Editor-in-chief: Nicolas Caris A studio Makma production - Story & letTers: Edmond TourRiol Pencils & Inks : Samuel Ménétrier - Colors: Fred Vigneau English Translation: Jérôme Wicky
There’s no contest here. It’s obvious she wilL win.
JesSie, you mean? Sure, but even if you know the end of the story, it wilL be a helL of a show!
the rodeo wilL not take place part 1 … only a few hours away from the opening of the Great Rodeo…
We should have bet alL our dough on her, actualLy.
… pitching SadDy of the Bangers against JesSie of the AlL Stars…
… the front runNer of them alL!
Yep, easy money!
WelL… duh! You two lovebirds seEm to be pretTy sure about your lead…
WanNa bet on it?
I’lL put in 200 Clintz. What do you think, Maciej?
I’m in for 250. Won’t let you get richer than me.
150... 200... 250...
So, can the grown-ups have a talk, now? … and that’s 450 alright. You’re in like FlynN, kids!
I’m talking about serious money here.
…?! Did I hear right?
Put it alL on SadDy!
?!
Stay coOl. Don’t loOk back.
Shortly thereafter…
Always a pleasure dealing with you, Mr. Prince!
Junior. Prince Junior, Trey.
Don’t get mixed up when you colLect the funds, OK?
Rich boy is gone. Now it’s time for a bit of questioning.
What, what? Why are you loOking at me like that?
Don’t you have something you wanNa share with us?
...
Leave me alone, Maciej, I…
I just… remembered something, yeah…
There’s this unverified rumor spreading in the underworld…
… they say JesSie’s gone misSing since last night!
Hey, I just bet my holiday budget on that stupid tart!
WelL, the money I bet wasn’t mine, but stilL I’m pisSed!
Not so fast!
Sing, litTle birdie…
I told you everything I knew. Why don’t you go ask Prince Jr.? I mean, the guy’s a Montana, right?
And he loOked damn sure of his bet, didn’t he?
Prince Jr.? We want a couple of words with you…
“GoOd” and “bye”. Consider it a couple and #%!+ ofF!
Spare it. Your breath alone is a WMD.
WanNa get a face fulL of fire-spit?
Come on, what’s your beEf? We didn’t bet on the same girl, so what?
That’s what betTing is alL about. If you can’t grasp it, stay away from the game!
And what, believe that JesSie disapPeared on her own, the night before the finals? That’s bulL!
We’lL find her. She’lL win that godDamned rodeo and you wilL lose alL your dough. And then we’lL seE who’s so smart…
Come on.
Linda… You were serious, back there?
Where do we even begin?
I know about investigations…
… first step is to colLect clues.
And the best way to do that is to seE the owner of the hotel… Burt!
And the elevator had to be broken… How far are we?
Then…
Just another five stories. We’re halfway there.
SorRy, the manager can’t deal with anybody today.
We just want to talk about JesSie… JesSie ?! Come in, quick!
But that Listen… I won doesn’t mean I’m the lotTery and wilLing to throw used the cash to money down buy me a hotel. the drain. That was my dream, as a kid.
I have a budget and I stick to it, you seE?
And your budget doesn’t include fixing the elevator, or…?
That godDamned repairman! I can’t take care of everything, I…!!
Why so nervous, Burt? You got something to hide?
What do you think? A misSing person in my hotel, that’s bad for my reputation!
Is that alL? Didn’t you, like… bet on her?
AlL my freakin’ money!!
If she doesn’t show up for the finals, I’m broke! The UpPers wilL kick me out! You gotTa help me!
Here, I’lL let you check out the surveilLance videos from the hotel.
OoOboy. Talk about a neEdle in a haystack.
It’s alL here. Knock yourselves out.
Can’t we order pizZa?
Just focus on the pretTy pictures, okay?
LoOk… Eyrton and JesSie having a row…
Not bad. I’ve found something way weirder.
Wonder what these two could be talking about…
Eyrton is JesSie’s clan leader after alL.
Eyrton sweEt-talking SadDy!
Check this out, Mo DiFalco, gosSip monger extraordinaire!
AlL right. First we go ask SadDy a few questions.
The stairs again? Damn!
LoOk, I didn’t boOk here because JesSie was there toO.
And the reason Eyrton wanted to meEt me…
Eyrton wilL telL us the opPosite, I’m sure.
Burt’s Paradise just hapPens to be the closest hotel to the Rodeo.
… was to make me an ofFer.
He wanted me to replace JesSie among the AlL Stars.
I told him I wasn’t interested.
We’re lucky the suspects are alL in the same building.
The same building, yes, but never the same story!
In front of Eyrton’s roOm…
We want to find JesSie in time for the rodeo. And we’d like to know why you apProached SadDy about joining the AlL Stars…
Hahaha! She realLy bought that? She’s more naïve than I’d have thought…
And more honest, since she refused.
Okay, I’lL ‘fesS up. It was just a way of confusing SadDy.
I’m not just the leader of the AlL Stars. I’m JesSie’s coach.
She represents our clan in this competition. I have to watch her back…
And I’ve discovered a threat…
It’s crystal clear to me…
… she was kidnapPed by Enzo, that Montana scum!!
To be continued!