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<blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2765213" data-attributes="member: 8530"><p><strong>Chapter 163, “The First Real Date” , Sunday, January 22nd, 1882, 5:00 P.M.</strong></p><p></p><p>Some time later since their arrival in the room Jake and Ruby lay in each others arms. Ruby can’t get the smile off her face as she strokes Jake’s beard. “So,” she looks up to him, “What were you thinking about me, night and day?” Ruby kisses Jake’s chest, “How much you missed me?” she kisses his neck, “And how much you wanted me there? Or…” she moves up higher and kisses his lips, “How much you know you need me?”</p><p></p><p>He comments, "Yes.".... "Yes.".... "Yesmmm.".... "On the other hand it is real nice being welcomed back." She answers, “No ideas, you’re not leaving me again anytime soon.” Ruby lifts her head up suddenly and a grin starts to form on her face. “Hold on a second, are you admitting that you need me? I think you just did!” Ruby jumps up on the bed, the sheet wrapped loosely around her, standing one foot on either side of Jake. “Stop the presses!” she yells out. She puts her hand up like she is reading a headline. “Mr. Jacob Cook finally admits he needs Miss Ruby West. Get out your winter coat, Hades must be freezing over!” </p><p></p><p>"That and you make me laugh." Jake grabs a corner of the sheet and lifts it up enough to get a view. He cocks his head to one side, "Very lovely. Keep yelling like that and Chumbly will be up here with his notepad." He pulls more firmly on both sides of the sheet pulling her back down to the bed. Ruby squeals and laughs as she is pulled back to the bed, landing on Jake with a thump. She finally stops laughing and calms down. </p><p></p><p>Jake strokes her long red hair and says, "Katherine's here and Morgan isn't dead. I suppose that is promising. Why were the Earps at the train station? Looking for Katherine? If you didn't come with Katherine why were you at the train station? Can you tell me what is going on?" </p><p></p><p>The smile immediately drops off Ruby’s face. “I didn’t come with Kate but I was looking for her. She left me a note this morning and I followed her. I’m sure she is here to confront Morgan. The Earps are making up some story about wanting to protect her from danger from the Cowboy Gang, how they started the “rumors” about Tom’s death. I went to find Colby Tucker but Kate was already with him. I followed the Earps to the train station thinking they were looking for her and they started to question me. I think Tucker ran out of town and that is why Kate was at the station but that is just a guess. I lied and told them I was waiting for someone on the train. Then you got off the train to save me. Your new profession,” she laughs, pushing some hair off his face, “Saving me.” </p><p></p><p>Ruby spends a good amount of time catching Jake up on what happened with the Lone Star, the whole Earth Spirit adventure and now following Kate to Tombstone. She knows Jake will be mad about her coming alone but sees no other way to get around telling him. She carefully leaves out the Apache Indians they ran across on the coach ride over. </p><p></p><p>Jake laughs. "That whole spirit dragon thing story is better than anything I could ever make up. Are you sure Nanuet didn't gather up some special mushrooms and have Dorita put them in the stew?" Ruby laughs too. "No I'm not sure. But I did actually touch the dragon and got this," she points to the bruise on her leg, "So that would be some pretty strong mushrooms. I guess that’s about everything. We’ve been busy in Promise City. And I want to know ALL about what happened in Tucson, but right now I am STARVING! Time for you to take me to dinner, Mr. Cook. I wish I had a nice dress so I could dress up for you and we could go out for a romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant. Of course, that would also assume we weren’t here to keep one of our friends from killing a Marshall.” Ruby shrugs. </p><p></p><p>"Ruby West, I'm proud just to be able to escort you to dinner. Don't you be worrying about whether or not you have your best dress. Let's find a fine restaurant and be nice and obvious getting there. The best way to stay out of trouble with the Earps here is to let them know where we are. That way Katherine can find us too if she wants to. We can go skulking later." "Obvious, that shouldn't be too hard." She winks at him and gets out of bed to get dressed for dinner.</p><p></p><p>Ruby and Jake have a few more drinks while trying to help each other get dressed. When they finally manage to finish they make their way downstairs and tell Mr. Billicke they are going out to dinner if anyone needs them. They walk towards the middle of town holding hands and find a classy restaurant.