The Six Gun Solution

5

Lucas and Andre got off the stage and waited for the driver to unload their bags. It hadn’t been a very long ride from Benson, perhaps twenty-five or thirty miles, but it hadn’t been very comfortable, either. Every jolt had been communicated to the passengers and the dust had seeped in everywhere. Both Lucas and Andre were well accustomed to discomfort, and there had been times in their careers when they had traveled in far less comfort. Lucas had never found anything to beat the sheer misery and exhaustion of forced marches with the Roman Legions and Andre had ridden for days on horseback, wearing full medieval armor. Nevertheless, they were grateful when the stage finally arrived in Tombstone.

Though they could easily have clocked into Benson, they had taken the Southern Pacific all the way from Lordsburg, the better to establish their cover. Lucas was posing as a writer from New York City, working on a series of articles for newspapers and magazines on the “Wild West.” Andre was his wife, secretary, and personal assistant. Finn Delaney would arrive separately, on horseback, with the cover of a drifter, a cowboy looking for work in the boomtown or on one of the ranches in the area. Between them, they hoped to be able to cover all contingencies.

Their first step was to check into the Grand Hotel, where Lucas made sure the desk clerk knew why he was in town. A promise to put the desk clerk’s name in the article he was writing immediately turned the man into a font of information enhevilbaS5about “the town that had a man for breakfast every morning.” The next step was to stop in at the hotel bar, where Lucas interviewed the bartender and some of the patrons, who regaled him with stories about the Earps, Bat Masterson. Doc Holliday, and the young gunslinger who had recently arrived in town, the Montana Kid.

“You missed Bat Masterson,” the barman told him. “He had to leave town and go to Dodge to help out his brother. Jim, with some trouble he was havin’ back there. But you’ll still find plenty to write about right here in Tombstone. mister. There’s trouble brewin’ you mark my word.”

“What sort of trouble?’ Lucas asked him.

“There’s bad blood between the Earps and some of the cowboys.” said the barman, like the Clantons and the McLaurys. And a lot of folks in town are startin’ to choose up sides Even the newspapers are getting’ in on it.”

“What’s it all about?” asked Lucas, while Andre sat beside him, taking notes, he bought another drink and invited the barman to have one for himself.

“Well, near as I can tell, the bad blood between the Earps and the McLaurys got started back around July of last year,” said the barman, a loquacious sort who clearly liked to gossip. He needed little prompting. “See, some soldiers came to town one day to see the Earps Seems some mules got stolen from out at Camp Rucker and they wanted some help from the local law to track the rustlers down. Well, sir, the trail took ’em out to the McLaury ranch. They found some mules, all right, but they couldn’t prove that they were Army mules. Frank McLaury said that they were his and the Earps thought that the brands were changed. Anyways, they couldn’t prove the mules were stolen and the Army didn’t get ’em back, but Frank McLaury didn’t like bein’ called a thief and he went around tellin’ anyone who’d listen how the Earps were spreadin’ lies about him.”

“Did Frank McLaury steal the mules?” asked Lucas.

“I’m not sayin’ he did and I’m not sayin’ he didn’t.” said the barman, but it wouldn’t have been the first time stock was rustled around here There’s been a lot of that sort of thing goin’ on. And lately, there’s been some stage robberies, as well. We got a lot of silver bullion goin’ out and not all of it gets to where it’s goin’. See, lot of small ranchers around here have done a bit of rustlin’ from time to time. There’s nothin’ unusual about it. Folks take a ride across the border and come back with some stock. Mexicans do the same damn thing. Been goin’ on for years. Only now there’s talk that some of the ranchers around here have taken to robbin’ stages as well as rustlin’ stock and some of that talk is comin’ from the Earps and others. And that ain’t the half of it.”

“What’s the rest?” asked Lucas, paying for another couple of drinks.

“Well, the Mclaurys are real tight with the Clantons.” said the barman. “And they’re all friends of Sheriff Johnny Behan. Now Johnny, he’s not a bad sort, you understand, but he doesn’t go out of his way to look for trouble, if you get my drift. Now a while back, this girl showed up in town, name of Josie Marcus. She was an actress came to town with a show called Pinafore on Wheels. Seems she knew Johnny from before. Anyway, the two of them set up house together and Johnny was introducin’ her to everybody as his fiancee. Only it seems that Josie didn’t care too much for the sort of company that Johnny kept. Boys like the Clantons, the McLaurys, Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo. They’d have these all-night poker games out at Johnny’s place and I guess Josie didn’t like it. Anyway, it wasn’t long before they had a fallin’ out and Josie took up with Wyatt Earp.”

