Chapter Seven

Saturday, October 19 th .

Black Wolf Mountain. Montana.

Travis woke before daylight filled with a nagging urgency. There was something he had to do but couldn't remember what it was.

It took a couple of minutes to remember he was going home today to see his boys. Lucky to be alive after the wolf attack, he was even luckier to have Harlan and Virge.

The cabin was warm thanks to Sunday who hauled the wood in from the pile out back and fed the stove round the clock so it never went out.

With the help of the pain killers, Travis was able to sit on the side of the bed and smoke while he got ready to make the trek to the other side of the cabin for breakfast. Only a few feet but seemed like a mile walking on his torn leg.

"You awake, buddy? Need a hand?"

"Nope. I'm good. I'll finish this smoke and see if I can do it on my own."

Sunday stood beside the bed and smiled down at him. "You've improved a lot, Dale."

Travis laughed. "I can't walk without a crutch. Not much of an improvement."

"Your twenty-four hours isn't up yet. Few more to go before you put any weight on your leg."

"Yep. I'm not going to risk damaging it. Once I get to the truck I'll rest the leg all the way to the ranch."

Sunday cooked breakfast on the woodstove and after they'd eaten, she let the fire die down as they got ready to leave.

She packed all the food into the cooler and lugged it to the truck. Several more trips for the dog food and for her own things she'd brought down from her cabin higher up.

Travis gathered up the few things he'd brought with him—mostly dirty clothes—and shoved all of it into his duffel.

He decided to leave Olivia's ashes in the cabin until the next time he was able to come up Black Wolf Mountain. The weather would be better when he brought the boys in the spring, and together they'd find the perfect spot for Olivia's final resting place.

Sorry, Livvy. You have to wait.

Sunday took a look around. "Is that everything you want, bud?"

"Think so."

She locked the back door then handed Travis the crutch and helped him out the front door and down the snowy slope to the truck.

On the way Sunday hollered out a goodbye to her bear. "See you, Ted. Be back in a while, big guy."

"Do you think he'll remember you when you come back?" asked Travis.

"Oh, sure. Bears have great memories."

"I never heard that, Sunday. You sure?"

She gave Travis a heave-ho into the passenger seat, and he groaned. "There you go, Dale. You're all set."

He turned his head to take a last look at the cabin and he was pretty much okay.

I'm over the worst of it.

Sheriff's Office. Coyote Creek.

Our job for the day was interviewing Sandra Ellington's three closest friends to see what they knew about the victim's life and her death.

Molly had called each of them and set up appointments for us to interview them at specific times during the day when they'd be home waiting for us.

"Did you know Sandra Ellington, Molly?" asked Billy.

"Not personally, but Mister Ellington's law office is just down the street." She handed me a page from her notepad. "I wrote the addresses down with the times you're expected to be at each of the homes."

"Thanks, Molly," said Billy. "I'm hoping our victim confided in one of her friends and we'll get a lead. Someplace solid we can start the investigation."

"The husband has no real alibi," said Molly. "He might not have left the house at all."

Billy smiled. "I thought of that, but I believed his story about forgetting his briefcase."

"I heard lawyers were the best liars of all," said Virge.

"I'll keep that in mind, Virgie," said Billy. "You liking the hubby for it?"

Virge shrugged. "If it was him, the knife would be in the house—going with the theory that he never left."

"True enough," said Billy. "We might find it when we do our search. Ted and Harlan will start on it this morning while Virge and I talk to the three friends."

Virge read the names out loud. "Cassie Blake. She lives on that same fancy street as the victim. Petra Reading. Lives in Cut Bank and works at the hospital. And Barb Joliceur. Lives in Shelby and works at the bank over there."

"I've got an account in that bank," said Billy. "I grew up in Shelby and my parents still live there."

"You know this Barb girl, boss?"

"Don't think so."

Best Western Hotel. Beaumont. Texas.

The night before, Mason arrived after dark at the Texas/Louisiana line with Tammy in his custody. He met Annie in the rest area, and she decided it was too late to start the drive back to the ranch.

Mason had been driving the entire day as well and he was dead beat. He happily agreed.

Annie opted to find a hotel and she invited Mason to have dinner with her and the girls before he turned around and went back to his home in Louisiana.

