Malice in Tarnished Spaces: A small town police procedural set in the American Southwest (The Pegasus Quincy Mystery Series Book 6) by Lakota Grace

Author:Lakota Grace [Grace, Lakota]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Southwest Mystery Press
Published: 2020-05-07T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

The next afternoon Peg received an unexpected phone call.

“Hello? Is this Pegasus Quincy?” The voice was male and full of energy.

“Yeah?”

“Wayne Eiker here. We met, sort of, the other day. You directed me to the Javelina Vineyard.”

Now she placed him. The photographer at the Fowler place.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Eiker?”

“I have an application here for a Grady Jackson. She lists you as a reference.”

Peg’s mind shifted into problem-solving mode. If Grady got a job, she’d have money. With money, she could rent a place of her own, and Peg would have the cabin back. Besides, Grady deserved a superb reference. The least she could do for a friend.

“What’s the job?”

“Photographic assistant. She’ll be lugging around heavy equipment, holding scrims, positioning models, that sort of thing.”

Grady’s previous job at the Red Rock State Park had involved hauling heavy rocks off the trails. Photographic cases were just rocks with sharp corners. And Grady managed fussy tourists and big snakes with aplomb. This job would be a cakewalk for her.

“Absolutely. She’d be perfect at it.”

“Great! I’ll check you off the list of people I have to call. And while I’ve got you on the phone…”

His voice trailed off and Peg’s antenna rose. The man wanted something.

“Trish Corso offered me a part-time job at the sheriff’s department, doing some publicity photo shoots. I’m wondering if I can pick your brain a little about the personnel situation over there.”

Trish Corso. Now, what was the woman up to? Peg wanted to meet the man, anyway. And after the Trish-Rory duo, she could use some male attention directed her way.

“This might be something better discussed away from the office,” she said. “Do you know the Up the Creek Bistro? Not that far from the Fowler place. I could meet you there after work.”

“Wonderful! I’ve been intending to check that place out for a possible photoshoot. I hear it’s rustic, has historic flavor. See you about six?”

“You’ve got it.”

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Peg was even nice to Trish.

Peg was concerned when she got to the Up the Creek Bistro and Wine bar. She was late. She pulled in amid swirl of dust and screeched to a halt.

The restaurant had started life as the Page Springs Café back in the 50s. The outside of the building was the same. The same hitching post rails. The same entryway through peeled Cottonwood logs filled with knots.

But inside, the faded indoor-outdoor green carpet had been replaced with a sleek gray wood-paneled floor. The big windows looking out on the Creek vistas were still there, but now they had triple-paned glass. Crafted parquet tables with leather-backed chairs replaced the old chrome and Formica casual seating. There were tablecloths, even.

Someone touched her shoulder and she turned.

“Hi,” Wayne said. “I was waiting for you. I wasn’t sure you remembered.”

He was taller than Peg by about two inches. Lean, wearing blue jeans and a blue chambray shirt with sleeves rolled to mid-forearm. Muscular. Peg’s interest ticked up a notch.

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