Emma: Ok, everyone ready to get to the bottom of the mystery and maybe partake in a bit more action than last night? ;)
Davy: All ready, mate!
Micky: *grumbles* We better get to the bottom of this.
Peter: Yeah, because it's getting scary! :O
Mike: (From Lulu's) I'm ready!
Lauren: *puts an arm around Peter* Don't worry, Pete. It'll get better. *smiles*
Micky: *to Mike* You'd better be careful, pal.
(Mike humphs from in Lulu's, but says nothing.)
(The five pull up their horses in the empty lot next to Lulu's, a small shack on the edge of town, near Davy's stables. The shack is barely more than four walls and a roof. Mike leans against one wall, arms crossed and looking a bit more sturdy than he did before.)
Emma: (Glares at Mike as the five dismount their horses, her painfully) Ok, Micky, do you want to kill him first, or should I? X-(
Micky: Please, let me. *starts for Mike*
Emma: By all means.
(And, as Mike moves out to see what's wrong, Micky does it. He decks Mike as hard as he can in the chin. Mike goes flying hard into Lulu's, crashing against several rickety tables and chairs. A tall, busty, unnaturally blonde woman glares at them.)
Micky: *rubbing his knuckles* Serves you right!
Mike: (Rubs his chin) Yeah, it does, Mick.
Lulu: Is that how you boys always say 'hello'?
Micky: To him? Yes!
Peter: If that's 'hello,' don't show me 'goodbye!' :O
Micky: *picks Mike up by gripping his shirt* Now, are you gonna share this "past" of yours or not?
Emma: (As the others join him) You're just lucky I didn't hit you! You'd be out the other wall and still going!
Mike: Mick, put me down. I can't tell you anything when you're holdin' me like this.
Micky: You're speaking just fine now.
Mike: Look, if I tell, I'll put all of you in danger.
Micky: *yelling* We're already in danger!
Lulu: Are you folks going to order something other than a knuckle sandwich? If you get blood all over the floor, it'll get sticky.
Mike: (To Lulu) Bring us six iced teas with lemon. (To Mick, as she goes through a swinging door that leads to the kitchen) Mick....Lord wanted me to kill Georgian. He hired me to do it.
Emma: (Very softly) Did you?
Mike: (Shakes his head) No, I couldn't. He was a good friend. I worked for him on other jobs before that, too, before I took up playin' Liberty Valance.
Micky: *quietly* So, who did kill him?
Mike: (Gulps) Probably Dead-Eye Freddy, but I can't be sure.
Micky: Could there be any evidence?
Davy: How did this turn you from a respected fighter into a whisky-swizzling lush?
Mike: (To Micky) I wish I knew. Lord owns half of Clarksville in one form or another. Most of the residents either fear him or hate him, but very few respect him. (To Emma) He's in total control of the rag you work for, Em.
Emma: (Makes a face) I'm all too aware of that, Mike.
Mike: (Soft growl) Davy, when I turned down the Georgian job, Lord discreetly ordered someone I was very close to eliminated.
Micky: *finally lets Mike go* And we're pretty sure that Freddy and his gang are already after me, and probably Lauren, too. Is there anything you can do that'll help us?
Emma: Sobering up would be a start.
Mike: Yeah. I can blow the whistle on Lord.
Davy: But you're just one person...and a gunfighter.
Mike: There must be others.
Micky: So? I'm the Sheriff! Doesn't that matter?
Mike: Lord's been bribing public officials to look the other way on his crooked land schemes. He buys land for a fraction of what it's worth, has bandits and hired guns like me drive the people off the land, then develops it and rakes in big bucks. I don't understand the entire scheme myself. (Quietly) Mick, Georgian knew that, too. He also continually refused bribes. That's why he was killed. (Crosses his arms and sits at a remaining table) I'm still alive because thinks I'm a lush.
Micky: Then Freddy must figure I know the same thing and will also refuse.
Mike: (Nods) Right.
Micky: *plops himself in a chair across from Mike* Wonderful.
Mike: Davy, Lord wants your grazing land so badly, I'll bet he can taste it. He plans on building not only railroads, but casinos, hotels, general stores, and chain eateries. (Waves his arm at the plain brown shack that is Lulu's) It would kill small-time businesses like this.
