Living With Your Kids Is Murder (Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series) by Befeler Mike

Author:Befeler, Mike [Befeler, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2009-05-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

On Sunday afternoon, Jennifer raced into my room. “Grandpa, we have a lead on the stolen money. One of my friends, Annie, saw some funny looking bills in the toy store at the Pearl Street Mall.”

“Let’s go check it out.”

Jennifer hung her head. “I’d like to, but my friend, Rebecca, is coming over to play in an hour.”

“I’ll go have a look.”

“Great, Grandpa. Here, Mom gave me her cell phone for you to use. You can call home with any report.”

I eyed the electronic contraption she handed me. “I don’t know how to use those damn things.”

“It’s easy. Just push the green button and talk.”

“If you say so.” I took the cell phone and stuffed it in my pocket. “Now where am I going?”

While Jennifer looked up the address for me, I found a notepad to put in my pocket. Then with some further guidance, I took the number 203 bus which picked me up right in front of the middle school and deposited me at the end of the line on 14th and Walnut. From there I navigated the short distance to the Pearl Street Mall.

At the designated address I found a window displaying some stuffed animals. I decided I could kill two birds with one bus ticket. I’d buy Jennifer a present as a first installment on her attorney fees and see if any funny money showed up. As I entered the shop, a bell jangled and a brown-haired man in crumpled jeans and sweatshirt appeared from a back room.

“May I help you?” he asked.

I appraised him carefully, noting a triangular face with a few freckles and a serious, intense expression on his puss.

“I’m looking for a stuffed animal.”

“All along the shelf over there,” he waved his hand to the right.

I ambled over past some toy cars and airplanes and inspected the collection of furry creatures.

“There’s a line of Hawaiian stuffed animals, each with a passport. Do you have any?”

He grinned. “As a matter of fact I have one in stock.” He drifted over, bent down and rummaged through the shelf. He thrust his hand up like he’d found a treasure and exhibited an orange crab.

I inspected it closely. The label indicated the name “Hihe’e,” meaning sideways running Hawaiian crab. It looked just like the description I remembered of Jennifer’s boyfriend Neal Wooten.

“I’ll take it,” I said. “You stocking any more of these?”

“I have to order them on-line.”

“I’d suggest bringing in a boatload. I may be needing to buy additional ones.”

Reaching into my wallet, I found only one bill, so I handed the fifty-spot over to pay.

“You the proprietor of this place?” I asked.

“Yeah. Owner and sole employee.”

“Do much business?”

He shrugged. “Not too busy lately, but it should pick up in a few weeks when more tourists visit Boulder.” He handed me two twenties, a dollar bill, some coins and the crab in a brown paper bag.

I almost dropped the money when I saw red blobs on the two twenty-dollar bills.

After leaving the shop, I found a bench to sit down on.

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