December 3, 1900

Tombstone. 

I walked down the street and beamed when I saw Frances. We hugged each other excitedly and she asked me if I had been writing anything. 

“Uh huh! Been writing lots!! I finished the first story for ma’s casebook! It’s a little long though so I not sure it’s good for the paper.” 

“Yay! I’ll still read- er... Listen to it!” She smirked. “And your dress is real pretty too so ya know.” Frances clapped. 

“Oh thanks! What you wanna do?” 

Frances looked around and shrugged. “Well I just woke up from a nap. Seems no one’s really ’round… What do kids usually do for fun here?” 

“We wander... Come on!!” 

We walked down the street and saw Mr. Ansar and Sheriff Angel in front of the sheriff’s office. We greeted them and I introduced them to Frances. “Did you tell her candy is ok to take form all the law but Suzy and Kris? Their candy is got pocket lint on it,” Mr. Ansar said to Miss Angel. 

“Candy?” Frances perked. 

“Yeah, bet you’ll get some if you go bug Miss Bree. Tell her to look under the floor board three nails down,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“Vell I know for a fact Miz Bree haz cookies,” Miss Angel chuckled. 

“She has all these tasty things and she ain’t told none a’ us?” Frances crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip. 

“Hey wait a minute…” I looked around then and blinked. “Where’s the tree??? Did someone steal it?!” 

“Oh no, Natalie. I took it to Black Diamond to show off in mine shop,” Miss Angel told me. 

“Well that’s good,” I sighed with relief. 

“I didn’t vant zeh outlawz to get ahold of it since iz so pretty.” 

“Good idea,” I nodded. 

“Oh good... Who’d steal a Christmas tree after all?” Frances gasped and then sighed with relief. 

“Outlaws,” Mr. Ansar shrugged. “And the grinch.” 

“So um... can I interview ya’ll for the paper? I’m doin a series for the Bee about the people who live in Tombstone,” I said. “I not done either of you yet.” 

“Sure Natalie. Ansar’s answer for everyting iz potatoes,” Miss Angel said and we giggled. 

“That or tater,” Ansar nodded. 

“How long have ya lived in Tombstone?” I asked first. 

“About four yearz now? For me that iz,” Miss Angel answered. 

“Since then…. HA! Got ya beat! I been here six years!” Ansar exclaimed. 

“You’re an old fart iz vhy,” Miss Angel chuckled. 

“I ain’t old, I am finely aged,” Mr. Ansar argued. 

“Hah! I been here a week!” Frances giggled. 

“Why did you come to Tombstone?” I asked. 

“Um…. I’d rather not answer that vone, Natalie. Iz a bit personal,” Miss Angel admitted. 

“I came here for money,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“Oh, okay,” I looked down. “Did ya find any mr Ansar?” 

“Well, yes and no,” he said. “When I first came here I was broke as a poor man’s beggar. I didn’t even have shoes on my feet.” 

“Wow. What do you do for work?” 

“Vell I do a few things for vork,” Miss Angel said. “I own a bakery, I’m sheriff in Tombstone and also own a second hand store vith Ansar.”

“Yup, beg, borrow. Even came to the point where I looked at that bank like it was a sandwich. Wasn’t for my first job I wouldn’t be standing here,” Mr. Ansar said. “I am a Us Marshal, a store owner even dabble in cooking when Angel lets me.” 

“But then how did you become a marshal, Mr Ansar?” I asked. 

“Oh, that’s a long story,” he said. 

“Well if you was borrowin and stealin. Ya must have become good somewehre’s,” I said. 

“But it was thanks to Cas.” 

“What he do?” 

“I went to rob him one day, a few times in fact. Always fail. The one time I did get anything I spent in food. Cas showed me there real money in another area. one more to my personality.” 

“Wow!” 

“Started as a deputy sheriff in Pearce. In about four years working up the ladder I became US Marshal. You know from deputy to deputy sheriff to sheriff to deputy marshal to marshal. Someone just gave me a shot and been a US marshal two years now.” 

“Where do you live?” I asked. 

“Pearce and…” Mr. Ansar looked at Miss Angel. “What’s the name of that area?”

“Vell ve both live in the canyon behind Diamond at Antelope Ranch,” Miss Angel said. 

“Yeah that’s it. Antelope Ranch.” 

“What do you do for fun in town?” I asked. 

“Besides arresting outlaws?” 

“Uh huh,” I giggled at him. 

“Eating taters.” 

