Hunter's Moon Chuck Logan (novels to read TXT) đ
- Author: Chuck Logan
Book online «Hunter's Moon Chuck Logan (novels to read TXT) đ». Author Chuck Logan
And I think thatâs when Bud Maston decided to get rid of all of us.
âSo Chris and I tried to talk Mom into going back to Dad. And she didâŠa little. She always did when she got scared. And thatâs when Bud laid his trap. It was his idea. The million dollars.â
Seeing the expression on Harryâs face, she laughed bitterly through her tears. âGod, why are you so surprised? What do you think people are? You and Chris. You want to believe in
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knights in shining armor.â She rolled her eyes. âThey agreed on the divorce settlement before they got married.â
âYou just watched it, didnât you?â Harry said quietly.
She touched his cheek. âHush,â she said in a voice that chilled him. âLet me tell it all.â
Harry glanced at Randall and Hollywood, who observed Becky with quiet fascination.
âGod, youâre so dumb,â said Becky. âThey were all guilty! They made a deal. Mom, Jay, and Bud. Right at the dining room table.
Bud told Mom a cleaner version of what Hector said. How Jay could ruin his reputation. And how she could help him satisfy Jay and get what she really wanted, which was enough money to get away from Stanley. Think! Why the hell would Bud Maston, one of the richest guys in the state, marry my mom? He needed a way to pay off Cox so they couldnât trace the money, you know, later when he got back in politics.â
âYou were there?â Randall asked.
âSure,â said Becky. âThat way Chris and I were involved. Bud was real sorry and said he wanted to make amends and settle it once and for all. But the main thing he said was a million dollars. Mom and him would get married, then split up in this big fight, which wouldnât surprise anybody. Bud would agree to a big divorce settlement. The lodge, the lake, and his land. The money.â
Down the highway, the piano player banged insistently on one key.
âAll she ever wanted was to be on her own. She couldnât resist it.â Becky began to cry silently. âWe were so pissed at her. Chris blew up and hit Bud and Mom called the cops and it was a real scene. Everybody left. I drove into town in Momâs car and ran into these two guys at the Cruiser, theyâre on the hockey team, friends of Mitchâs, and I was feeling kind of crazy and mad at Mom and I said, well, nobodyâs home and Chris has this weed and thereâs lots to drink and weâŠâ
She buried her hands in her hair and gagged on her words. âDo I have to say this to three guys?â
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Randall shifted in his chair. Hollywood tugged on his ear-lobe.
âWe went back home and I got really loaded and I just didnât give a shitâŠI hear this awful laughter and I look up and thereâs Bud on the balcony with a camera. Those guys deserted me, grabbed their clothes, and ran like hell. And Bud said if I didnât keep my mouth shut heâd show the pictures to Mitch and my dad.â
Becky began to sob. âExcept one of those guys made a crack to Mitch, and Mitch beat him up for it. And now when the whole truth comes out he probably wonât have anything to do with me.â
Randall exhaled, cleared his throat. âKeep going.â
Becky wiped away the tears and took a deep breath. âWe wouldnât go to the phony wedding. Chris said we couldnât trust anybody except each other and we couldnât tell Dad after what weâd done. He decided it was up to him to get Mom away from Bud before she took any money. So he broke into Dadâs place and stole that gun.
Then he got caught with it at school and Dad jumped in and got him off.â
âDid Emery know any of this?â asked Harry.
âHe was suspicious. Mom had started to make up, then suddenly she marries Bud. How could anybody know. I wouldnât even talk to Mitch.
âDad tried like hell to get Chris to tell him what was going on out at the lodge, but Chris just wanted to learn to shoot. Then he dared Bud to take him hunting. Like a challenge.â
âSo he did go out there planning to nail Bud Maston,â said Hollywood.
âI donât know, he wanted to face him with a gun. He said heâd been down into the spider heart and he had to get clean.â
Randall and Hollywood exchanged quizzical glances, but Harry understood it perfectly. When he wrote his story he was romanticiz-ing Martin, but when he went into the woods, he was his fatherâs son.
Becky smoothed a hand down her braided hair and turned her profile to the setting sun. âThe last part of the deal was 382 / CHUCK LOGAN
bringing Harry up so he would think Mom was taking advantage of Bud. Bud said Harry would ârescueâ him.â She turned to face Harry. âAnd you did, didnât you?â
Long shadows twisted across the room and snatches of raucous laughter drifted from the cantina and mingled with the steam of sagebrush in the boiling air.
Becky held up her hands and let them drop. âThenâŠeverybody became Budâs puppets while he played poor, drunk Bud and justâŠamused himself. Jay and Chris freaked because you looked like Martin.â She exhaled and stared out over the desert. âBut Mom liked you. She thought she could trust youâŠâ
She cocked her head and a queer reverence crept into her voice.
âBudâs anâŠartist and Jay said he can turn on a dime. He makes a picture in his head, then he fits the right people at the right time to make it come true.â
Hollywood stepped forward. âYou have to go on the record with this, Becky. Back in Minnesota.â
Becky squinted at him. âYouâre like a cop, arenât you? Am I arrested or anything?â
âIâm like a cop,â said Hollywood. âAnd
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