Renata Montaño‘s family proved remarkably skilled in tracking down all of those who had played a part in defending Lincoln from the restless dead the evening before. Sending her children and grandchildren to the Thornton-Curry, and to homes around the county, she managed to gather each of them at her boarding home for breakfast that morning, assuring them that making certain that they were well fed was the least she could do in light of their service to Lincoln.

The welcoming scent of cooking food and coffee wafted through the dining room as each of the invited took their seats. As coffee cups were filled, one of Señora Montaño‘s great nephews delivered the news that Doc Wood had managed to keep Sheriff Brady stabilized through the night, and felt certain he would survive his ordeal.

Valentina Perez gave thanks for the news by way of a prayer before the meal. Lena Bauer, Aileen Kearney, and Desiree Thornton, all appearing somewhat shy of sleep, gratefully accepted coffee when it was served to them.

As food is passed around, Señora Montaño finds a seat at the head of the table. ”Already, this morning, there is talk of appointing a new sheriff,” she says.

After the commotion of the night before, Albert made his way back to his uncle's ranch and update the senior member of the Cooper family on recent occurrences. Albert had been given a pass on his normal chores, though still was up and helping his aunt with a few things in the ranch house when the call came.

He had figured there might be a gathering, so he was mostly ready - just needed to get his mount ready for the ride into town. It didn't take long as Brandy seemed to have plenty of pep in her step this morning. Probably still annoyed at losing a foot race to that outlaw.

When he entered the boarding house, Albert removed his hat and set it on a nearby peg, followed by his holy and dirty duster and his riding gloves. He breathed a sigh of relief at the news that Brady was alive - it had looked quite bad from where he'd seen the assault.

Albert drew in a deep, slow breath at the conversation piece brought up by Montaño. "Señora, first, thank you for invitin' me ta yer table and sharin' yer food with me. I am grateful fer both. As fer Sheriff Brady - we do need a new one. Didn't look like somethin' a fella recovers from all too quick." Or in full.

"Mayor the one doin' the appointin'? Guess I ain't up on specifics of that parta the law."

He sighed, taking a long sip of his coffee. "My guess is, whoever is responsible for selecting the next Sheriff is gonna be leaned on pretty heavily by the local business interests to get someone in office that will pursue an agenda that sets off the hotheaded Regulators, and will probably set his folks to be a burr in the side of my own investigations here in town."

"Ain't nobody gonna be happy in this town until half of it is dead," Jacinta commented with a grunt, though she seemed in relatively good spirits.  She wasn't shy about partaking of the food, either, helping herself to buttered biscuits with jam and a steaming mug of sweetened coffee.

”The decision rests with Judge Bristol. Warren Bristol of the Third Circuit Court,” Montaño explains, taking a sip of her coffee, ”He has a strong belief in...how is it called?...the free market. Healthy competition in business. I have heard that he was once a banker in Texas. In most of his decisions, it seems that he has tried to remain impartial. Not favoring Señor Murphy, or any other side in disputes. Unfortunately, he only comes to Lincoln three or four times a year.”

“Judge Wilson, the Justice of the Peace, rode out before dawn to San Patricio, to send a telegram to Señor Bristol’s office in Santa Fe.”

She set her cup down, regarding her gathered guests with a concerned frown. ”Last night. What did you see?”

Tamsin had been convinced to stay, eat, rest- she had done what she could but there really wasn’t much more for her to do for the sheriff. Still, she was glad for the coffee, and glad the sheriff had survived.

She had already thanked Renata Montaño profusely and attempted to pay her for the food despite her offer, so Tamsin launched straight into what she had seen.

”Well, the train wasn’t near as terrifyin’ as everyone made it sound. There was a man outside of Ramsey’s last night that I didn’t keep track of but seemed harmless enough... but there was the man who came from Wilson’s and scattered somethin’ on the porch of the courthouse just before... everything happened.”
This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Mon 08 Apr 2019.

"I saw a man open the door of the Murphy store to stare at the wagon train. Pretty tall man with a long coat and a cavalry-type hat from the looks of it, but couldn't make out much about it. He stared for a good bit, then turned his back on the situation - at which point the wagon train disappeared. Any chance that might've been the very Murphy himself?" he said.

"It was somethin' strange. I think I need to learn more about the whole wagon train business."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:50, Tue 09 Apr 2019.

Albert raised an eyebrow at the commentary about Bristol. "Sounds like a fella what wouldn't mind linin' his pockets - ya think Bristol's decision could be sold ta the highest bidder?"

