A/N: If I gave chapter title in every chapter, I would give this chapter a title "Emily", because the main character of this 6th chapter is Emily. ^_^ Please enjoy~!

Disclaimer: Aoki Takao-sensei

Setting: Alternate Universe

Sheriff and the Thief

Chapter Six

"Hello?"

"Miss Emily. Nice to hear your voice."

Emily frowned.

"Who's speaking?"

"Is that important?"

"It's impolite not to introduce yourself on the phone," Emily said angrily. She looked at the clock. It was almost twelve a.m. Who the hell is this person, calling at midnight? The sound of ringing phone woke her up, and she picked it up compulsively. Now she regretted her action—why didn't she turn it off by unplugging the phone cable?

"Hey, answer me!" she yelled impatiently when she got no answers. The person on the phone laughed.

"You'll know me later. Not now."

Emily grumbled. She would ring the telephone off, but the unknown person quickly said, "I know you will put this telephone. I suggest you not to do that."

"And what the reason for it?" Emily replied furiously.

"I have something interesting for you."

"Be quick!" Emily almost shouted. She didn't care if her parents woke up because of this. "I'm sleepy, you know!"

"All right, My Lady," that person laughed again. "This is about Sheriff Max."

"What's the matter with him?"

"He had another girl in his mind."

Now Emily was totally angry.

"Good bye," she rang the telephone off. And then she went back to her room, ignoring about this unknown call at all.

***

The next day, at the dinner time.

Emily and her family were having their dinner when the telephone rang continuously.

"I'll pick it up," Emily stood up. She walked to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Miss Emily. I hope you meet me tomorrow at F-Dynasty. At the same time as now. You won't be disappointed. Trust me."

Emily remembered the call a night before. Apparently this was the same person.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?"

"You'll know if you come."

"And if I don't?"

"You will. This is about Sheriff Max."

Emily rolled her eyes.

"It's not enough to be a reason."

"Don't you think he is hiding something from you?" the unknown person tried to affect Emily's mind.

"He's not hiding something from me," Emily said flatly while ringing the phone off. She came back to the dining table.

"Who's calling?" Major Dickenson asked.

"Wrong number," Emily answered as she continued eating. But actually her appetite was already gone. She couldn't help to think about the unknown call.

Max is hiding something from you.

That sentence floated in her mind. She struggled to ignore it; she made herself sure that Max isn't hiding something from her.

But she failed.

She had to admit that Max's attitude changed after he came back to the town from Joseph's place. And she remembered about strange 'left-wallet' occurrence a week ago.

Her suspicion increased.

I have to go there tomorrow, finally she decided. To F-Dynasty.

***

"How are you today, Max?" Emily smiled to her fiancé when she came into Max's hospital room.

"Much better. The doctor said I can go home in few days," Max replied her smile.

"I'm happy to hear that."

"Yeah, I'm very bored here. It will be very good if I go home soon. I miss my office."

Emily nodded understandingly.

"So, Max, what about our wedding?"

Max didn't answer. He completely forgot about his postponed wedding with Emily, since he practically always thought about Miss M nowadays. Several days ago the thief visited him again and seemingly Max had totally fallen in love with her.

"Max?"

"We'll talk about it later, Emily," he smiled. And then he was saved by Raul and Julia's visit.

While Max was talking cheerfully with the fraternal twin, Emily was busy with her mind.

Max avoided the topic about our wedding, she thought. Does it mean that…

Emily shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. She wanted to trust Max. But…

"There is no proof about this," Emily whispered to herself. "Not yet."

***

At the dinner time, Emily walked hastily to F-Dynasty. If she wanted to get a table, she had to hurry up. F-Dynasty was always busy and full at these hours. When she would go inside the tavern, a voice called her.

"Miss Emily."

Emily recognized that voice. She turned her head and saw a man with a cowboy hat was standing not so far from her.

"Come here," that man gave her a sign to come nearer to him. Emily did it, but she stopped when she saw green hair under that person's hat.

"You…!"

The person smirked.

"Follow me."

Emily hesitated, but her curiosity was bigger than her doubt. She followed the unknown person.

"I think this place is quiet enough."

Apparently the unknown person brought Emily to an area behind F-Dynasty, where the piles of barrel were everywhere.

"We don't go inside F-Dynasty?" asked Emily.

"We need privacy, Miss Emily."

They stood up face to face. Emily crossed her arms, meanwhile the person in front of her tittered.

"So, tell me what you want to tell. Now."

"Don't I need to introduce myself?"

"One thing you need to do now is telling everything to me, Joseph," said Emily coldly.

The unknown person—Joseph—removed his cowboy hat. Now his green hair was clearly visible.

"You didn't act this brave when I kidnapped you, Miss Emily, although I have to admit that you are still not careful with your tongue," Joseph smirked. "But there are nobody could beat my ex-sister's sharp tongue."

He laughed strangely. Emily shuddered to hear that.

"Why didn't you tell me to the point?" she asked. "Or I will call police to arrest you."

"Oh, you won't do that," Joseph said lightly. "Let's have a deal. You won't tell anyone about me and I'll give you very important information about Sheriff Max. Plus I won't hurt you."

Emily snorted. Joseph tittered.

"You agree?"

"That depends on what information you will give."

"Have I told you that you won't be disappointed?"

"Shut up. Tell me that."

"So we had agreed about the deal," Joseph grinned. "Prepare yourself, Miss Emily. Sheriff Max…" he made his voice lower, "…had another girl in his mind."

"You had told me about it on your call before. Tell me more."

Joseph grinned again.

"You are really not this brave when…"

"Stop repeating that sentence!" Emily shouted furiously. "When you kidnapped me, you threatened to kill me, you bastard! Do you forget!?"