</p><p></p><p>The fanciest restaurant in town is the one attached to the Grand Hotel owned by Big Nose Kate, but Jake has suggested that they avoid it. So they head to Gregory's Restaurant on Fremont Street where the owner, an Englishman named Thomas C. Gregory, shows them to a table. It is ironically the exact same table that Kate and Ginnie had dined at little more than an hour earlier.</p><p></p><p>As they are seated Ruby smiles at Jake. "Do you realize that this is our first real date? Well, ok maybe second if you count the night we went out celebrating." The hostess hands them menus, as Ruby leans slightly across the table, "Course, we kinda skipped the courting part by sleeping together." The hostess looks at Ruby and hurries off as Ruby laughs.</p><p></p><p>Jake puts his hat on an empty chair and tsks after the hostess. "She should at least pretend she wasn't listening. Hard to get good help." he says with a faint smile. "Courting, huh. They were big on that back in Philadelphia. Wearing stiff clothes, sitting painfully upright with a bunch of people you didn't really like just so you could smile at the woman someone fixed you up with." Silver Jake Cook makes an unconscious grimace. "Society and I never quite saw eye to eye. Much better our way." he ends with his smile returning.</p><p></p><p>“I agree with you Jake, our way is better AND more fun. I happen to know all about society, even if it doesn’t show.” Ruby sees a shimmer of disbelief cross Jake’s eyes and she smiles. She grabs her hair, twists it around and holds it on top of her head with one hand. She sits up very straight, shoulders back, neck elongated and her free hand tucked neatly in her lap. She has practically transformed in front of Jake. </p><p></p><p>Ruby continues softly, in a different tone than her normal speech, “Mr. Cook, while I do believe you know much about Miss West will you concede that it is possible that you do not know everything? A woman must carry some secrets, do you not agree?” Ruby extends out the back of her hand to Jake. “And what a gentleman you are to be concerned.” </p><p></p><p>Ruby lets her hair drop and changes back to her normal posture. “How about, Miss West, if you do not get serious about your studies you will continue to be an embarrassment to your father and your family. Or Constance, if you persist acting like a spoiled brat you will never find a decent husband in society. Miss West, proper ladies don’t consort with those types or engage in those types of activities. Or my personal favorite, Constance Grace, I will make you into a good wife and mother if it kills me… or you.” </p><p></p><p>Ruby stops to run her hand through her hair. “That last one was my mother, the last words I ever heard from her. Said right after I was told I was getting sent away to Miss Gilroy’s School for the Privileged, in other words troubled youth. To prepare me for my journey to marry Mr. Eastman of Rochester upon return. Agreed to because my beautiful face should overcome any lack of social abilities.” Ruby pauses and looks away before looking back to Jake. With a raised eyebrow, “Is that enough society for you? That world is just as vicious as this one, only there it is under the veil of being proper, injury done with words instead of weapons.” Ruby pauses again, then proceeds with blushing cheeks. “Oh, I think my mouth has run off on me again. I’m a bit embarrassed. I’ve never told anyone all that.”</p><p></p><p>He replies, "You and I seem to be made from the same cloth. My folks thought they were part of Philadelphia society, but weren't really. It just turned my stomach every time they swallowed their pride and did whatever was necessary to fit in. I wasn't going to, and I think they knew that and gave up on me. Even to the point of keeping my punishments quiet so the neighbors wouldn't know what a hellion I was." </p><p></p><p>Jake laughs. "That was the best part, I could get out of the worst of them that way. I feel sorry for you, I didn't suffer half as bad. I could have stuck it out until I was older if they hadn't tried to use my sister... well you know the story." He reaches across and squeezes her hand a moment and lets go. "Jake's just been a free spirit, for the most part causing my own trouble and getting myself out."</p><p></p><p>She answers, “Don’t feel sorry for me Jake. My parents never really loved me, they only wanted a child so my father could have the perfect picture for the papers, a perfect family… I think they were biased as soon as I was born with red hair, like my grandmother. Anyway, they made it easy to leave. I’ll admit it was hard learning to take care of myself after living like that, and I also admit that I do miss certain things about living with money. Like my dresses fitting,” she laughs. </p><p></p><p>“I get by just like you, and I don’t have to be fake and pretend, if I don’t want to, and I don’t have to be married to some man from Rochester who thinks he can change me and control me. I don’t know why anyone would ever want or need to get married,” she looks serious then laughs again before looking at the menu. “What should I order?” She looks back up at Jake with a smile. “A hellion, huh? I just wonder, which one of us will get the other into more trouble?”