Page 55 of Final Ride

“Yep. Five guys went in, and Matt Goreman was already in there with his fake sister.”

“Who’s calling us with the news?” asked Travis.

“Montana State Crime,” said Billy. “They are the guys coordinating the investigation between the Res police—where the casino is situated—and Conrad PD.”

“Any fatalities?” I asked.

“Four dead at the scene including Susan Mannington.”

“Huh. I guess something went wrong for her,” said Virge. “Her pretend brother didn’t save her ass.”

“Did they use the guns from Charlie McNeil’s store?” I asked.

“Not sure they know that yet, Harlan,” said Billy, “but I’ll tell you one thing. Another robbery and murder so close to home made me decide something for sure.”

“Tell me what I want to hear, Billy,” said Travis.

“I’m done here when the election rolls around in November. I’ll have to finish out my term, but I’m not running again. Harrison County can get somebody new before I get shot and don’t get to enjoy my retirement in that hot state of fuckin’ Texas.”

Travis grinned. “Best news I’ve had today.”

Billy sighed. “Ted and I will tough it out together until then. Molly will probably decide the same thing when I tell her I’m going to Texas. She’s ready to pack it in too.”

“Good decision, Billy,” said Travis. “The boys will have your bed all made up for you when you get to our new spread in Lincoln.”

Billy grinned. “Thanks, guys. I just can’t picture staying here in Montana without my family. It would be the high shits.”

Billy left for work after making his big decision. Travis left for Cut Bank to finish odds and ends with his accountant, and that left me and Virge to get started on our ‘moving to Texas’ list.

It was a long one and we had so much shit to pack up and move it was scary.

“Dad wants to be in Texas at least a week ahead of when we’re closing on the new ranch,” I said to Virge, “so that means in two weeks we’ll be leaving for the drive down there towing the bikes and the horses.”

“Yep. It will take us at least four good days of solid driving to get there, all that stopping and whatnot.”

“When’s Dad renting us the big horse trailer?”

“Next week, I hope.” Then he paused, looking thoughtful. “When we get to Texas and our ranch ain’t ours yet,” asked Virge. “Where we gonna lay our heads down?”

“Not sure about that, but he did mention putting the horses in Mom’s corral while we waited.”

“Okay. We’ll be staying there then,” said Virge.

“Hope that’s true. Then I’ll have a week with Lucy before we move twenty or thirty miles away.”

Virge laughed at me. “Twenty miles ain’t far, you big wussy. You could run that far on foot with your backpack on your back if you had to.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

We went into the garage to start packing it up and throw out crap we never used. Virge pointed at the bikes. “Three bikes to trailer and our trailer only holds two. One will have to go in the load bed of one of the trucks.”

“Yep. Look at all that shit on the shelves and the workbench, bro. This is stuff we have to sort out this week. Go get a couple of trash bags from the kitchen.”

Virge lit up a smoke and sat on his Harley. “You go.”

Maynooth. Northern Ontario.

“This cute little cabin we live in, Cleo, is on a lake and we haven’t found the path to the water yet. It has to be through thewoods and down the hill because we’ve looked in all three other directions. Come on, girl. Let’s go find the water.”

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