Page 40 of Badges
“So,” she sighs over the sounds of her mouse. “I really did purge a lot of these after—” Her wrist flips, making her bracelets jangle, and she tosses some sort of knowing look towards Wade.
What was that? Why don’t I like it?
Do they have secrets?
Did he fuck her?
Stop. Doesn’t matter.
But did he?
Not my business.
Well. It shouldn’t be. Yet I find myself watching them both closer.
“Okay, here’s some.” She turns and pushes herself from between the screen and I. “Here’s Chris.” She points without hiding the venom in her tone. “That’s from about ten years ago. The guy next to him is—”
“My dad.” I’m fixed on the sloppy grin that’s on his face.
I don’t remember my father happy. Only angry. His cheeks would turn red and the veins in his neck would stand out.
Never laughing.
“Ah.” She exchanges another glance with Wade. “It makes more sense now.”
“I’m nothing like him.” There’s gravel in my throat.
How could she possibly know that? Everyone here thinks I’m following in his footsteps.
Her sniff before bringing up the next picture tells me I’m right.
“So here’s about eight years. That’s Ford, Chris, and Sarah.” The last name she stutters, then quickly changes to a new image, this time in the bar. “Here’s one of the parties after I took over.” Her finger taps her lips. “There’s Chris. That’s Scotty and Sawyer, Mason’s kid. Over there is, um.” Her mouth purses as she zooms in. “I think that’s Eli and John Bailey. Yea, that’s his hat.” She waves the tip of her finger over a mashed looking straw cowboy hat.
“That one, John, I kinda remember him. Well, he was with a pretty blond lady who braided my hair.” I know he didn’t stick around much, but the woman stayed near me that whole visit.
“Ah, yea. That was probably their sister, Ava. There was a whole mess of Bailey’s. She died about—” Val flips to face Wade. “Was that already eleven years? Twelve?”
Wade nods, his jaw tight. “About that, yea.”
Damn. I liked her.
“How?” I’m starting to feel hopeless. The only people I recognize can’t be part of this. They’re all fucking dead.
“Car accident. Her boyfriend was drunk.” Val zips through another folder and opens it, scrolling until she pops open another cluster of snapshots.
“These are older. Before we were married.” Her nail taps against the screen. “Those are the Sullivan brothers. Matt and Max. Twin hellions.” She snorts. “Shit, Matt’s dead too. Good riddance.”
Wade grunts a mildly agreeing sound.
“It’s like the wild damn west here,” I whisper. “Who’s that? The profile looks familiar.” I point to the half-blurry dark haired man standing a few feet away talking to Ava.
“That’s Cade,” Wade interjects. “That was Ava’s boyfriend.”
“Is he dead too?” I wouldn’t be surprised.
They should rename Campton to “Boot Hill” like in the old movies.
“Dunno.” Val keeps scrolling. “No one’s heard from him since then.”