</p><p></p><p>"This is Arizona, I'd skip the fresh fish." Jake says without looking up. "Let's ask the chef, shall we? You get the best that way." “Why don’t you order for us then?” Ruby peeks over the top of her menu, “I like surprises, especially chocolate ones.” Jake looks up to see Ruby looking back at her menu with a big grin on her face. Then she puts her menu back down on the table, gets up and moves her chair around the table next to Jake’s. “We’ve been apart too long, I don’t want to sit all the way over there.” </p><p></p><p>Jake is quiet for a moment before continuing. "I like you in, and out of everything. We'll get your dresses tailored. Don't worry about the money, it will come. I don't try to get in trouble, but that doesn't seem to keep me out of it." He smiles gently and he seems to be looking through Ruby a bit before he focuses again. "Red hair like your grandmother, eh. Did you know her? Was she like anyone we know?"</p><p></p><p>Ruby answers, “About my grandmother, I didn’t know her. From what I hear she was exactly like someone we know, which is why I didn’t know her. I wish I did. My family turned their back on her. She wrote to me sometimes, told me not to change for them. She had adventures all over the world, had a very exciting life, even being a woman alone. She never regretted anything she did.” Ruby shrugs. </p><p></p><p>“I’m not worried about my dresses or my money. I can always get more. I just want you to be happy, for us to be happy, at least for a little while. I told you, I’m tired of being alone all the time and that was only proven by you being gone so long. I know you are happy and I am happy so we’re good, at least for a little while.” Ruby smiles softly at Jake and leans over and kisses him. “So keep me happy and make a good choice for dinner.” She winks at him and then pretends to take a look around the room. When he looks back at the menu she looks at him and smiles.</p><p></p><p>Jake flags down Mr. Gregory at the next opportunity and asks about the best of his menu, or to send the chef out. Ruby and Jake will leisurely chat while waiting for their dinner, and dine in much the same way.</p><p></p><p>Ruby and Jake are almost done their meal when a man who had entered the restaurant a few minutes earlier is directed over to their table. Neither Ruby or Jake know the man but see that he is wearing a badge. "Excuse me, but may I have a word with the two of you?" he asks. He introduces himself as Marshall Williams and says that he is investigating the recent string of stagecoach robberies in the county. He asks them what they know about these incidents.</p><p></p><p>Ruby rises and extends her hand. "Marshall Williams, a pleasure to meet you." After he takes her hand she sits. "I'm not sure what you mean. We were on a coach a couple of weeks ago that was chased by the Cowboy Gang and we've already been questioned about that. Other than that I'm not sure how we can be of help to you."</p><p></p><p>"A pleasure Marshall." Jake replies after Ruby speaks. "We were on a stagecoach a little while back that was attacked by five men but the stage was able to outrun them. An Army Lieutenant questioned us about that one. The men were too far away for us to see their faces, and they were covered in bandanas." Jake scratches his head a moment before continuing. </p><p></p><p>"The other coach attack was made by around 20 men, some of them were killed. That's when Morgan Earp got hurt. The Indian guide Nanuet and I were coming back from Fisk mine not long after that and were attacked again. He was able to track them back to a cave and find some of the folks that did that. We turned the live one into Marshall Earp in Promise City. One of the badly wounded ones told us before he died that Pinto Joe Weems hired him that day. Pinto Joe is in Wyatt Earps jail or at least was last time I was in Promise City." </p><p></p><p>He pauses a second and snaps his fingers. "I don't remember who said it but someone in our carriage thought they saw Billy Claibourne that day with the outlaws. That's all I can recall. I was certainly no friend of the cowboy gang, even less after Deadeye Douglas shot me. Anything else I could tell you would be pure speculation."