Page 114 of The Skeikh's Games

“No, Jackie. I left the kid at the kitchen table doing the crossword,” Beau snapped sarcastically.

The police chief approached Jackie.

“I’m assuming there won’t be an investigation into this death. Mr. Savage was 92 and there appears to have been no foul play. If anything changes let me know. The gentleman with the coroner’s office will be interested in knowing where you want the body taken.”

Beau interrupted. “Our family always uses McAllister’s. They know the drill because they handled the deaths of both of my parents.”

“Beau, I know your Grandfather had plans to be cremated. He had specific instructions that I know he had notarized and kept with his will. Our attorney has everything and we’ll handle it from here. Thank you Chief Lipton.

The chief walked away and Beau began to shake his head in anger. It was a tense time so Jackie tried to be patient and allowed Beau to take it out on her.

“You’re new to the Savage family Jackie. We’ve had people die in this family before and the procedure is always the same. To have a proper funeral, we need a casket and cemetery service. Pops will be laid to rest next to my father at the Mountain of Souls. The view is great and he’ll be with loved ones. The savage family has the finest plot in the state and they keep it meticulously manicured.”

Jackie was not about to argue and let the matter fall to their attorney Gil Bridger. She was mostly concerned with getting home to JB who was probably wondering what happened to Mom.

Tina Dorsette was relaxing on the deck of her oceanfront condominium in Malibu, when she picked up her tablet. She made it a habit to keep up with the news that mattered. Tina was a fixture on the elite social scene of the West Coast; she needed to maintain her relevance at cocktail parties and other events. Who married, divorced or died was important information. The embarrassment caused by not recognizing a person’s death by sending condolences to their loved ones would be catastrophic. Tina had been a catwalk model based in Paris for years but she retired and showed up in the occasional print advertisement. She could be found in the pages of Vogue or the New York Times style section, wearing something ridiculously expensive and looking pissed off. Her relationships were fodder for the tabloids because she dated professional athletes or the occasional older billionaire. Tina flipped her long golden hair and her amber eyes widened.

“Oh shit. This is big.” Tina sat up, exposing her bare boobs.

“What’s up T?” Her friend Sasha asked.

They were both nude sunbathing by their infinity pool.

“Jason Savage finally kicked the bucket. Making his grandson Beau have more money than anyone I know. I remember Beau was very close to the man so I think I’ll have to make it a point to attend the funeral in Cheyenne.”

“Isn’t Beau married to some chick named Jackie? I think they had a kid,” Sasha said as she dipped her toes in the pool.

“All true but you know what happens to a woman’s body after she has a child. I never took Beau to be a family man so I wonder how he’s holding up.”

“Careful Tina, You’re supposed to be rehabilitating your image after the Tim Randall affair. He was married with two children under five. You’ve been labeled a home wrecking hoe and your PR people were pissed.”

“Don’t overreact Sasha. It was great PR because now my name is known. It wasn’t a scandal that I can’t handle and I really feel bad for Beau. He probably needs a friend who understands him and we go way back. I helped him decorate his apartment in Paris and I probably still have a key to the place; I’m sure the doorman still knows me.”

“Do you need company on your trip to Cheyenne?” Sasha asked.

“Sure what the heck although most of my time will be spent with dear friend Beau. I’m going to buy a tasteful black dress for the service, get my highlights touched up and have my pussy waxed for the occasion.”

“Some occasion Tina — a person died.” Sasha laughed.

Tina Dorsette and her pal Sasha managed to hop on a charter with friends who were also going to the funeral, taking place at a church in Cheyenne. They rented a black SUV when they landed. There were many similar vehicles in Southeastern Wyoming that week because Jason Savage had many wealthy friends. He owned half the land in Wyoming and 1/3 of Montana. He was one of the West’s most prominent land barons. He just thought of himself as a cowboy with good luck. Tina used her GPS to navigate her way to the Clear Creek Resort owned by Beau and Jackie Savage.

A laminated sign in the resort lobby was a photo of Beau and Jackie Savage, co-owners of the resort. They were both decked out in western attire. His arm was thrown around her shoulder and they were smiling broadly. Tina shook her head and continued to the front desk.

“Tina Dorsette checking in. I requested a suite with a view,”

“This is an all-suite property. Every room has some type of view. We only offer so many with a panoramic view of the mountains and those were booked long before Mr. Savage’s funeral was scheduled.”

“I’m a close friend of Beau, I mean Mr. Savage. See if you can sneak me into a mountain view room with a terrace.”

“I mean no disrespect Ms. Dorsette but most of the folks in town to pay respects are close to the family. I’m sure you’ll find room 211 up to your standards.”

Tina continued to check-in, as did Sasha. Tina Dorsette did not like being treated like everyone else and she made a metal note of less than stellar front desk experience.

Jackie was sitting on the floor of the solarium with JB. The sun was pouring in and she was enjoying the best part of her day. Motherhood had come as a surprise as she never imagined herself a domestic goddess. Having JB infused new life into the ranch. Before his death, Jason Savage noticed the changes and was pleased that his legacy would live on in his great-grandson.

“How’s my little man and devastatingly beautiful wife? I owe you an apology Jackie. I’ve been difficult over the past few days and you’ve let me steam roll over you and your ideas. You wrote the obituary, which was amazing. You organized packets for all the out of town guests and set-up the open house tribute. You haven’t missed a beat with the little guy either because JB seems happy.”

Jackie smiled as she chased JB before he tore into one of the dozens of flower arrangements that were delivered.

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