Page 27 of Longest Ride

While we waited for Travis and Doctor Olsen, me and Virge sat in the Jeep and smoked to get the smell out of our noses and throats.

Dad rolled in first with Ted, and Doc Olsen was right behind him in the coroner’s van.

“You boys don’t have to go inside,” said Travis. “Wait out here until we need help with the bodies.”

“Copy that.”

Virge looked at me and said, “Once they’re in the body bags, the smell won’t be so bad.”

“Hope you’re right.”

“Wonder who the girl is,” said Virge. “She looks young.”

“Did you notice a purse near her clothes?” I asked.

“Didn’t stay long enough to look at clothes and purses, bro. Had to run and puke.”

“Yeah, right. I thought I saw clothes on the floor.”

“You think that’s Harry and Alex and unknown girlfriend?”

“Alex’s trailer, that’s about all we know. Dad will get the IDs from their clothes.”

“Why would their trucks be down on the Quarry Cutoff road if they were here?”

“That’s a damned good question, Virgie. When you find out the answer to that question, the case will be solved.”

“How do you figure, Harlan?”

“Because the person or persons plural who put those trucks down there to throw us off, was the person who murdered the three people in the trailer.”

“I’m a fuckin genius.” Virge flashed me a big grin and I had to laugh out loud at my brother.

We waited outside while the doc did his thing, then we helped get the body bags into Doc Olsen’s van. He left and Dad told us to seal the trailer.

“Tape it up, boys, and come back to the station. We’ll canvas the neighbors tomorrow. Won’t get a goddamned thing from them, but we’ll try.”

“Copy that.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

The dead girl’s purse and phone were sitting on Molly’s desk being marked for evidence. Travis had her driver’s license in his hand reading it off. “Her name was Carla Venner, and she had an address in Sunburst Acres.”

“How old, Dad?” asked Virge. “She looked young to me to be already dead.”

“Twenty. Alex Perkins and Harry Fleming were both mid-thirties.”

“Harry Fleming was married,” said Molly with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

“Guess being married didn’t matter to Harry,” I said. “Mrs. Fleming is gonna be sad when we tell her.”

Molly researched the address where Carla Venner lived and said, “This is interesting, boys.”

Travis turned his head to listen to Molly.

“That trailer is rented to Tim Perkins.”

“Is he kin to Alex, Molly?”

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