Disclaimer I own very little, especially not CSI NY. But I wish I did.

Notes Thank you so VERY much for all the reviews, I've been thrilled to receive them! Do please continue! I'm really enjoying writing this, and it's brilliant that you're enjoying reading it, thank you for letting me know. This is Lindsay's chapter, and I've not written much for her before, so any thoughts on how it seems, good or bad, are very welcome. Sorry this is a bit late too. Hope you enjoy!

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

Chapter 3: Cowboy Dreams

Lindsay:

Someone's calling my name, and tapping me, very gently, on the cheek. I recognise that voice, I'd know it anywhere, especially when it's spoken so close to my ear. So close I can feel his breath on my eyelids, and feel those rough-hewn fingers on my skin… Maybe I'd better open my eyes. It is him. Danny. My Danny.

I hear my voice as a sort of whisper, "What… what happened?"

Oh my. Danny, and a whole lot of other people as well. Half the town it seems. Am I blushing? Dear lord, yes. Why do I appear to be in Danny's arms, in the middle of Main Street, surrounded by a group of town's folk, including Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Flack? Even Mr Hammerback is standing there. Yes, that is a lot of people, all looking at me.

"Lindsay… er, Miss Monroe, you okay? Talk to me." I notice that Danny still has his arm around me, as he helps me to my feet. I am most certainly blushing now, but never the less, grateful for his strong arm around me. It's coming back to me now. The man, the water trough, a dead man. I swallow hard, and manage to get a few more words out. Wish my legs wouldn't tremble so.

"I'm all right, really, er, Mr Messer, thank you." I find my voice again, even though it's a little high, and shaky, "Really, it was just a… a shock, seeing, him…"

It certainly was. A dead man in the water trough is not what you expect as you walk out of Mr Sinclair's Hardware Store, especially when not ten minutes before you had been thinking what a peaceful little town this is on a Saturday afternoon.

Danny and I had just left the store, after I'd purchased a few yards of satin and calico; the calico for a new dress for myself and the satin to make up a blouse and skirt for Stella. Why, I do envy sometimes her fine clothes, and wish that I had a few dollars more for finery myself. She pays me more than generously though, and I'm happy to do the work and see how pleased she always is with the results. She's a fine lady, and even though I don't think my dear pa and ma would approve of what she does to earn her living, I have a great admiration for her. She admires my skills too, and is my best customer in town. A schoolteacher's wage doesn't stretch too far, and I'm trying to put by a store of money for a smallholding of my own one day. Maybe with a special someone of my own too. Ah, that would be a dream come true.

I do my dressmaking in the evenings, after the bell has rung for the end of school, and the children have run back home. I'm truly thankful to my pa for the Singer he gave me right before I left home. He and ma must've been saving their pennies and dimes a real long time, it's a beauty of a machine, the very latest from the Sears catalogue. It's a real treat running up clothes on it. Such beautiful clothes they are too for Stella. Not that I'm not content with my own print dresses. As now and again, I add a little ribbon and trick up a hat real nice with some decoration. No frippery though. It wouldn't suit the town's schoolteacher to be thought too fancy.

But I do have a secret wish, just one day, to walk down that Main Street dressed in the most wickedly and daringly fashioned dress that there ever was, and tip my bonnet at every one. What would folks think of their demure schoolteacher then? Sometimes I wonder if that part of me ever shows through my eyes, I sure hope not. I've only admitted that feeling since I came to live here, but maybe it's always been there. My pa tells me as a real little girl, I'd like dressin' up and puttin' on a dancing show for the neighbours. Perhaps one day I'll put a look of surprise on the faces of the good folks of Hattanville. In the nicest way of course.

My Danny (oh I love to think of him that way, my Danny) always says though how he likes me just as I am, and he loves the woman I am underneath the dresses, whatever they might be made of. I chided him a little for that comment, thinking of even the possibility of underneath clothes; it isn't the right sort of thing for a lady to be told, and it would not do at all for any hint of impropriety to be attached to me. But I did feel a sorta' warm feeling when he said that to me; just fancy, a girl from Montana attracting the attention of a man from the big city. He's making a great fuss of me now, really, he's such a gentleman. A little rough round the edges maybe, but a true good man in his heart, hidden as it is deep under all that leather he wears and that attitude he sorta carries around with him. My pa would reckon he's hiding a vulnerable heart under all that tough skin, and I agree.

Sheriff Taylor's going to need to know what happened though, and it has been said that he's not a man you can hide the truth from.

"Miss Monroe, if you're feelin' up to it, perhaps you could tell my deputy and I what you and Mr Messer saw?"

Danny speaks up, "P'raps a nip of brandy might help you out first, Miss Monroe? Shock and all, ya know?"

Danny's such a considerate man. He was today when we chanced to meet in the store, I always do my shopping there of a Saturday afternoon. Holding the door open for me to step inside, takin' up my purchases, and offering to carry them over to the schoolhouse for me, even though it's only 'cross the street.