</p><p></p><p>The man writes all of the information down in his notebook. "Thank you. Appreciate it. I'd already read the reports, the newspapers and interviewed both town Marshals, the Sheriff, and Kris Wagner in Promise City but since the two of you were both here in town now I wanted to get it directly from you. This potential cowboy gang is growing to quite the list, even subtracting the ones who have been killed. Damn, I can't afford to lose much more money on these bastards! And feel free to speculate away, I'll take any lead I can get on these guys."</p><p></p><p>Ruby asks, "Who else have you added to the list as of late? And are you are Marshall here in Tombstone?" He answers, "Oh, I'm sorry for the confusion. Marshall is actually my first name, although I was deputized by Tombstone's Marshal a few days ago so I guess I can use it as a title now too.” Jake laughs a hearty laugh. "Damn, wish my parents had named me president or king or something."</p><p></p><p>Williams continues, “ I'm the Regional Investigator with the Wells Fargo Company. After two holdups and two more attempted holdups of our stagecoaches they decided to send me out here to find out what I could and to assist local law enforcement. Marshall Earp thought I could probably get to the bottom of things faster if I had a badge. And I'm afraid I really can't be sharing my list, especially those I'm not totally sure of, but you seem to already know quite a few of them."</p><p></p><p>Jake gives Ruby a wink before continuing. "Look Marshall, even talking to you about the cowboy gang brings some risk around these parts. Before I share speculation, you need to share too. Only seems fair. We can do it off the record." Jake smiles knowingly at him before continuing quietly. "And then you can tell me how one might make a profit helping Wells Fargo protect it's assets."</p><p></p><p>He folds up his notebook and puts it away. "Sorry, it's an active investigation. Can't share anything until I'm ready to bring it to either a lawman or a judge. I'm sure you must understand. My gut feeling tells me you're on the level but I've heard some speculation otherwise so I can't be taking any chances. If I think of anything further I need from you I'll stop by again. Can I safely assume that you're staying with your friend Mrs. Kale over at the Grand Hotel?"</p><p></p><p>"No, we didn't know where Mrs. Kale was staying." Jake says with feigned surprise. "How did you find us?" He smiles and replies "I'm an investigator!" He then laughs and says "Didn't take much investigating actually. I heard you were both in town and had been apart for a while. You're both from out of town, it's dinner time, and getting back together you probably would have gone somewhere nice to dine. Since this town only has three nice restaurants in it, it didn't take me that long to find you. And yes, your friend is staying at the Grand Hotel. She's over there right now."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Silver Moon, post: 2765213, member: 8530"] [B]Chapter 163, “The First Real Date” , Sunday, January 22nd, 1882, 5:00 P.M.[/B] Some time later since their arrival in the room Jake and Ruby lay in each others arms. Ruby can’t get the smile off her face as she strokes Jake’s beard. “So,” she looks up to him, “What were you thinking about me, night and day?” Ruby kisses Jake’s chest, “How much you missed me?” she kisses his neck, “And how much you wanted me there? Or…” she moves up higher and kisses his lips, “How much you know you need me?” He comments, "Yes.".... "Yes.".... "Yesmmm.".... "On the other hand it is real nice being welcomed back." She answers, “No ideas, you’re not leaving me again anytime soon.” Ruby lifts her head up suddenly and a grin starts to form on her face. “Hold on a second, are you admitting that you need me? I think you just did!” Ruby jumps up on the bed, the sheet wrapped loosely around her, standing one foot on either side of Jake. “Stop the presses!” she yells out. She puts her hand up like she is reading a headline. “Mr. Jacob Cook finally admits he needs Miss Ruby West. Get out your winter coat, Hades must be freezing over!” "That and you make me laugh." Jake grabs a corner of the sheet and lifts it up enough to get a view. He cocks his head to one side, "Very lovely. Keep yelling like that and Chumbly will be up here with his notepad." He pulls more firmly on both sides of the sheet pulling her back down to the bed. Ruby squeals and laughs as she is pulled back to the bed, landing on Jake with a thump. She finally stops laughing and calms down. Jake strokes her long red hair and says, "Katherine's here and Morgan isn't dead. I suppose that is promising. Why were the Earps at the train station? Looking for Katherine? If you didn't come with Katherine why were you at the train station? Can you tell me what is going on?" The smile immediately drops off Ruby’s face. “I didn’t come with Kate but I was looking for her. She left me a note this morning and I followed her. I’m sure she is here to confront Morgan. The Earps are making up some story about wanting to protect her from