Leaving Bisbee by Mack Ireland

Home In Indiana

Chris Larabee came awake in the bed he remembered from youth. The room came into focus as he became more awake.

The trip home had been brutal. The weather turned on him and he fought a thunderstorm until he finally had the sense to put up at a wayside tavern. His tired mind kept replaying the graveside funeral and the sound of sod hitting the caskets. He had no memory of the last twenty miles. He suspected his sister Eileen has something to do with that. It was good to see her running down the street toward him.

It was both good and alarming to see his parents. The old family warmth and security were still there but he could see age catching up to them and it wasn't easy to watch.

His brother Jasper had taken to wandering since the war and was not in residence.

Still there was something going on. Something he could not quite put his finger on. He felt like he was being dogged. Like someone was observing his every move awaiting their chance but their chance to what? He couldn't feel any more pain. Killing him would only release him from the misery that has become his life.

He could not shake the feeling that part of his body had gotten up and somehow walked away.

He decided to take Eileen aside and have her look into this feeling. He found her in the hen house gathering eggs.

She turned easily and smiled, "I have been expecting you. My advice is to stay here until you feel a little better then go West again. The answers aren't here, they are in Four Corners and Eagle Bend. It's going to take a while big brother, but the time will come for you to be happy again."

"I have no interest in being happy. My whole life will be devoted to finding the person or people who did this and making them pay."

"When you look for evil you will sometimes find that evil is looking back."

"There is something I want to ask you," Chris began. "Where were you and your mind vision the night they were murdered?"

"I was with you and Buck in Mexico keeping you out of trouble."

Chris had both fists clenched at the sides of his head. "I am a grown man, I don't need watching."

Eileen smiled sadly, "Obviously you do."

"So what now," she inquired. "Are you going to be a gun slinger all dressed in black and looking dangerous? Are you going to ride from town to town looking for someone to kill? Because I can tell you right now you aren't going to find the killer through that kind of advertising. Surely you are aware that he is not afraid of you."

Enraged Chris yelled, "I will find him and kill him-I will."

His sister nodded her head and said, "Indeed you will."

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