"Thank you Mr Messer, but really sir, I'm fine, and brandy don't entirely agree with me." I sure feel embarrassed now, it's not like me to take on so, but it was a real shock seeing the man lying there, so obviously… dead. Took a bit of a turn seeing him, and I feel sorta' angry with myself for swooning as I did. But I feel stronger now, "I 'preciate your offer, but I'm happy to tell Sheriff Taylor what happened, we can both do that." I turn to Sheriff Taylor who is waiting for me. He's a good man, cut from the same cloth as my pa, a true gentleman and always a good word for my work here. "Wish I could tell you more, sir, but I don't think I can. When I entered the store, reckon it must have been about twenty minutes ago, there was no one out on the street, least no one I saw anyway. Mr Messer and I met each other in the store, he was already in there. We made our purchases and came out. Soon as we walked down the steps, well, that's when we saw… him. Don't remember much else then, except things sorta spinning, and then going black. I may have screamed as well." I'm blushing again, but Sheriff Taylor nods kindly at me.

"Thank you, Miss Monroe, you've done a good job." Just like my pa was used to say after I'd finished my lessons for him.

The Sheriff stops in most days at the schoolhouse to raise his hat to all of us, and give me a smile as to the lessons I'm teaching them. Always supported the little bit of charity work I do too. I can't manage much, but I put a little of my wage by for the orphans, and the good folks of the town help out where they can too. Sheriff Taylor's always more than generous, as are Stella, Doctor Hawkes, Danny and Mr Hammerback. Now there's a good man too. He seems so awfully nice, and behind those spectacles are real kind eyes.

Sheriff Taylor has made a note of all I've said, and I see now he's turned his eyes to Danny. Who looks more than a little bothered by that. Seems like he has a bit of a hard time with Sheriff Taylor. I think it began when he first came here; as I've heard he didn't hit it off too good with Stella, and as she seems an important person to the Sheriff, I guess Danny worries himself now whenever he encounters him.

"You any more to add, Mr Messer?"

Danny squeezes my hand behind my back, I don't think anyone else notices, "Only to back up good and solid what Lindsay… Miss Monroe has told you right there, Sheriff. She's a darn fine one for remembering a thing. Happened exactly as she said. I'd called over to the store to collect a few wraps of tobacco, and was mighty pleased to meet Miss Monroe in there when she called in. I had her parcels ready to take over to the schoolhouse, we walked out together, and encountered the man in there." He jerks his head towards the water trough. I sure hope they aren't going to leave the poor man in there, but I think Mr Hammerback has something to say about that.

"Excuse me please, Taylor, Mr Messer, Miss Monroe," He tilts his head to me, "But do you think I could examine the unfortunate gentleman? I'd like to confirm that he is not my missing customer."

A missing customer? Surely Mr Hammerback can't mean… Oh dear, I feel a little light headed again. I'm thankful Danny still has his arm around me. Maybe a drop of brandy would be a help to me.

Just as I think that, I see Stella has heard the commotion and is hurrying over towards our little group, something in her hand.

"What's the meeting, Mac?" It always makes me blush to hear her address our Sheriff so informally, I confess. She's one of very few who calls him that, she and Mr Flack I believe are the only folks who do, "Everything all right? Oh! I see not. Who's the deceased?"

She's standing there looking real interested, and I tell her with hardly a tremor now in my voice, "We don't know, yet. Danny… Mr Messer, and I found him right there only fifteen minutes or so ago. Gave me a bit of a turn."

"Both of us." Danny says stoutly, and squeezes my hand again.

Stella turns a piercing look on Danny, and he kinda' shrinks back a little. "Well, guess I can understand that." She says, and turns to me with a smile, "You okay there Lindsay? Anything I can get you? You look a little shaken up, maybe you need a drop of something from outta my stronger stuff?" I could swear she winks at me as she pulls out from behind her back a bottle of something that almost knocks me over when she opens the top.

"Is that… alcohol?" I've never smelled anything as strong as that since tipping over a bottle of stuff my pa once tried brewing out in the barn. The floorboards were never the same.

Stella definitely winks at me, "Sure is. As good as it gets too, drop of this and you'll be ready to fight the Sioux. Here." Before I know it, I've swallowed a mouthful, and it feels like the fires of Hell itself have burned through my insides. But it's a surprisingly good feeling.

I catch her eye, "Thank you, that was… er, that was quite a drink…"

"Bet you feel a whole lot better for it, huh?" Stella nods at me, and grins, "Gotta have a little something after a shock, wouldn't you agree Mr Messer?" She whips round to Danny, who I suddenly find pressed against me.

"Sure, ah, sure, couldn't agree more with ya, Miss Stella. Er, any chance…?"

"Ladies only, and last time I looked, that was the last thing you were. Still not even certain of your status as a gentleman, but you're gettin' there. Mac, anything I can do for you?"

"Not at present, Stella. Miss Monroe, and Mr Messer have both been more than helpful, and I believe Mr Hammerback might have somethin' more to tell us?"

Mr Hammerback stands up with a creak, and removes his spectacles, "I do indeed Taylor. This is not my missing customer. This man I have never seen before in my life."

He turns the man over so we can see his face. I can only agree with him. A complete stranger to the town.

Mr Flack looks grim faced, "Then who the hell, if you'll pardon my language ladies, is this then? Two mysteries in a day, what's happenin' to the town? One body disappearin, another appearin. Can't say as I'm happy about this. What do you say, Mac? Mac?"

Sheriff Taylor though is looking off into the distance, we follow his gaze, and see a small cloud of dust on the horizon, movin' unmistakably towards the town from across the plain. Somebody's riding into town in a hurry, and it ain't even market day. Seems like suddenly every hand but mine has a gun in it. We stand and wait as the hoof beats come closer and closer.

Hope you enjoyed that! Please review and let me know. Back online and will reply as soon as I can. I love to hear from you! Lily x