Page 73 of Final Ride

Travis smiled. “And I don’t want them to.”

Annie sat down next to him and stroked his blood-splattered hair.

Maynooth. Northern Ontario.

Bobby had the groceries all put away and he was enjoying a beer on the back porch when Cleo barked and ran around to the front of the cabin.

Taking his time, Bobby sauntered around figuring it had to be the cops. They’d be knocking on every door on the lake road looking for a lead into the old man’s murder.

“Howdy, sir,” said the cop in the dark blue uniform. OPP embroidered on his pocket and on his hat.

These guys were provincial. Probably no local cops up here. The population was too small to warrant it.

“You probably saw the police presence at the general store and know what happened to Mister Peck. News travels fast up here.”

“Yeah, I heard when I went to Bancroft for groceries earlier. Too bad. Nice old guy. I buy my gas and smokes at his store. Did.”

“Yeah, a lot of local people will miss Old Peck.”

“That’s a fact.”

“If you happen to see any strangers hanging around, would you call the Bancroft detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police?” The cop handed Bobby a card.

“Sure. I’ll do that. Was it a robbery?”

“Looks like it. Only the cash was missing from the register. Nothing else was touched.”

“Huh.”

After the cop left, Bobby and Cleo took a walk down the steep hill to the lake. Bobby stood on the end of the dock and tossed his old blood-encrusted tire iron way out into the middle of the calm water.

“I bought a new one at Canadian Tire when we were in town earlier, Cleo. I wouldn’t want to be without one for too long. That’s like being without my best friend.”

Peterborough Logistics. Northern Ontario.

Glen pulled into the depot in the industrial park just off the bypass in the city of Peterborough. He backed up, dropped the loaded trailer and left Tammy in the cab of the Freightliner while he went into the office to sort out his paperwork.

While he was inside waiting to pick up his money, Tammy climbed over into the drivers’ seat, started the truck and drove out to the highway.

Chapter Seventeen

Friday, August 29th.

Maynooth. Northern Ontario.

Tammy arrived at her Mama’s cabin after dark and getting the big Freightliner up the steep driveway was a bit of a challenge. After three tries, she made it and congratulated herself on being a great truck driver.

She parked the big truck next to a black Jeep and smiled. “Eldon is here. I was right.”

Elated everything was going according to her latest plan, Tammy made her way to the cabin in the dark. She remembered Mama saying the key was around the back and she followed the log walls until she reached the long porch that ran the entire length of the back of the cabin.

Feeling her way along the windowsills and stretching to check the tops of the windows, the growl behind her caught her attention, but not in time.

The huge paw stuck her back like a hammer and knocked her down flat. Having the wind knocked out of her and no strength in her body, Tammy lay on the plank floor of the porch completely defenseless.

The bear growled and grabbed hold of her and there was no way she could prevent the huge beast from dragging her off.

Bobby startled awake when Cleo barked and jumped off the bed. She ran to the garden doors at the back of the cabin and scratched to get out.

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