Greetings, fellow travelers, and welcome to the first posting of Book I of the Golden Shawn blog, your source for weekly serialized literature.
This week, we offer the first part of a four-part story that takes place in the wild west. It's a mystery with quite the twist ending.
So, without further ado, here's PART 1 of our story, "Pink Eye"...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
PINK EYE - PART 1
There were six people inside that stagecoach on the afternoon of September 19th, 1873, as it made its way across the California desert. There was two businessmen, a budding young lady singer, two brothers, and one detective. That detective was the most important passenger on that stagecoach, even if the other passengers didn't know that.
His birth name was Charles John Mitchell but the name he had earned for himself in life was Pink Eye, due to his hiring five years earlier by the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He had earned that name due to his employment and his trained eye, which he solved many cases for those who hired him. However, his presence on the stagecoach was a different thing.
His very appearance was a bit misleading. His height was five foot even. However, he didn't let that get to him. His flaming red hair and beard gave him a edge about his person that made potential clients take him seriously when he was hired. His choice of dress was a black jacket, white shirt, and black pants, all neat and tidy in appearance. Overall, the very nature of his job reflected in the very nature of his form.
That afternoon, as he looked at his fellow passengers, he got a feeling for them. He looked at the two people sitting next to him. The two businessmen, who called themselves Mr. Ryan and Mr. Colin. Mr. Colin was a white-haired balding gentleman, wearing a three-piece suit with gold-tinted vest and bolo tie swinging from his collar. He had nice rosy cheeks and a cute demeaner to boot.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ryan was a tall, lanking person with curly hair and a big smile. His suit was a two-piece form, with a green jacket and starched white shirt. His large feet were sholved into custom shoes, the coloring seems to annoy Pink Eye a bit. Overall, the appearance of the two businessmen seemed to be non-threatening, unless you were their client, then a word of warning must be issued to you.
The budding young lady singer sitting across from Pink Eye was the 18-year-old Serena Souther, fresh from her training at a San Francisco music school and heading east for more formal training in singing. Her naturally-blonde curly locks swung on the side of her face, powdered white as snow. Her red-and-green dress gave an air of formality to her very form. Overall, she was young and being set out into the world for who knows what.
Finally, there were the two brothers sitting next to her: the Morris brothers, Harold and Samuel. Harold Morris was a tall fellow, yet lacking in upper body mass, much like Mr. Ryan. His suit was a simplified version of that worn by Mr. Colin, without the gold-tinted vest and the business look. His black hair was cut short and neat, yet being unkempt at the same time. His face contained an expression of arrogance as the stagecoach sped along.
Then, there was Samuel, Harold's younger brother. He was short and meek, with an appearance to match. His brown hair was short and clipped, his face flat and pale, his clothing button shirt and brown pants. The very form of meekness, to Pink Eye, that is. He looked out the window, as if trying to avoid the gaze of the others. He was nervous and jumpy as the stagecoach went over bumps. Meek in all its forms, according to Pink Eye.
"I wonder where the stagecoach will stop." said Serena as the stagecoach rounded a turn in the dusty road.
"Who knows? I just hope we don't get attacked by those sorry Indians." said Mr. Ryan, looking over at Mr. Colin as he spoke, who nodded in agreement.
"If you ask me, the west is overblown as it is. Who would want to live out here?" said Harold, showing his arrogance.
"Some people want a better life for themselves and people like you keep telling them to go west to find it." said Pink Eye, staring down Harold with his gaze for a moment.
"It's their problem if they can't find it. Isn't that right, Sam? Tell me I'm right." said Harold in response.
"If you say so, Harold." said Samuel in a weak voice, showing his nervousness as it shook in its tone.
"According to my watch, it's nearing dinner time. I hope the driver finds a place to eat. I'm starved." said Mr. Ryan.
"You're alway looking for a good meal." says Mr. Colin.
"As well as a good buy, and I know we found them out west." said Mr. Ryan.
