Emma looked at the guy expectantly and with slight annoyance.
— Well? — She asked. — Where? Is this really the place? Or maybe it was worth waiting for the alcohol to wear off?
— Not. Alcohol helps me stay on my feet. — Jones got out of the wagon, but not carefully: his leg twisted and he almost fell.
— Yeah. — Emma said sarcastically. — I noticed.
— It certainly was here. — Jones shook his head. — Because here is the stone behind which I hid.
He walked around a large stone and gasped. Emma mentally sighed, went there and saw the guy sitting on the ground, leaning against a stone. He was pale and his eyes were closed.
"I hope he didn't die!" thought the girl and slapped him lightly in the face.
— Hey. Are you alive? — Emma asked.
— Alive. — Jones said and opened his eyes. — It was possible to do artificial respiration.
— We'll find a train, we'll return to the city - I'll bring a doctor to you. He will change your bandage and artificial respiration. And give more money and dance. Get up.
— Oh. Are you that rude to everyone, sheriff? Or just the wounded? — The guy asked and stood up.
Emma remained silent, biting her lip. She wanted to say a lot to this man, but she remained silent. And they went on. Suddenly, the tracks and the train standing on them appeared ahead. A man was reclining next to him - he was dead. The man, judging by the clothes, is a stoker.
— Here! — Jones said victoriously. — I told you!
They drove back in silence. Emma thought about what could make the "Queen" come back and rob the train. She was gone for a long time, several months. And she usually robbed trains with large revenues, those in which she usually transported money from one bank to another. What made her come back? And rob an ordinary one? Losing grip? No. Here is something else.
— Sheriff. Tell me something. — Jones said.
Emma, who had forgotten about him, carried away by reflections, shuddered at the sound of his voice.
— What? — Emma not even know what he wanted from her.
— I say tell me something. About yourself.
— Why should I be honest with you? — Emma arched an eyebrow.
— In gratitude for the help in finding the train. — He gently pushed her under the ribs — Well, sheriff. And then bring a corpse to the hotel. At least one story.
— I don't understand, what do you want to hear? — Emma asked.
— A beautiful story. — Jones took another sip of his flask. — I'm a traveler, and a good story is like a sip of good whiskey ...
— Ah. Is that why you have cheap liquor in your flask? — Emma said with a laugh.
— This is real rum! — Jones objected. — And you give me a good story. M?
Jones handed her the flask, but the girl shook her head.
— Okay, I'll tell you. But only one. — Emma thought. — About what?
— What do you want. How did you become a sheriff for example? Or what connects you with that young lady? I think her name is Ruby. She soooo looked at you ... I even became envious.
— I became a sheriff because my father was a sheriff. He taught me how to shoot, and when he was killed, at his funeral I swore to continue his work. And find his killer.
— Did you find he? - Jones took another sip of his flask.
— Found. And hung he. In last year.
— Not bad. — Jones whistled. — And the residents are okay with this? What is their sheriff ... lady?
— Fine. — Emma nodded. — The main thing for them is that there is order in the city and I provide it.
— Yes? — Jones muttered. — What about the poster lady ?
— We've arrived. — Emma replied.
— M? — Jones said.
— Here is the hotel, I say arrived. — Emma turned to look at the boy, who sat back and closed his eyes. — Crap! Did he die anyway?
Emma ran into the hotel. An elderly woman was standing behind the counter.
— Miss Lucas! — Emma pointed behind her. — Your tenant lies in the wagon, Jones. It takes a couple of tough guys to carry it into the room.
— Oh, my God! — The woman wailed. — Injured?
— Yes. — Emma turned around.
— Wait, where are you? — The woman was alarmed.
— I'm going to the doctor! Maybe he even will wash wound ...
Emma rushed out of the hotel and ran to the doctor's house. She knocked on the door, but no one answered. Children were playing near the house: a boy about ten years old and a girl about eight years old. They were enthusiastically drawing something on the ground with sticks. And the girl turned to them.
— Children — Emma said. — Did you see where the doctor went?
— We saw. — Answered the boy. — But we won't tell.
— Oops. — Emma was surprised. — Why not?
— Because it's a bad house. — The girl explained and nodded across the road. - Mom said so.
Emma looked at the "bad house" and smiled. There was a brothel on the other side of the street. The girl ran there and went to the bar. Behind her was the hostess herself.
— Hello, sheriff. — The woman spoke intimately. — Do you… want to have some fun?
A couple of guys playing cards at the table looked at each other and one chuckled. Emma flexed her jaws and put her hand on her holster.
— I need a doctor! I know he went here! — She said.
— He is busy. — The woman smiled. — Very, very busy.
— I understand, but it's better for you to tell me which room he is in.
— Sheriff. — The woman sat directly on the bar counter on one side and got off on the other. — You're kind of tense. Maybe you want too? To relax?
