Pickled by Deany Ray

Author:Deany Ray [Ray, Deany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-01-19T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

As I drove slow circles around the neighborhood, I saw people dragging their recycling out and packing briefcases into cars. I watched kids playfully shove each other as they waited for the bus. But I saw no sign of a small red bear.

When I thought no one was looking, I threw pickles out the window, then circled back around to see if my furry friend might have come out from his hiding to scarf down his favorite snack. No luck. That elusive bear had been so close, but Brad had blown my chances of wrapping the case up right then and there. That would have been amazing.

What a nightmare of a day it had already been. Living in my childhood home was just about to kill me. I had to get out, and I had to do it now. When I pulled up to a red light, I punched in the number for the lesser evils of the places I could afford.

“Chrysanthemum Garden Manors,” a woman said with a cheery voice.

Where did they get that name? I hadn’t seen a single flower, and the small one and two-bedroom units weren’t even close to being manors. But what were they going to call it? Flying Arrow Place? Truth might be a virtue, but it never sounded quite as lovely as a lie.

“Hi. I was calling about the one-bedroom that I looked at yesterday. Do you still have a vacancy?” Please, please, please, say yes.

“Yes, ma’am. You’re in luck.”

Score. “Great. I’d like to take it.”

“When would you like to move in?”

Now.

“As soon as you can get it ready. It’s…an emergency,” I said.

There was a pause at the other end. “Excuse me? I didn’t understand.”

She didn’t hear that everyday, I bet. Emergencies weren’t a thing, I guess, in the apartment rental world.

“I’d like to move in as soon as the apartment’s ready.”

“I see. Would you like to come by today and put down a deposit?”

I gave her my name and told her that I’d try to stop by that afternoon and leave a check. She said the apartment would be cleaned and ready sometime later in the week. A sense of relief washed over me. The day had gotten so much better.

As I pulled onto the street that Marge had listed on the text, I made a to-do list in my head to get ready for the move. It was really kind of sad how few things there were to pack. When I’d moved from Boston, I’d cleared a lot of junk. Looking around at my messy place, I had made a vow not to put anything in a moving box unless it had a place in my new, exciting life as an ace detective returning triumphantly back to her old hometown. (Ha. I was still hoping that exciting life would start at any moment. Oh, I guess I had excitement. But I wanted the kind that was glamorous and fun – not the kind that comes from thinking you might die at any second.

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