Chapter 1

The sign read,

Buy a Bucket
Find a Million Dollars
Left at the Corner. Follow the signs
Yogo Sapphire Mine

Yeah ... sure, but I turned left at the corner and followed the signs.

I am so easily led by pussy.

Headed to a gig in Great Falls, Montana ... I don’t like to travel with the band ... they get weird on long hauls. I can endure just so much dissipated conduct. So I drove. I can listen to music I like and, so long as I’m there for the gig, I pretty much fend for myself. I am the guy who wrote our two top 40 songs. So I get away with a lot

I’m a backroads kind of guy. The bus took the freeway and I took US 87 all the way to Lewistown, Montana. It was late, I was hungry, and thirsty ... and maybe a little horny.

I stopped for the night, the Yogo Inn had a good restaurant and a bar with live music. I’m a pretty good bass player and I’m reasonably famous and somebody suggested to the band that I be allowed to strut my stuff. The lead singer asked. I did.

This redhead planted her delectable nineteen year old teenage body in front of the bandstand and worshiped me. Plus ... she refused every dance request.

Have I mentioned I’m partial to redheads? Well, I am.

It just so happened that we had a long ... three day ... break and I didn’t have to be in Great Falls until Friday.

The redhead was entertaining and enthusiastic ... and an acrobatic contortionist. She swallowed ... that’s a plus in my book. My ashes were well and truly hauled. Besides that, she was a nice girl and I liked her.

We showered together and slept the sleep of the well fucked.

So, in the morning I said, “Wanna go for a drive?”

“Sure.”

“Edies Corner for breakfast?”

“Sure.”

There was a pause.

“You from around here?”

“Yes.”

That was a bone to be chewed. She chewed it. Mumbled it around and spit it out.

“Ok ... where?”

“West Washington by the ball diamond.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope, born and raised right here in Lewistown. My mom was the librarian.”

“Here?”

“Yup.”

“She told the best stories.” That was said with a sigh.

“Still does ... makes a living at it. Boston ... New York ... dinner theater and University presentations. She’s the best liar ever.”

“She made up all those stories?”

“Yup.”

“Not from a book?”

“Nope ... out of her head.”

“She always had a book in her lap.”

“She was writing them down as she told them. Just key words. She filled them out later.”

“From here?”

“Yep.”