Page 41 (2/2)

I drew in a deep, cal breath "Rocket, where are Strawberry and Blue?" Blue Bell was his sister who died in the thirties from dust pneumonia I’d never rim reaper Strawberry was the departed little sister of a local police officer orked with my uncle She was a pain in the ass

With his face still scrunched, he sreat, now they’re both going to avoid ot a little irked under the collar; then I remembered I disliked children, so this was actually quite nice I had no choice I had to give hih the asylu a leg gnawed off "Teresa Dean Yost"

He stepped back and froze, his lids fluttering as he flipped through his istry Then, as quick as that, he refocused on me "No Not her time"

His answer stunned me Really? She was still alive? What the hell? I was positive Doc Holliday killed her Two million smackeroos was a lot of smackeroos But she was alive I still had tihed, then slaain

"Rocket, wait" I pulled and jerked to no avail The guy was like a boulder Rocks were digging into e before I could do anything else After a herculean yank, it budged, but only a little "One more name, sweetheart," I whispered into the slit

"Can you say theloudly

"Please is the ht, sorry Okay, are you ready?"

He nodded, his eyes glistening in anticipation

This was going to be trickier Earl Walker had several aliases, and who’s to say what his real name was, but it orth a shot "Earl James Walker"

"Dead," he said, ain "Wait, are you sure?"

Rocket closed theand latched it with an evil laugh

"Rocket, da it over and over only to have hihing long enough to look at h the , I said, "Earl Jaain, just enough to talk through it, refusing to give up the gaed "Most of them are"

"Most of what? Earl Jaers "Seven dead since the black storms Who kno many before that?"

I had no idea what the black stor the Dust Bowl era Maybe that’s what he ain "Two"

Wow, that meant maybe Reyes wasn’t crazy Clearly these Walkers weren’t theall their kids Earl Ja the answer