While they ate a late dinner together, Annie discovered she liked Mason Swift a lot. Smart and street-savvy, Swift was a free-wheeling bounty hunter who knew his way around in the real world. She wished she had more men like him on the squad.

The following morning, Mason joined Annie and the girls for the complimentary breakfast buffet. He had cleaned up nicely and smelled of hotel soap and shampoo.

The room was crowded with travelers, busy and noisy, and Annie couldn't risk leaving Tammy alone for a minute. She sat with Tammy at a round table in the corner of the room while Lucy and Mason went to the buffet to get food and coffee.

While they sat alone, Annie tried talking to Tammy. "We're going home today, honey. You love it at the ranch. Remember?"

Tammy stared into space and wouldn't look at Annie. "I love Eldon. He's looking for me. I know he is."

Lucy came back to the table carrying three paper plates of breakfast food. "I'll go back and get the coffee, Mommy."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

Mason smiled. "Lucy is a sweet kid."

"She is. Do you have kids?"

"Nope. Not that lucky. I'm untethered…so far." He laughed.

Lucy returned with the coffee, and they ate breakfast without incident. Tammy ate nothing and it was obvious how much weight she'd lost in the outlaw camp.

Annie checked out of the hotel after breakfast, then held Tammy's arm as they walked to the parking lot. When they got to the Gladiator, Tammy kicked up a big fuss and wouldn't get in the truck.

"I'm not going with you. I have to find Eldon." She struggled against Annie and clawed at her face in an effort to get free and run away.

"Hey, little girl. Don't do that." Mason grabbed Tammy's arms and provided the much-needed muscle to put Tammy in the back seat.

While he did that job he noticed Annie's truck was equipped. He fastened Tammy's ankle to the D-ring on the floor, then backed out and closed the truck door.

"She's secure now and will be as long as you don't have to stop." Mason gave Annie a side-ways look. "You a cop, Mrs. Powell?"

"In a way. I run the violent crime agency for Texas with my son if you're ever looking for a job."

"Interesting." He smiled. "You never know. I might be looking for something different soon. I'm getting a bit old for chasing down outlaws who have more energy than I do."

"I hear what you're saying, Mason. I'm over my expiry date as well." Annie fished a card out of her purse and handed it to him. "A job well done, Mason. It was a pleasure to meet you. Take care of yourself."

"The pleasure was all mine, Mrs. Powell." He gave her a wave and hopped into his pickup.

"I like him," said Lucy.

"Me too," said Annie. "He's a man with fortitude and determination, and they're a rare breed."

Reading Residence. Cut Bank. Montana.

Sandra Ellington's friend Petra wasn't smiling when she opened her door to let Billy and Virge in. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and she held a balled-up wad of tissues in her left hand.

Tall and blonde, Petra Reading appeared to be about the same age as the victim—mid-thirties. She waved us into her living room, and we grabbed a seat.

"Sorry for your loss, Mrs. Reading," said Billy.

"Thank you. Such a shock. A brutal murder in a place like Coyote Creek? Come on. I can barely believe it."

"Were you talking to Sandra Ellington recently?" asked Billy.

"We were supposed to have lunch last week and I was looking forward to getting caught up with Sandy, but she called and cancelled at the last minute."

"What was the reason she gave you?"

"The reason seemed vague, and I wasn't happy about her cancelling. I'd been looking forward to lunch at the Inn. The food is so good there. The desserts are to die for." She dabbed at her eyes. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that."

"Can you recall the exact reason Sandra gave?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does."

"Let me think for a minute. It was something like, she hated to cancel but she wasn't feeling up to going out."

"Uh huh. Did she happen to mention anything else? Any trouble with her husband or with their marriage?"

"No. Nothing like that. Sandy was happy with Bob. He was a sweet guy. I don't think she had any complaints about Bob Ellington."

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Reading." He tossed a card on the coffee table. "Call the office if you happen to think of anything else."

Petra picked up the card. "I will."

Billy started the squad and turned on the heater. "What did you think, Virge?"

"I didn't like her a bit and she wasn't helpful at all. What did she tell us? The food is good at the Inn? We already knew that."

"You're right, she didn't tell us much at all. Do you think she's holding back something important?"

"Hard to say. I'm not so good at reading women, but there was something about her I didn't like."

Billy pondered Virgil's observations while he drove to Shelby.

