Chapter Three

Tuesday, July 2 nd .

Wild Stallion Ranch. Montana.

While Travis cooked breakfast, I read Lucy’s text and told Virge where Annie and the kids were. “They’re leaving from the Best Western in Cheyenne this morning.”

Dad nodded his head. “They’ll cross into Montana later today.”

“They’re making good time,” said Billy. “Be here by tomorrow night late, or the next day.”

“Barn is all ready,” said Virge. “Couldn’t get any cleaner if it tried.”

Travis chuckled as he put ham and eggs on our plates.

Best Western. Cheyenne. Wyoming.

They ate in the breakfast room at the hotel and the kids were dragging their butts with another long day of driving ahead of them.

Annie wondered how long the boys had stayed awake watching movies on the pay-for-view channel. She’d find out when she checked out and saw the receipt.

Mick and Rowdy had already exercised the horses, put them back into the trailers and fed them their breakfast.

While the kids were packing up their stuff and getting ready to leave, Annie expressed her worries over Tammy to Rowdy. “I don’t think she’s as stable as Doctor Fielding thinks she is, sugar.”

“Could she have been faking it a bit at the hospital?”

“I hope not,” said Annie. “What a mess that would be if they let her out too soon.”

“Call the doctor and if he doesn’t answer his phone this early in the morning, leave a message to call you.”

“I think I will call,” said Annie. She tried Chance Fielding’s cell number and was surprised when he picked up.

“Annie, is something wrong? How’s Tammy doing on the trip?”

“Not too badly, but she has mentioned Eldon a couple of times. Not to me, but to Lucy. She’s confiding in her sister.”

“She shouldn’t be saying that name,” said Chance. “I was sure we’d worked through her fixation on Eldon Fontana. We worked hard on her grasping the concept that Eldon Fontana was an alias for Bobby Prescott. Time after time we went over who Bobby really was and what he was—a wanted serial killer.”

“She always called him Eldon,” said Annie.

“I had to make her face the fact that they were the same person and Bobby is a killer and a fugitive—not Eldon Fontana, the nice trucker who gave her a ride when she needed one. I’m sure she was there, Annie. We spent weeks on it.”

“Lucy said she was calling him Eldon and talking about not being able to sleep without him in the bed beside her.”

“Aw, I’m not happy to hear that.”

“One other thing happened.”

“Tell me.” Chance sighed. “I think I’m ready for it.”

“When we stopped for lunch, Tammy stepped away from us to have a smoke with the driver of a big rig. She’d never seen that driver before.”

“That’s upsetting,” said Chance. “It’s obvious she’s watching for Bobby Prescott’s truck. Watch her closely, Annie.”

“I will.

Annie ended the call with tears in her eyes.

“What did the doc say?” asked Rowdy.

“Watch her closely. He didn’t come out and say so, but I don’t think he liked what I was telling him.”

“We’ll watch her close,” said Rowdy. “Try not to worry too much, sweetheart.”

“I’ve seen what can happen when her head is filled with Eldon Fontana,” said Annie. “She is so obsessed with him, it makes her go right off the rails and that’s when she’s at her worst. She does things without thinking of the consequences. Things she’ll go to jail for, Rowdy.”

“We won’t give her too much freedom today,” he said. “We’ll make sure the kids stick close to her all the time. We’ll call it a buddy system for safety’s sake. Nothing to do with Tammy in particular.”

“That’s a great idea,” said Annie. “We’ll make sure she’s never by herself. I’ll talk to the boys as they get into the truck.”

Shadow Mountain. West Virginia.

Bobby got off the phone and told Ray news he wasn’t happy to hear. “Hey, buddy, we have to take a trip British Columbia to sign the papers on the cabin and pick up the money. I don’t want a money trail the police can use to find us, and this is the way I’ve decided to handle it.”

“Aw, Bobby, that’s a long fuckin way and we’re sure to get picked up at the border. We’d be better taking our chances here. Can’t you sign online and have the money couriered or something?”

“Don’t think so, but if you won’t go, I’ll go alone. You’ll be stuck without a vehicle until I get back, but we could stock you up on food and beer. I’m not making you leave here if you don’t want to go.”

Ray shook his head and set his guitar down on the floor of the porch next to the dog they’d just got from the pound. “Wasn’t ready for another move this soon, Bobby. Give me a few and I’ll ease into it.”

Bobby smiled at Ray. “It’ll be worthwhile, Ray. We’ll have enough to live on for years when we pick up the money. We can drop down into Utah or Nevada and grab another trailer. Nobody will find us.”

“I hope you’re right, Bobby. I think I’m more nervous about you getting caught than you are.”

Bobby laughed. “For sure you are, Ray. I don’t give a flying fuck anymore what happens to me. That’s the truth of it.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek. Montana.

Travis and Billy talked over Brian Groveman lying about seeing Wayne Treadway before he was killed, and what it meant. Neither one came up with an answer.

“We have to talk to Groveman again,” said Billy. “Tell him what his buddies are saying about Wayne’s visit, and make him come clean. He has to at least offer an explanation for lying.”

