
“Nawthing so far.” Angel sighed. “But I vasn’t about much this veekend.” She looked over at the bank doors and decided to follow a man who was walking down the street. I wandered after her, since I had nothing better to do. Angel waited by the side of the bank and looked to me as she leaned back, and I nodded to her. She peered around the side and we couldn’t find the man anymore.
“He leave?” I looked at her.
“Yha.”
“Ain’t this the wild west?” I sighed.
“Suppozt to be,” she said as she yawned and stretched.
“Yeah, think I’m gonna head out. See ya later, Angel.”
***
I went into Kate’s this evening and went to give Aly a hug behind the bar. “Oh my gosh. What’s your name again?” She giggled.
“Crazy woman.” I said and tickled her, then blinked seeing her stomach. “I’m gonna be an aunty???”
“What are you going to name the baby Aly?” Muriel asked.
“Yes you are.” Aly chuckled. “Hope,” she said to Muriel.
“I s’pose Alex did send that telegram to me. I’m so happy for you guys!” I grinned wide.
“Baby? Aly?” Paisley asked with surprise.
“Six months now Paisley. Thank you,” Aly told her.
“You feelin’ good? All’s well?” I asked her.
“Oh yes I’m dandy.” She chuckled.
I smiled and walked over to Chris who was holding a mop and I asked, “So Chris… There a reason you’re holdin’ a mop?”
I heard some people talking to a woman named Lauren and I looked over, seeing Snow who I hadn’t seen in a while. “Snow, how long ya been in Tombstone?”
“Trin ya want a drink? How rude of me,” Aly looked over at me as Chris finished sweeping something up and sat down. “Ok you’re forgiven. Now...you want a REAL drink?”
I walked over to Lauren then and held out my hand. “Hi miss, I’m Trin. Don’t think we’ve met.”
“Nice to meet you Miss Trin,” Lauren said as the chatter around us continued.
“I hear you’re new to the area.” I smiled. “Nice to have you here.”
“Yes Ma’am I been in town almost a week.”
“That’s great. Settling in okay?” I asked her.
Wedge walked in then and I grinned and greeted him as Lauren said, “So far it hasn’t been to bad.”
“Glad to hear that.” I nodded to Lauren. “Couldn’t notice you have the same name as Chris. Any relation?” I asked with a wink to Paisley, who winked back. Chris looked over at me and just chuckled.
“Ma’am as far as I know my family are on the only Lyric’s in the area I grew up in,” Lauren told me.
“Not much of a case, that one.” I grinned and looked at Paisley.
“But since you are here I was wondering if you could help me,” Lauren started.
“Oh? How so, ma’am?”
“Well I’m staying at the Russ house and it seems my room was broken into.”
“Broken into? Anything of yours missing?”
“Nothing was taken.”
“Oh… That’s odd…”
“But they left a single red rose. Almost like some kind of calling card or sorts.”
“Any message left with the rose? Yes, certainly sounds that way. Was the door broken into or a window or both?”
“No ma’am.”
“Has anyone else in the hotel had their room broken into?” I asked, looking at her.
“Not that I know of Ma’am.”
“And the door was clearly broken into? Like, broken down or... lock-picked?”
“Not at all… it was like they had a key to the room.”
I raised an eyebrow at that and asked, “And you haven’t given a key to anyone since you got here?”
“I don’t really know any one to give it to.”
“I wonder who would have a key to the hotel rooms other than the renters themselves…”
“Besides why would I give a key to my room?”
“The owner?” Aly looked over at me.
“’m just thinking out loud. Have you spoken to many gentlemen since you came to town? Any that seemed to fancy you? Shouldn’t be more than one copy of each room key.”
“Pet has master keys to the rooms, Trin,” Chris said.
“Right, I figured she would.” I looked over at him. “I just ain’t seen her around much at all lately. So I wasn’t sure if she was still running it.”
“One given to the renter and one kept behind the counter,” Rikki put in.
“Lauren, when was the rose taken?” I asked her.
