Justification For Killing

  Chapter Forty-One

  THE CLINT MURDOCK ESTATE

  Forrest had estimated that they would arrive at the Clint Murdock estate sometime around the middle of the afternoon. Now it was beginning to look more like a late afternoon rendezvous. The treacherous journey from Celina to Dallas, which on a warm, clear, summer day would have taken, at most, an hour, had now consumed most of the day. Today was anything but warm or clear and certainly was not summer. They had slipped, spun and trudged down the snowy road in the midst of a brutal Texas blizzard.

  They were slowly coming to the outskirts of Dallas. “Sis we must be getting close. I will keep a sharp eye peeled for the Addison Airport cutoff.” No sooner had the words left Forrest’s mouth he saw the large green “ADDISON AIRPORT - NEXT RIGHT” sign. “Slow down Sis the Cedar Springs Road should be up here on your left.”

  “Forrest, if I drive any slower we will stop!”

  “There it is Sis, there on your left, just past the closed Texaco service station. Hey, look at the sign – gas 26.9 cents per gallon. I guess this is what they mean by the ‘good ole days’”

  “Yeah, I see it Forrest,” she said turning onto the Cedar Springs Road. “What now?”

  “Just a piece down this road should be Wood Valley. It will be on your left. Follow it and you will make one right turn onto Ash Hill Lane. The address, 45 Ash Hill shouldn’t be very far after the turn.”

  It was ten minutes past five p.m. when they pulled across the street from the Murdock estate’s driveway and parked. The snow had gradually tapered off the farther south they drove from Celina. Here in Dallas a few flurries were still occurring, but the ground was only covered in two or three inches of snow. Most of the snowfall had taken place north of the city. The worst part of the blizzard with its deep snow and driven wind had been between the northern suburbs of Dallas to deep into the central part of the state of Oklahoma.

  “Forrest, I’m worried!”

  “Now Sis, just play your part - no one will be the wiser.”

  “No, I’m not talking about that – we arrived in Texas yesterday, Wednesday at 12:30. Unless the instructions had been changed Pegasus should return home today, Thursday at 12:30, right? That was nearly five hours ago.” Without waiting for Forrest to answer, “What if Pegasus left without us? How are we going to get home Forrest? This is what I am worried about.”

  “Nah, don’t worry, when Grandpa came here his instruments were set to allow him to leave on Saturday the 23rd. I’m fairly sure they were not changed. Pegasus will be right there waiting on us ‘til Saturday. Come on Sis, we have a mission to complete, everything will be fine.”

  Little did Forrest realize, Olive Marie was right - they had a lot to worry about!

  The time was 5:15 p.m., Thursday, November 21, 1963, a little over four and one-half hours after Pegasus had returned home - empty!!