Outlaw Mountain

“What’s going on here?” she asked.

Clete turned to Joa

An angry woman marched up until she stood within inches of Clete Rogers’ face. Belligerently she stared up at him. “She’s my mother, too,” she stormed. “And it happened just the way I said it would. 1 tried to tell you the guy was bad news-that he was trouble. But you’re always so much smarter than anyone else. You knew all about this long before I did, but you didn’t bother to lift a finger. If you had told me what was really going on, I might have prevented this from happening, but oh no. Not you. And now Mother’s dead because of you, because you’re such a closed-mouthed son of a bitch. I hope you’re happy.”

“Wait just a damned minute here!” Clete railed back at his sister. “You’re saying what happened is all my fault? No way!”

“You should have made her break up with him.”

Clete hooted with laughter. “Sure,” he said. “Me make her. When did anybody ever make Mother do anything she didn’t want to do?”

Joa

“Excuse me,” she began calmly, holding out her hand. “You must be Susan Jenkins. I’m the-”

“You stay out of this,” Susan snarled back. “Who the hell do you think you are? If I want to tell my brother he’s a jackass, it’s nobody’s business but ours. Now leave us alone.”

“A jackass!” Clete choked. “Why, of all the-” He clenched one massive fist and drew back, as if preparing to deliver a brain-crushing blow.

Joa

“All right, you two,” she said, stepping into the fray and inserting her own body between the bristling pair, both of whom towered over her. “Knock it off!”

Surprisingly enough, Clete complied immediately. Susan Jenkins, however, held her ground. “I told you to leave us alone.”

“And I said knock it off!” Joa

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are-”

“I’ll tell you who I am,” Joa

“Why? If my brother’s allowed to be here, I should be able to-”

“Return to your vehicle immediately, Mrs. Jenkins. Otherwise I’ll be forced to place you under arrest.”

“Under arrest!” Susan screeched. “Me? My mother’s dead. My worthless brother turned a deaf ear and let her boyfriend kill her, and you’re telling me I’m the one who’s under arrest?”

But even as she objected, Susan Jenkins took a backward step. Joa

The big danger in domestic disputes is always the possibility that both combatants will stop fighting with one another and turn on the police officer. Concerned that Clete Rogers might come at her from behind, Joa

Dodging to one side, Joa

With her own heart pounding, Joa

“Cuff her, Ernie,” Joa

By then, Susan was coughing and gasping for breath. Ernie reached down, hauled her to her feet, and then spun her around to secure her wrists behind her. Meanwhile, Joa

“Are you all right?” Joa

He nodded. “I’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ve got some medication in my truck. Just help me back to it.”

With him leaning against her for support, Joa

He waved her away and then reached for a lunch-box-sized cool chest on the seat beside him. “No,” he said, as he opened the lid. “Just let me be for a little. I’ll be fine.”

Sergeant Mallory appeared at that moment. “What’s going on?” he demanded, looking from Joa

“I want that woman arrested,” Joa

“Susan Jenkins, the dead woman’s daughter.”

Mallory looked puzzled. “I thought the son was the one who was on his way.”

“They’re both here,” Joa

Mallory whistled. “Nice family.”

“Isn’t that the truth!”

While Mallory went to check on Clete Rogers, Ernie walked over to Joa

“I’m fine.”

“As I drove up, I saw what was happening,” Ernie continued. “The woman was coming right at you, Joa

As relief flooded through Joa

On wrestling mats Andy had borrowed from one of his old high school coaches at Bisbee High, they had practiced time and again until they had perfected their technique-until Joa