Albert took a sip of coffee as he listened to the other descriptions. He was rather perplexed by the answers. "Waitasec, do you wanna hear 'bout that fella? Or all them walkin' bones? Cuz I'm purty sure that the creature that burrowed up inta the courthouse - destroyin at least half of it - and slammed the sheriff in the head was the same one local injuns talk 'bout. As fer description, was a couple feet taller'n me, say eight or so? Looked buggy, like a bug brain decided ta create a huge insect body outta bones. Only went down from a bullet ta the black heart in its middle."

Kate was, above all, fashionably late.

But she had to be.  She was plumb loco, sneaking in here, but when would she get another chance?

And it seemed she had walked into the perfect moment of the conversation.  She'd come in with her bandanna worn like a kerchief and walking with a blanket pinned around her.  It did not hold up under close scrutiny but it made her not look like her usual self outside, and it had forced her to stash her hat and rifle, which she didn't like.

But Kate wasn't sure how she'd be received here, given the mixed company, and searched desperately for eye contact, shedding the improvised and useless disguise.

Albert noted Kate's entrance and tried without success to stop himself from chuckling at the sight. He raised his coffee cup in her direction. "Coffee's warm if yer inclined."

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like whatever tore up the courthouse. Y'all sure do have some kinda critters out in these parts!" he said. "We were lucky Coop came through with that clutch shot or it could've been much worse for us."

Kate ventured forward and butted in.

"Yeah... do we have time to get across lots?  I'm supposed to be somewhere else mighty soon."

Montaño nods. ”The man you saw, Ranger Lee. It was Señor Murphy. I have taken it upon myself to watch the coming of the wagon train three times in the last year. Each night that it rolls in, it will not depart until Lawrence Murphy emerges and acknowledges its presence.”

Her face becomes somber. ”The monster you describe...you are right, Señor Cooper. I feel certain it is the same one that the Apache have feared for generations. There have been times it has made itself known before. Never within the town proper. But out on the range, in the mountains. It has found prey like a cougar. Animals...and men, but only every few years. At least, that we knew.”

She sighs, folding her hands in her lap. ”What it did to the sheriff...I believe it was compelled to act as it did. Controlled by another.” She looks to Tamsin River. ”The one who scattered something you could not see in front of the courthouse. I believe it was him. He brought the creature to Lincoln.”

20:06, Today: Lena Bauer rolled 1,9 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+3)9.  Notice.

Bauer regards Kate with a narrowing stare. Frowning, she looks to Cooper, her tone hard and suspicious. ”Who is this exactly?” she asks.

"An associate of mine. She's helped me out in a couple of clutch situations." He tipped his hat to Kate.

OOC:

Persuasion: 14 if she respects the Rangers, 12 if she doesn't.

21:55, Today: Bryan Lee rolled 6,14 using d6+3,d6+3, rerolling max.  Persuasion.
 

Albert raised an eyebrow at the question from Bauer. "And she's a war buddy of mine. We rode together fer some time. Awful good eye and shootin' iron ta have on yer side."

Bauer relaxes somewhat, though suspicion lingers in her gaze. ”Fair enough. She just bears a resemblance to the shootist that gunned down Tom O’Folliard.”

“Sorry,” she tells Kate, ”No offense intended. It’s been a wild couple of days here in Lincoln.”

“I won’t go into details, but I will swear on my life life that she didn’ gun down Tom Folliard,” Tamsin adds. “You say he brought the creature to Lincoln, do you know who he is? I’m not familiar with everyone around here just yet.”

"Be good to know how many o' them critters there are out there. Coop took down one last night. Might not be a bad idea to hunt down a few more, you know, before they can get sicc'd on us," he said.

"Dammit Ah ain't got time for this jaw jackin', like a bunch of old bitches at a church social in here.  Listen good you slack jawed polecats.  This here's a big Okie-Doke.  That O'Folliard feller's death was faked.  If'n he really is dead, it weren't my fault.  I pretended to plug him.  Don't believe me go ask the Thornton proprietress, ain't got time to argue about it.

"Ah done got in their gang, or good as the gettin's gonna get.  They done paid me to kill a man, money's right here, and it's evidence."  Kate produced the wad, obviously not having much patience for all the double talk here.  She looked at Ranger Lee.  "Yer gonna take that this time by the way, the law will need it if they get wise and gun me down.  Ain't safe with me carryin' it.  They might be on to me already, ah don't know.

"Ah don't know how much longer I can keep this hoodwink up.  There's evil in this world.  Yer lookin' at it. But it's the evil men were meant to endure.  What they're up to... that ain't right.  Got me a heap big things ta jabber about but ah do not have the damned time ta go over 'em all.