Joliceur Residence. Shelby.

Barb Joliceur, friend number two, was tall and pretty. Long dark hair and brown eyes. Billy asked her the same questions and got different answers.

"I saw Sandra last week," said Barb. "She came into the bank and opened a new account. I thought it was a bit odd her coming to Shelby to my bank when she could've opened an account in Coyote Creek at the credit union."

"But you didn't ask her why she came to Shelby?" asked Billy.

"No, I didn't bother. Her business where she wanted to bank. We talked a bit, and I was happy to see her. The reason she came to my bank didn't matter that much to me."

"Did she deposit a large amount?"

"No. She opened the account with a hundred dollars. Most people do exactly the same thing, then they can transfer money online or do whatever they want once the account is open."

"Did you ever get the feeling Sandra was having trouble in her marriage?" asked Billy.

"No, I don't think so. Bob made lots of money in his legal practice. Sandy had a beautiful home and nice clothes. She didn't have to work. If you ask me, she had it made being married to Bob."

"Thanks for talking to us, Barb," said Billy. He left a card on the coffee table.

As they drove back to Coyote Creek, Billy asked Virgil's opinion on Barb.

"I figure she was telling mostly the truth, but there was something underneath that was pissing her off."

"Huh," said Billy. "I thought she was a straight shooter."

Blake Residence. Coyote Creek.

Cassie Blake lived two houses away from the Ellingtons on King's Court, and when Billy and Virge arrived for the interview, Cassie began by crying her eyes out.

She was a small girl about five feet tall, cute with short black hair and a few years younger than the other girls. A newlywed, Cassie had recently moved onto the nicest street in town with her husband.

The first ten minutes of the interview were punctuated with sobs and periods where Cassie couldn't talk at all. After she got over the initial crying jag, she settled down a little.

Billy went with the same questions, but Cassie came up with more interesting information than the other two friends.

"Do you think Sandra and Bob were doing well as a couple, Mrs. Blake?"

"Oh, yeah. Bob was a great guy. Me and my husband, Charlie, went over to their house at least once a week for a game of cards."

"You socialized with the Ellingtons a lot?"

"Uh huh. They were fun. Bob loved Sandy and he was always buying her little gifts. When I found out she was getting stuff on the side, I didn't want to believe it at first. Poor Bob. He's such a sweet guy."

"Did Sandra tell you about the other man in her life?" asked Billy.

"Men," Cassie corrected Billy. "More than one. She kept them a secret and wouldn't tell me their names. It was funny to her—like a game she was playing, trying not to get caught."

"Did you see these men coming or going from her house?"

"No. I didn't see the guys, but I saw the Jeep one of them drove and the other guy drove a pickup. Dark red, I think. I didn't spy on Sandy if that's what you're thinking. She was my best friend and I'd never betray her. I'd never tell Bob what was going on, even though I felt a little guilty for not doing it."

Cassie began sobbing again, and between sobs said, "She was teaching me how to cook."

"If you think of anything later, Cassie, I'll leave a card for you. Or you can stop in at the station on Main Street anytime."

"Thanks, Sheriff Johnson."

Back in the squad Virge said, "She dumped a new load of shit on the case, boss. Who are those guys Sandra was screwing around with?"

"That's what we have to find out, Virge. One of those two guys is probably our killer."

"Fuck. I wish I knew their names."

"Same."

Wild Stallion Ranch.

"Billy and the boys are at work," said Travis, "and can't help me with the front steps, so it's probably easiest if I came in the back door. You can drive around behind the house."

"Sure," said Sunday. "The dogs seem happy to be home. Yep. Lots of room for them to run. How much land have you got here, Dale?"

"A thousand acres."

"Huge ranch."

Sunday parked close to the back door and shut the engine off. "A lot less snow down here."

"I'm thankful for that. For every snowstorm we have, highway accidents increase, and we end up with half a dozen people hurt or killed."

"Hard to believe you're the sheriff." She gave him a hard stare and shook her head in disbelief.

Travis leaned on the crutch as he unlocked the back door. Sunday followed him inside and shivered.

"The house is chilly."

"Woodstove in the front room is probably out."

"I'll get it going."

"You don't have to work the minute you get here, Sunday."

"I can't sit on my hands, Dale. I'll unload the truck when I've got the stove going. You sit yourself down and put your leg up."