danger from the Cowboy Gang, how they started the “rumors” about Tom’s death. I went to find Colby Tucker but Kate was already with him. I followed the Earps to the train station thinking they were looking for her and they started to question me. I think Tucker ran out of town and that is why Kate was at the station but that is just a guess. I lied and told them I was waiting for someone on the train. Then you got off the train to save me. Your new profession,” she laughs, pushing some hair off his face, “Saving me.” Ruby spends a good amount of time catching Jake up on what happened with the Lone Star, the whole Earth Spirit adventure and now following Kate to Tombstone. She knows Jake will be mad about her coming alone but sees no other way to get around telling him. She carefully leaves out the Apache Indians they ran across on the coach ride over. Jake laughs. "That whole spirit dragon thing story is better than anything I could ever make up. Are you sure Nanuet didn't gather up some special mushrooms and have Dorita put them in the stew?" Ruby laughs too. "No I'm not sure. But I did actually touch the dragon and got this," she points to the bruise on her leg, "So that would be some pretty strong mushrooms. I guess that’s about everything. We’ve been busy in Promise City. And I want to know ALL about what happened in Tucson, but right now I am STARVING! Time for you to take me to dinner, Mr. Cook. I wish I had a nice dress so I could dress up for you and we could go out for a romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant. Of course, that would also assume we weren’t here to keep one of our friends from killing a Marshall.” Ruby shrugs. "Ruby West, I'm proud just to be able to escort you to dinner. Don't you be worrying about whether or not you have your best dress. Let's find a fine restaurant and be nice and obvious getting there. The best way to stay out of trouble with the Earps here is to let them know where we are. That way Katherine can find us too if she wants to. We can go skulking later." "Obvious, that shouldn't be too hard." She winks at him and gets out of bed to get dressed for dinner. Ruby and Jake have a few more drinks while trying to help each other get dressed. When they finally manage to finish they make their way downstairs and tell Mr. Billicke they are going out to dinner if anyone needs them. They walk towards the middle of town holding hands and find a classy restaurant. The fanciest restaurant in town is the one attached to the Grand Hotel owned by Big Nose Kate, but Jake has suggested that they avoid it. So they head to Gregory's Restaurant on Fremont Street where the owner, an Englishman named Thomas C. Gregory, shows them to a table. It is ironically the exact same table that Kate and Ginnie had dined at little more than an hour earlier. As they are seated Ruby smiles at Jake. "Do you realize that this is our first real date? Well, ok maybe second if you count the night we went out celebrating." The hostess hands them menus, as Ruby leans slightly across the table, "Course, we kinda skipped the courting part by sleeping together." The hostess looks at Ruby and hurries off as Ruby laughs. Jake puts his hat on an empty chair and tsks after the hostess. "She should at least pretend she wasn't listening. Hard to get good help." he says with a faint smile. "Courting, huh. They were big on that back in Philadelphia. Wearing stiff clothes, sitting painfully upright with a bunch of people you didn't really like just so you could smile at the woman someone fixed you up with." Silver Jake Cook makes an unconscious grimace. "Society and I never quite saw eye to eye. Much better our way." he ends with his smile returning. “I agree with you Jake, our way is better AND more fun. I happen to know all about society, even if it doesn’t show.” Ruby sees a shimmer of disbelief cross Jake’s eyes and she smiles. She grabs her hair, twists it around and holds it on top of her head with one hand. She sits up very straight, shoulders back, neck elongated and her free hand tucked neatly in her lap. She has practically transformed in front of Jake. Ruby continues softly, in a different tone than her normal speech, “Mr. Cook, while I do believe you know much about Miss West will you concede that it is possible that you do not know everything? A woman must carry some secrets, do you not agree?” Ruby extends out the back of her hand to Jake. “And what a gentleman you are to be concerned.” Ruby lets her hair drop and changes back to her normal posture. “How about, Miss West, if you do not get serious about your studies you will continue to be an embarrassment to your father and your family. Or Constance, if you persist acting like a spoiled brat you will never find a decent husband in society. Miss West, proper ladies don’t consort with those types or engage in those