Deep Trouble by Jean Erhardt

Author:Jean Erhardt [Erhardt, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Published: 2014-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

When I pulled in my driveway the next morning, my mother was waiting for me at the door. She had a spatula in her hand. I wondered if she was planning to swat me with it. Or even worse, she could be cooking.

“You didn’t tell me you were gonna to be cattin’ around all night,” Evelyn shouted through the screen door.

“I said I’d be late.”

“That was twelve hours ago.”

“Ten.”

“Eleven.”

“Mother!” At my age, why was I even having this discussion?

“All right, okay. Get in here. I’m making chocolate chip pancakes. The first batch didn’t come out so hot. Maybe this one’ll be better.”

“Yeah, them first ones were all gummy.” Alonzo had already started into the second batch. “Hey, Cuz. You get lucky last night?”

“Alonzo,” my mother said, pointedly. “Kimberly does not get lucky.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I’d like to get lucky with that neighbor girl of yours. That Mindy is prettier than a speckled pup.”

My mother shoveled a pile of gooey pancakes on a plate and dropped it on the table. “Eat.”

“Don’t suppose there is any word on Little Bucky?” I asked, nearly dreading my first bite of pancake. Maybe he’d come back by now, safe and sound and ornery as ever.

But my mother put that fantasy to rest. “Not a word.”

Alonzo threw me a concerned look, and then he rapidly changed the subject. “Man, that Mindy’s a looker.” Alonzo scarfed down another bite. “Her mom ain’t half bad either. Sweet as can be, too. They brought over a delicious blueberry pie last night and sang us some songs. I saved you a piece in the refrigerator.”

I tried the pancakes. They were as awful as they looked. “Did Mindy sing Time in a Bottle?”

“No, but I wished she would’ve,” Evelyn said. “I love that song.”

“One of my favorites,” Alonzo agreed. “This second batch is a lot better.” Thank God I’d missed the first batch.

“Alonzo and I are gonna go up to the Old Mill and watch ’em grind cornmeal after breakfast. Wanna come along?”

For the third time, I tried to reach Faith Patton, but struck out again. I had some errands to run before work. I was running low on the essentials, Jim Beam and toilet paper. I buzzed into Kroger’s for the TP, and then hit the package store for liquor and more beer. Apparently, my mother and Alonzo had been very thirsty. They had also gone through more toilet paper than was comprehensible. With rations intact, I headed for the restaurant.

Just after six o’clock, I whipped up two extra special Gimlets for Peg and Dwight O’Hara. They were regulars and we loved the regulars. Peg owned an excellent catering outfit in town and Dwight was a retired spokesperson for a company that made screws for jet engines. Then I finessed my way through a Rob Roy and an Old Fashioned with no bitters for a tourist couple at the end of the bar. Two more regulars, Claudia Johnson and Susan Walsh, joined in at the bar. Claudia

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