“Vorking cause being law iz fun for me and now and again i end up peeling taterz for Ansar,” Miss Angel chuckled. 

“That’s fun, ain’t it?” Mr. Ansar asked. 

“That second part iz less fun than vone thinks,” Miss Angel chuckled. 

“Pearce,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“Yez, I love Pearce too. Iz a nice town vith many of mine friendz,” Miss Angel said. 

“How come?” I asked. 

“Pearce been my home. Where I started, where my office is, where I made my first friend,” Mr. Ansar answered. 

“What’s your favorite animal? Do you have any pets?” I asked. 

“Hmm iz hard to chose a favorite animal for me but vould say volf and yez ve do I ave a puppy named Splinter and Ansar and i ave a goat named tot and I also ave three horses: Killher, Shai-tan and Chev.” 

“A goat? They’re the funniest things I ever saw! When they scream they sound like people!” Frances giggled and clapped. 

“Pets? I got a pig, a goat, a horse, a dog… as for my favorite it ain’t easy picking just one animal but my horse is in the top three with my goat,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“He lets the goat sleep vith him in bed,” Miss Angel said. 

“He likes my smell. And my bed. It’s made of taters.” 

“I think I know the answer to this question already but... What’s your favorite food?” I asked. 

“I don’t think I have to answer what my favourite food is,” Mr. Ansar chuckled. 

“Vell I prefer sweets mine favorite iz chocolate covered cherries,” Miss Angel said. 

“I gonna write down that your bed’s made of taters,” I giggles. 

“Mines not only hiz,” Miss Angel said. 

“Yeah, she can’t have any of my taters,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“Are you married?” I asked. 

“No ver not. Mizter Ansar doezn’t believe in it,” Miss Angel said. 

“No I don’t. It’s a crime to make people sit though a wedding,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“That is about the dangdest excuse I ever heard,” Miss Bree claimed from where she was listening nearby. 

“Good! Then you’d have ta share the tater bed!” Frances exclaimed. 

“I like my bed like I like my mash taters lumpy,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“Does a goat count? They’re called kids,” Mr. Ansar said. 

“I ave vone son from a previous marriage,” Miss Angel said. “Yes Ansar, and I ave the kid iz enough for us.” 

“How old is your son Miss Angel?” I asked.

“He’z 18.” 

“Any other family nearby?” I asked. 

“Vell mine adopted father and mother live a few states avay along vith mine sister and her children,” Miss Angel said. “But none in town that are but I ave many friends here I consider family like Mizter Vedge and Miz Bree.” 

“Thanks you two!” I said and Mr. Ansar told Miss Angel to remember that Miss Jess was like family too. I looked over at Miss Bree and asked her if she wanted to answer the questions for the paper, and she said she would. Frances cheered that there would be more questions and I got to work again.

Miss Bree said that she’d been in Tombstone for almost two years now, in January. Mr. Ansar added that when you’re law, you become family because you watch out for each other. Miss Bree said that her mother and father passed away and that she was alone in Indiana and hopped on a train and came here. 

“Oh yeah Trin been a big part of my life in Tombstone as well. She like a crazy cousin you have,” Mr. Ansar said and I grinned at that. 

Miss Bree continued with her interview and said that she was a banker, a baker, and a cantina owner and assistant medic. She said she was a wife and mother and she made her sister fix stuff for her. She lives in Black Diamond and said that Miss Angeles was her adopted niece. She said that for fun she danced and bugged Lot. Her favorite spot was Benson because she started there but she also loved the mountain around the waterfalls. Her favorite animal was dogs and she didn’t have any pets. Her favorite food was Steak and Bacon Baked Taters, but Mr. Ansar told her not to pick his answer. She said she had one little girl who was twenty-four days old. She said Miss Lilly was her sister, kind of like Miss Angel. 

“You know what else I doin? I writin a book bout Ma’s cases here. Like Sherlock’s book,” I told them. 

“They’re gon’ be real great!” Frances grinned and nodded. 

“I finished the one bout the Apaches stealin things when she first came to town... And then they was all sold at this auction they had. I not helping nurses anymore. Not as fun as writin’. I workin for Jeff and the Bee!” 

“Wow now that is quite an undertakin,” Miss Bree nodded. 

“Uh huh! Lots of cases! You remember that one Mr Ansar?” I blinked then, seeing the time on the clock tower. “I gotta go home for dinner!! Bye bye all!! See you soon!!” I waved and headed home.