The Invisible Hand - A crime novel

Chapter 5

"Holy fuck. Seriously?" Gus says.

They're out on the porch now. Roast beef sandwiches from the fridge commute between their hands and mouths.

"Don't talk like that. People'll think you're one of those oil boom out-staters. They'd steal the wig off a corpse," Red says.

"Run into any of them out-staters lately?" Gus says. Wipes his mouth with his shirt.

"Not since last month. Had one trying to thumb a ride at the gas station," Red says.

"Where was that one from?"

"South California. I don't want to know what he had to do to get there. Lots of lonely, over-the-road truckers out there."

"Ever met someone from California before that?" Gus says.

Red leaves out that the out-stater was black. Only the fourth or fifth man of such heritage he'd ever met.

"Nope. But he needed a map. He overshot. The Bakken oil patch is north and west of us," Red says. "Hitchhiking isn't a taxi service. These truckers stop where they stop. Then they're my problem."

"With what they pay just to pour coffee in Williston, I don't blame them for trying. Incredible money," Gus says. "These sandwiches are pretty incredible, too. Elma was one hell of a great cook."

"Elma hasn't cooked anything in years. Too sick. That's all Joe," Red says.

They head inside after finishing. Red picks up the rotary phone on the wall. Dials a number. Mumbles something to the person on the other end. Hangs up.

"Body baggers will be here in a few hours," Red says. "Need to finish up in the Bakken first. Had another eventful night."

Gus picks at his teeth with a dirty fingernail.

"You say you caught Wil in the act. Why didn't you stop him? And why did you wait a day to call me over?" Gus says.

"The reasons are why you're still a reserve deputy," Red says. "First, I didn't wait a day. I started the investigation. Took a look around the property. Made some phone calls. That took me the whole day. Then I called you over.

"Second, I didn't stop Wil because he was in Joe's truck doing about 90 outside of town. I let him go. Moving violations are for out-staters, not neighbors. Made me curious, though. Followed the skid marks in the dirt back to this place. Found the bodies. Doesn't take the world's greatest detective to figure out."

Gus nods. Then looks confused.

"So why aren't we on the road right now?" he says. "Aren't we going to chase Wil down?"

Red pours another cup of coffee. Finishes it in two gulps. "No."

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