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“He didn’t seem to care where his car was,” said Harlan. “Didn’t ask if it was still in the river or nothing.”

“Yeah, that is so weird,” I said. “Even if he knew where it was, why wouldn’t he inquire about it and act like he didn’t know?”

Harlan shrugged.

“Yellow tape it, Ted. We’ve got to have a look through it as soon as it dries out inside.”

Ted grinned. “My first go with the yellow tape.”

Dry Run Roadhouse.

I stopped into the roadhouse on the way home for a pitcher and Marilyn was there for an early dinner.

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She smiled. “I was doing some shopping in town and got thirsty.”

“Don’t you go to the market in Shelby? Wouldn’t it be a lot closer?”

“Not shopping for groceries. I was at the feed store putting in an order and picking up a few things I needed for the coming session.”

“The girls can’t talk about anything else,” I said. “They are so excited to get started on their training.”

“You can trailer their horses over tomorrow or Friday, Travis. Appreciate it if you’d do it early. There will be so many trailers coming in on Saturday and Sunday it will be bedlam. Always is. I want your girls on Sunday afternoon to meet the other girls and I always have a little meet and greet on Sunday night before we start.”

“Will they come home on the weekends?”

“Yes. They could be day students if you’re more comfortable with that, but you would have to run them back and forth. The whole experience is better for them if they eat and sleep with the other girls.”

“Can we watch them?” asked Harlan.

“There will be two or three times during each session where I’ll run a little rodeo competition, and the parents and families are invited. I’ll give you the dates.”

Harlan grinned.

“Yeah, I’m keen to see them race,” I said. “Might give me a heart attack, but I want to see it happen.”

Marilyn laughed. “A lot of the parents get pretty worked up over the races. Are you going to be one of those guys, Travis?”

“I think I might be.”

Harlan nodded in agreement.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Tammy and Lucy had dinner ready when we got home.

“We were talking to Marilyn at the roadhouse,” said Harlan. “She wants the horses soon.”

“Oh, wow,” said Lucy. “It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

I got beers out of the fridge for me and Harlan and we joined Billy in the front room to tell him about Kala Bronowski.

“Is that who drowned? Huh. Doctor Olson got the cause of death yet?”

“I think it will be drowning, won’t it?”

“Bronowski’s first wife left him and was just gone,” said Billy. “Made everybody wonder.”