Davy: (Angrily) If he thinks he can take my stables, he's got another thing coming! X-(
Peter: (Sits with his friend) Mike, why do you give money to the Mexican immigrants and their families.
Mike: They need it. Lord bears down hard on them, and the Indians. He doesn't like minorities. (Softly, more to himself) Besides, they remind me of someone I used to...know...
Micky: *glances up at him* Huh?
Emma: (Joins Peter and Mike at the table as Lulu emerges with six iced teas) Mike, what is it?
Mike: (Turns from her, muttering) It's nuthin', Em. Ain't got to do with Georgian.
Davy: (Sits at the table) You said you used to work for Lord before you started gunslinging.
Mike: (Shrugs) I was just a skinny, troublesome kid who came from Texas lookin' for work. He gave me jobs building his railroads and chain restaurants and singing and playing guitar in his casinos. It wasn't great work, but it was work. (Face gets stony) I quit Lord when I saw how he treated his Mexican and American Indian laborers. They worked all hours for a fraction of what even I got, often with no breaks and a drunken foreman insulting and lashing out at them.
Peter: And that's when you took up gunslinging.
Mike: (Shrugs) Weren't nuthin' else for me, since I couldn't find work singin'.
Emma: Mike, this is a major breakthrough!
Mike: How? We still don't have concrete evidence.
Micky: But we've got a lot more than we had to start with.
Davy: Now we have at least an inkling of what Lord's up to.
Peter: And we're better prepared to help Micky and Lauren capture the outlaws and Lord.
Lauren: *frowning* Before they get us.
Emma: (Thoughtful) It's about time we found Dead-Eye Freddy himself and try to get something out of him.
Micky: It's the only way.
Mike: (Eyes widen) Emma, don't you go messin' with him! He will kill you! He's almost killed me a few times! He's meaner than a bobcat caught in a trap!
Micky: *glaring* Then what do we do, Mike? Sit around and wait for him to catch us?
Emma: Mike, I won't get hurt. I've got five bodyguards, including the Sheriff and Deputy of this town, not to mention you. I'll be fine. (Smiles sweetly at him)
Mike: (Mutters to his iced tea) Damn you, girl, I hate it when you're right.
Lulu: (As she polishes one of the remaining tables) You're looking for Dead-Eye Freddy?
Davy: (Tips his hat back) Yeah, you might say that.
Lulu: (Grins) Well, cutie, why didn't you say so? Dead-Eye and his boys are usually at the saloon at this hour. They always come for Showtime at the Shamrock, the Shamrock Saloon's big amateur hour.
Micky: *stands* Well, let's go find ol' Dead Eye.
Emma: We have a few questions to ask him. (Clenches her fists) And this time, he's not going to walk away or call me a little girl! X-(
(Emma jumps up and leaves Lulu's, pausing long enough to drop money on the table. She runs across the street to the saloon, the others following after leaving money.)
Lauren: Hey, Em, wait up!
Mike: God damn her! Em! (He catches up with her first and grabs her arm as she puts her hand on the swinging doors.) Em, what did you think you would do, take them on alone?
Emma: Mike, this could be my big break!
Davy: It'll end up breaking your head if you're not careful, luv. We have to stay together. You heard Mike. Freddy and his boys are tough, and they probably killed Georgian.
Micky: Our only real advantage is in numbers, and even that's slim.
Peter: I don't want any of you guys to get hurt! :(
Lauren: *shakes her head* That's the risk we have to take.
Mike: (As a burst of raucous laughter and bawdy singing is heard from inside the saloon) Come on, guys. (He walks in first, and the others follow him. Dolly stands on stage, singing an off-key version of 'Cuddly Toy' while frolicking on a stage with a painted backdrop. Unshaven, unkempt, drunken, rowdy men grab at her and catcall her and wolf whistle.)
(One man, a tall, strong fellow with thinning blonde hair and a heavy mustache, stands as Mike enters, flanked by the others. He has a black eyepatch over one eye and thick, greasy lips. Like Mike, he wears all black and carries guns.)
Micky: *mutters* That was quick.
Mike: We're here to talk to you, Freddy.
Freddy: (Eyes Mike) I don't talk to drunks, Nesmith.
Emma: He's sober now!
Davy: (Nudges Micky) 'Ow 'bout the Sheriff, Dead-Eye?
