Chapter Three
Tuesday, July 23 rd .
Wild Stallion Ranch. Montana.
Me and Virge spent an extra hour in the barn cleaning up for the viewing. When we made it to the house for breakfast, there was barely time to eat anything.
“What took you boys so long?” asked Billy.
“Cleaning up the barn for the people coming to look at the ranch,” I said.
“The house could use a cleaning too,” said Travis. He cracked a half dozen eggs and threw them into the frying pan. “Maybe I’ll stay behind and run through the house before I come to the shop. Did you boys make your beds?”
“Umm…no,” said Virge, “but I was just gonna go do that, Dad.”
“Eat your breakfast first. We’re already late.” He turned to Billy. “You go on ahead and I’ll tidy up while the boys eat. We won’t be too far behind you.”
“Copy that.” Billy picked up his keys and left for the station.
Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.
First thing Virge did when we got to the station was ask Billy if he had any news on Vicki’s mother.
“I went across the road to talk to Vicki again, Virge, and the laundromat is closed. Vicki isn’t there.”
“What? She’s always there. The laundromat opens at eight in the morning.”
Billy shook his head. “The door is locked, and the closed sign is in the window.”
“Did you go to her house?” asked Virge. “Maybe she’s sick or worried over her mother and she took the day off.”
“We’ll go over there right now, and talk to her,” said Billy. “Let’s not panic until we find out what’s going on. She might have heard from her mother and gone to pick her up.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Virge ran out the back door without waiting for me or for Billy. He had the squad running when Billy hopped into the shotgun seat, and I got in the back.
Temple Residence. Coyote Creek.
The old Ford Focus that Vicki and her mother both drove wasn’t in the driveway and the front door was locked when Billy tried it.
Virge pounded on the front door and hollered for Vicki. I left him there shouting and ran around the back to see if I could get in that way.
Back was locked, but I opened it with my pick set, ran through the quiet house and let my brother and Billy in. “There’s nobody here. The house is empty.”
Virgil ran like a madman through every room.
“No sign of her?” asked Billy.
“I wish I’d slept here like Vicki wanted me to do,” Virge was hollering at the top of his lungs. “She was scared and asked me to sleep here last night. Damn it, Billy. I should’ve done it. I told her I’d ask Travis if I could, and I forgot to do it. This is on me.”
“Not on you, Virge, if she left on her own to find her mother. That’s probably what she did. She got tired of waiting for her mother to come home and Vicki went looking for her.” Billy pulled out his phone. “I’ll look up the tag and put a BOLO out on the car.”
“Yeah, that might give us a locate on her.”
“Should we check the mob guy in Shelby again?” I asked Billy.
“I’ll send Ted over there right away to keep an eye on him. If the guy goes out, maybe Ted can get a tag in that house and that will help us out.”
“Can I do a thorough search of this house?” asked Virge. “Might come up with something on the mother.”
“Sure. Why don’t you and Harlan do that? I’ll drive back to the station and send Ted to Shelby. Virge, do you have Vicki’s cell number?”
“Yep.”
“I know you’ve tried time and again but keep calling to see if anything changes on her end.”
“Already called her twenty times and she didn’t answer, but I’ll keep trying.”
“Attaboy.”
ReMax Office. Coyote Creek.
Travis was a little overwhelmed by how quickly things were moving. He figured he had tons of time to pack and get ready to leave Montana, but now he didn’t have much time at all.
The Inn was sold, and the ranch would be next. The thing bothering him the most was the location for the new spread. The boys were keen on not being too far from Annie and the kids—their extended family—and he wanted Harlan and Virge to be happy above all else.
The location didn’t matter so much to him. He’d grown up south of San Angelo and that was a helluva long way from Annie’s ranch.
In Bob Crockett’s office, Travis signed everything marked with a little yellow ‘X’.
“That’s it, Travis. You’re all done with the Inn until the closing date. The ranch is next on our list.”
“I’ve been thinking about it and you’d better search for a ranch for me and the boys within a fifty-mile radius of Austin. The boys don’t want to be more than an hour away from their step-mom and their foster family. They are attached to those kids.”
Bob grinned. “That helps narrow it down a lot, Travis. Texas is a big state.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I’ve got buyers meeting me at your ranch this morning, so I’d better get up there. Talk to you later.”
“Yep. Let me know if they like it.”
“You’ll hear from me.”
Coyote Creek Inn.
Travis left the office and stopped by the market down the street to pick up more cardboard boxes. He didn’t have nearly enough. Next on his list was something he didn’t want to do but couldn’t put off any longer.
He parked behind the Inn and entered through the back door next to the huge restaurant kitchen. On his way in, he spoke to Susan Westfall, the manager.
“I’ll be in the apartment this morning, Susan. The Inn has been sold and I have to pack the apartment up and clear it out.”
“I’m not sure I’m looking forward to meeting new owners, Travis. We’ve had such a great working arrangement, and you’re the best boss we could have.”
“You’ll meet the new owners soon and I think you’ll like them. They seem like nice people.”
“They won’t be as nice as you.”
He laughed. “Sure they will be.”
Carrying an armload of boxes, Travis unlocked the door of the apartment and went inside. He had no intentions of moving anything from the space except for Olivia’s personal belongings.
