Page 75 of River Ride

“Yes, ma’am. Would you get Graham for us, please?”

Mrs. Arnott was gone more than a couple of minutes but when she returned, Graham was with her. Young guy about nineteen or twenty. Shaggy brown hair, tall and slim.

“Here’s Graham, Sheriff. What has he done? I want to know.”

Billy nodded to Ted as he said, “Graham Arnott, you are under arrest for the murder of Kody Kollard.”

“No. I didn’t kill him,” Graham hollered with tears in his eyes. “It was Trevor. I didn’t want to hurt him, but Trevor wanted to teach him a lesson.”

Mrs. Arnott started to cry. “You can’t take my son.” She turned to Graham. “I’m calling your father, Graham. He’ll know what to do.”

“It wasn’t me, Mom. Trevor held his head under the water and then shoved him into the river. It wasn’t me.”

Billy jotted down the verbal confession word for word before taking Graham outside and shoving him into the back of the squad.

While he secured Graham, the kid kept on talking, “I didn’t kill the game warden. You have to believe me, Sheriff.”

“You were there, son,” said Billy, “and you didn’t prevent it from happening. That makes you just as guilty as Trevor. Your prints are on the truck, so you helped cover up a murder.”

“No. I didn’t want to.”

“In the eyes of the law, you are just as guilty as Trevor Carpenter.”

“No. That can’t be true. I didn’t drown the game warden. Trevor did.”

Carpenter Ranch. Black Eagle Pass.

Travis pounded on the front door of Jed Carpenter’s house and waited for him to appear. When he opened the door, Jed stood in front of them holding a rifle in his hand.

“Put the gun down, Jed,” said Travis. “We’re taking your boy in for murder and if you try to stop us, you’ll only be making things a lot worse for him and for yourself too.”

Jed raised the barrel of the gun. “Get off my porch and off my property, Sheriff. No way in hell you’re taking Trevor.”

Travis pulled his gun out of the holster and pointed it at Carpenter. “Put the rifle down, Jed. I mean it. I’ll put a bullet in you if you don’t. Do it now.”

Carpenter laughed. “I doubt if you have the balls to shoot me.” He raised the barrel of the rifle a little higher and Travis fired.

Bang.

Carpenter crashed forward onto the porch. Bullet in his left knee at close range.

Travis hollered, “Harlan, go inside and find Trevor. Knock him down if you have to.”

“Copy.”

“Help your brother, Virge.”

Virge turned towards the door just as Jed Carpenter rolled over onto his side. Jed let go of his bleeding knee and using his bloody hand, he raised his rifle and aimed at Travis.

Bang.

Before Carpenter had time to pull the trigger, Virge shot him in the face. Satisfied Carpenter was dead, he ran into the house to help Harlan.

Travis sat on the porch steps, lit up a smoke and called Doctor Olsen. “Need you at the Carpenter ranch, Doc.”

“Again?”

“Jed Carpenter is dead on the porch beside me. He tried to kill me, and Virgil shot him.”

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