Home Fires by W.L. Ripley

Author:W.L. Ripley [Ripley, W.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781647346928
Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing
Published: 2020-04-21T16:00:00+00:00

Jake left Harper, telling her he had a couple of things to do and would be back later. On the road he looked at the gas gauge. It was low. He remembered there was a couple of credit card gas pumps in front of the Mitchell grain elevator. Two birds with one stone?

He pulled into the parking lot and eased next to one of the gas pumps. Jake zipped his debit card, opened the gas cap, pulled the hose from the pump and shoved it into the gas tank. He looked up at the grain elevator looming and towering over the low city skyline.

Jake saw the two men walking his way. What a coincidence. Steve Barb and his partner, Robby Warner. Jake turned away, much like you do a dog, ignoring it and letting it know its growling didn’t mean much.

“Hey, asshole,” said Barb.

‘Asshole’? Unbelievable. Pump the gas and do what you came to do. Check out the elevator then see Cal. Afterwards go back to see if Harper wanted to make it an evening. Maybe a nice dinner. Better than dealing with a couple of mental defectives who may or may not be killers.

“Didn’t you hear me?” Barb said, flicking a cigarette away.

“I was ignoring you. You miss that part?”

“Want to talk to you.”

“That works because I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“Yeah, what about?”

“Where were you the night Gage Burnell was killed?”

“What’s it to you?” said Barb.

Jake smiled, shaking his head. “They told me you were a gifted conversationalist, but I had no idea you were so articulate.”

Jake watched Robby, circling away from Steve, moving to the outside of Jake’s peripheral vision. Here we go.

“You got mouth problems you know that?”

Jake keeping his eye on Steve. Guy was bulled up. What was this? Were they considering an assault? Right here in town? Did Vernon have so much power they weren’t concerned about an arrest? Robby didn’t look like he wanted trouble but both of them big enough to bring trouble. There was no one else around.

“Look,” Jake said. “Let me fill up and we’ll talk. How’s that?”

“Fuck you,” said Barb.

“Well, never mind. Just back away and I’ll see you some other time. Maybe in an official capacity.”

“Heard you took two guys in town a few days ago,” said Barb. Starting to escalate. Jake hadn’t figured on a confrontation and wasn’t ready for it. Scrape of boot leather against raw pavement behind him. Robby moving further out of his vision. This could turn ugly and he was trapped between the Lincoln and the gas pumps in a town that no longer knew him. A town without pity for a Texas visitor.

“Well,” said Barb. “We want you to understand we’re not those two guys.”

Barb was a talker. Wanted to tell how it went down later. Never knew a talker that did anything unless they came at you sideways or had the deck stacked in their favor. Robby was a follower. Barb was wrapping a strip of hard rubber around his hand.

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