Old Farmer's Road by Morrison Isaiyan

Author:Morrison, Isaiyan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
Published: 2015-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“You look good,” Jan said, as she stood up from the booth and greeted Derek with a warm hug.

Derek scanned the room. The small diner only had ten seating booths and a long counter. Before Jan broke off their engagement, they would make the long trek to the diner daily before sunrise. While what they ordered changed, their daily routine remained the same. They claimed the booth at the far end. They ordered their pot of coffee. Sometimes he’d order hash brown with scrambled eggs and oatmeal and she’d order oatmeal with extra brown sugar.

The electric clock on the wall read 11:45 in bright red. Derek couldn’t sleep and he called her to meet, hoping that she had new information about the body discovered earlier that day. He couldn’t get his mind off who the victim was and if the body was connected to Robert’s friends. It also didn’t help that Rosie complained to him all night about her friend, Julie, who had gone missing.

Derek sat across from Jan and picked up the two-sided menu from the table.

“I told the waitress we didn’t need it.” Jan sipped her coffee. “But I think she’s new and doesn’t know better.”

Derek nodded and still scanned the items on the menu. “I think I’ll try something different.” He pointed to the Morning Special: two eggs, two pieces of ham, and buttered toast. He placed the menu near the edge of the table and he held an empty porcelain cup in front of him. “You didn’t get me any coffee.”

“Well, I know how you like your coffee,” Jan answered. “Half coffee, half vodka.”

“I’ve been cutting back on the vodka.” Derek leaned back in the seat. He rubbed his chin, realizing that he was overdue for a shave. The prickly hairs stung his fingers, so he placed his hands on the table. “I’m sorry if I was hard on you earlier today.”

“It’s fine,” Jan replied.

“I’m really sorry.” He waited for her to accept his apology. Acknowledging his wrongs were the first steps in mending their broken friendship. He didn’t want Old Farmer’s Road to be the only thing they had in common. He missed her, and deep down, he wanted everything to go back to the way it was. Wishful thinking.

“Derek, it’s okay,” she replied.

“I’ve just been...these past few days have just been difficult for me.”

“I know, but you have to understand that I’m working as hard as I can on this.”

Derek nodded. “Yes, but sometimes it feels like we’re the only ones who are.”

“Believe me, we aren’t.” Jan rubbed her forehead in thought.

The waitress approached their table and pulled out a white pad from the back pocket of her black jeans. Her name tag, which sat lopsided on her chest read “Sara” and her dark hair was buzzed short. “What’ll it be?” Her words slurred together.

“Morning Special: eggs scrambled. White toast and some coffee.”

The waitress turned to Jan.

“Just the coffee.”

The waitress nodded and walked away.

“Derek, I’ll make this quick. The M.E. checked and he didn’t find any noticeable tattoos on the body.

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