November 23, 1900

Tombstone. 

This afternoon I walked over to the hotel and greeted everyone that was standing there. I asked where church was happening and Miss Lisa said that it was the little one. 

“And just where pray tell are you shoes youngin?” Miss Lisa asked me. 

“Uh…” I looked down. 

“I bet your Mother does not know you are running loose with no shoes on your feet, she would tan your hide.” 

“Guess I didn’t wear em.” 

“You know you can step in horse droppings?” Miss Rikki asked. “Then get that stuff between your toes, and you will go around smelling bad all day.” 

“Good thing I’m here to shoot her if she tries,” Miss Lisa chuckled. 

“You would shoot me miss Lisa?” I asked her. 

“Nooooo, of course not... but i might shoot your Momma if I see her try to whoop ya,” she said and I frowned. “Awww now, don’t you go frettin none, you know Miss LIsa aint’ gonna shoot no one, hell, then I’d have to deal with Amara here... and it being Sunday and all... well... just think it best I sit right here.” 

“Who’s yer momma?” Miss Rikki asked. 

“Miss Trin… She’s a detective.” 

“Oh her. Ok Joe, you can operate on miss Trin,” Miss Rikki said. 

“No one gonna shoot my momma,” I frowned. 

“Miss Trin,” Mr. Joe nodded. “Any particular operation ya fancy?” 

“Mr. Joe!!!” I exclaimed. 

“Hmmm, can ya remove things other than bullets?” Miss Rikki asked. 

“Aye, I have jars full of bits I have removed whenever I ‘perate,” Mr. Joe said. “I always have bits left over.” 

“Maybe you can remove that bump on miss Trin’s shoulder?” Miss Rikki suggested and I frowned. 

“Mommy doesn’t have a bump on her shoulder.” 

“He likes to balance woman out.....making their chest match the size of their ass,” Miss Bianca mumbled. 

“Natalie, Your momma has a big lump on her shoulder that should be removed,” Miss Rikki stated. 

“It’s simple engineering he mutters leavers and such, hmm remive lump off Trin,” Mr. Joe said. 

Aspen came over and I told her that everyone was saying mean things about momma. They kept talking about cleaning and other things and I found myself distracted. I decided to go to the house and get shoes on and ran back to Pearce. When I came back, I saw Miss Rikki having her gun out. She shot her gun towards Mr. Grant’s guitar and I hid behind Lisa. Miss Lisa distracted, us talking about my pretty shoes. We talked about how Miss Lisa gave me and Aspen teddies and then we started to talk about writing for the Bee.

“Did ya read the one I wrote ’bout the saloon in Benson?” I asked Miss Lisa. 

“She’s a good story-writer too,” Aspen said. 

I dug around in my notebook and started to read, “I was talkin’ to a real nice lady who said that there was a big ole saloon over in Benson. When she walked by the smoke was just boiling out of it. Someone put a poster of a preacher and a cross in front of it! She don’t know who set it a-fire but it’s still smouldering. Her husband is a preacher and he said he saw it burning. He knew that his wife wanted to reopen the ol’ saloon and I wondered if someone did it ’cause of the preacher. One boy said he seen the old lady in the picture on a sign. She hates liquor. Another person carried it and they try to shut down all the saloon. She is one of them that go round trying stop people drinkin. She don’t do it but someone else do it for her. When we went there, we found a bottle of moonshine with the drink still leakin’ out of it.” 

I took a deep breath and looked at Miss Lisa to see if she was still listening. She and Aspen were on the edge of their seats, so I went on, “A while ago in Tombstone there was a woman at Kate’s talkin’ bout drinkin and God and how it was bad. She said she was a Temperance woman. She was carryin’ a sign with that ugly ole lady on it. Another boy said he’d seen her once and she was with three men when he’d seen her and they looked like bad guys. A lady in a red dress started talkin’ about how some lady named Carey was the great lady of knowledge and educatin’ people about the dangers of overindulgence. She was the leader of the Temperance movement. Those who follow her carry her picture. The lady in the picture then has to be that Carey lady. asked the lady in the red dress why there was a cross and she said that the cross ‘reminds of Jesus.. and how we should not use too much alcohol and sin.. becomin drunk.’ I said that Jesus made water into wine so it can’t be all that bad and she said, ‘Yes.. but he dont want us to become drunk and hurt our bodies and other.. jus like that man who was vominting blood in Tomstone.’ I remembered the lady in the red dress had been at Kate’s a while ago holdin’ a sign with the lady’s picture and she’d gone on about drinkin’ too much then too. I pointed at her and asked if she set the fire. I found out her name was Miss Balynda and another lady said that Carrie Nation was the one settin’ saloons on fire all over the place. And look, I got this picture and put it in the article too,” I said and handed a copy of the picture to Lisa. “Pretty big first story huh??” 

