Page 51 of Midnight Ride

Molly called for an ambulance.

“Medics will be here for you soon, Ravary,” said Travis. “As soon as you’re released from the hospital, I’ll find a spot for you here in my jail.”

“I’ll get you for this, Sheriff. I’m not done with you yet.”

“Don’t threaten me, Ravary. It won’t look good on your headstone.” Travis said that in a whisper, so the feds didn’t hear him, but Tammy and I did.

Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived from Cut Bank, and they took Ravary away. Billy followed the ambulance to take care of the details at the hospital.

“A personal problem, Sheriff?” asked Chapman.

“Nope. Ravary is a conman and a problem for the entire town.”

“We’ll need a place to stay, Sheriff. Can you recommend accommodation for us?”

“Stay at the Inn at the north end of town. It’s the most comfortable place with the best food. I’ll call and tell Miss Best y’all are coming if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” said McBain. “That’s very kind.”

Dry Run Roadhouse.

After a particularly frustrating day all around, Travis was in a foul mood when we stopped into the roadhouse for a pitcher.

We grabbed a booth, and my back was to the front entrance. I was looking across the table at my sister, watching her fill our glasses with Miller from the pitcher.

She glanced up and her face broke into a big smile. I turned my head to look and saw why. Bobby Ray, the guy from Arkansas she liked, had come in with his buddies.

Travis smiled too, but I couldn’t figure out the reason why. He didn’t like Bobby Ray dancing with Tammy, and neither did I.

“The boys from Arkansas are here,” he looked straight at Billy.

“Yep.”

Billy and Travis both got up at the same time and me, Virge and Tammy didn’t have a clue what was going on. Travis and Billy were working together, so it was something they had talked about.

They rounded up those four guys before they had a chance to sit down at a table and marched them out the front door of the run. They left us sitting at our table wondering what the hell was going on.

Tammy started to cry. “What’s Daddy doing, Harlan? Bobby Ray ain’t done nothing.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“I can feel it. He’s a good person.”

“Can’t say why Dad’s doing what he’s doing, Tam. He never mentioned nothing about the Arkansas boys to me.”

“Billy knew,” said Virge.

“True enough,” I said. “Billy was as ready as Dad was.”

“Fuck,” said Tammy. “I want to go home. I’m not talking to Daddy for a week. Might even make it a goddamned month.”

Virge smiled. “How we gonna get home, Tammer? We got no wheels. We’re stuck here until our ride comes back to pick us up.”

“I’m walking. Y’all can wait here if y’all want to, but I’m leaving.”

“Jesus, Tam, you can’t start walking up the highway in the fuckin dark.”

“Oh, no? You don’t think so? Just watch me.”

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