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"You sure it's the same kids?" "Pretty sure. She's always wearing the same long fur coat, like some kind of movie star. He's got the same down-fill with the red patches." "Thanks." Jessie said, then pulled away with a cloud of dust. * Jessie had wanted to stop and get Mac. Only there wasn't time. Mac might be at work or at the fire hall. There just wasn't anytime to waste. Murder could be happening any second now. The green truck screeched to a stop, gravel flying everywhere. Jessie jumped out, went to the back of his truck for the rifle kept there for shooting dangerous animals. He loaded it, slung it over his shoulder. He was going to try near the salt blocks. No doubt, Willy and Mel weren't far from that spot. Jessie unslung the 30-06, kept a sharp eye out for moving bodies. He stopped suddenly when he heard the distant bang of a rifle. A common enough sound all through the hunting season but today it had another, more sinister, meaning. Soon, the officer was where he had found the salt blocks. A third set of blue cubes had found its way back to the spot. He didn't waste time with them but scanned around for the two human forms. Only it was fur he saw moving, not skin. A little further on, on the bank of a small unnamed stream, Jessie saw the lustrous sheen of animal fur, then the white of skin. Melanie's skin. She pirouetted for an unseen admirer, whose course laugh identified him as Willy Pini. Jessie cocked the rifle. The sound immediately caught Melanie's ears as she stopped dancing and looked at the stranger in the blue uniform. "Melanie. It's Mr. Roland. I met you at your uncle's once. Do you remember me?" The girl's face fell with the news. She was joined by a tall, skinny man dressed in black denim. His hair was unruly and held back with a red bandana. Willy Pini. "Listen to me, Melanie. I want you to take off that coat. Take it off now." "Why? What does it matter to you? Willy gave it to me. It's mine." "Willy's been playing a dangerous game with you. The woods aren't safe right now for girls in fur coats. They tend to look too much like deer. So, take it off." Hearing this, Melanie turned on her man, asking him in hushed whispers what Jessie was talking about. They argued for a minute beyond the range of Jessie's hearing. Melanie struck at Willy and stepped away from him. Willy made some plea but the girl wasn't buying it. "I was wondering why you would never let me wear it in town." Her voice rose up, sharp and angry. "Come
on, Mel, don't listen to that pig. I gave you the coat because
I love you." |