Ghost River Jon Coon (free reads TXT) 📖

It’s cool. I’m happy there. If it’s all right with you, Mom, I want to stay.”

“What about school?” Carol asked.

“The junior college has a GED program. I can finish there by going to night school. I’ve got a job. I’m filling tanks, doing maintenance, and learning how to repair dive gear at the dive shop where I got certified. Mr. Lane says once I learn the ropes he’ll put me on full time. It’s not much, but I can make it. He says he’ll throw in free training, and I can be an instructor in a year or two.”

“Honey, that’s wonderful. It sounds like you’ve got a plan.”

“It’s what Gabe said about finding that gold line. I guess I was lost, but now that I’ve got a plan, I’m doing better. Much better.”

“Paul, do you know about the fire?” Gabe asked.

“Fire? No, what happened?” Paul put down his Coke and turned to Gabe.

“Someone torched the river house.”

“I didn’t know.” He paused. He looked surprised.

Good. Gabe waited.

Paul looked from Gabe to his mother and back again. When he realized what they were asking and why, his face flushed with anger. “I’d never have done that. If that’s what you’re thinking. It wasn’t me. I swear it.”

“I need to ask where you were Wednesday night,” Gabe said.

“I was at the dive shop and then at the house. You can ask Mr. Lane and the kids at the house. They saw me; they’ll tell you.”

“I’m sure they will. I’ll need to have that address so we can eliminate you from the investigation. Last thing is Zack’s phone. Have you taken care of that?”

“Yes. I took it to Mickey’s mom’s house right after we talked. I left it for her. They came and picked it up.” Paul was calming down and refocusing.

“That’s fine. I’m glad you followed through so quickly.” Gabe nodded his approval.

“Honey, there’s more,” Carol began. “I’m selling the house. Gabe and I are going to buy the river property and build there. Honey, we are going to get married.”

Paul stiffened, glared at Gabe, but said nothing.

“Paul, I will always love your dad, but he’s gone. Gabe’s been part of our family since before you were born. Your dad was adamant if anything ever happened to him, Gabe would be the one to watch out for us . . . the one to keep us safe.”

“You’ve said all that before, Mom. This is all too fast. I’ll have to think about it. That’s all. I’m not sure what Dad would want me to do. I’ll have to think about it.”

“Do you believe him?” Carol asked when they were back in the truck.

“You know him a lot better than me. What do you think?”

“You are going to check out what he told us, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s decide then. But it went better than I’d thought. It sounds like he wants to act like a human being. Don’t you think?” she said.

“I do think. I mean I think he thinks he does too.” Gabe stumbled. “Carol, we need to talk. I’ve been thinking a lot about us—”

“Gabe, you must have the coldest feet of anyone I’ve ever known,” she chided. “Look, if this doesn’t work, I’ll have the house, you’ll have the Montana, and we’ll be neighbors and best friends. We don’t have to be married for this to work. How’s that?”

“I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just, well, some things have happened. There’s more about my past you need to know. Not now, but soon.”

“Okay, so now you’re going to tell me you’re married three times and have six kids in Ohio?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Well, thank goodness.”

They rode in silence a while on the way to the prison. Then Gabe smiled and laughed.

“What?” she asked.

“I was thinking about Stony Waller when we first met. He was such a mess, and it was almost funny.”

“How so?”

“Redneck boy up to his ears in pot, gators, and redneck girls,” Gabe started. “Got into trouble with one of the Columbian cartel’s gangs. It got bloody before I got involved. He lost a brother and would have lost his girlfriend and their kid. I helped get the mom and kid out of Dodge. Stony got twenty, but under an assumed name to keep him alive. The property belonged to his granddad and, for whatever reason, it didn’t get seized. I guess they weren’t growing there, which was smart.”

“That doesn’t sound funny.”

“Everything was funny to him. He thought prison was a joke.”

“Did you know him well?”

“No, but he was one of those kids it’s hard not to like. Dumb as a stump and always in trouble, like a cute puppy who won’t stop chewing your best boots.”

They pulled into the prison parking lot, entered through a reception area, and were escorted to the visitor’s waiting room. A few minutes later a guard came down and informed them Stony was in the infirmary but wanted to see them. A guard led the way.

“Why?” Gabe asked.

The guard answered, “You haven’t been here for a while, have you? Lung cancer hit him hard and fast. Not good.”

The guard was right. Stony was ashen gray and thin as a rail. “Hey, Gabe,” Stony’s hand shook as he reached up to shake Gabe’s hand.

“Stony, I didn’t know. I’m sorry,” Gabe said.

“Yeah, me too,” Stony answered and attempted a laugh, which ended in a coughing spasm.

“This is Carol, Stony.”

Stony nodded, and Carol shook his unsteady hand.

“How are Ramona and your daughter? Is it Christina?”

“You remember. Ramona married six years ago. I don’t blame her. She waited long enough. Wouldn’t have mattered now anyway. I don’t have much longer.”

“Yeah, her husband’s a plumber, isn’t that right?”

“Makes good money. He’s taking good care of them.”

“That’s great. Stony, we’d like to buy the land. There was a fire last week that destroyed the house. I don’t imagine there was insurance?”

“No one would ensure that place. I’m surprised it didn’t fall in, not burn. I was happy you would visit and check on things once in a while.