“Yeah, as soon as the arraignments are over. I’ll take another trip down there to the Pass with the boys and start over. This time I might not be so polite.”

Billy smiled.

Travis walked out of the office and hollered for the boys. “Harlan and Virge, cuff Carpenter and his son and secure them in the Bronco. Time for them to go to the courthouse.”

“Copy that, Sheriff,” said Virge. “Getting the prisoners out of the run.”

Travis leaned on the wall smiling at his boys. His cell signaled a text and he smiled again.

“Driving through Wyoming today. Should see you tomorrow night late or early the next day. See how we do. Slow going with the horses.”

“Looking forward to it, Annie-girl. Love you.”

“Same.”

Harrison County Courthouse.

We dropped Jed Carpenter and his son Trevor off to the bailiff at the back door, then parked and went inside to see what the judge was going to do with them.

Carpenter had hired an attorney, so his chances of being granted bail were greatly enhanced.

Surprisingly, when we found seats in the courtroom, Chuck Thatcher was already there sitting with Terry Marshall.

“Groveman ain’t here,” whispered Virge.

“We’ll go see him right after this is over,” said Travis.

The judge was lenient and granted Carpenter and his son bail. They put up the bond and left with their attorney.

“We got rid of the Carpenters, Dad.”

“Temporarily,” said Travis. “I’m not convinced there won’t be more charges coming their way. You can’t convince me they put three in Wayne Treadway’s heart for trespassing. It’s too brutal and calculated if they intended to scare off a poacher like they claimed.”

“What about the horse and the feed bag?” I asked. “Can we nail them on the coverup?”

“We need evidence,” said Travis.

“Let’s go see Groveman, the liar,” said Virge. “He might know where Wayne’s blue Silverado is at. Somebody has to fuckin know.”

Groveman Residence. Black Eagle Pass.

From the courthouse we drove down to Black Eagle Pass and parked in Brian Groveman’s driveway. No answer to a knock on the door.

Travis tried the handle, and the door was unlocked.

“Wellness check,” he said as he pushed the door open, and we went inside for a look around.

The house was a mess but not ransacked. Just cluttered and dirty. Groveman might have been living alone. We hadn’t asked his marital status.

“Check all the rooms, boys. Make sure Brian didn’t off himself somewhere. He might be feeling bad about lying to us.”

“Not that bad,” I said and then chuckled.

“Guilt is a powerful thing,” said Travis. “Can eat you up inside.”

“What’s he guilty of?”

“There’s the mystery, Virgie. We have to figure it out.”

“His clothes are all here,” I hollered to Dad from the bedroom with the unmade bed.

“He ain’t rabbited on us,” said Virge. “Where’s he work?”

“Let’s work on that when we get back to the station,” said Travis.

Casper. Wyoming.

The kids were groaning and professing starvation when Mick pulled into a truck stop for a late lunch and to gas up.

“I hate to stop at a truck stop,” whispered Annie. “Too much of a temptation for Tammy.”

“No other restaurants on this highway with enough room for the horse trailers,” said Mick. “You’ll have to watch her extra close.”

“I will. I’ll never let her out of my sight.”

Before we got to the door of the restaurant, Tammy had wandered down a row of parked trucks and her assigned buddy, Davey, was running after her trying to keep up.

“Come on, Tammy. You’re going the wrong way. We have to go inside the restaurant and eat.”

“I need a smoke.”

Rowdy saw what was happening and tore after the kids. He caught Tammy by the arm and turned her around. “Not right now, Tammy. We’re eating. Not going for a truck tour.”

“Let go of me. I don’t know you.” She turned and pulled away from Rowdy.

“What? You’ve known me for a couple of years, Tammy. Don’t say that.” He spun her around and pushed her in the direction of the restaurant.

“I don’t want to eat. I’m not hungry.”

Annie caught up and took Tammy’s other arm.

They hauled her into the restaurant and sat her in the back of a booth where she couldn’t get out.

All through lunch, Tammy cried and wouldn’t eat a bite. Her mood rubbed off on the other kids and lunch wasn’t much fun for any of them.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek. Montana.

“Brian Groveman wasn’t at home, Molly, and I need to talk to him. Could you please phone the other three hunting friends and see what they know? Find out if Groveman had a job. He might be at work.”

“Of course. I’ll call them right away.”

A few minutes later Molly had completed the calls, and she came into the break room to tell Travis what she’d found out.

“Terry Marshall says Brian was scared because he lied to the cops, and he took off someplace.”

“He didn’t say where?”

“I asked and Terry said he had no idea where.”

“Why lie?”

“I asked that question and according to Terry, Brian got scared when he saw the sheriff at his door, and he didn’t mean to lie.”

“Why was he scared in the first place if he hadn’t done anything wrong?” asked Travis.

“I pressed him on that point,” said Molly, “and Terry said Brian might have shot game out of season and the meat might be in his freezer.”

“Okay. Then he also lied about not being a poacher, because he is one. Molly, call Kody and have him drop by the station. We need to have another talk.”

“I’ll call him in, Travis.”