Before starting his off-putting task, Travis tried to prepare himself. He sat on the end of Olivia’s bed and lit up a smoke. Had he ever smoked in here before?
Couldn’t remember, but there were a lot of other memories that wouldn’t be leaving his head anytime soon. He’d never forget Olivia Best.
This might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Shadow Mountain. West Virginia.
After straining his brain for hours, Bobby almost gave himself an aneurism, but he finally figured out a way to find Tammy. Not find her accurately—pinpoint her location or anything like that—but find a location close to where she was.
Using Fletcher Bowden’s name, he called Texas Ranger Headquarters in Austin and asked his question. The girl on the other end of the phone got the information quickly for him and made Bobby smile.
“Tammy Traynor/Bristol’s last known whereabouts was at the sight of a vehicle wreckage in the Smoky Mountains north of Asheville, North Carolina. Hope that helps, Ranger Bowden.”
“Tremendously. Thanks so much.”
He put the phone down and patted Cleo on her big, black head. “North Carolina, Cleo. Are you ready to go for a ride in the Jeep?”
Cleo wagged her tail and ran to the door.
“Hey, wait for me. I have to pack.” Excited that he had a new purpose and destination, Bobby ran into his room and filled a duffel with clean clothes. He grabbed his toiletries from the bathroom, the gun from the top drawer of his dresser and his wallet.
“I’m ready to go.”
On the way out, he locked up the cabin hoping no more squatters would break in while he was gone. “They better stay out if they know what’s good for them, Cleo. You can take a big chunk out of them when we get home if you want to.”
Bobby sat behind the wheel and reached for his map. “Let’s have a look at the big picture before we program the address in, Cleo.”
He lowered the passenger window for Cleo to stick her big head out, then reached under the seat to affirm that his tire iron was laying there if he needed it.
Touching the cold steel made him smile. That thing felt so good in his hand…and it had been a while since he’d used it.
“We’ve got the tire iron, Cleo. Let’s go find Tammy and bash her brains out.”
Cleo wagged her tail and Bobby laughed.
“It’s gonna be a great day, Cleo.”
Watson Cabin. North Carolina.
Willy was tired out after the day he’d spent in limbo. All day long, he’d wrestled with himself mentally and emotionally trying to figure out if he should let Tammy go like she wanted to or go with her and try to make a life with her on the run.
Hardest decision Willy-John ever had to make, and he wasn’t doing well at it. After hours of thinking on his decision, he was still confused.
He wanted to be with Tammy but if she had killed a lot of people and she was telling the truth about that, then he had to wonder how they could start a new life.
The police will catch up with her. They always do.
Willy thought about getting her a used car to drive and just letting her go. That might be the best plan.
They didn’t talk much during dinner and after cleaning up the dishes, Tammy went straight to bed.
Willy took the dogs out onto the porch and he sat in one of the old chairs and strummed his banjo for a while. Not loud enough to wake Tammy up. Then he came in and didn’t turn the lights on.
Without bothering to get undressed, he lay down on his cot and let the sadness and disappointment flood over him.
Worst feeling ever. He had high hopes for a life with Tammy and now…he couldn’t fathom life with a wanted murdered. They’d always be looking over their shoulders.
How could it be anything but one day at a time?
Willy pondered that concept for a while. Would he be satisfied with one day at a time?
Never once did Willy-John think of Tammy killing him.
No recollection of dozing off to sleep, but he woke when George and Gracie barked and ran to the door. Willy jumped up off his bed and ran to look.
When he opened the creaky cabin door, the dogs bolted outside on the run and Willy saw Tammy sitting behind the wheel of his truck with the motor running.
Willy ran down the porch steps and jerked open the passenger door. “No, Tammy. Please don’t leave me behind. I’m begging you not to.”
“I wrote you a note, Willy. I don’t want to leave you, and I don’t want to steal your truck, but I have to keep you safe. Believe me, I’m doing you a favor. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Come back inside and help me pack, Tammy. I want to bring my medical supplies and things for the dogs. Please, I’m not ready to go yet.”
“Willy, I’m trying to save you from me and from all the harm I will bring you. You don’t deserve to have your life ruined by a terrible person like me. You don’t know me or what I’m capable of.”
“Wait for me inside, Tammy. I’m afraid you’ll leave me if you don’t get out of the truck and come inside.”
“Oh, Willy. I wish I didn’t love you so much. You’re making me do the wrong thing. It’s wrong for us to run away together thinking things will work out. So wrong.”
Tammy followed Willy and the dogs inside and they spent a half hour packing and loading the truck with everything they might need for their new life on the road.
Willy made coffee in traveler mugs, and he drove with Tammy sitting in the passenger seat sipping her caffeine.
Big smile on his face, Willy asked, “Which way are we going, Tammy? Do you have a destination in mind?”
“Go north, Willy. We’ll be safe in Canada.”
“I’ve never been to Canada. I’ve heard it’s beautiful up there.”
“It is. We’ll go way up north, and nobody will ever find us. You, me, George and Gracie.”
“I can picture it,” said Willy. “We’ll be like pioneers in our little cabin in the middle of nowhere.”
Tammy smiled.