Page 59 of Midnight Ride

“Need to talk to you for a minute, Jimmy. Nothing to get worked up about. Something you might’ve seen. You were at the Dry Run last night?”

“Yeah. So what? Me and my brother go there for a pitcher sometimes.” He walked towards the kitchen and Travis followed.

“No problem with that. When you left, you were seen going out the door right after a young girl.”

“Umm…okay.” Jimmy got himself a beer out of the fridge and handed a can of Molson to Travis. “I saw a girl leave. Pretty girl. Don’t think she was drinking age, but yeah, I saw her leave.” He stared hard at the boys. “Think I saw these guys too.”

“Yep. We were there,” said Virge.

Travis popped the top on the beer and chugged half of it down. “This is the important part, Jimmy.”

“Go for it.”

“Where did she go when she left the roadhouse?”

“Why? She missing?”

“You got it.”

“Okay, let me think. I was pretty drunk, Sheriff.” Jimmy plopped down at the table and looked like he was thinking hard.

Travis stood and waited for lightning to strike.

“Me and Jamie leave, and the girl is running towards the highway. Me and Jamie turn towards the parking lot to go get Jamie’s truck, and we meet a pickup coming out of the parking lot right at us. Headlights in our faces. Know what I mean?”

“Yeah. The pickup was coming right at y’all and kind of blinding y’all.”

“Exactly.”

“Which way did the pickup go?”

“North. But only a few feet before it pulled over.”

“The pickup stopped?” Travis gripped the side of the kitchen table.

“Yep. Stopped and then kept going.”

“You think they picked up the girl?”

“Never thought about it until this fuckin minute, Sheriff. But they could have been stopping for her. From where me and Jamie were standing, we couldn’t see what they were doing. Could’ve been exactly like that.”

“Nice work, Jimmy. I owe you one.”

He smiled. “Cops never owed me before. I like it.”

“Where’s Jamie live? I need to ask him the same questions and see what he remembers.”

“Jamie lives in Oilmont. Got himself a new wife and a mortgage.” Jimmy chuckled. “I’m steering clear of that.”

“Got an address for him?”

“Sure.” Jimmy scribbled down his brother’s address. “Hope you find the girl, Sheriff.”

“My daughter, Jimmy. I gotta find her.”

“Aw, Jesus. Sorry, Sheriff.”

Travis slumped behind the wheel and tried to breathe.

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