An hour later, Kody Kollard, the district game warden arrived at the station. Travis updated him on the murder investigation and sent him down to Black Creek Pass to check Brian Groveman’s freezer.

Indianapolis. Indiana.

Ray pushed it through and didn’t have much to say to Bobby on the long drive to Indianapolis. He pulled the pickup into a Super Eight next door to a Bob Evans.

“That’s about enough driving for one day, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, sure,” said Bobby. “I’m beat. We need food and sleep.”

Before parking the truck for the night, Ray filled it with gas and checked the oil. While they were at the gas station, Bobby bought a couple of maps.

They ate dinner at the Bob Evans, then walked across the parking lot to their hotel. Once they were settled in their room, Bobby searched out the least used border crossings and circled them with a red pen.

“These are the crossing points we’ll be passing on our way west, Ray, and I know exactly the one we’re looking for.”

“You got it picked out?” Ray wandered over to the table and glanced down at the map and the spot where Bobby was pointing.

“We’ll cross just north of Sweetgrass in Northern Montana and that will take us into Alberta, not far from Lethbridge. From there it’s only a few hundred miles to the real estate office in Sicamous.”

Ray wandered into the ensuite, and he hollered to Bobby, “I think we ain’t getting across no matter which desolated crossing point you pick, Bobby.”

Bobby laughed. “We’ll get across, Ray. You’ll see.”

Dry Run Roadhouse. Coyote Creek. Montana.

After dinner we stopped into the roadhouse to drink a pitcher and Dad and Billy were sitting at the bar talking to Jack while me and Virge sat in our booth yakking about the girls coming.

“You decided yet what you’re going to tell Penny about Lucy?” Virge asked me.

“Nope, but I’ve been thinking on it.”

My phone signaled a text right then and that set Virge into laughing at me.

“What’s Lucy saying?”

“Can’t wait to get you alone in the barn, Harlan. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“She’s asking me if I have a girlfriend.”

Virge chuckled. “What are you gonna tell her?”

Another text came in and it was from Penny.

“Is that Lucy again?” asked Virge.

“Nope. It’s Penny.”

“You asshole.” Virge snorted. “What a fuckin mess you’re in.”

“Shut up.” I took a minute to read what Penny was saying before I answered Lucy.

“Are we going out this weekend?”

“Probably not. We’re having family from Texas staying with us and I’ll have to do family stuff.”

“Too bad.”

Virge was staring at me waiting to bust out laughing again when he got a text.

“Who’s that?”

“Vicki.”

“Hope she’s text-dumping you, bro. That’ll make you stop laughing at me.”

“Hope she is. I don’t like her that much.”

“Come and see me at the laundromat tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll run across the street when I’m not busy.”

“We can lock the office door.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Did she dump you?” I asked my brother.

“Yep. It’s for the best.”

“Aw, fuck. I liked seeing you squirm a lot.”

“You’re the only one squirming in this family.”

Wyoming/Montana Line.

Mick and Rowdy both pulled into the big parking lot at the Welcome to Montana rest area. The kids spilled out of the trucks and Davey had Bullet on a leash and took him for a run to the doggie area.

“I’m going to the washroom, Mama,” said Tammy. “I’ll be right back.”

Annie nodded. “Lucy and I are coming too. We’ll catch up with you.”

The girls weren’t far behind Tammy, but when they got to the ladies’ room, Tammy wasn’t in any of the stalls.

“I’ve had enough of this,” said Annie. She ran back to the bench where Rowdy was having a smoke and told him Tammy wasn’t in the bathroom.

“Shit, Annie.” He turned his head to see how many rigs were parked in that designated area and there were three. “Maybe she’s doing the truck thing again. I’ll go talk to those drivers.”

“Thanks, honey.”

Rowdy sauntered down the grassy slope to the secondary parking area and the driver of the first truck was nowhere around. Probably sleeping inside.

He moved to the second truck and that driver was sitting on the sidestep smoking. “You see a girl pass this way?” asked Rowdy.

The guy laughed. “Why? Did you lose one?”

“Yeah, I misplaced one of my kids,” said Rowdy. “Serves me right for having so fuckin’ many.”

They both laughed.

“Only saw the kid running with the dog.”

“Yep. Davey and Bullet. They’re not lost.”

“How many kids you got?”

“Brought four on this trip. Left the little one at home.”

“You toting horses?”

Rowdy nodded. “Kids are in a few rodeos in Montana. That’s where we’re headed.”

“Good luck to y’all.”

“Thanks.”

Rowdy walked away from the second rig and heard the engine of the third one start up. On a whim, he crouched down and looked under the trucks and saw Tammy scrambling out from under the third truck.

He ran and grabbed her leg and pulled her clear as the rig backed up. “You stupid, stupid girl.” Rowdy was hollering at her when Annie caught up.

Rowdy roughly shoved Tammy towards Annie, and shouted, “She was hiding under that rig and almost got herself fuckin killed. I’ve had enough of this. Secure her in the back of your truck and use the D-ring, Annie. Enough is enough.”

“You’re right, Rowdy. Enough.”