Chapter 35

Hairy

“What the Hell?“ I exclaimed.

Edgar gave me the look, “If your wife has gotten MY wife in trouble...”

“What makes you think ... hey ... she’s not my wife,” I said.

“She’s not?”

“Heck no.”

“Well?”

“I picked her hitch-hiking in Montana...” I started. By the time I’d finished, we’d made it through the road-block at the head of the drive and talked to the guys from the ambulance, the deputy at the gate, the Crime Scene Investigator ... that’s a lie.

What we got from the investigator was, “Hey, don’t walk through my crime scene.”

We detoured through the garage. There’s a door to the yard by the outhouse.

“Hold on,” Edgar said, “I need to pee.”

“Go ahead ... it’s two holed ... no waiting.” One of my better lame jokes.

The deputy at the gate didn’t know about ... or hadn’t noticed ... the door from the garage into the yard.

“You guys want a beer?”

The deputy said No, the investigator said after he finished. The ambulance driver turned me down and so did his buddy. I doubted the calves wanted one. They were working on the grass by the old 1964 Chevy Chevelle 300 two door poster ... ugly car ... grass needed mowing.

“Hey!” Edgar said, “You coming?”

He was already at the backdoor ... the cop there didn’t want a beer either.

“Where you been?” Karen said.

I held up a paper sack.

“Who are the dead guys in the drive?” I asked.

So ... It took everybody to clue me in.

I didn’t know about the rifle building class. She hadn’t asked and I didn’t care.

I didn’t know about the night of the storm. I mean ... I knew about the storm ... and the looters. That made National News.

I didn’t know it was Karen who did the shooting. The News didn’t mention her by name. They just talked about the incredibly brave young woman who defended her classmates.

I really didn’t know about her shooting Hairpipe Johns brother ... I mean ... I didn’t know John had a brother.

I knew Hairpipe and wasn’t going to miss him more than a minute.

What I really wanted to know about was the van.

I knew what it was ... a 1964 Dodge Town Wagon ... I wanted to know what was happening to it.

Although, it took a while, it was determined said Van had been used in the commission of a crime ... but not as a lethal weapon. As authorized by Wyoming State Law, it was impounded, towed to the impound lot, held for 90 days and sold along with 300 other vehicles at auction. No attempt had been made to clean the vehicle. As is. Where is. Bits of brain matter and skull fragments were dried onto the paint. No bids were made ... Karen bought it for five bucks. Set of jumper cables and she drove it home. The Impound kiosk had the keys for the cars that had keys ... there was an onsite locksmith for the rest of the cars. Twenty-five bucks a key.

I was in Denver. Flying lessons ... multi engine.

She called and told me about buying it. I called Davy Martin ... he came out with four Hi-lift jacks unbolted everything attaching the body to the frame ... backed the van frame out, pushed the 4 wheel truck frame underneath, bolted it back together, charged Karen a hundred bucks and went home.

Karen spent a day away from the AT-11’s and finished the Van. She said it was the perfect coal hauler.