"Ah'm going to try to go talk them into burning down a farm to send a message.  Ah don't know if it will work, but it's better than them summoning more of those horrors.  You give me a good place to go, someone they'd want to get, then do yer best to warn 'em.  Because ah am gonna trash the place, make it look good.

"What ya'll do with that opportunity, ya'll do.  Ah reckon th' smart thin' would be ta let it happen while ya figger somethin' else out, but smart ain't th' nature of men.  There'll be water if God wills it, they say."

He held his hand open, willing to take the wad of cash. He didn't know how to establish any kinda chain of evidence beside his word and those of these witnesses for a wad of cash that coulda come from anywhere, but it could help serve a purpose at least.

"Best it be someone that favors Murphy then. Could say they turned informant, and were workin' with me on providin' evidence against the House. Either way, if you can learn about how they control those critters, that'd help."

"Right."  Kate nodded with genuine approval as the Ranger grasped the plan.  "T'would help if'n ya'll gave me a clever name.  These fellers got the creepy crawlies but they don't know how to outlaw properly.  Imma learn 'em.  Amateurs is real impressed by someone with a plan out of nowhere, especially if'n they get ta be cruel.  Ah highly advise ya pick somewhere ain't gonna be no chitlins.  Ah got rules about chitlins, can't vouch fer anyone else."

Renata Montaño listens intently, her expression shifting to a concerned frown. For the moment, she remains silent, keeping whatever her thoughts are unspoken.

Bauer shifts in her seat. ”You don’t mind me askin’, who is it you’re tryin’ to convince with this plan of yours? The way Sheriff Brady had it figured, there’s only three people in the House that give orders: Murphy, Dolan, and Jim McDaniels. You sayin’ you’ve gotten close to one of them?”

"I've busted up a couple criminal syndicates before. By my guess, Murphy is the kingpin. Dolan is the second in command, but more willing to get into the dirty details to keep Murphy one level removed, and McDaniels is the numero uno Lieutenant. If that's the way this one works, my guess is McDaniels," he said, looking to Kate for confirmation.
This message was last updated by the player at 14:05, Fri 12 Apr 2019.

Kate gave the best answer she could.  The dynamics of the gang weren't something she really knew much about yet.  "Ah has only talked ta one or two of them fellers, not near enough to reckon who's really what.  Ah gotta give 'em somethin' to chaw on real good 'fore they learn me real good.  Right now I'm a mushroom to 'em, as a hired killer would be."

”Well, if you’re talkin’ to Jesse Evans or any of his bunch, don’t let ‘em fool ya. They make act like they own the place, but they ain’t nothing but gunhands. Brady was pretty convinced they only do what James Dolan tells ‘em to. And they’re right damn afraid of him, too,” Bauer says.

”There’s a lot of folks around here, farmers especially, that don’t want to get on Dolan’s bad side.”

”I am not certain that Jim McDaniels is a teniente, a lieutenant, as you say, Ranger.”  Montaño offers quietly. “Holt Shaw, a farmer whose daughter was taken from the schoolhouse, was forced for a time to buy seed from the Murphy Store. He told me he had seen James Dolan defer to McDaniels on a heated matter that was being discussed just outside the shop with a number of Señor Murphy’s employees.”

“Señor McDaniels...some claim that when he came to New Mexico, he settled in Angus. It is a town not far from here. A ghost town. It was thriving only two years ago, then was abandoned. Almost overnight. Some that left...no one knows where they went. What became of them. But not long after the town emptied, McDaniels came here, and was hired by Lawrence Murphy.”

Albert listened closely to the back-and-forth about the Evans gang. His left eyebrow inched upwards when discussion turned toward Angus.

He looked over at Lena. "Angus...ain't that where Reverend Benton went off ta? Believed it were connected ta the grave robberies somehow?"

Bauer nods slowly. ”Yeah. Yeah, it was. Don’t know if he made it there or not, but it was the last place he talked about goin’ in that journal he kept.”

Kate listened but would only do so for a moment longer.  If they had no idea, she didn't either, so that was fine, but she'd have to leave and meet her rendezvous soon.  She just couldn't stay here long in the event her deception was actually working.

”What about Virgil Dunne?” Kearney asks. ”For a place to burn down, I mean.”

The mustanger looks to Kate. ”Dunne’s got a small farm. Raises pinto beans and a few goats. But...I’ve always heard he’s a rustler and a horse thief. Snags a few animals here and there from other spreads and sells ‘em, Sometimes over Roswell way. Other times...to Murphy.”

