"Yes, sir, there were at least four men secluded above where this took place. The girl, Cicely Jane Lister, who we brought in to town with us and her deceased brother, Clement Lister, who Em shot, was under the control of one Thomas Love. We believe that the plan was to kill myself, my wife, and our son Wheeler, as well as the Listers." Barnabas said.

"They hightailed it thopugh some of my men found their camp and trailed them some distance away from where it all took place." He continued. "Might be out of your jurisdiction, though."

@JulieS

@Bongo

"Hmm," Mark frowned, "From what you've told me, there was at least two people involved. Do you know if there were any others?"

He paused for a moment, then continued on, "Then there's also the question of what you plan to do with the girl. Do you want to press charges?"

@Bongo

@Flip

Shintaro faced similar challenges himself when arriving in America. Being one of the few Japanese people Americans ever had the chance to see he was most often mistaken for Chinese. It often left him feeling isolated, no longer part of a community. It was a hard adjustment given every samurai was either part of a clan or considered ronin, about the lowest position a samurai could be in society, barely a step above peasant. He may have some bitterness about how the Shinsengumi was treated during the Boshin War but he still had pride in being part of them.

"Being part of a group is important, especially to my people, whether its one's clan, household or the organization they serve," Shintaro said, deciding to explain a little of what it meant to him to be part of something again. "When I came here, it felt very lost, as I was no longer part of a community. I was treated as an outsider, given little to no respect at all. It wasn't easy to be accepted as who I am. In truth it wasn't till I came here to Kelispell have I been able to feel like I'm part of something again. To be given the honour and trust to help keep the peace here means more to me than I can explain."

"Though I cannot be certain, building trust with more of Kelispels inhabitants would be good for you," Shintaro continued, hoping his own believes weren't completely alien to Westerners, at least not in being an active part of a community. "There are good people here, ones who do deserve your trust. I would be pleased if you see me as one of those who deserve your trust. If I do I will make sure never to break that trust."

Shintaro smiled slightly, understanding typical clothing amoung Western women wasn't something Tully was interested in. He couldn't blame her, what he had seen American women wearing in San Francisco and other areas of America, it looked highly restrictive and impractical. He wondered how Tully would look in a kimono and found he liked the mental image. A shame he couldn't arrange for her to wear one, if his wife had been alive it would have been possible but with her gone, even if he had one of her kimonos he didn't know how to properly dress it it. He would end up dressing her as he would himself. Then again that may be perfectly fine with Tully.

"You do not like lace and ribbons?" he asked, curious as to why she shunned traditional woman's clothing.

Barnabas exhaled and then said, "I come a running' when I heard the shots, "All I seen was Em and that woman running toward her, I had my gun in hand and snapped off a shot which took her in the shoulder, an' thet was enough fer me ta get ta my wife. Thet's when the rest of my hands rode up. They got her aboard a horse, and we took her back to the ranch where there was a doctor from town, an' the Marshal a waitin' on us, so the girl was seen to right proper."

Barnabas Pike stood ready for questions that he was sure would come. The man would have questions, he was sure of that, he would have. But maybe the worst of it was over as far as Em was concerned.

Tully drew her knees up to her chest, nodding.  "Thank ya fer helpin' me," she murmured, giving Shin a small smile.  "Didn't no one ever take th' time ta talk about that kinda thing with me."  Her grin widened.  "I didn't never let anyone take th' time.  Reckon Mr. McVey'd be willin' ta help."

She shrugged, taking a breath as she pondered her options and how she'd want to move forward.  She certainly was tired of hiding in the shadows, not that she wanted to be among people.  But she did want to walk the streets without wanting to hide, to talk to people who crossed her path, even just to sit outside the newspaper office and watch the world go by.

"Truly isn't nice sleepin' under stairs an' stayin' away from folks."  Then she chuckled.  "So long as no one wants ta put me in lace an' ribbons!"

