All Due Respect Issue #3 by Hinkson Jake & Luis Colón Angel & Conley Jen & Hart Rob & Adams Jessica & Abbott Patti & Leek Chris & McCrary Mike & Cizak Alec

Author:Hinkson, Jake & Luis Colón, Angel & Conley, Jen & Hart, Rob & Adams, Jessica & Abbott, Patti & Leek, Chris & McCrary, Mike & Cizak, Alec [Hinkson, Jake]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Full Dark City Press
Published: 2014-05-28T04:00:00+00:00

“So you and Chuck?” I asked her later, after we’d both taken a shower and warmed up. We were at an expensive restaurant in Boyne City. The kind of place my father never frequented.

She nodded. “In a town this size, you often choose your future husband in high school. I didn’t do that though. I went off to college, got my degree in library science and when I returned—and don’t ask me why I returned—it was sort of decided that we two siblings would make a good pair. “

“And I bet I know who decided it.”

“No doubt about that. But I liked Chuck well enough. Not sure it was love, but he was a very nice guy. Not like your Dad at all.” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Funny, but I don’t remember Chuck beyond the odd Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s.”

“By the time you were old enough to remember him, your Dad was in a rage over what was going on with the dealership. The dealership was tanking—that’s the expression, right? Chester cut him a pretty wide berth outside the office.”

I finished off my pint and said, “But you weren’t suspicious when he died like he did?”

“I never gave it a thought then. But it was sort of odd. Two car salesmen riding around in a brand new car with defective brakes. Maybe not odd so much as ironic. The most surprising thing at the time was that they were in a car together. Your dad said they were going to see their accountant. This was before your mom started doing the books.”

I nodded. “So do we want him to confess?” I said.” Is that the goal?”

“I can’t imagine how we’d do that.” She threw her napkin down and looked out the window. It was starting to snow again. We were on Boyne Lake and could see some crazy snowmobilers skirting the water in the dark. Their headlights caught Elaine’s eyes as they passed us.

“Drunk,” she observed.

I nodded. “Then we’ll have to kill him.”

She hesitated. “Are we really talking about this here?” She looked around. “There are people ten feet away, you know.”

I looked over at the couple. They were deep in the throes of mental foreplay. “And kill him in the same sort of way, he killed Phyllis and Chuck,” I said, skipping over her qualms. For the first time I realized I wanted him dead. He’d pretty much ruined all of our lives. Why had Elaine never married? Why hadn’t I? And two people were dead at his hands. Both got in his way. It was as simple as that.

“Exactly what options do we have up here?” She blinked. “I mean how do we do it?”

“No guns, I hope. It’ll have to be the Bolo Punch.” I explained. “And we’ll have to take advantage of our surroundings.”

Elaine looked out the window again. “Does your Dad ever use his snowmobile at night?”