“So you’re saying there’s a love triangle involved?” asked Andre.

“Well, now, I’m not tellin’ you any secrets,” said the barman. “The whole town knows all about it. Part of it’s a question of property, too. In more ways than one. See. Johnny and Josie built their house on money Josie’s daddy sent her, only Johnny owns the lot it stands on. One time, when Wyatt was away, Johnny came to try and dispossess her. Only Wyatt had asked Morgan to look in on her from time to time and Morg was there. They had some words and Morg knocked Johnny clear off the front porch_ Johnny didn’t bother Josie anymore after that, but you can see why he’s never been too fond of the Earps. And it’s like their trouble with property was just like the trouble many folks had here in town.”

“How’s that?” asked Lucas, plunking down for two more drinks.

“Well,” said the barman, pouring. “Arizona’s still a territory, you understand, and we ain’t never had much in the way of law around here. Back when the boom got started, there was a good deal of lot jumpin’ goin’ on and it got so it wasn’t very clear who owned what, you understand. Well, the mayor at that time. Alder Randall, went and transferred all the titles to the company of Clark and Gray. Seems the law let him do that, for the purpose of getting all the paperwork cleared up or somethin’. Only what Clark and Gray did was turn around and demand payment for all the lots in town and those who wouldn’t pay were threatened with eviction. Some of the boys they used to do the dirty work were the same cowboys who were doin’ a lot of the rustlin’ in these parts. It turned into one big mess, let me tell you, and there’s still lawsuits pending over the whole thing. It pretty near split the town in half. There was Clark and Gray and their friends in the County Ring, who own the Nugget and hold some of the offices in town, and there was John Clum, who’s now the mayor and runs the Epitaph and a bunch of local businessmen around here who sided up with him.

“Now the Earps own some property in Tombstone,” he continued, “and they got involved in the whole thing, as well. When they first came here, they were goin’ to open up a stage line, only we already had two lines so the Earps got into other business. They own some mining claims around here and got interest in one of the saloons, plus a few more things. Virgil got himself a badge and Wyatt wrangled himself an appointment as deputy U.S. Marshal. Between them, they got the power to make Morgan deputy if need be and Wyatt’s always got Doc Holliday and one or two others to back him up. Now on the other side, you got the County Ring, and Johnny

Behan is their man, along with his deputies, Billy Breakenridge and Frank

Stilwell. And Stilwell, for certain, with his buddy. Pete Spencer, has done some rustlin’ with Ike Clanton. So we got ourselves one big kettle of stew on the boil, let me tell you.”

“Sounds like something’s bound to come to a head sooner or later,” Lucas agreed. “Looks like I picked an interesting time to arrive in Tombstone.”

“That you did, partner. And now that the Montana Kid’s in town, there’s no tellin’ what’s liable to happen.”

“Tell me about the Montana Kid.” said Lucas. “Who is he?”

“I don’t rightly know,” the barman replied, this time standing Lucas to a drink. He was clearly enjoying himself with his captive audience. “He came into town a while back lookin’ for some friends of his, three men named Ben Summers, Josh Billings and Joe McEnery had a small claim up in the hills. Only they’d been murdered ‘bout two weeks before. Nobody ever learned who did it. Anyways, the Kid was in the Oriental, askin’ questions, when this fracas breaks out between Bat Masterson and a couple of Ike Clanton’s boys, Slim Carter and Jack Demming. Slim and Jack both jerked their pistols and it looked bad for Masterson, but the Kid shot ’em both quick as you please, dead center in the heart, each one. I didn’t see it myself, sorry to say, but folks that did say the Kid’s draw was the fastest thing they’d ever seen.”

“Really?”

“That’s what they say, and I can believe it, too. Why, just the other day. Ross Demming that’s Jack’s brother-came in here lookin’ for the Kid with Frank Mclaury. The Kid was sittin’ right at that table over them, with Jenny Reilly. she’s a saloon girl over at the Oriental. Jenny’s about the prettiest girl anyone’s ever seen in town and she was real popular. I can tell you, but since the Kid arrived in town. Jenny won’t have anything to do with anybody else, if you catch my drift-beg pardon, Ma’am,” he added, with a glance at Andre. “So there’s a lot of cowboys aren’t too pleased to have the Kid around. Anyways, there the Kid was, sittin’ right there and havin’ himself a meal, talkin’ to Jenny, when in comes Ross Demming, full of fight, with Frank McLaury to back him up. Both men wearin’ guns. too, and the Kid had given his to Virgil Earp, ’cause of the ordinance, you know.”

“So the Kid was unarmed?” asked Lucas.

