Always Time To Die

Chapter 58

QUINTRELL RANCH

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

MELISSA WAS PACKING AN OVERNIGHT CASE WHEN PETE CALLED HER.

"The governor's here," Pete said. He stood in the doorway to their apartment in the big house.

"What are you talking about? No helicopter would fly in this weather."

"He drove. I'll bet he has our pink slips."

Melissa's full mouth turned down. "We knew that was coming when we were told to pack up the house."

"How soon can we get our stuff out of here and head for the land of perpetual sun?" Pete asked. "I'm sick of this place."

"The furniture we own isn't worth moving," she said. "Same for dishes and stuff. It'd be easier to walk away and replace what we need at the other end than fuss with an international move."

"A few days? More?" Pete pressed.

"What's the rush?"

"The governor isn't the Senator. I'm having a hard time keeping my temper with him. It's time to move on, begin the rest of our life."

Melissa's dark eyes searched her husband's face and found only impatience.

"A week," she said. "We need at least that much lead time or the plane tickets will cost a fortune."

Pete nodded. "Okay. A week. Then we're gone. And if the books are a mess, the governor can just cope. I'm sick of this job and the ranch. Too many people dying."

"They were all as old as dirt." She shrugged. "What do you expect?"

The doorbell chimed.

"I'll get it," Pete said. "You finish packing for our time off in town. It's snowing pretty good. If we don't get out in the next hour, we might not get out at all."

Melissa hesitated, then followed Pete down the hall instead of staying and packing. She listened while the men exchanged meaningless words about the weather and how sad Winifred was dead yada yada yada.

The governor must have been as impatient as Pete. It didn't take but a few minutes to get to the bottom line: as of midnight, everyone at the ranch was terminated. As soon as they vacated the ranch, they'd receive three months' pay to ease the transition.

"I'm sorry," the governor said. "I know you've given long and faithful work to the Quintrell family. There will be an extra six months' pay for you and Melissa. And of course I'll be happy to provide any references you need."

"I appreciate that," Pete said, managing a smile. "I'll tell the rest of the staff as they show up Monday, unless you'd rather do it?"

Josh closed his eyes briefly. "I should, but I don't have the time. I didn't have the time to come up here, but I just couldn't do this over the phone. Not with you two." He looked up, saw Melissa, and walked swiftly to her. "I'm very sorry, Melissa. I wish there was another way."

"It's all right," she said, her smile almost real. "There have been so many changes lately, this isn't exactly unexpected."

A few minutes later, Pete and Melissa watched the governor drive away. His generic white rental disappeared into the snow.

"He can't fire us, we quit," Melissa said, laughing without humor. "He just didn't know it."

"Good thing, too. You don't get severance pay when you quit." Pete smiled rather fiercely. " Rio de Janeiro, here we come."