- •Wind and Bones
- •Chapter One
- •Chapter Two
- •Chapter Three
- •Chapter Four
- •Chapter Five
- •Chapter Six
- •Chapter Seven
- •Chapter Eight
- •Chapter Nine
- •Chapter Ten
- •Chapter Eleven
- •Chapter Twelve
- •Chapter Thirteen
- •Chapter Fourteen
- •Chapter Fifteen
- •Chapter Sixteen
- •Chapter Seventeen
- •Chapter Eighteen
- •Chapter Nineteen
- •Chapter Twenty
- •Chapter Twenty-One
- •Chapter Twenty-Two
- •Chapter Twenty-Three
- •Chapter Twenty-Four
- •Chapter Twenty-Five
- •Chapter Twenty-Six
- •Chapter Twenty-Seven
- •Chapter Twenty-Eight
- •Chapter Twenty-Nine
- •Chapter Thirty
- •Chapter Thirty-One
- •Chapter Thirty-Two
- •Chapter Thirty-Three
- •Chapter Thirty-Four
- •Chapter Thirty-Five
- •Chapter Thirty-Six
- •Chapter Thirty-Seven
- •Chapter Thirty-Eight
- •Chapter Thirty-Nine
- •Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty
As I headed south, sun scrubbed the tarmac road and the vast buckled carpet of green wheat. The Rockies to the west were crisp, distinct. A few vibrant farm homes dotted the landscape, separated from each other by verdant miles and rustic abandoned structures. The cord connecting me to my roots stretched thinner but, despite my efforts, would never break. I flipped on the radio and searched for an oldies station. On the seat next to me lay the P.I. report with my mother’s address and phone number.
Rae was leaning against the Rattlesnake Warning sign, the cinder-block restrooms for a backdrop. We had decided to meet there on my way out of Montana and back to Seattle.
As she folded me into her arms, I could smell her uniform starch and spicy perfume. The sun heated our shoulders and heads.
“I’m not sure I can leave you yet,” I moaned into her chest.
“Even if we aren’t physically together, we haven’t left each other. It’s only for a while,” she said.
“I’ve never dreaded waking alone before.”
“Text me as soon as you wake up. I’ll text back what time I can call you.”
“I’ll find some geek at the airport who can show me speed texting.”
“Just make sure it’s a homely boy geek, then I won’t worry about you fielding untoward advances.”
“Maybe you should just take me into protective custody.”
“Hmm, not a bad idea. But I’m not sure it’s legal, and I have a reputation to uphold.”
“To hell with your reputation,” I said.
“No problem, it’s already gone there.” She hesitated for a moment. “In a few weeks, I’ll have wrapped up lots of reports. Shall I make a quick trip to the Pacific Northwest?”
“If you do, I’ll make you fall in love with it.”
“Probably won’t be too hard since I’m falling in love with one of its residents.”
She gave me a double-barreled kiss. Another memory filed in my mental data bank for my days as an old lady in the nursing home. Old age was looking sweeter and sweeter.
I climbed into the now battered and filthy Murano while my meadowlarks serenaded each other. After a reassuring kiss through the window, Rae waved me onto the interstate. I felt her eyes following my car for miles.