“It sure looked that way,” the barman said. By now, they had an audience. “Jenny tried to talk Frank into makin’ Ross back off, hut Frank wasn’t havin’ any of it. The Kid just sat there, quiet as you please, tellin’ the boys he didn’t want any trouble. When Frank found out he didn’t have a gun, he offered to let the Kid use one of his. And right then Doc Holliday came in and got the drop on ’em. Made ’em both leave and as soon as they got outside. Virgil and, Morgan took their guns and led ’em off to jail.”

“So the Kid got lucky,” Lucas said.

“Well, that’s what Doc told him,” the barman replied. “Asked him what he’d have done if it hadn’t been for him showin’ up when he did. And what happened next. I saw with my own eyes. The Kid makes a move like this…” the barman demonstrated, crossing his wrists,”… and pulls out two little knives and throws ’em, so fast you couldn’t hardly see him move. And they went right into the wall there, where Frank and Ross were standin’. If you go on over there, you can see where they went in. Let me tell you. I’ve seen some fast men in my time, but never anything like that, not in all my born days! You want to get yourself a story, mister, the Kid’s the man you want to see. Hardly old enough to take a drink, yet there’s not a grown man in this town won’t step aside to make way for him.”

“Sounds like a fascinating individual.” said Lucas. “Where can I find him?”

“Well, sir, he’s got a room right here in this hotel. You stick around, you’re bound to see him and I’ll be pleased to point him out to you. Or you can head on over to the Oriental. Kid’s been spendin’ time down there, since he got sweet on Jenny. And there ain’t been much trouble down there since the Kid has been around, no, sir! Even Wyatt harp had to admit that.”

“How do the Earps feel about the Kid?” asked Lucas.

“Virgil he don’t care one way or the other, long as the Kid stays out of trouble. Wyatt, he didn’t care for him one bit and told him to leave town, but Doc Holliday seems to like the Kid and I guess he had a word with Wyatt. Anyways, since Wyatt has an interest in the Oriental, and the Kid bein’ there keeps trouble down, seems Wyatt doesn’t mind too much. But I don’t think he trusts the Kid, entirely.”

Lucas thanked the barman for all the information and left him a generous tip, then he decided to head over to the Oriental saloon.

“You might as well check out some of the local stores,” he said to Andre. “Meet some of the local women, see what you can learn. Respectable women of this time didn’t hang out in saloons

Andre grimaced. “Right,” she said. “I’ll meet you back here later.”

As they stood on the walk in front of the hotel, Finn Delaney came riding by He nodded and touched the brim of his Stetson. Lucas nodded back.

“He’s right on time.” he said. “Which leaves only Darkness.” He sighed. “Damn it. I hate not knowing what he’s up to.”

“From the way he talked, it’s pretty serious.” said Andre.

“Yeah. Here we are trying to pull off a temporal adjustment mission and meanwhile. we’re part of something in his past that he’s trying to change. Only he can’t tell us what it is, any more than we can tell the people here. The only difference is that they don’t know what they’re caught up in and we do. Or at least we know that we’re caught up in something_ God knows what.”

“There’s not much point in worrying about it now, since there’s nothing we can do about it anyway.” she said. “At least not until Darkness tells us what it is.”

“That’s just what worries me.” said Lucas. “What if he’s wrong? What if whatever it is he expects us to do back here isn’t the right thing to do? How the hell do we know?”

“We don’t. We’re simply going to have to trust him.”

“Yeah. He wants our trust, only he won’t give us his.”

“Maybe he can’t afford to.” she said. “It’s like he said, if we know more than we should, it could affect the outcome.”

“Only what is the outcome?” Lucas asked, with exasperation. He paused as several people passed by, then turned to Andre. “What happened in the future, where he came from? Was it a timestream split? A chain reaction? An invasion from the parallel timeline? What?”

“There’s no way we can know” she said. “We don’t know what time period he came from. Even if we were crazy enough to take the risk and clock ahead, we wouldn’t know which sector to check out. Or if we’d be able to make it back.”

“He made it back.”

“He’s faster than light. We’re not. Don’t even think about it. Lucas. It would be crazy. It’s against all the rules.”

“How do we know he’s playing by the rules?”

“We don’t.” she said. “Rut where he came from, the rules might have ceased to matter. We’ve got to trust him. Lucas. We have no other choice. Remember what he said. When the time comes for whatever it is we have to do, there’ll be no time for doubt or hesitation.”

“I know. I’ve been thinking about that. It tells me that whatever it is that’s going to happen, or that has already happened from his temporal point of view, is going to happen so fast that a split second could make all the difference. And that scares the hell out of me.”

