Detective Branston and Alejandra couldn’t believe how the sheriff’s office looked. It looked like they had stepped back in time. The only exception was the addition of several modern pieces of office equipment.

“Can I help you?” Larry had watched as a middle-aged gentleman and a Mexican/Spanish looking teenage girl came walking into the office.

“Yes, I would like to talk to Sheriff Markus, if I could.” Detective Branston notices that the man he was talking to, looked like he stepped back in time from the old west.

“What’s this about, Mr.?” Larry looks at Detective Branston for his name.

“Detective Branston with the Mesquite Police Department. It’s about the investigation of Belka Ann Karlen.”

Alejandra stayed quiet as Detective Branston talked with the western style lawman. She notices several wanted posters lining the wall. Some of them had names and faces of people she didn’t recognize.

“Let me get him.” Larry walks over to one of the four desks in the office and picks up an old fashion headset.

Detective Branston watches the guy and several other people inside the sheriff’s office dressed in old western gear. He had to admit, that the town went all out to be accurate. He wonders if they stage gunfights and bank robberies as well?

After a few minutes, Larry puts the phone down. He turns and looks at detective Branston and the young lady standing next to the detective.

“If you’ll follow me please.” Larry motions for Detective Branston and Alejandra to follow him.

Detective Branston and Alejandra follow Larry towards the back of the Sheriff’s office. When they exit, there is a golf cart waiting for them.

“Sheriff Markus is over at the other building. Please, get in the golf cart please and I’ll drive you over there.” Larry climbs in on the driver's side.

Detective Branston takes the passenger seat and Alejandra sits in the back, behind detective Branston. Once everyone was seated and secured. Larry drives them over to the other building.

“Excuse me, why do you have two different buildings?” Alejandra was curious.

“Well, one building is used strictly as a resort attraction, while the building we are going to is used for business. We can’t have everything we do or are required by the federal government to be done at the other building.”

“What do you mean by the federal government? Don’t you fall under city and state?” Alejandra was curious about that.

“This is Native American land. So, the resort falls under tribal law. “

“That must make things interesting.” Detective Branston wonders what hoops they must jump through.

It doesn’t take them long to arrive at the other building. Larry leads them through the employees’ entrance, where they are checked and given guest badges.

“Well, here you go. He’s waiting for you inside the office.” Larry turns and leaves Detective Branston and Alejandra.

Detective Branston knocks on the door, before entering.

Sheriff Markus Office:
Markus was catching up on some paperwork when he received a phone call from his deputy at the old fashion jail in the resort. He was informed that a detective from Mesquite Police Department wanted to talk to him about the Belka Ann Karlen case.

He watches as his office door opens and the gentleman, he had looked upon the police database comes walking in, followed by a Mexican/Spanish teenage girl.

He stands up and holds his hand out “Hi, I’m Sheriff Markus.”

“I’m detective Branston and this here is my adopted daughter, Alejandra.” As Branston shakes Markus’s outstretched hand.

“So, I finally get to meet you, Mr. Branston. Did you managed to arrest the State Troopers that were involved with Ms. Karlen’s abduction?”
Sheriff Markus sits down in his chair and motions for Detective Branston and Alejandra to sit down in the chairs in front of his desk.

“Yes, and I found out that they were working with a local junk dealer. He was providing a way to dispose of the bodies and their vehicles as well.”

Alejandra looks down at the desk when detective Branston mentions her uncle's involvement. The man was a pig and a bastard. He deserved what he got in the end.

“Maybe the four I caught can share some light in their involvement with him.”

“If you don’t mind, I would like to question them myself.” Detective Branston wanted to know, what they knew.

“That can be arranged, but your daughter will have to wait either here in our waiting room, or I can make arrangements with the owner of the
Crystal Palace to show her around the town.” Markus figures Belka might like to talk to a girl her age.

Detective Branston looks at Alejandra “which would you like to do?”

Alejandra thinks about the two choices. The first one she would be bored out of her mind because she wouldn’t have anything to do. The second choice sounded more appealing to her. She looks at detective Branston “I wouldn’t mind exploring the town. It looks interesting.”

“I thought you might. Let me call Isa and arrange an escort for you. You’ll like her and the Crystal Palace.” Markus picks up the phone and dials Isa over at the Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace:
Isa was in her office when the old fashion phone in her office starts ringing. She normally wasn’t up this early, but today was different. She reaches over and picks the phone up “Hello, Crystal Palace, Isa speaking. How can I help you?”

“Hi Isa, I was wondering if you could send a person over to the Main Sheriff’s office to show a young lady around town.”

“Hhhmm, would Belka be alright? She’s working right now, and her mother is enjoying the Spa.”

“She would be perfect, Isa.”

“Alright, I’ll have Gale bring her over to you.”

“Thanks, Isa.” Markus ends the call.

Markus looks towards Alejandra “the owner of the Crystal Palace is sending someone over to show you around. She’s going to be here in a
little while. Why don’t I have someone escort you to the front to meet them.”

“Thank you, sheriff.” Alejandra was about to stand when Markus pulls out a card and hands it to her.

Alejandra looks at the card and notices it had an Indian Head on it. She accepts it and looks at Markus with a puzzled look on her face.

“It’s our version of a gift card. There are thirty dollars on it. You can buy anything in the resort with it. It’s a gift from the Sheriff’s office.”

“Thank you.” Alejandra puts the card in her purse.

A few minutes later, a young Native American deputy shows up to escort Alejandra to the waiting area. After waiting for ten minutes, two
figures on horseback come walking up to the office. On one horse, was a woman dressed in a Victorian Gothic dress. She looked a little pale and she was wearing dark sunglasses and long black gloves.

On the other horse was a young teenage girl, dressed in brown pants and wearing a button-down shirt and dusty cowboy boots. She also had on a light cream color cowboy hat.

“Hi, I’m Belka and this here is Gale. We were sent by Isa, the manager over at the Crystal Palace to pick you up and show you around town.” Belka had a pleasant smile on her face.

“I don’t know how to ride a horse.” Alejandra looked at the two big horses in front of her.

“That’s okay, you can ride behind me.” Gale holds her hand out to help Alejandra up onto her horse.

Alejandra grabs Gale’s hand and swings up behind Gale.

“Hold onto my waist, Alejandra.” Gale glances behind her.

Alejandra holds onto Gale’s slim waist. She liked how the fabric of Gale’s dress felt. She holds on as Gale and Belka ride back towards town, through the backway.