Micky: Yeah! *sets his jaw*
Freddy: (Looks the group over) Yeah, I'll talk to him. Which one is the Sheriff?
Rufus: It's the curly-mopped kid, Boss!
*Micky growls.*
Freddy: Rufus says you're dangerous, boy. I don't believe that. You're hardly more than a child.
Big Man: You should have seen what he did to the chandelier this afternoon!
Micky: Should I give him the same proof? *smirks*
Lauren: *shrugs* You could mix it up a little.
Freddy: What do you want, Sheriff? I'm just an innocent man here with my buddies to have a good time and ogle a few ladies. (Eyes Emma and Lauren appreciatively) And there's certainly choice of the house tonight.
Mike: (Growls) You never did have a way with women.
Micky: These two, especially, are off limits. *crosses his arms* Here's a starter. We want to know what happened to Georgian.
Rufus: Don't talk, boss!
Freddy: (Glares) Quiet, McCoy. (To Micky) He died, kid. You ought to know that by now. (Fingers his gun) And if you don't watch your back, you and your cute little deputy may find yourselves in the same hell he's in.
Mike: (Growls) Like hell they will! You stay away from them, Dead-Eye! That's an order!
Micky: I can handle this, Mike. *to Dead Eye* That was not what I meant. How did he die?
Emma: Answer the question, Freddy.
Freddy: (Laughs at Mike) Nesmith, you're not a general, just a lush with a smart mouth that may finally get you killed someday. (To Micky) He got caught in the crossfire of a shoot-out.
Micky: I don't believe that story.
Emma: Yeah, he got caught, all right...between you and a gun!
Mike: Why don't you just say you killed him, Freddy?
Big Man: Because the Big Boss don't want us to!
Micky: *smirks* Oh, really?
Freddy: (Grabs the big man by the shirt) What have I said about keepin' your mouth shut, Lonny?
Lonny: (In a frightened voice that's heard it a million times but still can't comprehend) Don't go runnin' off your mouth to law officers, Lonny, just don't say nuthin'.
Lauren: Big Boss, huh?
Emma: I knew there was someone else!
Micky: Out with it, Freddy.
Freddy: (The entire saloon is on the edge of their seats by now) Yeah, I killed Mike Georgian, kid. He had a big mouth, just like you and your buddy Nesmith here, and the Big Boss wanted to shut it. That's all we were told.
Micky: See, that wasn't so tough.
Lonny: (Squints at Micky) He kinda looks like Georgian, too, only a lot younger. And Georgian had a ponytail instead of curls.
Emma: What about Mike?
Freddy: (Smiks) Nesmith chickened out. He was hired first, but he didn't want to do it.
Mike: I didn't chicken out! I refused! Stop lyin' about who hired you! Edwin Lord hired you, didn't he?
Rufus: We don't know who hired us! All we know is we were hired, and for good money, too!
Micky: So who paid you?
Small Man: Some kid, the Big Boss' right hand. He writes about everything that goes on and reports it to the Big Boss. Hamilton, or somethin'.
Micky: *sarcastically* This is starting to sound vaguely familiar.
Emma: (Eyes blazing) Harrison. Justin Harrison.
Mike: I knew I didn't like that kid.
Freddy: So, what are ya gonna do about it, kid? You've got two ladies, a shrimp, some blonde who's shakin' so hard he could be his own earthquake, and a drunk on your side.
Davy: (Growls) Who're you calling a shrimp?
Micky: I was thinking we'll just pay a visit to our old friend. *smiles*
Freddy: And leave the party so soon? (His boys are gathering around) Me 'an the boys want to have a little fun, 'specially now that Nesmith is sober enough to aim straight.
Mike: (Puts his arms protectively against the others) Don't you guys have better games to play, like Parcheesi or Penuchle or somethin'?
Freddy: I never was much good at Parcheesi.
Peter: (From behind Mike) How about Clue?
Freddy: (Gets up into Mike's face) I could just kill someone else you love, Nesmith.
Mike: (Pales) No....no, I won't let you!
Micky: I'd like to see you try that!
Lauren: *rolls her eyes* Mick...
Emma: Stay away from him, you bastard!
Freddy: (Grins) That reporter lady has some spirit. Shame she's got a mouth almost as big as Nesmith's. (Rubs her arm) I could get used to a plump little package like that...