”He has a quick temper as well,” Valentina Perez adds, “One afternoon, he became involved in an argument with a packer who was passing through on the way to Santa Fe. He beat the man senseless with the butt of his pistol, in full view of my students, who were out playing. I had to rush them all back into the classroom.”

“Deputy Bell told me he’s been arrested more than once for that sort of behavior.”

Albert looked over at the two women that were talking about Dunne. It upset him a bit to hear folk cavalierly talking about burning down a place. That sort of thing wasn't exactly neighborly. "The lady asked fer someplace that Murphy's folk'd wanna send a message. Dunne don't zactly seem ta fit the bill."

He furrowed his brow. "Though if he beat some undeservin' man with a pistol with witnesses all about...what in tarnation's he doin' still 'round here? Judge go light on him or somethin'?"

Kearney frowns. “I thought the Ranger wanted someone that Mr. Murphy might believe had turned traitor on him. Way I hear it, the only thing Virgil cares about is the money in his pocket.”

Perez shakes her head regretfully. ”I heard later that the man Señor Dunne attacked refused to cooperate when it came time for him to go to trial. Said the whole thing was his fault, not Dunne’s. The prosecutor wouldn’t go further without the packer’s testimony, so the whole thing was dropped.”

”Best I know, Virgil’s never had to set foot in a courtroom,” Bauer says, ”Mr. Murphy’s people sure do ride some fine horses, though.”

"Hm. Well, if ya'll can spin it so that fine fella seems ta have turned traitor..."

Albert shrugged. He still didn't particularly like the idea of intentionally burning anything down. Folks didn't take kindly to arson in these parts.

Renata Montaño sips her coffee. Looking to Kate, she says, ”I know that Virgil Dunne is a bad man, given to violence and thievery. But I share Señor Cooper’s concern. Destroying someone’s home...it is a terrible step to take.”

She looks to Kate. “Perhaps you could destroy some things. Frighten him. Make him flee the county, but not burn his home.”

Kearney shrugs. ”Back during the Rail Wars, my family wasn’t shown no kind of mercy. I figured the way The House runs its operation, things here in Lincoln aren’t all that different. Murphy’s people stole a bunch of kids from their parents, for God’s sake.”

”No argument there,” Bauer says with a sigh, ”but I still think we gotta be careful not to become what we despise.”

Kate nodded.  "Ah will have to make it look good, and I can't account fer them others, but ah think ah have a play, and if'n it works he'll cuss me the rest of his days as he rightly should, but shouldn't destroy everythin' he ever had neither.  Can't promise he won't be hurt, but kilt, kilt ah think ah can stop.  The point of this is to teach these boys how to outlaw anyway, an' second rule is don't destroy what you plan to take.  You break a man's hand to teach 'im a lesson, he's gonna have a hard as hell time gettin' ya what he owes.  If'n ya'll have a way ta get any bystanders out of the way, ah'd use it."

”I know his neighbors,” Kearney tells Kate, ”I’ll ride out there right after breakfast. Warn ‘em to keep clear of Virgil’s place. That there’s been rumors of trouble brewing over there.”

Montaño regards Kate solemnly. ”I need not tell you to be careful, Señorita. You understand the people you are dealing with. I will pray for your safety, and your success.”

Her attention drifts back to Tamsin River. ”Señorita River, the man you saw, the one that scattered something in front of the courthouse. I am certain that was Jim McDaniels. My nephew...he has a story about Senor McDaniels, one that has convinced me that it is him who is behind the dead being restless in Lincoln.”

“If you want an end to these monsters, I believe it is he you would need to stop.”

Well, with Kate announcing Tom’s faked death, that’s a welght off Tamsin’s shoulders.

But this Jim McDaniels, that’s another one. “Can you tell us the story? Or should I go talk to your nephew?”

"All right, ah gotta head off.  They's a waitin' fer me, an' I has ta take a long route back.  But one more thing.  If we meet on the wrong side, ah will make it look good unless ya say ah'm yer Huckleberry.  Do what ya can ta set th' trap."  With that, Kansas Kate was on her way out to do the evil only she could.

"Be careful, Dee-Kay. Your path is ripe with peril, and I wanna have a drink with ya when this is all over. We'll do what we can." Albert nodded to Kate as she left, then turned back toward those that had gathered to see if they had any thoughts to share.

Montaño watches Kate depart, taking hold of a small medallion around her neck and breathing a few words after the outlaw leaves.

Returning her attention to River, she says, ”My nephew, Martin, works for Señor Ellis in the mornings, cleaning stables and caring for the horses at the livery. He will share the story and I think it best that you hear it from him. He recalls it like it was yesterday.”