— Either tell me where he is, or I can't vouch for myself. — The muzzle of the revolver was in the blink of an eye pressed against the woman's forehead.
— Wow. What a passionate… — The woman muttered. — In the fifth, but you will not ...
But Emma was already going up the stairs. She burst into the room and spotted Ruby sitting on the doctor's lap. The doctor was whispering something to the girl, and she was giggling. Ruby, noticing Emma, immediately jumped up and covered her chest with a fan. She was wearing a corset and pantaloons.
— Doctor! It's good that I found you. — Emma said, ignoring Ruby. — You are urgently needed at the hotel. The man you took out the bullet for. He is dying.
— Lord God. — The doctor exclaimed, and grabbing his trousers from the bed, he began to put them on hastily. — Not a second of peace!
He dressed, picked up his suitcase, with which he apparently did not part, and jumped out the door. Emma followed, but Ruby grabbed her by the shoulder tightly.
— You do realize it's just a job, don't you? — She asked.
— I don't care. — Emma replied. — Let go.
— I care, Emma. — Ruby walked around the girl and stood in front of her. — I…
— I don't have time to listen to you. Criminals need to be caught. — Emma snapped, but the girl grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall.
— Since you kicked my client out, replace him. — Ruby said.
Ruby licked her lips at Emma, who roughly shoved her away from her. Ruby lost her balance and fell to the floor.
— Go to hell, Ruby! — Emma said. — I'll never be with you.
— But I love you. — Ruby pleaded.
— And I do not. — Emma answered and left the room.
Emma entered the police station in a very gloomy mood. Graham was cheerful, but noticing Emma's mood wilted.
— Sheriff. What happened? Did you find the train?
— Yes, I do and the few that were on it are dead. — Emma replied.
— Oh, it's not your fault… Is that why you got so upset?
— What? Not! — Emma objected. - That is, I was upset of course, but it's not only that ...
— What else? — Graham asked.
— I saw Ruby. In a brothel.— Emma replied.
— Ah, in that sense. — Graham smiled. — Then this… action is good. On the contrary, I feel good about meetings. With ladies.
— Wh… are you stupid?! — Emma got angry. — What were you thinking up there?
— Come on, sheriff. — Graham chuckled. — Ruby sleeps and sees how to drag you into bed. The whole city knows about it.
— Who do you think I am? — Emma grimaced. — Do you really think I'm going to jump into a bunk that's been in half the city? And God knows how many "travellers"?
— Sheriff, it's just… You said… — The guy hesitated.
— Stop talk about this. What's new? "Queen" was not announced?
— It seems not, but the mail carriage came and behold. — Graham handed the envelope to the girl. — You have received a letter.
Emma looked at the envelope and her heart began to beat faster: the letter was from home. She opened the envelope and took out a piece of paper covered in her mother's neat handwriting.
Hello, my dear. I hope you all are well. I don't know when this letter will reach you. I write very confusingly, apparently. Now I'll explain everything. I know you're waiting for me, but I can't come, I'm a little sick. Don't worry, nothing serious. But I will fulfill your request: I sent my grandmother's "flaming heart" pendant to you. With one black boy. I have no doubt that he will take him - he is a good boy. His name is Sydney. He helps me around the house. No matter what he was molested, I dressed him in a decent suit and gave him your father's watch so that you could recognize him. He will give them to you along with the pendant. Just in case, I put his photo in the envelope. He will arrive with the 108 train. I kiss you, my dear. With love, mother.
Emma pulled out a photo card and almost sat down past the chair - it was the guy who was buried in the morning. At the funeral of which, she got by accident when she stopped the doctor's carriage. The girl covered her face with her hands - she clearly remembered the number on the side of the train - 108. And the dead fireman next to him.
— Sheriff? — Graham was scared. — What happened?
Emma slowly removed her hands from her face.
— I need to dig up the body. Are you with me? — She asked.
— With you sheriff, even to the devil in the ass! — Graham replied. — Is it legal?
— As long as I'm here the Law, everything I do is legal. Went!
Regina did what she usually did - sat in her chair, swaying. The chair creaked.
— How long are we going to be here? — Robin lazily chewed tobacco, and clicked the lid of his pocket watch, lying on the bed.
— Until the noise stops. — Regina said. — And finish clicking - you're annoying.
— By the way, you didn't explain why the hell we took the one hundred and eighth. — The guy spat tobacco on the floor with relish. — Come on, I'll take the pain out of you...
The man patted the bed unequivocally and licked his lips. The creaking stopped and two cowboy heels clattered to the floor. Regina came over, took the watch away and clicked it, slamming it shut.
— I said: "finish clicking" or I'll take it back! — Regina said.
— But you yourself gave them to me. — Robin sat up in bed.
— So take good care of these things! — Regina threw them back and Robin caught them. — And no more questions. Or forgot who's in charge here?
— Did not forget. — Robin growled and ran his finger over the engraving on the lid.
Two letters were engraved on it: D N.