Travis plunked down on a chair because he couldn't do much else and propped his leg up on the coffee table. He pulled out his phone and called Harlan.

"Hey, Dad, you got service."

"Yep. I did, son. I'm home. Just got here."

"You're home? Fantastic news. We'll be there soon."

"Looking forward to having a few beers with my boys, Harlan. Missed y'all so fuckin much, I couldn't stand it no longer."

"Missed you too, Dad. Virgie is gonna be so fuckin happy. He's been foul-mouthed since you went up that fuckin mountain."

Travis chuckled. Virge could be so funny. His boys were his treasure.

Sunday got the stove crackling, and the house began to warm up. She unloaded the truck then checked the fridge for what she needed and pulled everything out to make a big pot of stew.

"Smells good," said Travis. "My boys can eat. Seems like they're always hungry."

"Decent food keeps them healthy, Dale."

Virge parked the Jeep behind the house, and we ran in the back door. I could tell when I talked to Dad on the phone that he was fixed, and that was the best part. He'd been in a bad place after Olivia's funeral.

Max and Sarge ran down the hall towards us barking and howling like a pack of wild dogs and it kind of surprised me to see they had a big dark brown Lab with them.

"Hey, we got us a new dog," said Virge. "Smells like Dad has been cooking."

We hustled into the kitchen and saw a blondie-red haired girl stirring a pot on the stove. Huh.

"Come over here and give me a hug," hollered Travis. He wasn't getting up to hug us and I noticed his leg was propped up on the wooden coffee table.

We both leaned down and hugged Dad and he said, "This is Sunday. She's my neighbor from farther up the mountain."

"Didn't think there was no neighbors," said Virge. "What happened to your leg?"

"Wolves got me when I was scoping out a good place for the ashes. Sunday came along and saved this old man's life."

"Thanks, Sunday," said Virge. "We needed our Dad to come on home real bad."

She smiled. "I can see that you did."

"This is Billy," said Travis. "He lives with me and the boys. We're a family."

"Hey, Billy," said Sunday. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, Sunday. That's a nice name." Billy looked at Sunday real hard.

"Whatever you're cooking there on the stove smells good, Miss Sunday," said Virge. "We been eating kind of sporadic since Dad went up the mountain."

"Get us a beer, son. It's time to celebrate."

"Copy that, Dad. It's Miller time." Virge laughed at his own joke.

Music Row. Nashville. Tennessee.

Casey and Ardal continued their search of the bars on Music Row all day long. They heard a lot of great bands and singers and drank a lot of great beer while they showed the picture and asked questions all up and down the strip of music clubs.

Casey felt the search was going well. They had hit one club where the bartender recognized Bobby Prescott's picture.

"Yep, I remember this guy. He sat here all one afternoon—that table right over there—while his partner peddled his songs to different music producers here in the city."

"What did the songwriter guy look like? Can you remember?"

"Yep. Not too big. Dark hair to his shoulders. Regular looking musician."

"Hear a name mentioned?" asked Ardal.

"Don't think so. What did those guys do? Are they dangerous?"

Casey said, "Bobby Prescott is a wanted fugitive. The other guy is just hanging with Bobby—probably driving the truck because Prescott was badly wounded in an incident in Canada."

"Huh. If they come back do you want me to call a number?"

"Yes, please." Casey handed him a card. "That's my cell number. Me and Ardal are staying at a hotel a couple blocks away and we can be here pretty quick if they happen to show up. Thanks for your help."

Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange. Texas.

Annie was worn out by the time she got Tammy home to the ranch. First thing she did was call Sheriff Rafe Cumberland, her father-in-law, to come and arrest Tammy and take her to Lakeview Hospital. A facility for the criminally insane. She'd be confined there and undergo testing until she had to make her first court appearance. Blaine had already arranged it.

"I'll let Travis know in the morning. It will be a big relief for him to know she's in a hospital."

Annie got ready for bed and was brushing her teeth when she heard a text hit her phone.

"Hope you got home safe."

"Thank you, yes. Tammy is in custody and has been taken to Lakeview Hospital. Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks again, Mason."

"I hope we meet again, Mrs. Powell. Pleasure working with you."

"I feel the same way."

Annie smiled as she hopped into bed.