Emma: Get away from me!
Micky: Step away from the lady, there, Dead Meat!
Mike: That's enough, Freddy! (Hits him across the left cheek; he goes flying into the bar.)
(Emma kicks another man, and Micky pulls Rufus' hat over his eyes. Peter sits down and starts playing "Cuddly Toy." People start screaming as men, women, bandits, customers, and performers join the melee. Fists, furniture, bullets, bodies, and Emma's parasol fly everywhere. People are knocked into each other, out the door, over the bar, behind the bar, and onto the stage. This is all intercut with the group playing the song on stage in their vaudeville costumes, Davy dancing with Emma.)
Emma: (Claps her hands together and surveys the damage) I think we did very nicely.
Micky: *takes a head count* Five, six...
Mike: (Rubs his head; Emma accidentally decked him with the parasol during the romp) Emma, what the heck is that parasol made of, iron?
Lauren: *smirks* Probably.
Emma: (Shakes her head) Too heavy. Shafted steel. (Holds it up) Can also be used as a sword in case of emergency. ;)
Davy: What the 'ell is that thing, a bloomin' Swiss army knife?
Emma: (Grins) I haven't figured out how to set toothpicks and corkscrews in it yet.
Micky: You know, this fight seemed a little too easy.
Mike: I have a very funny feeling about this.
Davy: Why worry? We're still alive, with barely a scratch on us!
Micky: That's what worries me.
Peter: (Gets up from the piano) And we got to do a romp!
Lauren: There's something wrong here.
Mike: Well, let's get out of here, before Freddy and his boys come to and make it less easy.
Peter: Don't have to tell me twice!
Mike: (As the others leave) I still think there's something wrong.
Micky: *nods* Can't quite put my finger on it.
Emma: Look! (Points at the second-floor offices of the Clarksville Weekly Gazette) There's a light on! Someone's in there!
(She leads the group up to the offices and is surprised when the door isn't locked. The front room is quiet and dark, but there's a light coming from McClurg's office.)
Mike: (Pulls out a gun) Micky, you come with me. The rest of you, stay behind. This could be a trap.
Micky: Right with you, Mike. *pulls his pistol*
(They go to the door and find it open. Mike pushes it open carefully.)
Mike: (From in the room) Justin Harrison, what a surprise...(shocked)...oh, shit, he's dead!
Emma: What? (The others run in the room)
Micky: Oh, this just keeps getting better.
(Justin Harrison sits in McClurg's chair behind the desk, his lightless eyes wide with horror. A bullet is lodged in his chest right at his heart, and a huge red stain is spreading across his shirtfront.)
Peter: Oh, my god...(turns away, ghostly pale)
Emma: (Gasps and puts a hand to her mouth) Good lord allmighty!
Davy: (Eyes widen) He was a nasty little bugger, but even he didn't deserve this!
Micky: A nice long stay in a jail cell, yes, but not this.
Mike: (Is searching Harrison's pockets) I'm hopin' he had somethin' on him, anything, that would connect him to Lord.
Peter: (Sounds very ill) Michael, don't do that! He's dead!
Micky: Peter, it isn't like it's contagious.
Mike: Why not, he doesn't care. (Pulls out a paper) Ah ha! (Pulls out a piece of paper)
Emma: (Runs to Mike) What does it say?
Mike: "A jar of pickles, a new ink cartridge, apples, nails..." (frowns, then laughs) Oh, wait, that's his grocery list. (Flips over to another paper that's got a jagged edge) Well, this might be something, but it's been torn off.
Emma: (Takes it from him) It's a list, but I don't know of what. (Looks up at Peter and Davy) The stables' grazing land and the medows around the Little Red Schoolhouse are on here, but the top is missing.
Mike: Why don't you make somethin' of it, Mick? Maybe you and Lauren can figure out where it came from and who wrote it.
Davy: Probably Lord or one of his men.
Micky: Lemme see it. *takes the paper*
(Peter's knees finally buckle, and he collapses on one of the empty chairs in the main office. Mike joins him on another chair. Emma plops at her desk and puts her head in her hands, groaning.)
Peter: (Whimpering, sobbing) Mike, he's dead! It's awful! He didn't deserve to die like that...
