Three Dumb: Wheelin' & Dealin' (A Val Fremden Mystery Book 3) by Margaret Lashley

Author:Margaret Lashley [Lashley, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zazzy Ideas, Inc.
Published: 2017-08-16T07:00:00+00:00

THE CHEESE FONDUE TURNED out to be a bad choice, but not just because of its potential to permanently clog my colon. Jorge’s hands shook so badly during dinner that he got more cheese on the tablecloth than in his mouth. By the time he’d finished, the trail of cheese from the pot to his plate made it appear as if the entire cauldron of greasy, yellowish goo had been dumped in his lap.

Even worse, Cold Cuts hadn’t shown.

I looked over at Milly and shrugged. The evening was a bust. I flagged down the waitress.

“Could we get our check, please?”

“Separate or together?”

“Oh. Together. And I’ll get their check, too.”

I pointed over at Milly and Goober. The girl didn’t bat an eyelash.

“A foursome. Huh. Never saw that one coming.”

The waitress scooted off before I could defend myself. I waved over at Milly and Goober. “You guys ready to go?”

“Absolutely,” Goober said, and yanked the paper napkin from his t-shirt collar.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” I asked Goober. Milly had stuck to wine. Smart girl.

“Negatory,” Goober replied. He nodded at a plate empty except for a few crusts of bread. “They call this a tuna-fish sandwich? I’ve had better tasting cat food.”

I didn’t doubt it. I started to say so, but one of my fake eyelashes fell off and landed in the fondue pot. My nose was stuffy from inhaling Goober’s radioactive aftershave, and my stomach was starting to boil. I felt like Cinderella after midnight. I was falling apart at the seams.

“I’m going to the toilet,” I said, and yanked on the hem of my cherry-red hot pants.

As I hobbled along Garvey’s human gauntlet of shame back toward the restroom, I held my head high. My mind focused on one thought; No one here knows who I am. I shoved open the bathroom door and got a gander at myself in the mirror straight ahead. I was so mortified I barely noticed the waitress standing beside me, applying mascara.

“You know, Val, you could do better.”

The hair on the back of my neck curled in horror. “What?”

“The guy’s obviously a drunk. He’s got the DTs. Still, not the worst I’ve seen in here. Great costume, by the way”

I stared at the red-haired hash slinger. “Excuse me, but who are you?”

She stopped applying mascara and grinned at me. “All right! You didn’t recognize me! Yes!”

Then I did.

“Oh my word! Cold Cuts?”

Cold Cuts’ victory face disappeared. “Yeah.”

“I.... Look. It’s a long story. I’ve been trying to find you. I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Did you buy an RV from Lefty’s scrapyard last Saturday?”

Cold Cuts frowned. “Well, yeah. Maybe.”

“Cold Cuts, that was my RV! I need to get it back.”

The girl crinkled her nose defensively. “Why?”

“That’s another long story. It belonged to my mother.”

“So she wants it back?”

“Well, no. She’s...dead.”

“Look, Val. I like the old RV. And I’ve already got her all fixed up.”

“But my mother loved it.”

“Even so, she’s gone, Val. She can’t use it.”

“I know. But I want to keep it...for the memories.”

“Memories don’t exist in things.

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