Pipe: (A Romance & Suspense Mystery) (Red Doors of New Orleans Mystery Series Book 1) by Wade Lake

Author:Wade Lake [Lake, Wade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wade Lake Press
Published: 2020-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

16

In the oven, on a bed of broccoli, in a ceramic baking dish, the sausages swell to twice its original size and burst their collagen casings.

When Chase pulls in alongside the front curb, Mack opens the oven door.

The heat hits his face.

The kitchen fills with the smell of sausage sweat.

When Chase enters the front door, Mack stabs a sausage with a fork—a clear juice leaks out. Looks like precum. The tiny kitchen table is already set. Mack flops a sausage onto Chase's plate. Uses the fork to rake out a generous serving of broccoli. He pierces a second sausage and repeats the process for his own plate. Retrieves the dipping sauce in the mixing bowl from the fridge and sets it on the center of the table. When Chase steps into the kitchen, his meal is ready.

Mack is still shirtless and already eating.

Chase sits down without speaking.

Mouth full, Mack says, "Somebody stole our wind chime."

Chase nods. "Damn kids."

They eat in silence for a couple minutes.

After a few bites, Mack is full. His stomach is too twisted to hold much down. He extends the time between each bite. Slows his chewing.

“I feel a bit overdressed,” Chase says.

Mack scoots back his chair, stands up, and leaves the room.

When he returns a minute later, he’s wearing a clean shirt. As soon as he sits back down, he reaches underneath his chair and brings up a small cardboard box. He sets the box on the table and pushes it toward Chase's plate.

Chase studies Mack's face for a couple seconds. Sets down his fork. Pulls the box closer. The flaps are open. He peers inside before sticking his hand in … pulls out a paperback with bent corners and a cheesy cover.

"It's out of print," Mack says, "but I found a used copy,"

Chase flips through it—the pages make a fluttering noise. His thumb lands on the last page.

Mack sets his elbows on the table and leans forward, watching.

Chase leans in close to the open book. His lips tighten, form a grin … now a smile. He forces a single-syllable laugh, leans back in his chair and tosses the paperback to Mack—

Mack raises his hands quickly to catch it—misses. It lands on his plate. "The hell?"

"Hilarious," Chase says.

"The ending?"

"You."

"What?!" Mack grabs the book off his plate.

Opens to the ending.

The last page is gone!

Chase picks up his fork and goes back to eating.

"I didn't do that," Mack says.

“No?”

"It wasn't me."

"Of course, it wasn't you," Chase says agreeably. "The last page is missing in every copy. Probably a marketing thing."

Suddenly, Mack knows what happened. "It was your creepy friend, Jim," Mack says. "He was here today before you got home. He was trying to screw with my head."

Without looking up, Chase says, "Must have worked."

Mack stiffens in his chair. "I don't appreciate the condescending tone."

Chase shakes his head. "I don't appreciate your stupid pranks."

"I didn't tear out the last page—not on this copy. You know I wouldn't lie to you."

Chase drops his fork onto his plate and sits upright, matching Mack's pose.

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