Micky: Nobody does, Big Peter.
Mike: (Puts his arms around his friend's shoulders) It's ok, Peter. We'll call someone to get him out of here and make sure something like this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Micky: *hands the paper to Lauren* Make anything of this?
Davy: We must be getting somewhere, if Lord's scared enough he's killing people.
Emma: (Trembling) My god...I didn't mean for things to go this far. I only wanted a story, not for people to die...
Lauren: Em, this is by no means your fault.
Emma: (Looks up, tears in her eyes) Yes, it is! If I hadn't gone after the story, Justin would still be alive!
Mike: Lord would have probably killed Harrison anyway, Em. He knew too much.
Lauren: *continues, about the list* I can't make heads or tails of this, other than these are areas we should keep an eye on.
Emma: (Cries) I can't do this. I'm not a reporter. I can't handle this.
Mike: (Goes to her and puts his hand on her shoulder) Yes, you can!
Peter: (Smiles and wipes his eyes) You're a good writer, Em, and a hard worker.
Micky: Besides, Em, if I can be a Sheriff, you can be a reporter. *gives her a lopsided grin*
Davy: Don't quit on us now, luv. These people need our help! I need your help! The stables are one of the major targets.
Peter: And the schoolhouse!
Mike: If nuthin' else, Em, you can expose the truth about Lord and keep other people from endin' up the same way as Harrison and Georgian.
Emma: (Looks up, sniffling) I'm just scared, I guess. I can't just skip the ugly parts, you know! (Grins shakily at Micky) Hey, Mick, you're the law here. Do you want statements from us?
Micky: Only if you wanna give some. *smiles* You know, you could always write an article about the town's new Sheriff.
Emma: (Smiles) That's a good idea. It'll let the town...and the bandits who can read...know that you're out there (grins) and you both mean business!
Lauren: And how big his ego's gotten.
Davy: I thought 'is 'ead's gotten bigger since we arrived! ;)
(That gets a laugh from everyone, even Mike, despite the tense situation.)
Micky: Hey! My hat's still the same size. *frowns*
Mike: Let's call someone to put Harrison on ice and turn in.
Emma: (Shakes her head; she's already bent over her typewriter) I'm going to stay here and write this story!
Micky: Want any of us to stay with you?
Emma: (Shakes her head) No, I'm fine. I'll be along in a little while.
Lauren: You sure?
Mike: Em, I want to stay here. You saw what happened to Harrison. I couldn't stand losing someone else the way...(catches himself)...the way he went.
Emma: (Doesn't look up from the typewriter) Suit yourself.
Micky: And we have a winner!
Davy: (Yawns) I like that "turning in" suggestion. It's been a long day. Why don't we get an early start at Lulu's in the morning? She's the only place in town that makes breakfast, apparently.
Lauren: I hope she's got plenty if Mick's gonna be there. *winks*
Peter: I want to go back to the Little Red Schoolhouse tomorrow morning and make sure Elizabeth and Odilia and her family are ok, too. The meadows were on that list, and I don't want anyone else to get hurt!
Emma: (Still typing) Lauren, would you mind if I shacked up with you and Mick at the rooms above the jail tonight? I don't feel safe in the hotel with just the other guests and the landlady.
Lauren: Not at all! Please do! It'd make me feel better, too.
Micky: We can hang around until you're ready, if you want.
Emma: (Shakes her head, which is still bent over her typewriter) I've already got my bodyguard, guys. You've got to get Harrison to a morgue so we can figure out what and who happened to him.
Mike: (Tips his hat and sits in a chair next to the door) I've got everything under control, Sheriff, and yes, I'm sober.
Lauren: *mutters* Such a wonderful job I chose. Didn't think I'd be moving dead bodies...
Davy: I'll 'elp too, luv.
Peter: (Gulps) I think I'll just watch.
Micky: *nods* Okay, Mike. Um, hey, about earlier, man...
Mike: (Puts up a hand) Understood completely, Mick. I acted like a jackass at the saloon this afternoon. I would have decked you if you were the one who got sloshed in his own fantasy.
Lauren: I'm gonna hold you to that, Mike. *grins*
Micky: Well, I wasn't exactly thinking all that straight, either. Getting threatened with death kinda does that to me.
