Page 16 of River Ride

“What? You’ve known me for a couple of years, Tammy. Don’t say that.” He spun her around and pushed her in the direction of the restaurant.

“I don’t want to eat. I’m not hungry.”

Annie caught up and took Tammy’s other arm.

They hauled her into the restaurant and sat her in the back of a booth where she couldn’t get out.

All through lunch, Tammy cried and wouldn’t eat a bite. Her mood rubbed off on the other kids and lunch wasn’t much fun for any of them.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek. Montana.

“Brian Groveman wasn’t at home, Molly, and I need to talk to him. Could you please phone the other three hunting friends and see what they know? Find out if Groveman had a job. He might be at work.”

“Of course. I’ll call them right away.”

A few minutes later Molly had completed the calls, and she came into the break room to tell Travis what she’d found out.

“Terry Marshall says Brian was scared because he lied to the cops, and he took off someplace.”

“He didn’t say where?”

“I asked and Terry said he had no idea where.”

“Why lie?”

“I asked that question and according to Terry, Brian got scared when he saw the sheriff at his door, and he didn’t mean to lie.”

“Why was he scared in the first place if he hadn’t done anything wrong?” asked Travis.

“I pressed him on that point,” said Molly, “and Terry said Brian might have shot game out of season and the meat might be in his freezer.”

“Okay. Then he also lied about not being a poacher, because he is one. Molly, call Kody and have him drop by the station. We need to have another talk.”

“I’ll call him in, Travis.”

An hour later, Kody Kollard, the district game warden arrived at the station. Travis updated him on the murder investigation and sent him down to Black Creek Pass to check Brian Groveman’s freezer.

Indianapolis. Indiana.

Ray pushed it through and didn’t have much to say to Bobby on the long drive to Indianapolis. He pulled the pickup into a Super Eight next door to a Bob Evans.

“That’s about enough driving for one day, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, sure,” said Bobby. “I’m beat. We need food and sleep.”

Before parking the truck for the night, Ray filled it with gas and checked the oil. While they were at the gas station, Bobby bought a couple of maps.

They ate dinner at the Bob Evans, then walked across the parking lot to their hotel. Once they were settled in their room, Bobby searched out the least used border crossings and circled them with a red pen.

“These are the crossing points we’ll be passing on our way west, Ray, and I know exactly the one we’re looking for.”

“You got it picked out?” Ray wandered over to the table and glanced down at the map and the spot where Bobby was pointing.

“We’ll cross just north of Sweetgrass in Northern Montana and that will take us into Alberta, not far from Lethbridge. Fromthere it’s only a few hundred miles to the real estate office in Sicamous.”

Ray wandered into the ensuite, and he hollered to Bobby, “I think we ain’t getting across no matter which desolated crossing point you pick, Bobby.”

Bobby laughed. “We’ll get across, Ray. You’ll see.”

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