She looks over to Bauer. ”Deputy, isn’t it true that when John Tunstall was still living, that several horses and a few ganado belonging to him were found in a barn in Angus?”
This message was last edited by the player at 11:17, Mon 22 Apr 2019.

”Yes, ma’am, that’s so,” Bauer confirms, ”but it wasn’t anyone in the sheriff’s office that found ‘em. Buckshot Roberts, the bounty hunter. He’s the one that came upon ‘em. Collected a reward for bringin’ em back to Mr. Tunstall. Mrs. McSween told me that there were a couple of prize bulls among what was taken. Mr. Tunstall was real relieved to have ‘em returned.”
This message was last edited by the player at 11:18, Mon 22 Apr 2019.

Albert watched Kate depart with a concerned look on his face. His gaze drifted back over to the others after she had gone. "Seems like somebody, or a couple somebodies, needs ta go check out Angus. I'll volunteer ta be one of those what goes that direction."

"I agree. Angus needs some investigating. I'd be glad to accompany you, though I was hoping to head into the countryside for a bit and get into the whole wagon train business," he said.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:44, Tue 23 Apr 2019.

”Jorge and Araceli Casales. They lived in Angus when it was first founded. They found raising livestock more difficult than they imagined,” Montaño says. ”They, along with the MacCabe family and a man named Edward Parrish, who lived here in Lincoln, conceived the idea of the wagon train, and hired Lawrence Murphy to guide them.”

“Jorge’s sister, Yolanda, stayed in the home in Angus, even after most of the people had left. Jorge supposedly intended to send for her once they made a home in California. I understand that she passed away a little over a year ago. But the house, and many of the family’s possessions, remain there. I doubt that it has been disturbed. Almost no one goes there. Many believe the town to be haunted.”

"I'm game to go explorin' with you, Coop," Jacinta offered.  She'd cleaned her plate while listening and now leaned back to nurse her mug of coffee, throwing Bryan a glance.  "Especially if you want to go elsewhere, Ranger.  Don't mind taggin' along wherever an extra rifle might be needed."

Albert smiled at Jacinta's offer. "I would be happy fer yer company, Jay Lo. Always nice ta have someone handy with a rifle. Say, you still got that bullet I scratched on?"

"Naw.  That one exploded the great pumpkin head of a possessed scarecrow."  If she hadn't seen it, hadn't shot it, she wasn't sure she would have believed such a thing could exist.  She grinned.  "You gonna make me another?  Came in mighty useful last time."

Cooper nodded. "I'd be happy ta make another, ma'am. Jus' need a few samples of yer lead and I'll get one of em fixed up fer ya." Or maybe more than one if luck was on his side.

"Sounds like there's a lot of pieces that link back to Angus. McDaniels, Murphy, the Wagon Train, the Reverend Benton, and the Tunstall Murder. Too many to just ignore it. If myself, Coop, and Señorita Castillo head out that way, we might be able to see if there's anything there we can use to put those pieces together," he said.

“I suppose I’ll be starting my day off over at Mr. Ellis’s, if anyone ends up needing me,” Tamsin says, intent on going to find Martin and listen to whatever story he had for her about Jin McDaniels.

”I’ll go ever there with you, Miss River,” Kearney volunteers, ”I need to settle up with Mr. Ellis on a couple of horses he sold for me in San Patricio. But I’m curious to hear more about McDaniels.”

The mustanger turns her attention to Lee. ”Ranger, you wanna learn more about the mountains, and the wagon train, I can introduce you to a trapper who camps north of town. Name of Aaron Robles. He wasn’t here when the train went missin’, but he’s learned quite a bit about the Capitan Mountains since comin’ here.”

”If ya’ll wouldn’t mind the law following along, I’d like to make that trip to Angus with you. Reverend Benton...I still need to know what became of him. I reckon there might be some clues in that town,” Bauer says.

Albert shook his head. "Don't mind at all, ma'am. Though...ya seem ta be the best choice ta take over fer Sheriff Brady. But if ya don't feel yer needed here, we'd like ta have ya along ta Angus, surely."

Bauer smiles. ”I ‘preciate the vote of confidence, cowboy. But there’s no way Judge Bristol pins that badge on me. There’s several deputies that have got way more service to the county than I do.”

She drains her coffee mug. ”But more important, Bristol will want someone he sees as impartial. Someone who’ll be fair both to The House and those that oppose ‘em. That ain’t me. I’ve made it real plain how I see the lay of things here.”

She shrugs. ”I really can’t begin to guess who he might choose.”