The Uninvited by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-02-26T05:00:00+00:00

“Vic,” Slick said, “Sheriff Grant just called on the radio. The phones are really screwed up in Baronne. ’Bout seventy percent of them out.”

This night, unlike the previous night, would be clear and starry, with a lover’s moon hanging yellow against a velvet backdrop. Yes, it was going to be a beautiful night in this part of Louisiana.

“How do we stand?” Vic asked.

“It’s gettin’ worse. I talked with the phone company repairmen and asked them if they’d seen anything suspicious while out in the country. They said they hadn’t seen a thing out of the ordinary.” He tossed the evening paper on the desk. “You seen this?”

Sheriff Ransonet scanned the front page. The governor was out of the state for several days, on an industry-inducement trip up north. Lieutenant Governor Bradford was holding the reins of state government.

“God help us all,” Vic said. “Pukey Bradford’s in charge.”

“And you know what that means.” Slick sat down.

“It means he wouldn’t help us if I got down on my knees and kissed his ass in the middle of Baton Rouge rush hour.”

Robert “Pukey” Bradford was originally from Lapeer Parish. He got his name because every time he got excited, he threw up. He graduated high school last in a class of fifty. He had pulled a number of shady deals while living in Lapeer, and was not well-liked. And that was being kind. In Lapeer and Baronne Parishes, in the last election, he had received the humiliating total of only twenty-seven votes. Both Parishes combined.

“Can you imagine”—Vic put his head in his hands—me asking Pukey for help?”

Slick laughed without humor. Yeah. I got a picture of that. Only time I know of you ever steppin’ out on your wife was that time you and her had that fight and she went back to Thibodaux for a time. Hell, Vic—how were you to know that woman you met over in Alex was Pukey’s wife?”

“I never should have humped her, but I was drunk, and did. Then she goes back and tells Pukey about it. Said I took advantage of her. Damn! I thought she was going to rape me right there in the bar.”

“Well, maybe we could get Mike to—” He stopped and shook his head. “No, I forgot. Mike whipped Pukey’s ass in college, didn’t he? Put him in the hospital for a couple of days.”

Yeah,” Vic said glumly. “Well, if it gets bad enough, we’ll have to call him and he’ll have to react—like it or not.”

“How long we going to wait?”

“Dawn.”

“Sheriff?” A deputy stuck his head in the office. “Phone company says to tell you something is chewing the hell out of their lines and foulin’ up their terminal boxes. Power company says the same whatever is doin’ it to them, too. Service is being interrupted all over the Parish.”

Vic nodded.

The door closed.

“The bugs?” Slick asked.

“Yeah,” Vic sighed. “The bugs.” He slammed a heavy hand on his desk, the fist balling in frustration. Goddamn it! Al tells me to wait. Dr. Long asks me to wait.

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