"You said it, sir." said Mr. Colin.
Pink Eye, after that exchange, turned his attention to said driver, an old one, to be sure. His white hair and white mustache shined even with his back turned on his passengers, making sure the horses went down the right roads. His simple yellowed cowboy hat spoke of the miles that had passed by. His steely gaze looked forward, as he was the only other person involved, Pink Eye being the security for the trip, a price to pay for him.
"This trip seems nice to me. Maybe it's because of Mr. Pink Eye here protecting us." said Serena.
"No, it's because we're wondering in the desert where no one lives." said Harold.
"Most stagecoach trips are usually without problems. However, I've seen many robberies in my line of work. The worst were the ones committed by Lonesome Rita." said Pink Eye.
"Who's Lonesome Rita?" asked Serena.
"Lonesome Rita Marlowe, the most feared woman in the west. I've chased her for three years and I have yet to catch her." said Pink Eye.
"I remember hearing about her. Isn't she the one who killed 14 people?" said Mr. Colin.
"Right as rain, Mr. Colin. 14 notches on that gun of hers and each one a pain in my side." said Pink Eye.
"I take that this Lonesome Rita is someone you've been after in your line of work?" said Mr. Ryan.
"It was her fourth victim that started me chasing her. It's been a long time and a long chase but no capture and no satisifaction." said Pink Eye.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Pink Eye. I'm just hoping that we get back east with our new wealth." said Mr. Ryan.
"Knowing you, you'll spend it on stock options in silver mines." said Mr. Colin.
"And why shouldn't you? Silver futures are worth more than gold futures because of the amount mined last year. Everyone knows that." said Mr. Ryan.
"And you, Mr. Harold, what brought you out west?" asked Serena.
"Business as well. The family business is banking, merchant banking, and, like Mr. Ryan, I was out west for money. For me, it was to see what things I could invest in." said Harold.
"And what did you find?" asked Serena.
"Not much. Mostly timber mills and cattle ranches. However, the Panic back east hasn't given me much leeway, so I made an investment in a firm that handles insurance policies for rice growers in California." said Harold.
"At least you made some wealth yourself." said Serena.
"President Grant is trying to kill off the economy. The Cook company was unable to sell off all that railroad stock because of Grant's policies with money." said Harold.
"No one cares about your money woes, brother." said Samuel in as much of a weak voice as he could muster.
"You're just jealous because father left the business to me instead of you, you little bookworm." said Harold.
"I could have made a good banker." said Samuel in the same weak voice.
"So you say. However, I have more class than you and older, so the business passed on to me." said Harold.
"I don't want to argue with you." said Samuel.
"Then I win this discussion. Now, keep yourself quiet." said Harold.
Pink Eye, after hearing all the discussion, turned his attention back to the outside and watching as the sun neared the horizon. From outside, he could hear the shouts of the driver, snapping the reigns as he drove the stagecoach to its designated stop for the night. Eventually, the place was reached as Pink Eye's pocket watch told him it was a quarter past five.
The way station was an white house, old but not too old. Its white-wash paint had faded a bit but not too much. It was a two-story structure, with a porch covering the lower front of the house. Across from the house was a large red barn, for the horses. Next to the house was an old stone well, with a well-worn bucket attached to a rope, ready to be lowered. The stagecoach stopped in the middle of all this.
"All out!" said the driver in his deep gruff voice.
The passengers heard this and disembarked from the stagecoach. First, Serena, then Mr. Colin, Pink Eye, Mr. Ryan, Harold, and finally Samuel. The driver then disembarked from his perch on the stagecoach and began the task of tending to the horses, all four of them, who looked tired from their running. Meanwhile, the six passengers looked at their home for the night and each had a different reaction.
"What a lovely house!" said Serena.
"That's seen better days." said Mr. Colin.
"I've seen better myself." said Pink Eye.
"Good enough for now." said Mr. Ryan.