“It scares me, too,” she said “But I have to believe that Darkness knows what he’s doing. After all. if it hadn’t been for him, I would have lost you.”

Lucas looked at her and took her hands in his. “I’m very much aware of that myself.” he said. He smiled. “I wouldn’t have come back from the dead for just anyone, you know.”

“Just don’t die on me again,” she said, “or so help me. I’ll kill you. Remember, you promised to marry me.”

He grinned. “That promise was extorted under false pretenses.”

“I might hold you to it just the same.”

“We’ll talk about it later. In about eight hundred years. Meanwhile, let’s split up and see what we can learn. I’ll meet you back here later.”

Jenny was sitting beside a dapper man who was dealing in a card game when Scott came into the Oriental Saloon. The moment she saw him, she whispered something to the man, got up and rushed over to him.

“Hi. stranger.” she said, with a dazzling smile. “I missed you.”

“Who was that man you were sitting with?” asked Scott, as he stepped up to the bar. Frank Leslie set a glass of whiskey before him with a wink.

You jealous?” Jenny asked, coyly.

Scott was surprised to discover that he was. That wasn’t a good sign. It wasn’t a good sign at all. He couldn’t afford to get involved. Or was he already involved?

“Maybe,” he said. “What if I am?”

“I think I like that,” Jenny said, pressing up against him and rubbing his chest.

“Who is he?”

“That’s Ben Stone. He’s the gambler I told you about. Came to town just a little while before you did.”

“About the same time my friends were killed?” asked Scott, softly.

She looked at him wide-eyed “You think he might have had something to do with it?”

“I don’t know.” said Scott. “What do you think?”

She bit her lower lip. “I don’t think I’d be surprised,” she said. “Not that I know he did,” she added quickly, seeing Scotts sharp glance. “Only there’s something about him… something strange. And dangerous. He gives me chills.”

You ever been with him?” asked Scott, uneasily.

She looked up at him. “Scott. I’ve been with lots of men. You know that. But that’s all in the past now. Oh, I still sit with cowboys and get them to buy drinks because that’s my job here. Sometimes I might let them put their arms around me. but no more than that, honest. No more trips to the back room. All that’s over now. It’s been over ever since I met you. Things are different now. Does it really matter what happened in the past?”

“Sometimes it matters more than you might know, Jenny,” said Scott, somewhat distantly. Then he smiled at her. But that doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“Then that’s all that really matters.” she said.

Ben Stone put down his cards and got up from the table. He picked up his hat and cane and came over to them. Scott watched as he approached. He was a tall man, very fit looking. with short, neatly trimmed dark hair and gray eyes. He was clean-shaven except for a dark, close-trimmed, pencil-thin moustache. He was wearing an elegant dark suit and waistcoat, a gold watch chain, and a neatly tied cravat held down by a pearl stickpin. He would have looked like a fashion model. Scott thought, if it wasn’t for those light gray eyes. They were alert, shrewd and calculating eyes. Eyes that didn’t miss a thing.

“You must be the Montana Kid.” said Stone. He offered his hand. Scott took it. “Benjamin J. Stone, at your service.”

Scott nodded. “Mr. Stone.”

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” said Stone.

“Is that right?”

“I wanted to see the man who managed to capture Jenny’s affection. The moment she saw you, she excused herself and rushed right over to you. If I wasn’t such an easygoing man, I might have taken exception. Jenny brought me luck. The moment she got up from the table. I started losing. A man can’t afford to do much of that in my profession.”

“No. I don’t guess he can.” said Scott. “Jenny’s told me about you, but I don’t believe I’ve seen you in here before.”

“I’ve been playing down at the Alhambra for the past week or so,” said Stone. “Thought, I’d come back to the Oriental for a while. You never want to push a streak of luck too far in just one place.”

“So you’ve been lucky, then?”

“I like to think that skill has a bit to do with it. but luck plays a part, as well. May I buy you and the lady a drink with my winnings?”

“It would be a pleasure, Mr. Stone, thank you “

“Call me Ben. Kid. All my friends do. And from what I’ve heard about you. I’d rather count you among my friends than among my enemies.”

“You have many enemies, Ben?”

“A few, here and there Some men like losing less than others. But I’ve always taken great care to stay on the right side of the law. Sometimes the only thing between you and a bullet is the local lawman, isn’t that right, Marshal?”

Scott turned to see that Wyatt Earp had come up behind them.

“Isn’t what right, Mr. Stone?”

“I was just telling the Kid here that a man always has to have respect for the local law, because sometimes it’s all that stands between him and a bullet. Isn’t that right?”

