Page 12 of Final Ride

Chapter Three

Tuesday, July 23rd.

Wild Stallion Ranch. Montana.

Me and Virge spent an extra hour in the barn cleaning up for the viewing. When we made it to the house for breakfast, there was barely time to eat anything.

“What took you boys so long?” asked Billy.

“Cleaning up the barn for the people coming to look at the ranch,” I said.

“The house could use a cleaning too,” said Travis. He cracked a half dozen eggs and threw them into the frying pan. “Maybe I’ll stay behind and run through the house before I come to the shop. Did you boys make your beds?”

“Umm…no,” said Virge, “but I was just gonna go do that, Dad.”

“Eat your breakfast first. We’re already late.” He turned to Billy. “You go on ahead and I’ll tidy up while the boys eat. We won’t be too far behind you.”

“Copy that.” Billy picked up his keys and left for the station.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

First thing Virge did when we got to the station was ask Billy if he had any news on Vicki’s mother.

“I went across the road to talk to Vicki again, Virge, and the laundromat is closed. Vicki isn’t there.”

“What? She’s always there. The laundromat opens at eight in the morning.”

Billy shook his head. “The door is locked, and the closed signis in the window.”

“Did you go to her house?” asked Virge. “Maybe she’s sick or worried over her mother and she took the day off.”

“We’ll go over there right now, and talk to her,” said Billy. “Let’s not panic until we find out what’s going on. She might have heard from her mother and gone to pick her up.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Virge ran out the back door without waiting for me or for Billy. He had the squad running when Billy hopped into the shotgun seat, and I got in the back.

Temple Residence. Coyote Creek.

The old Ford Focus that Vicki and her mother both drove wasn’t in the driveway and the front door was locked when Billy tried it.

Virge pounded on the front door and hollered for Vicki. I left him there shouting and ran around the back to see if I could get in that way.

Back was locked, but I opened it with my pick set, ran through the quiet house and let my brother and Billy in. “There’s nobody here. The house is empty.”

Virgil ran like a madman through every room.

“No sign of her?” asked Billy.

“I wish I’d slept here like Vicki wanted me to do,” Virge was hollering at the top of his lungs. “She was scared and asked me to sleep here last night. Damn it, Billy. I should’ve done it. I told her I’d ask Travis if I could, and I forgot to do it. This is on me.”

“Not on you, Virge, if she left on her own to find her mother. That’s probably what she did. She got tired of waiting for her mother to come home and Vicki went looking for her.” Billy pulled out his phone. “I’ll look up the tag and put a BOLO out on the car.”

“Yeah, that might give us a locate on her.”

“Should we check the mob guy in Shelby again?” I asked Billy.

“I’ll send Ted over there right away to keep an eye on him. If the guy goes out, maybe Ted can get a tag in that house and that will help us out.”

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