"I would have liked a better place." said Harold.
"Fine to me." said Samuel.
After that, the owners of the way station walked out of the house, having heard the stagecoach pull up from inside. The owners were a couple, married a long time. The first one out was the husband, Mr. Gable. Mr. Gable was, like the driver, a white-haired gentleman, with patches of black with Mr. Gable. He wore a similar outfit to the driver, with a blue shirt and tan pants. His demeaner was focused and calm as he helped the driver unhitch the horses from the stagecoach.
The wife soon followed. Despite being only partly younger than her husband, her beautiful remained as well as it did in her youth. Her brown hair was cut into a nice shape and her outfit was a nice white dress without hoops in the skirt. With quick steps, she ran over to the passengers. As she walked up, she saw the six that would be their houseguests for the night. She smiles as she sized them up.
"Welcome to the Truckee way station, althought we're twenty miles outside of town. I hope you had a pleasant journey. If you would follow me, I'll get you settled for the night." said Mrs. Gable as she gestured towards the house.
"After sitting in that thing all day, I could use some leg room." said Harold as he and the other passengers filed into the house.
As the passengers entered the house, Mrs. Gable gave a speel, "Now, the house has two floors. Me and Mr. Gable have the upper floor. Here, on the lower floor, we have two bedrooms: one for guys and one for girls. There are up to four beds in each room. Dinner will be served in twenty minutes. Hope you have some room!"
Mrs. Gable then went back into the kitchen as the passengers began to admire the well-decorated living room. A collection of fine sofas and chairs were spread about, with wonderful bright red curtains on the windows, beautiful watercolors and landscapes hanging on the walls, and nice ornate carpets on the floor. It felt more than just a room in a way station house. It felt like a home away from home.
"Now this is living." said Harold as he slid himself into a chair.
"The lady of the house has done herself nice in her fittings. Nice to know that such people exist." said Pink Eye.
"I think that this place looks nice. It reminds me of the music school back in San Francisco." said Serena as she sat down on one of the sofas.
"I think that... this place... has a nice bearing to it." said Samuel.
"Who cares about the bearing? This place is actually a place I can stand." said Harold.
"Leave Samuel alone. He's entitled to his opinion." said Serena.
"Just leave me alone, people." said Samuel as he sank into another one of the chairs, remaining quiet until dinner time.
Twenty minutes later, after the horses had been put away for the night, all gathered at the dining table for the evening's meal. Mr. Gable sat at the head of the table, with Mrs. Gable to his right, followed by Pink Eye, Mr. Colin, and Mr. Ryan. To Mr. Gable's left, there was Serena, Harold, and Samuel. The driver sat at the opposite end of the table. As the nine people began eating, conversation naturally started to flow.
"It's always nice to have people at the table who have traveled from far away. Now, maybe you can tell me why you're all here." said Mrs. Gable.
"Mindy, dear girl, you always ask that question. Now, if you don't wanna answer, you don't have to." said Mr. Gable.
"Be quiet, Leroy. These people came a long way to be here. Now, why are you all here?" said Mrs. Gable.
"I'm here because of a woman." said Pink Eye, the first to answer.
"You mind telling us what woman?" asked Mrs. Gable.
"Lonesome Rita Marlowe." said Pink Eye.
"Oh, please. I had enough of that back on the stagecoach." said Harold.
Pink Eye got a gleam in his eyes as he spoke, "Long dark hair, piercing dark eyes, Nergo skin, ruby red lips, and a draw to rival most men. That's Lonesome Rita Marlowe. For the last two and a half years, I've chased her across the west. We've met many a time but I was never able to capture her or even stop her. You could say she's my white whale of a different color."
"I've heard of Lonesome Rita. She's killed 14 people in the last three years, robbed many banks and stagecoaches, and has never been caught." said Mr. Gable.