Her words recalled a childhood memory when he struggled with keeping his temper. It was his uncle who showed him how to control and calm the rage within him. Later he learned how to focus that anger to give more speed and power to his attacks, whether unarmed or armed. It wasn't always easy to keep his anger in check now, without battles where he could burn it off or the gentle touch of his late wife. Perhaps he could find a way in his work as a police officer as there was certain to be times when he'll have to use either blade, gun or hand to deal with true threats.

"Dealing with change is always a challenge and often very difficult to adapt to," Shintaro said, exhaling slowly before looking over at her. "Having the support of friends is helpful but in the end, it comes down to one's own will to adapt to change. Better yet, to use one's will to change what is in our power to change because trying to change a country is a long and bloody affair."

He wasn't sure why he added the last comment, it really had little to do with what Tully was referring to. Unfortunately he couldn't help but think of all the events leading up to the Boshin war and how in the end, it was for naught, the revels won and Japan changed completely to the point he wasn't even sure he could recognize it anymore.

"Good to finally meet you, Sheriff," Emeline murmured as she settled into a chair.  She took a deep breath, calming herself before starting...and she didn't stop until she was done, the facts laid out slowly and evenly.

"Yesterday afternoon, I set about making some pies for the men, and decided to go gather some huckleberries.  I saddled my horse, had my rifle, Wheeler was in a sling on my chest.  We rode out, north, maybe four miles.  I tied Noel -- she's my horse -- to a tree and started gathering the berries.  I thought everything was fine until I went back to Noel, but she wasn't there.  It seemed a little odd, but there wasn't any choice but to walk back."

Emeline took a short breath before continuing.  "About a mile back I found my rifle on the trail.  That was odd, too, since it had been secured in its scabbard, but I did feel better having something more substantial than my derringer.  It was just after I found the rifle that a man and woman stepped out of the brush and blocked my path."  She grabbed for Barnabas' hand and squeezed it.  "This was still on our property, mind you.  "Then the woman asked for Wheeler.  Or course, I said no.  And the man..." her tone dropped to a whisper, "he told me to take off my clothes."

There was an imperceptible shudder before she continued.  "I brought the rifle up then, but the girl held out her hand...she had the bullets, then the man pulled out a revolver...that's when I grabbed my derringer and shot him, twice, then ran."  For an instant she closed her eyes, pushing the vivid memories into simple words.  "She came after me, was right behind me, and then Mr. Pike was there, we were safe..."

Any more after that, Barnabas could fill in.

"I believe that Misses Pike is probably the one who needs to explain what happened to her, and then Mister Pike probably should explain his part in this matter, as well as information on the perpetrator of this whole unfortunate business." Speed offered to the County Sheriff. "Barnbas here is a deputy town marshal for Kalispell, retired but on hand as a special deputy for now."

Barnabas nodded to Harper, then looked to his wife, "Gonna be jest fine. Tell the man what happened, that's all he wants to hear." He didn't like this, but it was what he would expect from any victim of a crime.

Mark looked up from the papers he was working on. "Morning, Marshall," he said as he stood up and made his way around the desk.

Looking over at the two men, he nodded, "A shooting? Never a good thing to hear about. What happened?"

@ Flip

@ Bongo

Tully nodded, mulling over his words, understanding how she could use her drawing, or even 'drawing' in her head, to let the outside world fall away and be replaced by peace.  Even just thinking about it, she could feel that sensation of, well, nothingness, settling over her.

"Never thought'a it like that," she murmured, looking steadily at Shin.  "Knew it was somethin' I wanted, just didn't know how, didn't have th' way..?"  She didn't know if she was making sense or not, and this was something she'd never put words to, because she'd never had the environment to pursue it.

"I think..."  Maybe he didn't want to hear what she thought, but he was here, and she needed to express herself so she could have something to act on.  "It ain't easy ta take that step, movin' forward an' makin' a new person outta yerself.  Not even sure how ta do that, but I think I got folks who can help me."

Laughing, she shook her head.  "Didn't mean ta put this all out to ya, ya don't gotta pay me no mind."