He noticed she didn’t mention Jimmy, Monty’s younger brother. Then again, Jimmy still came around looking for a handout, despite being a married man with two children of his own. And he always left feeling resentful when he didn’t get that handout.

“There might be work available, but I’m not sure how you’d feel about the employers.”

“Are they more of those HFL fools?”

“No, Mama. They are definitely not members of the HFL.”

“Well, I’ll think on it.”

“You have enough money for a train ticket?”

“I’ve got enough put by. Might take the bus instead.”

He bit back a protest. Plenty of people traveled by bus. “You let me know when you’re coming and where to meet you. I’ll be there.”

A soft sigh. “Thank you, Crispin. Talking to you has eased my heart. I’ll say good night now.”

“Good night, Mama.”

She hung up first. She always did since he just couldn’t hang up on her.

Monty stood up and stretched. He was already entangled with the Others at the Lakeside Courtyard. He wasn’t sure he wanted to ask Simon to give his mother a job.

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13

Watersday, Juin 9

“We don’t usually come up to Bennett more than once a week to pick up supplies,” Tobias Walker said as he pulled into a parking space at the train station.

Joe Wolfgard tried to identify the tone in the man’s voice. “Are you complaining about this second trip because Bennett is a long way from Prairie Gold?”

“Nope. Just providing information that you might find useful.” Tobias crossed his wrists over the top of the steering wheel. “We try to conserve fuel in the general way of things. It’s especially important right now because the fuel truck that fills up the underground tanks at the gas station didn’t show up yesterday when it was supposed to. We’ve got one emergency vehicle that’s equipped to bring someone here to Bennett if the person is too sick or injured for the doctor to handle at our little clinic. That vehicle gets its tank filled before any others. The dairy farm’s refrigerated truck also gets priority. Folks tend to fill up near the time when the next delivery is due so that we receive our full allotment of gasoline.”

“Can we buy fuel for the pickup truck here?” Joe asked. Was finding out what happened to a fuel truck part of his responsibility now, or was it considered a problem between humans? Simon might know, although Blair might be the one he should ask because the Lakeside Courtyard’s dominant enforcer spent more time driving vehicles and probably had more experience buying gasoline.

“We can—providing the gas station here received its scheduled supply of gasoline.” Tobias hesitated. “The guests you’re expecting. Do they know all we’ve got to offer is simple rooms at a motel?”