“So you see Ma’am where I’m just a bit confused with the rose and all,” she said. “I found it on my bed Valentines Day afternoon. It’s still in my room if you want to see it.”
“Yes, I would like that. I’ll follow you out.”
We walked out of the saloon and walked over to the Russ Hotel where she led me to her room. When we stopped in front of the door I told her, “Hold on a moment, ma’am. I want to check the door for prints.”
Lauren reached in her dress pocket for the room key and opened the door anyway, and I walked into the room with her. She pointed to the rose on the bed and said, “It’s a lovely flower but who brakes into a strangers room just to leave a rose.”
I went to check the door knob and tried to use my magnifying glass to find prints. I found too many though and sighed. “No way we could decipher these prints.” Looking over at her I asked, “Now you said the only man you’ve talked to is Chris… Correct?”
“Should I be concerned Miss Trin?”
“Did you ever bring Chris to this room?”
“Chris is the only man I’ve talked to since I’ve been in town. Well he was the one the helped me with my things.”
I nodded and pulled out my notebook to start writing up a statement. “Now you said you were only in town for a week... What brought you to Tombstone?”
“Was on my way to California but didn’t make it that far.”
“How come?”
“Well it’s hard being a single woman traveling alone.”
“It sure is. Traveled here alone myself.” I nodded.
“Thought it best if I stop here for a while before maybe moving on but this place is growing on me.”
“It does that.” I smiled and finished the statement, handing it to her. “Would you be able to date and sign this, Lauren?”
“Of course,” she said and took the paper.
“It’s not much but I just like to have people’s perspective on things in their own writing.”
“It’s not much but I just like to have people’s perspective on things in their own writing.”
“Should I put today’s date or the date it happened?”
“Both please. Date of incident and date of writing the statement.” I waited until she finished the statement and gave it back to me and I said, “Alright, perfect. Well I think the first person I need to talk to is Chris.. Then going to find out if anyone saw anything suspicious around the hotel. The fact that they came in here on their own accord, without breaking down the door, and left the rose without a message…”
“I hope you find the person that left it so I can at least thank them.”
“Of course, Lauren. As a Pinkerton, it’s my job to find answers. Even if it isn’t particularly criminal. I have some more questions for you though… You said you were on your way to California… But stopped here along the way.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“What made you leave your hometown? And where was that?”
“I was on my to teaching school. I wanted more out of my life then just leaving in a small town so I made plans to go to Teaching College.”
“Anyone from your past that would have any requited feelings for you? Anyone that would follow you here?”
She sighed and said, “That’s what some of the ladies in town were asking me… but I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure?” I looked at her.
“Pretty sure for the most part.”
“Alright. Doesn’t give me much to work with.”
“I thought about one person but the more I think about it I don’t think they would.”
“What’s their name?”
“Brice Andrews.”
“What do I need to know about him, Lauren?”
“Tall, blonde, blue eyes…”
“Law? Outlaw? Doctor? Bartender?”
“Farmer. Smells like horse pucky most of the times.”
“Was he ever in trouble with the law?”
“Maybe not for bathing.”
“But you don’t think he’d follow you out this way?”
“I doubt it.” She shook her head.
“Where you from before moving south?”
“Illinois.”
“Ah so you were from Illinois?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Alright, well unless there’s anything else?”
“That’s it. Should I be concerned?”
“I think you should be curious... I don’t like the idea of anyone goin’ into my room without my permission.. Even if they do have a key. I’ll talk to Chris and then I’ll try and find Pet and see if anyone’s taken the key from her... or if there’s evidence the master key was taken from the counter.”
“I was thinking about changing rooms just to be safe.”
“If you can, I would advise that.” I nodded.
“Thank you for all your help Miss Paige.”
“Of course, Lauren. I am at your service and hopefully we’ll get to the bottom of this. I’ll see myself out. You sleep well, Lauren.”
We said goodnight and I headed out of the hotel. I walked past Kate’s but I guessed that Chris was probably too tipsy to talk to tonight, so I decided to wait until tomorrow to talk to him and headed towards home.
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