Emma: Yeah, him admitting that he acts like a jerk is nothing short of amazing! (Grins) The liquor must have done something to his head. ;)
Mike: Em, if you don't clam up, I might just abandon my post and leave you to the wolves and coyotes and whoever put Harrison out of his misery.
*Micky shakes his head, moving over to Harrison's body.*
(Davy and Lauren help him. Peter looks in a very slender telephone directory on McClurg's desk and calls the city examiner to pick him up...who also happens to be the city doctor.)
Peter: He's on his way. He'll cart us and Harrison back to the morgue behind the City Hall, Jail, etc.
Micky: Good. I was hoping we weren't gonna have to lug him with us.
Davy: (Brushes his arms) Saves wear and tear on the muscles, man.
Lauren: *squeezes Micky's arm* Or lack thereof.
Peter: (Still a bit pale) Um, I'm going to go. I don't feel so well.
Micky: Be careful, Big Peter.
Davy: (Nods) I'll go with you. You and Mike can stay at the farmhouse behind the stables with me and Patsy and Jim Quilan. (Nods at Mike) If Mike doesn't mind.
Mike: (Nods barely) Yeah, that'll be fine, Dave. Just like at Aunt Kate's in Texas.
(There's a knock on the door. Mike jumps up, peers through the glass, draws his gun, and cautiously opens the door. A middle-aged man of medium height, with dark brown hair and a trim beard, steps in.)
Man: I'm Dr. John Drake, the town's physician and legal medical examiner. (Steps away from Mike's gun) I've heard there's been some trouble.
Mike: (Mutters) That's puttin' it mildly...
Peter: Mike, put the gun down! He's a doctor! He's one of the good guys!
Micky: *glares at Mike* Yeah, Doctor. There's been a murder, actually.
Dr. Drake: (Turns a little pale himself) I see. When did you find him?
Micky: About twenty minutes ago.
Dr. Drake: Where is he?
Micky: *waves an arm* Follow us.
(The doctor follows Micky and Lauren into the next office. Emma continues to type, not paying the others any attention. Mike reluctantly returns his gun to his holster. Davy and Peter give their quick good-byes, Peter still looking pale and shaky.)
Dr Drake: (Inspects him) Do you know this man, Sheriff?
Micky: Yes and no. We just met him today. Name's Harrison. He worked for the Gazette.
Dr. Drake: (Nods) Ah, yes. I've never met the man myself, but I've read some of his articles. (Inspects the body) I can't tell for sure, but he doesn't seem to have been dead for very long, perhaps no more than a half-hour. We'll know more when we get him back to the morgue. (Looks at the two) And you two could use some shut-eye. I'll give you my full report in the morning. My wife and children are used to me being out at odd hours.
Lauren: Thanks, Doctor. We really appreciate it.
*Micky yawns dramatically.*
Dr. Drake: (Two young women come in with a stretcher) These are my nurses and assistants, Sarah and Becky. They'll load him into the cart. You two look like you've had a very long day. (The women, with help from Drake, who wears gloves, haul Harrison onto the stretcher. The women carry him downstairs, with Mike holding the door.)
Emma: (Still typing) I'll see you later, Lauren.
Mike: And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her.
Emma: (Looks up with a grin) And I'll keep an eye on HIM. ;) (Mike sticks his tongue out at her.)
Lauren: *with a glare at Micky, waves* We'll see you later.
Micky: *shrugs, following the group out the door, to Lauren* What?
(A carriage sits out front, pulled by a dark-brown horse with a black mane. The women load the stretcher onto the back of the carriage. Micky and Lauren sit in front with Dr. Drake.)
Dr. Drake: Can either of you tell me how Harrison came to end up with a bullet in his chest, sitting in the back office of the only newspaper in town?
Lauren: I wonder if maybe he found out something he shouldn't have known.
Micky: We don't really know for sure. We're hoping to figure it out tomorrow.
Dr. Drake: (Smiles) How would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night? We could talk about the case, and you could meet my Marissa and Luke and Leslie and Josephine. Marissa's an excellent cook. Her beef and cheese stew is amazing.
Micky: *his stomach growls, blushes slightly* Love to!
Dr. Drake: (Grins) Your predecessor used to come around all the time, Dolenz. The kids loved him. He always had some crazy story to tell or a bad joke to share.
