November Road: A Novel by Lou Berney

Author:Lou Berney [Berney, Lou]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller
ISBN: 9780062663849
Google: pMrBswEACAAJ
Amazon: B072QVPG8Y
Barnesnoble: B072QVPG8Y
Goodreads: 37801720
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: 2018-10-09T05:00:00+00:00

19

Thanksgiving Day. As Guidry wheeled onto the highway, he gave thanks that he was finished forever with Santa Maria, New Mexico, and on the move again.

“Away we go,” he told his audience. Charlotte in the passenger seat next to him, her daughters and their dog in the backseat.

The grease monkey had balked at first, when Guidry offered him fifty dollars to tell the woman her car was dead. He’d claimed that he could never do such an underhanded thing, not to such a nice lady and her daughters. Like hell. He just wanted to drive up the price. Guidry, bent over the barrel, had no choice. In the good old days, he never had to dicker. Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir. Give Mr. Marcello my regards, sir.

Look on the bright side, though. If Big Ed Zingel kept his word, Guidry wouldn’t have to worry about money once he got to Las Vegas. And if Ed didn’t keep his word? Guidry wouldn’t have to worry about money then either, except for the penny he’d have to pay Charon to cross the river Styx into the land of the dead.

The grease monkey held up his end of the bargain. Charlotte walked out of the garage like she’d been hit by a bus.

Guidry timed his swoop down from the skies just right. “How can I help?”

She told him about the car. He listened sympathetically. Guidry had to hand it to her. She might have been crying a minute ago, but she wasn’t now. She seemed to be taking the punch like a champ: Her voice didn’t break, her gaze didn’t falter.

“Well, Charlotte,” he said, “it’s a good thing that you have a backup plan.”

She managed a smile. “Well, Frank, I’m not sure that I do.”

“I’m going to Los Angeles, too, aren’t I?” he said. “There’s plenty of room in my car. And you’ve seen my way with dogs.”

She studied him. Her expression more surprised than wary, but for a second there Guidry was sure she could see right through him.

“You’re very kind,” she said, “but I couldn’t possibly—”

“Let’s discuss the reasons why not. You go first.”

“Because . . .”

“The bus will take you three days,” he said. “It stops at every town between here and the Pacific Ocean. And it won’t be cheap, three people and a dog.”

Guidry watched her work out the next part for herself. How much would the bus cost? Would the driver even allow the dog on the bus?

He rubbed his jaw, inspiration striking. “You’ll need a car in Los Angeles, won’t you? Listen to this. I have a pal in Las Vegas. He’s right on our way to Los Angeles. Ed owns a couple of businesses out there. One of them, as it happens, is a car dealership.”

“I don’t have nearly enough money to buy a car,” Charlotte said.

“You have more than enough to borrow one,” Guidry said. “Ed’s the original Good Samaritan. He’s got daughters of his own.”

Guidry didn’t know if Big Ed had children or not.

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