I couldn’t stand to go another day knowing Yvonne and Milton was still alive, so I had to kill them tonight. And since I’d never killed nobody, I didn’t know what to expect. What if they put up a serious fight? We could scuffle for a long time before I brung them down. Even more disturbing thoughts was them getting the better of me, escaping, and me not getting my money back. But I wasn’t going to let them possibilities stop me. The bottom line was, when I left their house, they would be dead.

I had originally planned to sneak out after Betty Jean and the boys went to sleep. When I gave it more thought, it didn’t sound so smart, though. They was heavy sleepers and rarely woke up during the night. But there was always a first time for everything. If they woke up and found me gone, I would claim that I’d went out to get some fresh air. I often done just that. This time, fishing seemed like a better alibi.

I would need about two-and-a-half hours to get the job done, which was how long I normally stayed out when I did go fishing at night. Yvonne and Milton usually had guests up until at least midnight on Friday, and sometimes even later. It was already close to that time now. If I drove faster than usual, I could make it to Branson in forty or forty-five minutes, take ten or fifteen to do them in, and another forty to forty-five to get back to Hartville. But that was only if everything went according to my plan. I would find out soon enough. I prayed that they’d gone to bed by the time I got there. If not, I’d lurk around outside in the bushes until they did.

“You want a couple of sandwiches to eat while you out there fishing?” Betty Jean asked.

“Um, no. That big supper we ate at the restaurant this evening will hold me until tomorrow.” I gave her a quick kiss and stood up. “Well, I’m going to use the toilet, get a drink of water, check on the boys, and then I’ll be on my way to the lake.”

“All right. You just be careful, baby.”