"Don't remind me. It amazes me how she is able to avoid me. After a crime, she disappears from one town, only to appear in another one to commit another crime. I don't understand how she does that, and I've tried my best to figure it out!" said Pink Eye.
"Maybe she puts on a disguise." said Serena.
"That's my theory, yet I can't catch her that way for some reason." said Pink Eye.
"Can we please stop talking about her!?! Let's talk about something else." said Harold.
"You'll have to excuse Mr. Morris here. His fortunes have taken a slight downturn in the Panic back east and he's trying to save his coffers." said Pink Eye.
"Really? How are you doing despite that Panic?" asked Mrs. Gable.
"I'm doing fine. It's just that certain conditions have forced me to examine new avenues of income. Nothing to fear." said Harold, betraying a truth he wasn't telling.
"I think he means that he's trying very hard not to go broke." said Mr. Ryan to Mr. Colin.
"I more than think that. I know he is!" said Mr. Colin to Mr. Ryan.
"My money troubles are of no concern to anyone. In fact, I am very close to making sure I ride out this Panic in comfort!" said Harold, ending with a flourish of finality.
"We'll take your word for it, Mr. Morris. Now, what about your brother there?" asked Mrs. Gable.
"I just happen to run into him in San Francisco. I hadn't seen him since father died and he went out west to make his fortune. He hasn't told me yet what's he been doing. I had to strong arm him into coming back east with me." said Harold.
"Is that true, Samuel?" asked Mrs. Gable.
"Yes. It is true." said Samuel.
"I mean, why does a man need two suitcases to travel? For him, I would figure just one. I can't figure him out." said Harold.
"Maybe someone else can answer my question about why they're here." said Mrs. Gable, trying to move things along.
"I can answer this one. I'm here for the money." said Harold, quick to raise his hand.
"Really? I didn't know." snarked Pink Eye.
"If I had my way, I wouldn't be out here at all. I prefer back east to this... empty waste of space west of the Mississippi." said Harold.
"Then why even come out here at all?" asked Mr. Ryan.
"Because for the last few years, my merchant bank has been receiving regular large deposits from a mysterious source." said Harold.
"Really? Tell us more about him." said Serena.
"Soon after my brother here went west, shipments of money would appear at the bank. It was strange to receive them." said Harold.
"And why is that?" asked Serena.
"Because with the shipments were these strange notes, telling me to store the money up and not use it in any business transaction. I felt weird to me." said Harold.
"Let me guess. You came out here to meet this mysterious source when the Panic started happening." said Mr. Gable.
"I wanted to form a business partnership with this guy. I figure that his money is good enough to last me in these tough times." said Harold, with all the air of a war veteran.
"Just how much money has this gentleman sent you?" asked Mr. Colin.
"Let's just say a lot. He must really like us." said Harold.
"Is that your opinion of him?" asked Pink Eye.
"Yes. The Morris Finance Company needs him badly. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find him and I looked all over the west." said Harold.
"I'm sorry your search didn't work out." said Serena.
"Not to worry. I'm sure he's sent a shipment of cash in the time I've been out here." said Harold.
"And the rich get richer." said Pink Eye, to himself.
The rest of the dinner went well. The meal itself was good and filled the stomaches of those who ate it well. After dinner, the passengers sat in the living room with the Gables and the driver. To those who asked, drinks were served. Those who asked was Pink Eye, Mr. Ryan, and Harold. As the drinks were consumed, the minds of the drinkers were put on display.
"You know, Mr. Colin, I feel that our new business might not stand on its own, after all." said Mr. Ryan.
"I didn't say that. I only pointed out the folly of some business deals. I think that the deals we made will produce results, but not right away." said Mr. Colin.
"Tell me, Samuel. How was the wild west? Did you make any fortune at all?" said Harold, his arrogance really beginning to shine.
"Not much, Harold. I told you that back in San Francisco." said Samuel, not in any way wanting to talk to anyone.
"Come on, brother. Tell your elder what you did out here." said Harold, putting himself in Samuel's space.