Lauren: *chuckles* Then they'll completely adore Micky.
Micky: I have good jokes.
Dr. Drake: (Quieter) That young man in black tonight...was he Michael Nesmith? He looked familiar...
Lauren: That's him, all right.
Micky: He's a friend of ours, actually.
Dr. Drake: (As they pull in front of the jail) He's a hard one to figure out, Nesmith. He'll do anything for money, but if you're his friend, he's loyal for life. And he won't lay a finger on the Mexicans or natives.
Micky: *nods* You're telling me he's hard to figure out.
Sarah: (Sighs) I heard he had a girlfriend, or something! Some girl who got killed!
Dr. Drake: Sarah, what have I said about spreading rumors?
Sarah: (Blushes as Becky elbows her) Yes, Doctor.
Lauren: *looks confused* Wait, what do you mean?
Micky: What else did you hear?
Dr. Drake: There was a rumor going around about Nesmith mixing with some girl who died a few months ago. Really broke his heart they say...those who thinks he HAS a heart.
Micky: How did she die?
Dr. Drake: We're not certain. Some say she was caught in a fire that destroyed her family's ranch, others say she was shot. We're not even sure if she really was in love with him. It wasn't long after that he started drinking, though.
Lauren: I'll bet that's what he didn't want to talk about.
Micky: *nods* I'd place money on that. *pauses* Well, thanks for the lift, doctor.
Dr. Drake: (As the girls carry the body around back to the morgue) Anything for our new Sheriff and his Deputy! (Follows the girls around back, leaving Micky and Lauren to ponder the new developments.)
Lauren: *grumbles* I think my head is spinning.
Micky: *follows her inside* We've got a little while before Emma gets here. I could help you with that, you know...
Lauren: You have your own room for a reason, Mick.
*They head up the stairs.*
Micky: (Opens the first door, but stops before he goes in and says thoughtfully) No wonder Mike wanted so badly to stay with Em. He's afraid she'll end up like the other chick.
Lauren: Poor guy. But Emma's tough.
Micky: As long as she doesn't keep jumping at every guy who calls her a kid.
Lauren: Reflex action. *shrugs* Can't say as I really blame her.
Micky: (Shrugs) Well, night. Call me if you need me.
Lauren: No, you call if you need me. *smirks*
Micky: (Stops) Lauren, I...(takes her in his arms and kisses her deeply)...I just wanted to say good-night. (Blushes and ducks into his room)
Lauren: *blinks* We should take more trips like this. *wanders dazedly to her own room*
(Lauren is getting in her bed in the sparsely furnished room - a dresser, a coat rack, a closet, two narrow beds - when there's a knock on the door)
Emma: You decent, Laur?
Lauren: I'm comin'! *fumbles over to the door, almost tripping over something* Stupid boots. *opens the door* Hey, Em, entrez vous. *grins*
Emma: (Giggles) Merci beaucoup! (Enters) Hi, sweets! (Shows her the finished article proudly) What do you think? I haven't written a news article in two years, so I'm a little rusty...
Lauren: *reads the article* Hey, this looks great! If this is a little rusty...
Emma: (Blushes the color of the jacket she's now taking off) Thanks! The last time I wrote an article for anything was in college. (Sighs) Mike walked me home. He wouldn't leave my side. We had a really nice talk. He promises he's going to stay sober and help out as much as he can. (Peels off her boots and many layers)
Lauren: I'm glad to hear that. *is still blushing slightly*
Emma: (Grins as she unties the bustle) Geez, Lauren, what did you and Mick do on that carriage ride? ;)
Lauren: Well, it wasn't that...but Mick's sure got a helluva goodnight kiss! *grins*
Emma: Mike kissed me, too! (Grins) It was just a little on the lips, but it felt tres magnifique! (Sighs and leans out the window in her camisole and petticoats) Must be something about the moonlight...
Lauren: *blushes deeper* I think I almost fell over...
Emma: Now I know why I always had a thing about the good-bad scoundrels when I was a kid, like Han Solo. ;)
(Emma climbs into a nightshirt and lays on the bed)
*Lauren moves to the window and glances out.*
Emma: (Yawns) Night, Lauren. (Snuggles under the covers and closes her eyes)
Lauren: Night, Em. *gazes out the window a few moments longer, then heads to her bed*