"Oh yeah, you're right."

"Hence stop saying unimportant things and tell me more, or our deal is off!!!"

"Fine, fine," Joseph smiled slyly. "That another girl in his mind is his biggest enemy."

"What?" Emily blinked. "Who?"

"The thief whom Sheriff Max chased before I shot him," he chuckled. Emily gazed on him with a nauseating-look.

"You meant Miss M?"

"You got that."

"But—how?"

"Do you realize that Miss M never appeared again in this town after Sheriff Max came back and being hospitalized?"

"I don't realize it until you notify it."

Joseph chuckled.

"Apparently Sheriff Max never told anyone about his rescuer from my shooting, huh?"

"He said that he was unconscious for a long time, so he knew nothing about his rescuer."

"And you trust him?"

Emily fell silent for awhile.

"Actually… I felt strangeness about this," finally she admitted.

"Of course you did," Joseph smirked.

"Is Miss M the rescuer?"

"What do you think?"

Emily sighed. She understood now.

"So she saved Max, and Max owed her about this. That's why he lied to me and the others."

"You are smart, Miss Emily."

Emily glared at him. Joseph chuckled. He enjoyed doing this so much.

"And about the left-wallet incident… do you know something about it, Joseph?"

"I don't know. Tell me what it is."

Emily told him. After she finished, Joseph laughed hysterically.

"You all are tricked by her!" he yelled. "You have to know, Miss Emily! That thief is an expert in disguising!"

"She disguised as me?" Emily's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yeah, of course!" Joseph still laughed. "And I often see her visits Sheriff Max at night… you don't know what they can do when they are together at night, do you?"

Emily didn't want to think about it at all.

"Thanks for your information. But I have no reason to trust you if you can't show me the proofs. Remember, Joseph: I trust Max more than you suppose. So if you do this just for making Max and me break up, you had made a very big mistake."

"You want a proof? It's easy. I will monitor Sheriff Max's hospital room and if Miss M comes, I'll call you. You can see them by yourself."

Emily thought for a second.

"Okay."

Joseph's smirk got wider.

"Don't forget about our deal," he wore his cowboy hat and walked away.

"Wait, Joseph!"

Joseph stopped.

"Why you told me about this?"

"It's not part of the deal to know my reason," he answered as he walked again. He tittered.

I did this to take revenge, Miss Emily. To Sheriff Max, and to my dearest ex-sister.

***

Max was sitting down on his bed. He looked at the night sky outside the window.

Mariam…

He sighed. He really couldn't stop thinking about her. He finally gave up; he admitted that he fell in love with her. And this feeling was different with his feeling to Emily. He liked Emily and he felt affection toward her, but it was not same—it's just like… love toward a sister. Not a love from a man to a woman.

If he never met Mariam, it would be nice to marry Emily. But now, he felt a big doubt.

"I will only hurt Emily if I marry her," he said to himself. Yeah, it's absolutely right. He was sure that he must struggle very hard to forget Mariam—he couldn't even forget her, though he may try for as long as his whole life.

"There are no stars tonight, so it's vain to look at the sky," suddenly Miss M's head appeared on the window.

"Mariam!" Max yelled in surprise. Miss M opened the window and came into Max's hospital room.

"I'm glad to see you," Max said sincerely. He didn't expect Miss M would come tonight. He assumed she would come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

"Why I followed your words to come in from the window?" she grumbled. "Doing this is like being a brainless thief, whereas I'm an artistic one. I will never thieve by this way. Disgusting."

She snorted. Max smiled hearing her sarcastic words.

"I don't want to take another risk and cause another left-wallet incident happens. I have told you about it."

"I know," Miss M walked to Max's side table. She took a banana.

"Have you finished eating all your foods? I think you will come tomorrow, not today."

Miss M was about to answer, but suddenly the door was opened.

And Emily was standing there.

"E—Emily!?" Max was very surprised. Meanwhile Miss M stopped eating and looked at Emily expressionlessly.

"I understand now why nowadays you always avoid the topic about our wedding," Emily said coldly. She closed the door, and then walked closer to Max.

"Emily, it's not like your thought…"

"How many nights you have spent with her, Max?" Emily asked. Her voice tone still cold. "Answer me!!!"

"This is my third visit to thieve his food," said Miss M unemotionally. "I repeat, to thieve his food."

"So, Max, three nights," Emily ignored Miss M's words. "Or perhaps more. She is your rescuer, isn't she?"

"Emily, please hear my explanation—"

"I have tried to trust you, Max, but this is an indisputable proof."

"Emily, please—"

"Answer me, Max," Emily looked at him sharply, "do you love me?"

Max couldn't answer. How could he answer this? Several minutes ago he just admitted to himself that his feeling to Emily is only love toward a sister.

"I'm waiting, Max."

Max took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry Emily. I…"

"It's enough. I don't need to hear next."

She threw something to Max. Max caught it.

"I turn our engaged ring back to you," she whispered coldly. "Max, you are a great sheriff. You are a great man too. I never expect you can be disloyal to me like this. You disappoint me. You are worthless, Max. Indeed."

Emily turned around and exited from that room. Max watched her leaving with an empty-look, and then he said to himself, "Yeah, Emily, you're right. I'm worthless. Indeed."

This was the reason why he hates lying…

Meanwhile Miss M clenched her fist.

"Emily won't come here without a reason," she said, although Max didn't listen to her. "It seems that there is someone told her to come here. I have a supposition about this… and if it's true…"

On the hospital's roof, Joseph was laughing.

TBC

A/N: Hmmm… no comment about this chapter. Next will be the last chapter, I think. Thanks for reading, and thanks more for reviewing. ^_^