Page 5 of Rocky Ride

Now he had the clothes and the girl’s scent for Clyde. “I think we’re ready, Clyde. You ready to get to work?”

Clyde gave one sharp little yelp that meant he was ready.

“Let’s go find her, boy.”

Daniels Residence. Ethridge. Montana.

Ted knocked on the door of the house where the strip club owner lived, and she smiled when she let us in. “Aw, three deputies, and all so handsome in their uniforms. How did I get so lucky?”

“Sheriff’s guys are here, Shay,” she called over her shoulder.

A big bruiser of a guy strode into the room with a dish towel over his shoulder. Long dark hair and a mustache, he looked a lot younger than his wife.

Krystal had been a hot-looking stripper in her day. She saved her tips and opened her own place. The rest was history. Krystal’s Palace was a landmark in the town of Ethridge. Some of the residents liked it and others not so much.

“Nice to meet y’all.” He shook hands with all of them and sat down next to his wife on the sofa.

“Why don’t you go ahead and tell us what’s going on, Miss Krystal,” said Ted.

“It’s stupid really,” said Krystal, “but there are six women in town who have decided since they can’t keep their men out of my club, they’re going to come at me from another angle.”

“And what angle is that ma’am?” Ted used his polite voice.

“Like I told your dispatcher, those women set fire to the dumpster out back of my club hoping it would catch on to the building and burn my place down.”

“You know the names of these women?” asked Ted.

Virge pulled out his notebook ready to write.

“Glenna Pitts, Sue Rayford, Alice Cummings, Brenda Paige, Lila Gordon, and Grace Blintz. They call themselves ‘Wives Against Strip Clubs’ and some nights on the weekend, the WASC group or club or whatever they call themselves, stand out front with signs trying to turn my customers away.”

“Are they on your property when they hold up the signs, ma’am?” asked Ted.

Krystal’s husband answered. “No. They stand in the street or on the sidewalk when they’re yelling and picketing with the signs.”

Ted nodded. “Was the fire department called for the dumpster fire, ma’am?”

“Yes. We called the fire department and they put out the blaze but only after it caught onto the framing around one of the windows at the back of the building.”

“So the blaze actually caught onto the main building,” Ted confirmed it.

“Yes,” said Shay. “The women were standing back watching the blaze.”

“The fact that the framing around the window was on fire is actually a good thing,” said Ted, “if this goes to court.”

Shay nodded. “I see what you mean. Shows intent for the arson charges.”

“Exactly,” said Ted. “We’ll get addresses and talk to each of the women,” said Ted.

“And you’re going to lay charges, right?” asked Shay.

“Yes, sir. Charges will be laid,” said Ted. “Attempted arson, at the least. See what the women admit to. Sometimes these little hate groups have no trouble incriminating themselves. In fact, some of them are proud of what they’ve done. Crazy, but true.”

“Good,” said Shay. “I want them stopped before they do any more damage. Krystal has been upset by these women picketing the club, and when my bride is unhappy, so am I.”

Krystal smiled and patted her husband’s thigh.

They left with the list of names of the six women in the strip club hater’s group and headed back to the station.

---