Last Respects by John Essick

Author:John Essick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: car theft ring and organized crime, childhood friend is murdered and police dont care, investigative reporters career in downward spiral, people in old hometown expect too much, person of interest in murder, reaching rock bottom with nowhere to go but up, returning to old hometown and old enemies
Publisher: Black Opal Books

CHAPTER 32

It was Ronald. His arms were full with three grocery bags and he held a fourth, a reusable red and blue striped shopping bag, in his right hand.

“Good afternoon,” he said, moving past me to the kitchen. “I see Stacey’s here. Good. I’ve come to take you over to visit Mrs. A, soon as I put the cold stuff away. The rest can wait,” he said over his shoulder.

I looked out through the still open door and saw my weary-looking car parked alongside a sparkling maroon Ram quad cab pickup that I assumed was Stacey’s. There was also a blue Honda Pilot with East Hastings Animal Hospital in a logo with a dog and cat on each side of the lettering painted on the front passenger door. I couldn’t make out the driver.

Stacey came up beside me. “Where did you drive that car from to get here?” he asked.

“Rhode Island. I was working in Providence,” I answered.

“I can’t believe you made it. That thing needs a tune up real bad. I could tell that just by turning the ignition and listening to it while I waited for the tow truck. When’s the last time you had a mechanic look at it?”

“Hard to say. I did a lot of walking in Providence--”

“Don’t they have car inspections in that state?”

“Well, I knew a guy who knew a guy--” I began to answer sheepishly.

“Well, that car is not safe to drive, no matter if some guy slapped an inspection sticker on it,” Stacey said. “I’ll start working on it once I’ve finished with the security system.”

“You fix cars too?”

“There ain’t much Stacey can’t do,” Ronald answered as he joined us at the door.

“Except answer doors,” I muttered.

“What?” Ronald asked.

“Nothing. But speaking of Stacey, whose idea was it to hire me a bodyguard, anyway?”

“Well, he’s not exactly a bodyguard, more like a...a...

“Babysitter,” I said.

“Well, Mrs. A and Mr. Weatherly thought it might be a good idea if--” Ronald answered.

“Mr. Weatherly? Hoppy? How the hell--”

“Mrs. A called him this morning.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Mrs. A--er--Sue Ellen called Hoppy about me?”

“Yeah, the dry cleaners is a big advertiser with the Chronicle and she wanted to make sure the paper wasn’t going to let the story about her brother fade away. I don’t think she trusts the police will stay on it.”

“So Hoppy suggested she hire Stacey so I won’t be afraid to poke around?” I said.

“I don’t know what Mr. Weatherly said. I only heard Mrs. A’s side of the conversation. I only know that, when she hung up, she asked me to give Stacey a call,” he answered.

“And you know Stacey how?” I asked.

“We go a little ways back. He did the security out at the Augustino place, and he’s got what you might call a unique skill set.”

“Yeah, it seems so,” I answered. “Okay, well, I haven’t had my coffee or any breakfast yet. I’m not much good before I’ve had my first cup.”

“We talking coffee or--”

“Coffee,” I answered, skipping over his implication.

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