SLATTERY'S DAUGTHERS

NEWCOMERS IN TOWN

Anthony Meyers was new in Choteau. He drove his Audi SUV up the main road looking for somewhere to buy a bit of food to eat. He looked at the names of the businesses to give him a hint of what they were doing. He found a parking spot in front of the butchery and looked up at the sign above the door. "Slattery's Butchery," he read it out loud.

Claire and Tom stood at the service counter and watched the Audi SUV pull into the parking outside. "Illinois? He's a long way from home," Tom remarked.

"Yeah," Claire replied.

A tall young man with wavy blonde hair got out of the car and approached the butchery. He then opened the door to enter and walked up to the service counter. "New in town?" Tom asked inquisitively.

"Yeah, I've been here a few weeks." He held his hand out to Tom to greet him. "Anthony Meyers."

"Tom Slattery. Pleased to meet you."

"I take it you're the owner?"

"Yes. You're here as a visitor?"

"No, I moved here. All the way from Chicago."

"I see. What can I help you with?"

"You sell burger patties?"

"Yes, how many?"

"Make it four. It's only for myself. And I would like some sausages, a few lamb chops."

"Would that be all?"

"For now yes." Anthony pondered for a while. "What equipment do you use to process your meat?"

"I have a band-saw at the back and a grinder. Nothing fancy. Why?" Tom asked with a scowl.

"You don't mind selling me your band-saw?"

"What will you be using it for?"

"Just for myself."

"I use an industrial band-saw. You can get a smaller one at the catering store up the road. It's much cheaper too."

"It's okay. I'll see if I can probably get a hand saw or something at the hardware store." Anthony paid for his meat and left the shop in a hurry.

Claire looked at her father slightly baffled. "That was just weird."

"Yeah."

"I have to say, he's quite handsome though. A real poster boy."

Tom kept his gaze on the man as he got back into his car and drove off. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "I don't know. I have a really bad hunch about this one."

"Why are you saying so," Claire asked her father worried.

"I don't know. I just do."

Tom was about to turn around to go to the back of the butchery when the newspaper delivery boy entered the butchery and handed him his morning newspaper in his hands. "Good morning Mr. Slattery. Here's your newspaper."

"Thank you." He took the newspaper from the boy and opened it up. The headline read 'Choteau High School Student Missing' with her face on the cover. "What the hell?" Suddenly one of the safest towns to live in Montana had a school girl go missing.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked her father.

"Do you know her?"

"Amber Barnes yes. I think she's in the same class as Julie. She's gone missing?"

"Yes."

"What the hell? Amber isn't the kind of girl who would just throw a disappearing act and run off. Dad?"