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We enter through an empty kitchen. A white dog appears and looks at Ava.

I walk ahead into a small living room and as I turn back around, I see Ava making a very stupid move. She is reaching for the gun in Ben’s hand. As she does this, the dog shows teeth, growls, and lunges for Ava’s leg.

“Fuck! Get him off me!” Ava screams but the dog’s teeth are sinking into my wife who starts hitting the dog on the head.

“Don’t touch my dog!” the lunatic screams, bringing the gun right to my wife’s temple.

“Get him off her!” I implore the lunatic.

Ava is grabbing at the dog and then, time stops. The lunatic issues one more warning and then shoots my wife in the head.

I watch in horror as life drains from Ava’s body and she falls to the ground.

The dog still has his teeth in her leg.

“Stop it!” I hear her voice before I see her. Ruby. She has suddenly materialized from behind the lunatic. He flips around, startled. The dog is also startled and at last lets go of my wife’s leg. I crumble down to Ava’s side as both the dog and the lunatic rush over to Ruby. I grab Ava’s wrist but there is no pulse. My next thought is for Ruby. The guy now has his little gun jammed up against Ruby’s temple. I spring to my feet.

“Stay there,” the lunatic orders me in a deadly serious voice.

I freeze in my tracks as my mind races, frantic. Then the dog goes over to Ruby and begins licking her hand. This distracts the lunatic who looks down at the dog. As he does so, I lunge for him and Ruby skirts away. It all happens so quickly. I am barely aware of any movement from the guy and then I feel an explosion in my chest. I see a great splash of impossible brightness. I feel myself falling.

I try to sit up but I can’t. I am choking. I watch my fingers scrabbling at the floor. I don’t know what they’re reaching for. The lunatic is bending over me. He looks worried. He is saying something. I look past him. At Ruby. Her eyes meet mine. My body is on fire as it never has been and I realize that in a few seconds I will die.

Ruby bends over me. I want her to run. I want her to be safe. I try to tell her this. To run. To hide. And then I find myself telling her to ride. In my twilight it’s what matters. This girl who has horses in her just as I do. This girl should ride. I try to convey this. I’m not sure that any words are coming out. I suddenly see a great wash of faces. My daughter. Violet Kravitz who I hope will look after my child. Ava. Ruby. And the horse, my last ride, Jack Valentine. I rekindle the feeling of giving the big gelding my all. Of winning at long odds.

All my life, I have been a small man but now, at last, I am gargantuan.

RUBY MURPHY

37.

Ride

“He’s dead,” I keep repeating as I cradle Attila’s head. It’s as if I’m trying to make myself believe it. I have never held a dead person’s head in my hands. A dead person I have been intimate with. A person with whom, at least briefly I entertained the idea of sharing my life. “He’s dead,” I say again, aloud.

Just a few feet from Attila’s body is the body of a woman I assume to be his wife. She went quickly and her face isn’t contorted in pain or expectation of death. Attila on the other hand looks agonized. His bright blue eyes are open and there is a memory of pain in them.

As the psycho stands near me, staring, I reach over and close Attila’s eyes.

Though there’s no reason why the psycho shouldn’t kill me as well, I am not afraid. I feel a sob come up from deep inside me but I force it back down.

“How did you get out?” the psycho asks me now.

“Doesn’t matter,” I say. He seems to consider this and then decides that in fact I’m right. It doesn’t matter.

“You killed two people.” I look up at him.

“It was an accident,” he says, actually seeming remorseful. “They tried to hurt my dog.”

I have no comeback for this. I have no comeback for anything.

“I have to go now,” the murderer suddenly announces. Making it sound like he’s got to go to the store or perform some other mundane task rather than flee the scene of his crime.

“You tell them it was an accident,”