Panic in the Panhandle by J.C. Kenney

Author:J.C. Kenney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2024-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

The alarm clock went off earlier than my liking the following morning. Which was the case most mornings, to be honest. In a perfect world, I’d work from ten until two in the afternoon. I was too young for a schedule like that, though. Maybe in another twenty years.

As I rolled out of bed, I was met with Oscar’s inscrutable stare. He sat in the doorway, all prim and proper with his front legs together like a ballerina, and looked at me. Without blinking. I stared back, unwilling to admit defeat to a creature that lacked opposable thumbs. The seconds ticked by until what seemed days. He looked away first.

“Ha,” I said in a raised voice, immediately followed a full-body cringe, as the memories from the previous day came to me. “Okay, you’re right. I have no business investigating a murder. Doesn’t matter. It’s too late to turn back now. Rambo needs me.”

Apparently uninterested in my rationalizations, he turned and walked away. No doubt straight to his food bowl in anticipation of the fish breakfast I’d promised him. It wasn’t lost on me that his attitude reminded me way too much of Nic after I’d done something inadvisable. Like the time I decided to teach myself to windsurf and almost drowned.

A pot of coffee truck-stop style, black with nothing else, and a bowl of oatmeal later, I was as good as new. After giving Oscar some chunked-up grouper. I tried to be a man of my word, after all.

Fridays were billing days, so I spent a few hours in front of the computer sending, then paying, invoices. I always did the sending first. Starting the day doing something that resembled making money made me smile. And minimized the frown when I got to the paying part.

When I was finished, I tossed a treat to Oscar. “High fives all around, buddy. Another week in the black. Not too shabby.”

The fact that he came over to rub against my leg after snarfing down the treat was a sign he agreed with my assessment. Not that he was angling for more treats. That’s what I told myself.

Whatever gets you through the night. Am I right?

My phone rang while I was stuffing envelopes with paper invoices. The number wasn’t familiar. Hopefully that meant it was a potential new customer.

“Simpson’s Critter Removal. This is Elmo.”

“Ah, Mr. Simpson. Greetings and salutations to you, sir. May I inquire as to your currently availability?”

The voice, and choice of grammar, was unmistakable. My heart began pounding against my chest. Maybe yesterday’s sales pitch was actually going to pay off.

“I don’t have anything on the calendar, Big Baby. How can I help you?”

“There is someone here with whom you would like to speak, I believe. If you can arrive before the top of the hour, I can arrange an assignation.”

It was just past nine thirty. The recycling center was twenty minutes away. I’d have to forego a shave, but a shower was a must if I was meeting someone. I wasn’t sure what the word assignation meant.

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