“It is awesome, Nat!” Aspen exclaimed. “There was a fire here last night in miss Pet’s place.” 

“So now we gotta figure out who’s doin’ it for her... settin’ the fires and puttin’ up the posters I mean,” I said and then looked at her. “There was? Maybe that can be my next story!” 

“And someone was breakin’ in the bank. That’s all I know,” Aspen nodded. 

“Wow…” I shook my head. 

“Splendid idea Natalie. You are sure to be a detective just like your Ma,” Miss Lisa smiled. 

“Nat is really smart!” Aspen agreed. 

“I read lots of Sherlock. But I gonna be a journalist someday. Bein a doctor’s no fun anymore,” I said. 

“Oh, I am certain you will,” Miss Lisa said. 

“I gotta find a new story for next week,” I said then. 

A man walked over to us and when he greeted us I said, “Mommy says I not s’posed to talk to strangers.” 

“How ya gonna git to no ’em if ya ain’t talkin to em?” Aspen asked. 

“’specially now that there’s some mean guy around lookin for her cousin.” 

“Your mommy? Who is your mommy?” Steven asked. 

“I don’t even know who her cousin is really. Never met him and she didn’t tell me his name yet,” I said. 

“For who’s cousin?” Miss Rikki asked. 

“I don’t really know much bout it. I tried askin’ her but ma wouldn’t telll me. She said it better I don’t know.” 

“Steve, are you after Miss Trin?” Miss Rikki asked. 

“As in?” Mr. Steven asked. 

“To shoot her?” 

“No ma’am,” he said and I relaxed a little. 

“Hmm, must be me then,” Miss Rikki chuckled. 

“You’re after ma?” I looked at Miss Rikki. 

I looked across at the sheriff’s office and shouted, “Daddy?? Are you in the office???? Daddy!!!!” 

“Who’s your daddy, little one?” Mr. Steve asked. 

“Maybe he fell asleep,” Aspen suggested. 

I ran across the road and knocked on the door heavily. “Daddy!!” When he opened the door, I ran in and hugged him tightly, scared. “Daddy!!” 

“Come on in sweetheart,” Pa said and hugged me tightly. “What’s wrong?” 

“She said.. and he was.. and she…” 

“Calm down sweetie...who what and where is going on?” 

I exhaled and tried to calm down. “Mr Steven said hi and I said I weren’t s’posed to talk to strangers cos mean man after mommy’s cousin who’s name I don’t know. Miss Rikki asked Mr Steven if he was after momma to shoot her and he said no.” 

“Okay…” 

“But then Miss Rikki said ’must be just me then’ .” 

“Huh? Who said this?!” 

I clung to him and then I saw the bandage on his shoulder. “Wait... when you get shot?” 

Pa rubbed my back and shoulders softly, trying to help calm me down a bit. “Oh its nothing sweetie. Now who said this, and where are they?” 

“Miss Rikki!!!” I pointed across the road and shouted, “She gonna kill mommy!!!” 

“Ok, I want you to wait right here ok. Stay inside, and don’t let anybody in unless you know them ok?” 

“Yes daddy,” I nodded. 

“I ain’t letting nobody kill mommy. I promise,” Pa said and took out a piece of liquorice, handing it to me. “Here, for my sweet darling.” 

Pa headed out and I licked on the candy, trying to calm down as I watched from the window. I waved to Aspen as she waved back and then jumped when Mr. Steven shouted something and I heard pa calling for someone to come out. I went to try and check on pa but the door was locked and just waited. 

“I suggest you keep to your own business out in Ghenna. You have no business in Tombstone, or with my wife. You scared my daughter, and I don’t appreciate it,” Pa was saying to Rikki across the street. 

“I really don’t care,” Miss Rikki said. 

“I don’t know what your problem is Rikki, but it don’t belong in Tombstone.” 

“Neither do you, Deputy,” Miss Rikki smiled. “Maybe you should be packing up and moving on. Steve makes a better lawman than you do. He at least chased that robber down.” 

“I ain’t go nowhere. I am here to stay. So you tell your little friends in Ghenna their time is coming.” 

“Why don’t you tell them, mister? This deputy thinks he runs this town.” 

“Oh they will know in plenty time. And as for Steven, well, I am leaving that alone. You sure as hell didn’t do anything to help Rikki.” 

“And why would I? You never help me.” 

“Well, you are a Sheriff, witnessing a crime, thats why! How would I help you, you’re in Ghenna.” 

“Daddy! Can I come out yet??” I called out the window then. 

“You would be shot coming into Ghenna mister, and don’t you ever think you wouldn’t,” Miss Rikki said.

“What you doing in there, little girl?” A native man asked as he came over to the window. 

“Hiding from the bad lady out there like daddy said to do,” I told him. 

“Natalie, please stay inside sweetie!” Pa shouted and I frowned. 