types of activities. Or my personal favorite, Constance Grace, I will make you into a good wife and mother if it kills me… or you.” Ruby stops to run her hand through her hair. “That last one was my mother, the last words I ever heard from her. Said right after I was told I was getting sent away to Miss Gilroy’s School for the Privileged, in other words troubled youth. To prepare me for my journey to marry Mr. Eastman of Rochester upon return. Agreed to because my beautiful face should overcome any lack of social abilities.” Ruby pauses and looks away before looking back to Jake. With a raised eyebrow, “Is that enough society for you? That world is just as vicious as this one, only there it is under the veil of being proper, injury done with words instead of weapons.” Ruby pauses again, then proceeds with blushing cheeks. “Oh, I think my mouth has run off on me again. I’m a bit embarrassed. I’ve never told anyone all that.” He replies, "You and I seem to be made from the same cloth. My folks thought they were part of Philadelphia society, but weren't really. It just turned my stomach every time they swallowed their pride and did whatever was necessary to fit in. I wasn't going to, and I think they knew that and gave up on me. Even to the point of keeping my punishments quiet so the neighbors wouldn't know what a hellion I was." Jake laughs. "That was the best part, I could get out of the worst of them that way. I feel sorry for you, I didn't suffer half as bad. I could have stuck it out until I was older if they hadn't tried to use my sister... well you know the story." He reaches across and squeezes her hand a moment and lets go. "Jake's just been a free spirit, for the most part causing my own trouble and getting myself out." She answers, “Don’t feel sorry for me Jake. My parents never really loved me, they only wanted a child so my father could have the perfect picture for the papers, a perfect family… I think they were biased as soon as I was born with red hair, like my grandmother. Anyway, they made it easy to leave. I’ll admit it was hard learning to take care of myself after living like that, and I also admit that I do miss certain things about living with money. Like my dresses fitting,” she laughs. “I get by just like you, and I don’t have to be fake and pretend, if I don’t want to, and I don’t have to be married to some man from Rochester who thinks he can change me and control me. I don’t know why anyone would ever want or need to get married,” she looks serious then laughs again before looking at the menu. “What should I order?” She looks back up at Jake with a smile. “A hellion, huh? I just wonder, which one of us will get the other into more trouble?” "This is Arizona, I'd skip the fresh fish." Jake says without looking up. "Let's ask the chef, shall we? You get the best that way." “Why don’t you order for us then?” Ruby peeks over the top of her menu, “I like surprises, especially chocolate ones.” Jake looks up to see Ruby looking back at her menu with a big grin on her face. Then she puts her menu back down on the table, gets up and moves her chair around the table next to Jake’s. “We’ve been apart too long, I don’t want to sit all the way over there.” Jake is quiet for a moment before continuing. "I like you in, and out of everything. We'll get your dresses tailored. Don't worry about the money, it will come. I don't try to get in trouble, but that doesn't seem to keep me out of it." He smiles gently and he seems to be looking through Ruby a bit before he focuses again. "Red hair like your grandmother, eh. Did you know her? Was she like anyone we know?" Ruby answers, “About my grandmother, I didn’t know her. From what I hear she was exactly like someone we know, which is why I didn’t know her. I wish I did. My family turned their back on her. She wrote to me sometimes, told me not to change for them. She had adventures all over the world, had a very exciting life, even being a woman alone. She never regretted anything she did.” Ruby shrugs. “I’m not worried about my dresses or my money. I can always get more. I just want you to be happy, for us to be happy, at least for a little while. I told you, I’m tired of being alone all the time and that was only proven by you being gone so long. I know you are happy and I am happy so we’re good, at least for a little while.” Ruby smiles softly at Jake and leans over and kisses him. “So keep me happy and make a good choice for dinner.” She winks at him and then pretends to take a look around the room. When he looks back at the menu she looks at him and smiles. Jake flags down Mr. Gregory at the next opportunity and asks about the best of his menu, or to send the chef out. Ruby and Jake will leisurely chat while waiting for their dinner, and dine in much the same way. Ruby and Jake are almost done their meal when a man who had