“I reckon I can go along with that.” said Wyatt. He glanced at Scott’s open coat. “See you got that fancy gun rig George Spangenberg had over in his shop.”

“That’s right, Marshal. But I made sure to get that special permit from your brother before I put ’em on. And I picked up that one that he was keeping for me, too.”

I know. I heard about that Seein’ as how you’re workin’ to keep order in here. I don’t guess I mind that too much, so long as things don’t get out of hand. And I suppose that havin’ you wearin’ your guns is a lot safer than havin’ you without ’em. Otherwise you’re liable to prove a temptation to certain folks around here.

“I appreciate your understanding, Marshal.” Scott said. “Like I told you before, I’ll do my best to stay out of trouble.”

“Speakin’ of trouble,” Wyatt said, you bought those guns from Zeke didn’t you?”

“That’s right said Scott, suddenly on guard.

“Mind if I see one?”

“Not at all.” Scott took one of the Colts out and handed it to Wyatt.

“Sure is gaudy-lookin’.” Wyatt said. “I figure folks will be askin’ about your guns as much as they talk about how fast you are with ’em. You seen Zeke since he sold ’em to you?”

“No. I can’t say as I have. Why’?”

“Just wonderin’,” said Wyatt. “Seems after you left, he told George he was feelin’ poorly and went home. After he closed up. George rode out to look in on him and see how he was feelin’.” Wyatt shook his ahead. “Turns out Zeke wasn’t feelin’ too good. Fact is, he wasn’t feeling anything at all. He was dead.”

“Dead!” said Jenny.

“What happened?” asked Stone. “Was it fever?”

“Nope. It was a bullet A bullet from a. 45. just like this one “ he handed the Colt back to Scott. “Zeke was shot right through the heart And ole Ned, down at the corral, said you rented a horse from him this afternoon and rode out of town. Be about the same time Zeke went home to his place:

“Wyatt!” Jenny exclaimed.

“Are you suggesting that I killed him, Marshal?” Scott asked.

“I’m not suggesting anything, Kid. But I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me where you went today?”

“I took a ride out to that old claim my friends had,” Scott replied. “I thought maybe I’d file on it and find someone to work it for me. See if they were really going broke or if they’d made a strike and hadn’t told anyone about it.”

“And what did you decide?”

“I’M still thinkin’ about it.”

“Anyone see you go out there?”

“Wyatt, how can you suspect Scott of killing Zeke?” asked Jenny, shocked. “Why. Zeke never had an enemy in the world! Scott barely even knew him!”

“Like I said, Jenny. I’m not suggestin’ anything just yet. I’m only making an investigation, that’s all. What about it Kid?”

“No, nobody saw me.” Scott said.

“That horse you rented came back to the corral alone.” said Wyatt. “What happened?”

“It spooked at a rattler and threw me. just outside of town, Scott replied. “I had to walk in. If you want to examine my other gun, Marshal, you’ll see that it hasn’t been fired, either. I haven’t even had a chance to try ’em out yet. As for the one I came to town with, your brother still had that until after I got back.” He offered the other one to Earp. but Wyatt made no move to take it.

“So he did.” said Wyatt. “I already checked on that. I don’t think you had anything to do with Zeke’s murder, Kid, but there’s some that might. I don’t really think you’re a bad sort, but I still think you’re trouble. Sooner or later, you’re goin’ to have to make some choices. Whether to walk on the right side of the law or the wrong one. For somebody like you, I don’t think there’s goin’ to be any in-between. I’d think on that if I were you. Jenny, Mr. Stone…”

“Aren’t you going to ask me where I was this afternoon, Marshal?” Stone asked.

“Why, you were right here. Mr. Stone,” said Exp. “chasin’ a big winning streak. I already asked.”

He touched the brim of his hat, turned and left the saloon.

“Interesting things sure do happen around you. Kid,” said Stone. “I wonder what Zeke Bailey did to get himself killed. Like Jenny here just said, he wasn’t the sort of man that you’d think of as having any enemies.”

“Then maybe someone ought to be lookin’ at his friends.” said Scot

“I hardly knew the man myself.” said Stone.

“I didn’t say you did.” said Scott. “Besides, you were here playin’ cards all afternoon, in front of witnesses, isn’t that right”

They matched gazes for a moment. Stone smiled, but his eyes didn’t.

“That’s right. Too bad you weren’t around to sit in, Kid. Looks like you could have used some witnesses yourself. I’ll be seeing you around. Jenny.”

He tipped his hat and left. Scott stared after him.

“There’s something very odd about that man.” said Jenny.

“Yes,” said Scott, thoughtfully. “There is.”