“Ohh… Can’t see any bad lady out here,” the Native looked around. 

I pointed to miss Rikki and said, “She said she was after mommy and Daddy not hapy bout it..” 

“Oh, why she’s after your mom?” 

“I dunno. I threatened nobody, no names were mentioned…” 

I looked around the office as the Native guy walked away and then started to put the books on pa’s shelf in alphabetical order. I asked the Native man if they were still yelling and he shouted back that they were. I sighed and reached for a copy of Sherlock and started to read. 

When pa opened the door he said, “Natalie come on out sweetheart.” 

I stood up and went out as Pa was talking to the native man he called Howling Wolf. I got closer to pa and said, “I don’t like that mean lady. She not really goin after ma, is she?” 

“Neither do I sweetie. You best steer clear of her ok?” 

“Yes pa,” I nodded. 

“Hmm… She don’t have any rights here in Tombstone I guess,” Mr. Howling Wolf said. 

“Let’s go home and see if ma has those cookies made? Whatdya say?” Pa asked me. 

“Ok that’s a good idea. I organized your books in the office pa. They all alphabet now.” 

“Oh you are such a good little helper.” 

“Have a nice day, Thomas,” Mr. Howling smiled. 

“Thanks Howling Wolf, you too,” Pa said to him.  

I went over to him and gave him a big hug. “Howling? Ashgothe!” 

“Aww, thank you little girl. Take care of your dad now,” he said and winked at me, and I giggled and reached for pa’s hand. “You have a nice daughter, Thomas.” 

“Thanks, she is the apple of our eyes,” Pa said and patted me on the head. 

“No, I’m Lakota,” Howling said. 

“Those big boots you have,” I told him. 

“Yes, it’s to keep my feet warm. They are made of buffalo skin.” 

“Oh wow.” 

“In my language we say ‘tatanka’.” 

“Ok sweetie, you ready?” Pa asked. 

“Ready! Bye mr Howling!” 

On the way home I looked over and asked, “Pa?” 

“Yes sweetheart?” 

“Why Rikki gota scare me?” 

“Cause she an outlaw sweetie. Thats her job, scaring people.” 

“Oh… Like Miss Lisa? But she nice sometimes. I told her the story bout Benson. She said I was a good writer.” 

“Yeah, like Miss Lisa, Mr Lot, Mr Mac, they all hang out in Ghenna.” 

“Oooh. What bout Mr steve?” 

“Well I think he does too, but he is not all there…” he said and made googly eyes and stuck out his tongue. 

“Oh..” I giggled. “Let’s go home!” 

“Yep, let’s go half pint.” 

Pearce. 

When we got to the house Pa knelt down and hugged me. “Hey half pint?” 

“Yeah pa?” 

“Thank you for staying inside the jail today. I was afraid you might get hurt.” 

I grinned and hugged him tight. “You’re welcome. I just read Sherlok and waited.” 

“Now what’s this I hear you’re gonna marry Jimmy?” he smiled. 

“Uh…” I blinked. “Well..” 

“Some said you and Jimmy gonna run off and get married. Cause you all grown up now,” Pa smiled. 

“Yes um… Miss Zan said I was old enough to get married soon.” 

Pa head-locked me playfully and tickled me. “No boys until you an old woman, ok?!” 

“And I thought bout Jimmy right away cause he my best friend and not really my brother yet,” I giggled. “An old woman like ma?” 

“Ooohh better not let her hear you call her old,” Pa looked around with wide eyes, laughing. “But yeah, old like your ma.” 

“I love you pa,” I giggled and hugged him. “Did you know I quit at the clinic?” 

“I love you too sweetheart,” Pa hugged me tight. “No I didn’t. How come?” 

“Well cause it was like no one really noticed me when I was there. And all I did was hand stuff and clean stuff. Wasn’t real fun. So I decided to become a reporter and now I write for Jeffry’s paper” 

“Oh really? Well congrats sweetie. But please do me a big favor ok?” 

“Yeah pa?” 

“Be careful, and never go into any place that is dangerous. Stick close to adults if you can. We don’t wont anything to happen to you.” 

I nodded and said, “I’ll try to bring Jimmy wherever I go if I can. And ma told me bout the man goin’ after her cousin and how I shouldn’t talk to strangers.” 

“That’s a good idea. If he cant be with you, let someone you know, where you are going to be ok.” 

“But she didn’t tell me what her cousin’s name is.” 

“His name is Irish, and that mans name is Bear Makaid. If you see or meet him, tell us immediately ok?” 

“Okay pa. Think I’m gonna go read more upstairs on my bed. That okay?” 

“Ok sweetie, I am going to lay down a bit on the couch and take a nap.” 

“No snoring! I gotta read!!” 

“No promises!” he chuckled and I went upstairs to read.