adding a little extra for the information. She opened the door for him and Tony stepped onto the porch.
BOOM TOWN 47
She shook his hand and held it for a moment. “If things don’t work out with you and Melanie, give me a call.” She smiled and handed him one of her cards.
He walked back and got into his truck. His dog in the bed started to whine. Panzer would need a run soon.
Tony hadn’t noticed, but while he was in there getting poked with needles, a front had moved in with swirling clouds. The temperature had dropped to near freezing. Good thing he had his pants on.
Before pulling out, he glanced into his rearview mirror. A block and a half behind him was the black truck with his two friends from Cascade Peak Estates security. Still on his tail.
Tony smiled and pulled a U-turn, slowly drove up the lane and stopped alongside the black truck. Rolling down the window, he said, “Hey, guys. I’ll be heading downtown to run a few errands, let the dog run. After that I’ll probably go home and take a crap.”
The two rent-a-cops seemed to sink down into their seats as Tony drove off.
He had to wonder why the two of them were following him around all morning. Although he had only started asking questions, he was making someone nervous. Break up the status quo.
That was his motto.
48
TREVOR SCOTT
CHAPTER 8
The silver Mercedes crept along the dirt road and turned left into the driveway. Cliff Humphrey parked just behind the old pickup truck with the back converted to compartments, the signs on the side indicating that explosives were inside.
He stepped out onto the dirt and immediately looked down at his black Italian loafers, which were instantly covered with pow-dery tan Central Oregon dust. He shook his left foot, but he knew that was useless. Letting out a deep breath, he moved forward gingerly.
Suddenly, the front door to the old house burst open and a scruffy-looking man with a long beard plodded out toward him.
“Get the fuck off my land!” the bearded man screamed, his right hand pointing down the road.
Humphrey stopped in his tracks in the middle of the driveway.
“Just hear me out.”
“Already heard your bullshit. Now get the fuck out.”
Humphrey gazed about the property. He needed this. Calm and easy. “Listen. I’m sorry what happened to you. But you’ve got to believe me. . .I had nothing to do with it. That’s not the way I work.”
The other man grabbed his beard and stroked it, his eyes shifting wildly from side to side. “Why should I believe you?”
“Because it’s the truth. And I think you understand that.”
“I know one thing. You blackballed me in this town. I can’t get BOOM TOWN 49
no work.” He swung his head back toward his house and shoved his thumb in that direction. “My grandparents built dis place damn near sixty years ago. You ain’t gettin’ it.”
Humphrey racked his brain on how to deal with this guy. He had tried just about every tactic he knew. “The world has discovered Bend. There’s no turning back on that. If it isn’t me, it’ll be someone else in a couple of years. I’ve offered you a fair price.
More than fair. Now, I’m sorry your place was robbed, but I had nothing to do with that. You have to believe me.”
The man struck a gaze at Humphrey, inspecting the swanky suit, the perfect hair, and the man’s Mercedes, which, probably for the first time, had dust on its tires.
A cool breeze swept down out of the Cascades, and both men seemed to shiver.
A horse whinnied down a grade in a pasture out back. Both men turned to see a gray mare shifting its head up and down and then prancing about the small corral next to a decrepit shelter.
The feisty Arabian glided across the ground, its tail pointing straight out.
“See, even your horse wants you to sell this place,” Humphrey said smiling.
The man with the beard lifted his nose to the breeze. “Naw, she smells somethin’ in the air. Could be a mountain lion. More likely your
BOOM TOWN 47
She shook his hand and held it for a moment. “If things don’t work out with you and Melanie, give me a call.” She smiled and handed him one of her cards.
He walked back and got into his truck. His dog in the bed started to whine. Panzer would need a run soon.
Tony hadn’t noticed, but while he was in there getting poked with needles, a front had moved in with swirling clouds. The temperature had dropped to near freezing. Good thing he had his pants on.
Before pulling out, he glanced into his rearview mirror. A block and a half behind him was the black truck with his two friends from Cascade Peak Estates security. Still on his tail.
Tony smiled and pulled a U-turn, slowly drove up the lane and stopped alongside the black truck. Rolling down the window, he said, “Hey, guys. I’ll be heading downtown to run a few errands, let the dog run. After that I’ll probably go home and take a crap.”
The two rent-a-cops seemed to sink down into their seats as Tony drove off.
He had to wonder why the two of them were following him around all morning. Although he had only started asking questions, he was making someone nervous. Break up the status quo.
That was his motto.
48
TREVOR SCOTT
CHAPTER 8
The silver Mercedes crept along the dirt road and turned left into the driveway. Cliff Humphrey parked just behind the old pickup truck with the back converted to compartments, the signs on the side indicating that explosives were inside.
He stepped out onto the dirt and immediately looked down at his black Italian loafers, which were instantly covered with pow-dery tan Central Oregon dust. He shook his left foot, but he knew that was useless. Letting out a deep breath, he moved forward gingerly.
Suddenly, the front door to the old house burst open and a scruffy-looking man with a long beard plodded out toward him.
“Get the fuck off my land!” the bearded man screamed, his right hand pointing down the road.
Humphrey stopped in his tracks in the middle of the driveway.
“Just hear me out.”
“Already heard your bullshit. Now get the fuck out.”
Humphrey gazed about the property. He needed this. Calm and easy. “Listen. I’m sorry what happened to you. But you’ve got to believe me. . .I had nothing to do with it. That’s not the way I work.”
The other man grabbed his beard and stroked it, his eyes shifting wildly from side to side. “Why should I believe you?”
“Because it’s the truth. And I think you understand that.”
“I know one thing. You blackballed me in this town. I can’t get BOOM TOWN 49
no work.” He swung his head back toward his house and shoved his thumb in that direction. “My grandparents built dis place damn near sixty years ago. You ain’t gettin’ it.”
Humphrey racked his brain on how to deal with this guy. He had tried just about every tactic he knew. “The world has discovered Bend. There’s no turning back on that. If it isn’t me, it’ll be someone else in a couple of years. I’ve offered you a fair price.
More than fair. Now, I’m sorry your place was robbed, but I had nothing to do with that. You have to believe me.”
The man struck a gaze at Humphrey, inspecting the swanky suit, the perfect hair, and the man’s Mercedes, which, probably for the first time, had dust on its tires.
A cool breeze swept down out of the Cascades, and both men seemed to shiver.
A horse whinnied down a grade in a pasture out back. Both men turned to see a gray mare shifting its head up and down and then prancing about the small corral next to a decrepit shelter.
The feisty Arabian glided across the ground, its tail pointing straight out.
“See, even your horse wants you to sell this place,” Humphrey said smiling.
The man with the beard lifted his nose to the breeze. “Naw, she smells somethin’ in the air. Could be a mountain lion. More likely your
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