part0037

FRAN Anders had attempted to contact Fess a couple dozen times over the twenty-four hours since he had answered his cell, grunted and ended the call. After that she had not been able to get a signal, and had the gut-wrenching feeling that something bad had happened to him. He had told her that there was a chance for him to follow some guys that he knew would lead him to where he could get his hands on the best part of a million bucks, which had been stolen from banks in the Phoenix area.

Fran had gone along with the story that he had fallen off a ladder and broken his ankle, because she believed that they deserved better than what they currently had to look forward to after he retired. She had been a stripper in the Bear’s Claw Saloon in Bisbee, a city in the Mule Mountains of southeast Arizona, up until more than a decade ago, when Fess had walked into her life after his first wife had divorced him.

Fran was no spring chicken these days, and the thought of selling up and being able to move to Florida had been a dream that she had thought could now come true. She had never lived near an ocean, but had always wanted to. But self-preservation cut in. She had the presentiment that she would not see or hear from Fess ever again, so finally phoned police headquarters, spoke to Detective Heather Cassidy and told the cop that Fess had said he was following a lead on a case, and that she had been unable to contact him for thirty-six hours.

Weeks went by, and they had nothing. Heather, Zack and the squad came up against a brick wall. Fess Anders, Jimmy Samson and three of his security team from the Cochise Casino had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. There were no clues as to their whereabouts, although Zack and Heather were positive that the disappearances were connected.

Katy Miller received a surprise package with no sender’s name and address on the back of it. On opening it she was faced by several Ziplock bags full of wads of hundred-dollar bills, and a handwritten note on a plain piece of paper that just read; Thank you for being there for us, Katy. Hugs, Joe & Will .

Katy smiled and determined to have a few repairs done to the house, and to give some of the money to her great niece, Gwen.

Logan checked out of the motel in Denver, drove from the lot to the highway and braked to a stop. It was decision time. Should he head east in the direction of Carson’s Creek, or west into the lonesome safety of whatever the unknown future held in store for him?