"I don't want to talk about it." said Samuel, trying to ignore him.
"No. Tell me. I'm your older brother and you must do what I tell you. After all, that is why father gave the company to me." said Harold, really getting on Samuel's nerve.
Samuel then gave Harold a kind of steely gaze and then rose up out of his chair. As Pink Eye looked on, he saw that Samuel's posture was momentarly straighter than usual. It then returned to its normal bent. Samuel then looked around the room and his nervous nature was starting to get the best of him.
"If you excuse me, I'm going to go take a walk." said Samuel, before he made his way out of the house in faster than usual steps into the darkness outside.
"What a gentleman." said Serena, making comment on the recently-concluded scene and Harold's behavior in particular.
The sun soon set below the horizon and the Gables decided to head off to bed, with the passengers joining in the motion. The five male passengers then proceeded to gather in the room designated for them. The driver headed out to the barn, where his cot awaited. Serena herself headed off to the one for females. Inside, Mrs. Gable showed the males the two old bunk beds that would be their sleeping places.
Mrs. Gable gave a tour of the room, showing off the four mattresses on the bunk beds, the worn white mattresses, each with a pillow, patting each one as she showed them off. She then showed them the small closet in the room, in a corner not far from the door. Inside were four bedshirts, old yet ready to be worn. These would be the sleepwear of the male passengers. Mrs. Gable then left the room to tend to Serena.
"Gentlemen, I see that they are only four places to sleep and five of us guys. Who will forfeit their place?" said Mr. Ryan.
"I will forfeit my place. Besides, I would feel better if I was in a position to guard this place." said Pink Eye.
"I think I will forfeit my place, for these beds aren't fit for me to sleep on." said Harold.
"Mr. Morris, the beds you will encounter on this trip are not ones that will meet your high-placed standards, yet you will need to sleep in them." said Pink Eye.
"Okay then. You go sleep somewhere else. I'll sleep here." said Harold as he then sat down on one of the matresses.
"Well, you could always take Samuel's spot until he comes back from his walk." said Mr. Colin.
"No. It's better if I just leave it to him. Besides, I should be going now." said Pink Eye as he then makes his way out of the room.
As he re-entered the living room, he spots Mrs. Gable exiting the female bedroom. She has a smile on her face as she walked into the living room herself. She quickly spots Pink Eye standing near the bedroom door, which had now been closed so the others could change into the bedclothes. Naturally, Mrs. Gable was a little surprised.
"Mr. Mitchell. What brings you out here?" asked Mrs. Gable.
"I decided to forfeit my sleeping spot and give it to Samuel when he gets back in." said Pink Eye.
"That's nice of you." said Mrs. Gable.
"Besides, I wanna guard this house some while I'm here. Just call it a free service of the Pinkerton Detective Agency." said Pink Eye.
"That's mighty nice of you. Well, enjoy yourself." said Mrs. Gable, who then headed up the creaky old staircase to the second floor and her own married bed.
Pink Eye then got down to his business for the night. He first took a small tour of the room, looking over all the furniture and fixtures in the room. He fiddled with the oil lamp, adjusted a painting, and move a chair a bit. All these activities were the work of a slightly bored guard Seeing a lull in the action that would last a while, Pink Eye took to one of the sofas and laid down on it, making for himself a little nap.
At first, his nap was quiet and nice. His dream was his usual recall of an encounter with Lonesome Rita, in this case the last one. His image haunted his dream. He saw her every time he closed his eyes, as if it was a taunt from the Devil herself. By now, they didn't mean much. Just a reminder of things past. However, sometime into his nap, about an half-hour or so, he hears a noise that he knew: a clicking of a gun's hammer.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Whose gun is pointed at Pink Eye's head? Will Pink Eye survive? How will play out?
Find out next week, in PART 2 of "Pink Eye"...
Until then, this is John Maxwell, saying to you, have a nice day!
