So Long Gone: A Cozy Mystery (Mercy Watts Mysteries Book 14) by A.W. Hartoin

Author:A.W. Hartoin [Hartoin, A.W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-10T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Bo Snerdly sat on his front porch, smoking a pipe and looking like Colonel Sanders was his fashion icon. He gave us a finger wave and continued to rock in a large bentwood rocker with little interest in us.

Fats put the parking brake on and said, “I can’t believe it.”

“We are going to have so many tacos,” I said. “Today is a wonderful day.”

“Maybe it’s not him.”

“We took five lefts and drove over a big rock.”

“Still.”

“It says B. Snerdly on the mailbox,” I said.

“Unbelievable. What is wrong with this town?”

Moe jumped into her lap, and she reluctantly got out. I was so happy, my mouth hurt from smiling. I won. That never happened.

“Hi,” I called out as we walked up the river rock path to the Snerdly very well-maintained double-wide trailer with a porch that was almost as big as the entire trailer.

“Hello there,” he said. “What can I do you for? Lost? It’s over the rock and five rights back to town.”

“We’re not lost,” I said. “Are you Mr. Snerdly?”

“The one and only Buford Snerdly. You can call me Bo.”

Fats made a strangled noise.

Buford plus Snerdly. Who would do that?

“I’m Mercy Watts, and this is Mary Elizabeth Licata. We’d like to talk to you about your gas station, Go Jet.”

“Fine by me. Have a seat.” Bo gestured to the other rockers on the porch. “I’d ask you in, but the wife won’t let me smoke inside, so we’ll have to freeze out here.”

“That’s fine.” I sat down and pulled out my phone for notes. “You heard about the bodies they pulled out of Nichols Lake a few days ago?”

“Sure did. An awful thing.”

“Well, I’m a private investigator, and we’re looking into what happened.”

“But you’re women,” said Bo.

Fats bristled, but I quickly said, “That’s right. We are.”

“I guess they’ll let the ladies do anything these days.”

“Let?” Fats asked, and Bo peered at her through his horn-rimmed glasses.

“You seem large for a woman. Are you one of them—”

Oh, no!

“Mary Elizabeth is expecting.” I pointed to the bump as Fats scowled.

“You don’t say. Congratulations,” he said, relieved that Fats was indeed a woman.

“Thanks,” she said through gritted teeth.

“About the lake.”

“You look like that actress, the slutty one that slept with the married president,” said Bo.

This could be going better.

“I do. It’s a family trait. About—”

“She wasn’t a good woman. Luring him away from his wife like that.”

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t need any luring,” I said.

“What?”

“Never mind.” I held out my phone to Bo and showed him the pictures of David, Shawn, and Sarah. “Have you ever seen them before?”

“On the TV,” he said. “That story is all over.”

“Before that, ten years ago at Go Jet. Did you see them there?”

To Bo’s credit, he wasn’t offended, and he gave it a hard think, but to no avail. There were kids their age in and out of his place constantly. He didn’t even deny selling drugs and alcohol to minors. Bo might be old and slightly dotty, but he knew the statute of limitations was up, not that anyone in that town was interested in coming after him.

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