Page 89 of Rocky Ride

Ray had been quiet after they left Nashville and headed out of state. Bobby figured Ray was a little shaken up after watching him bash J.T. Turnbull’s head in with a tire iron.

“Nothing has changed between us, Ray. We’re best buddies…like for always. I owe you and I would never hurt you. Honest.”

“Guess I wasn’t ready for that other side of you,” said Ray. “You told me it was there, but I guess I didn’t want to believe it.”

“When I was on the road twenty-four-seven, I used to lose my temper a lot when assholes would slow me down and do the stupidest damned stuff on the highways. Now, I rarely get mad at all. Nothing to get pissed at. Life is good for us.”

“Yeah,” said Ray. We were doing so good in the trailer. I loved living there.”

“Our new place will be just as good when we get it fixed up. You’ll see.”

“Never pictured myself as a mountain man,” said Ray.

“Fake song-writing mountain men,” said Bobby. “We’re faking it until we make it.” He laughed and so did Ray.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek. Montana.

Molly hollered from the dispatch desk. “Incoming, Sheriff.”

Without bothering to take his coat off, Travis hurried to the squad room. “What have you got?”

“A friend of Barb Joliceur’s from the bank stopped to give her a ride to work and she found Barb all beat up and crying.”

“Tell the woman to stay with Barb and I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Copy that,” said Molly.

“Come on, boys. Barb Joliceur was your interview. Y’all know her better than I do.”

“Dan is in our run, Dad,” I said. “He didn’t beat her up for not verifying his alibi.”

“Dan has the best motive,” said Travis. “Y’all are right about that. He could’ve sent one of his men to do the job for him.”

“We took his phone,” argued Virge. “How did he send one of his boys?”

“Don’t press me, Virgie,” snapped Travis. “He could’ve had an extra phone up his ass. Did you do a cavity search?”

“Hell no.”

That made me laugh.

Joliceur Residence. Shelby.

When we arrived at Barb’s house in Shelby, she was lying on her sofa with the other girl from the bank—Beth—watching over her and giving her hot tea.

Travis looked down at the black and blue mess of Barb’s face and growled at her, “Who beat you up, Barb? This is not the time to tell more fuckin lies.”

“I’m sorry.” Barb sniffled and cried a little. “I lied when the deputies were here because I was so pissed off at Dan for using me as his alibi. Nobody was supposed to know about us, and he goes and tells the Sheriff we were sleeping together, for chrissakes.”

“Uh huh. So, you got mad and decided not to verify his alibi for the morning of Sandra’s murder and look what that got you.”

“He sent one of his thugs to do this to me.”

“Name?”

“A piece of scum named Easy Menard. Kind of a bodyguard type. I’ve seen him with Dan a time or two.”

“Have you ever been to Dan Darkers’ property up in Sweetgrass?”

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