Emerging Writers. Three Mile Road, Sheridan, Wyoming

Three Mile Road, Sheridan, Wyoming 

Episode 15

“Sheriff, I am ashamed of myself actually. I had always been an honest man, tried to do the right thing, took my job seriously. But I have fallen on hard times, money problems. My wife is sick, insurance won’t pay any more, many, many bills. Bailey told me if I covered up the fire, what really happened, he would make it worth my while. I took him up on it, I had to, I was desperate, I just had to. Can’t you understand?”

“Where is the curtain, Denton?”

“I gave it to Bailey, he burned it. He thought there could be gunpowder residue on it, from his hands when he went back out the same window he had opened to get in. He shot Merton and set the fire to cover it up. I’m so sorry for what I have done, I needed the money, my poor wife is so sick.” He began to cry, and Taylor felt truly sorry for the man.

Taylor waited until Bailey had closed up for the night and then knocked on the door of his diner. When Bailey let him in, Taylor handcuffed him and Bailey sat down.

“I guess you figured it out.”

“I believe so Bailey, but why?”

“His real name was Mark Ferguson. He made a fortune on Wall Street. He had everything, a home in one of the wealthiest areas of Long Island, a trophy wife named Sharon. Sharon worked in New York City too. They were going to meet for dinner at Rockefeller Center that night so they could see the Christmas tree.

“The snow was coming down, the roads were slick, and then out of the blue this car comes up on the sidewalk and mows down a handful of people. The guy was drunk and fled the scene. Both of Ferguson’s legs were crushed and his wife was killed. Ferguson got a good look at the driver and was able to testify.

“Turns out the guy had organized crime connections and wound up not being convicted. It was fixed and Ferguson knew it. He spent the rest of his days hating the man who killed his wife and ruined his life, but by the time of the accident he had already made millions and was set financially for life.

“Back then I was a private investigator for wealthy clients, and after the killer was acquitted and left the state, Ferguson hired me to hunt him down. Because Ferguson had testified and could be in danger, he was put under protective witness and was relocated here and I went with him. The killer’s trail went cold and I never did find him.

“Ferguson owed me money for my time and effort in trying to find the guy though, lots of money and the cheap you-know-what had plenty of it. Wouldn’t pay up. He told me he was paying me to find the killer and I didn’t and he wasn’t giving me a dime unless I found him. I was never going to get my money, that nasty, greedy old man. A deal’s a deal and he didn’t pay up.”

THE END

Read earlier episodes of Three Mile Road, Sheridan, Wyoming

Let’s Start at the Beginning, Episode 1
Putting Up With the Wait, Episode 2
Not Sitting Well, Episode 3
Not Exactly, Episode 4
More and More Curious, Episode 5
Not His Real Name, I Suppose, Episode 6
No Cakewalk, Episode 7
What the New Day Brings, Episode 8
The Case Takes on Some Life, Episode 9
A Picture’s Worth 1000 Words, Episode 10
Hitting Pay Dirt, Episode 11
Taylor Just Knew, Episode 12
You Have to Ask, Episode 13
Your Cell Phone Will Get You… Every Time, Episode 14
A Deal’s a Deal. Episode 15, the Finale (This one)