entered the restaurant a few minutes earlier is directed over to their table. Neither Ruby or Jake know the man but see that he is wearing a badge. "Excuse me, but may I have a word with the two of you?" he asks. He introduces himself as Marshall Williams and says that he is investigating the recent string of stagecoach robberies in the county. He asks them what they know about these incidents. Ruby rises and extends her hand. "Marshall Williams, a pleasure to meet you." After he takes her hand she sits. "I'm not sure what you mean. We were on a coach a couple of weeks ago that was chased by the Cowboy Gang and we've already been questioned about that. Other than that I'm not sure how we can be of help to you." "A pleasure Marshall." Jake replies after Ruby speaks. "We were on a stagecoach a little while back that was attacked by five men but the stage was able to outrun them. An Army Lieutenant questioned us about that one. The men were too far away for us to see their faces, and they were covered in bandanas." Jake scratches his head a moment before continuing. "The other coach attack was made by around 20 men, some of them were killed. That's when Morgan Earp got hurt. The Indian guide Nanuet and I were coming back from Fisk mine not long after that and were attacked again. He was able to track them back to a cave and find some of the folks that did that. We turned the live one into Marshall Earp in Promise City. One of the badly wounded ones told us before he died that Pinto Joe Weems hired him that day. Pinto Joe is in Wyatt Earps jail or at least was last time I was in Promise City." He pauses a second and snaps his fingers. "I don't remember who said it but someone in our carriage thought they saw Billy Claibourne that day with the outlaws. That's all I can recall. I was certainly no friend of the cowboy gang, even less after Deadeye Douglas shot me. Anything else I could tell you would be pure speculation." The man writes all of the information down in his notebook. "Thank you. Appreciate it. I'd already read the reports, the newspapers and interviewed both town Marshals, the Sheriff, and Kris Wagner in Promise City but since the two of you were both here in town now I wanted to get it directly from you. This potential cowboy gang is growing to quite the list, even subtracting the ones who have been killed. Damn, I can't afford to lose much more money on these bastards! And feel free to speculate away, I'll take any lead I can get on these guys." Ruby asks, "Who else have you added to the list as of late? And are you are Marshall here in Tombstone?" He answers, "Oh, I'm sorry for the confusion. Marshall is actually my first name, although I was deputized by Tombstone's Marshal a few days ago so I guess I can use it as a title now too.” Jake laughs a hearty laugh. "Damn, wish my parents had named me president or king or something." Williams continues, “ I'm the Regional Investigator with the Wells Fargo Company. After two holdups and two more attempted holdups of our stagecoaches they decided to send me out here to find out what I could and to assist local law enforcement. Marshall Earp thought I could probably get to the bottom of things faster if I had a badge. And I'm afraid I really can't be sharing my list, especially those I'm not totally sure of, but you seem to already know quite a few of them." Jake gives Ruby a wink before continuing. "Look Marshall, even talking to you about the cowboy gang brings some risk around these parts. Before I share speculation, you need to share too. Only seems fair. We can do it off the record." Jake smiles knowingly at him before continuing quietly. "And then you can tell me how one might make a profit helping Wells Fargo protect it's assets." He folds up his notebook and puts it away. "Sorry, it's an active investigation. Can't share anything until I'm ready to bring it to either a lawman or a judge. I'm sure you must understand. My gut feeling tells me you're on the level but I've heard some speculation otherwise so I can't be taking any chances. If I think of anything further I need from you I'll stop by again. Can I safely assume that you're staying with your friend Mrs. Kale over at the Grand Hotel?" "No, we didn't know where Mrs. Kale was staying." Jake says with feigned surprise. "How did you find us?" He smiles and replies "I'm an investigator!" He then laughs and says "Didn't take much investigating actually. I heard you were both in town and had been apart for a while. You're both from out of town, it's dinner time, and getting back together you probably would have gone somewhere nice to dine. Since this town only has three nice restaurants in it, it didn't take me that long to find you. And yes, your friend is staying at the Grand Hotel. She's over there right now." [/QUOTE]
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