Page 55 of Midnight Ride

“What did Jack see?”

“I’m going there at noon when he opens.”

“Call him at home and ask him. How can I help?”

“I don’t know. Don’t even know what to do first. I’m hoping she’ll message me. She’s smart.”

“Was she armed?” asked Savanna.

“Yes. Her gun was in her waist holster.”

“Good. Call me right away if I can do something to help you and the boys. Even cook a meal for you at the ranch. I don’t mind.”

“Thanks, Savanna. I’ll call you the minute I know anything.”

Travis stepped out of the break room and Billy was at the end of the hall photographing the Arkansas boys one by one.

“If y’all aren’t picked out of a six-pack by the victim, y’all will be out of here right after lunch.”

“You feeding us, Sheriff?”

“You bet. How about burgers and fries?”

“Yep.”

“Soon as y’all pose for your pictures, Billy will get y’all a coffee.”

Billy locked the boys up when he was done, got them each a coffee and left with the pictures for Linda Tucker’s place in Cut Bank.

South of Oilmont.

Ted drove the feds to the county road south of Oilmont, parked the squad and tramped with them and the dogs into the bush to the exact spot where Steve Oliver had been shot seven times.

“He was lying right there when we found him. Torn up some from the bears and wolves. Probably coyotes too. Seven bullet holes in him.”

“I read that in the report,” said McBain. “Not a pleasant sight to come across.”

“We’ll be a while, Deputy Wallace,” said Chapman.

“I’ll take the dogs for a run. Call me when you’re ready to go.”

Ted poked around on the periphery of the crime scene, looking for anything that might have been missed but didn’t come up with anything new.

Max and Sarge were on leashes and Ted held them loosely in one hand. They became interested in a scent, put their noses in the air and began pulling, wanting to go west.

“Whoa, boys. Where you guys going?” Ted pulled back on the leashes, but the dogs were determined to go the way they wanted to go. “What is it you guys smell?”

Ted ran along behind the dogs for close to five minutes before they stopped. Both of them lay down next to Alison Oliver’s body.

“Aw, shit. Look at the fuckin mess of her.” Ted dropped down on one knee and felt for a pulse. “She ain’t dead but she might as well be. A bear got her pretty good.”

Ted pulled out his phone to see if he was close enough to the tower to have service. “Maybe.” He called Travis.

“Ted? You with the feds?”

“Yeah, near there. The dogs found Alison Oliver and she ain’t quite dead. Bear got her.”

“Can you get her out to the road?”

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