Death at Devil's Bridge by Cynthia DeFelice

Author:Cynthia DeFelice
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Published: 2011-06-27T04:00:00+00:00

Twelve

I hesitated, remembering the night before and how eager I’d been to get out of the Tomahawk. But Donny was acting as though nothing unusual had happened, and Jeff reached right down to lock his bike to mine, then jumped in the front seat. Reluctantly, I took what was starting to feel like my place in the back. Donny pulled into an empty parking space in the lot, and we sat facing the water. Cameron Maddox’s face stared at us from a poster stapled to one of the town signs.

Donny shut off the engine, put his arm over the seat, and turned so he could look right at me. “So, how was the fishing today, Daggett?” he asked.

“Pretty good,” I answered carefully. I was wondering what was up. I’d figured that after last night, he wouldn’t want to hang out with Jeff and me again. And I’d thought that was fine with me. But now, face to face with Donny’s magnetic personality and his contagious grin, it was hard to stay mad.

“How much money did you make?” he asked.

“Chick pays me thirty dollars a day, and today I got twenty in tips,” I said proudly.

“That’s pretty good,” Donny said approvingly. “So, you got up at six A.M. and just got through, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Why?”

Donny didn’t answer, but instead asked Jeff, “Did you work today?”

Jeff made a face. “I spent half the day cleaning screens and washing windows for my mom.”

“Did you get paid?”

“Twenty dollars.”

Donny smiled. “How would you guys like to make almost that much for five minutes’ work? Actually, it’s not even work. For five minutes of your valuable time?”

“Get outta here,” I said.

“No way,” Jeff said at the same time.

“I’m serious,” Donny answered. “I’m in on a really good business deal, and I’m giving you guys first dibs on a piece of the action.”

“What do we have to do?” I asked cautiously.

“Just listen, for now. I had this great idea. It’s so simple, I can’t believe nobody’s thought of it before. Okay, you ready? You know how there’s basically no stores or anything up at this end of the island?”

“How about anywhere on the island,” Jeff said, moaning. “No malls, not even a McDonald’s! I mean, there are McDonald’s in Russia, for crying out loud, probably even in Siberia.”

It was one of Jeff’s constant complaints. Personally, I couldn’t have cared less. I wasn’t crazy about McDonald’s food, and I’d rather be fishing any day than hanging out at a mall. I thought it was cool that the Vineyard was different from other places.

“Yeah, well, I’m setting up a little supply service for people who don’t want to drive all the way down-island every time they need something,” Donny said. “See, I’ll get the orders together and make all the arrangements. All you guys have to do is make the deliveries on your bikes. I’ll pay you fifteen dollars for every delivery. You’ll make about ten deliveries a week each. That’s a hundred and fifty bucks. What do you say?”

I looked at Jeff, shrugged, and smiled.

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