"Come in. Mary's not home. She left a note saying we could look around," Red says. Opens the door for Gus. "Maybe we'll find something helpful."

They walk into the kitchen of Berug's most well-read resident, Mary Reynolds. Married only in spirit to Jon Reynolds, Wil's father, following the grain bin accident.

Bruises on the walls mark where pictures used to hang. Mary's impressive book collection, once the unofficial Betrug library, cascades off shelves in the living room. Paper and leather spill into the kitchen. Trace a line where Mary must've walked.

"Keep your hands in your pockets," Red says. "Don't touch anything."

"Why not? My hands are clean," Gus says. Wipes his palms on his shirt.

"Aren't you superstitious?" Red says. "You're going to pick up Mary's bad luck. Husband dead. Son a murderer twice over. Just her on this farm now."

Red wants to say "spiritual" or "religious" instead of "superstitious." It doesn't fit, though. Murders are like that. Hard to invoke God or religion in the same breath as murder.

"Sure, I'm superstitious," Gus says. Plucks a coffee cup from the counter. Spits tobacco juice into it. "That's why I switched to chew. Have a look inside the cup. See, I'm not smoking."

"Good for you. Keep it up," Red says. "Mary doesn't allow tobacco in her house. Smokes or otherwise."

Gus cracks his knuckles. Thinks to himself. Odd Red would know that.

"Speaking of which, you think she still wants to live here?" Gus says. "Personally, I'd sell the place. Move into town."

Red picks his way into the living room. Spots a portrait on the wall that didn't come down. Mary. Jon. Wil. All much younger. He only allows a quick glance. Hopes Gus doesn't notice how quick he is to look away.

"Mary'll probably stay. Too much wrapped up in the farm to leave," Red says.

Gus stays in the kitchen while Red browses the living room. A newspaper clipping hangs on the fridge. Details the farm accident that killed Jon Reynolds. Gus reads it.

"What do you make of this?" Gus says. Points at the clipping.

"Hard to say," Red says. "Jon dies in that grain bin accident. Then Wil kills Joe and Elma. If there's a connection there, I'm not seeing it."

Gus looks in the fridge. Nothing isn't expired. Closes the door.

"Maybe Jon dying wasn't an accident?" Gus says. "Is that why we're here?"

"Just having a look for good measure, that's all," Red says.

He grabs a pair of books from their shelf. One is about grief and loss. To be expected.

The other is different. It's titled, Steps Forward: Finding Courage and Confidence to Make Big Changes. Neither looks to have been read. Still out-of-the-box fresh.

"What did the feds say?" Gus says.

"About what?" Red says.

"This. All this. They went through it, right?"

Red puts the books back.

"They did. But we're just prairie dogs to them," Red says. "Wouldn't tell me much."

Gus cracks his knuckles agian. "So what did they say?"

"That Wil Reynolds grew up in Betrug," Red says. "Lived here on and off from his teens through today. Never took to a career in anything. Not interested in farming, either. Then he killed two people and ran. The end."

"But they confirmed Wil is the guy they're looking for, right?"

"Yep."

Gus rubs his jaw. It's in a deliberate way. Like he rehearses it in front of a mirror.

"Seems like you got real lucky," Gus says. "Just happening upon Wil as he left."

Red looks out the window. The prairie is drying up. The tall grass knows to hide its water for winter. Turns paler by the minute, along with Red's face.

"Lucky break. Nothing more. Nothing less," Red says.

"I guess so," Gus says. Wipes his mouth on his sleeve. Turns it tobacco brown. "Without your lucky break, it wouldn't be clear who'd killed Joe and Elma. Or it would've taken longer. And you sure seemed eager to sic that help of yours on Wil, that Jane."

Red works hard to contain his voice.

"You suggesting something, Gus?" Red says. Each word is like a lid about to pop.

Gus spits into the coffee cup. Gives a wink.

"Like you always say, Red. I need to stop watching so many movies," Gus says.

That's when the house phone rings. It's the real reason they're there. Jane. She wanted to call at Mary's for whatever reason.

Red checks his watch. She's right on time.

*** PLEASE SUPPORT MY WRITING! ***

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