The Red Mesa File: An Illustrated Western Noir Short Story

Memorandum

Red Mesa · May 18, 1879 · File No. 17

The order is not to be changed.

These papers concern the death of Owen Rusk, lately of no fixed residence, on the afternoon of May 17 on the main street of Red Mesa. Rusk was struck down outside the establishment of Amos Bell and died there before he could be carried inside. All accounts named Elias Voss as the gunman: twenty-four years of age, residing with his father west of town.

Voss was not available for questioning. His father stated that he had not seen him since the incident. The revolver described by several of those questioned could not be secured.

I have placed the statements concerning Voss first, followed by the findings on the deceased and, last, the separate accounts of the incident in the street. This arrangement does not reflect the order in which the witnesses were questioned. It is intended to prevent one statement from being read as an answer to another. Each witness was heard alone. None was shown the wording of an earlier statement. I cannot give assurance that they had not spoken to one another before being questioned. They live here.

Excerpt from The Red Mesa File: An Illustrated Western Noir Short Story · William Yard