Ticket Out (Traffic Warden Mysteries Book 1) by Michelle Diener

Author:Michelle Diener [Diener, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Daisy Crown Press
Published: 2023-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

chapter twenty-two

She had a new round.

Mr. Greenberg had switched her route with Patrick Nelson’s, no reason given, but everyone could guess. And she couldn’t have been happier.

She was in south Kensington, in the side streets—a nice, quiet patch. And not a green jaguar in sight.

It wasn’t that much different to her old route, if she was being honest, but a whole borough over, and with a slightly less well-heeled air, although not by much.

Usually, routes were changed every two months, and a change wasn’t due for another three weeks, but Patrick Nelson hadn’t seemed put out by it, and given he had full seniority, being a retired copper, and would have been able to refuse without any consequences, she guessed everyone was happy.

Maybe Mr. Nelson was looking forward to finding something to help DS Archer. Getting back in the game for a bit.

Gabriella was happy to leave him to it.

She had plans to visit Mr. Rodney in hospital later, and she wanted nothing more to do with the whole affair.

She moved through her assigned streets with relief, and was even amused when she found an abandoned car on the edge of a park with slashed tires.

She rounded the front, looking for any sign of a license registration on the dashboard, and a head popped up from the back.

It gave her a start.

“Where’s Mr. Nelson?” the figure asked, voice gritty as a gravel road.

“Mr. Nelson is on a different round, now.” Gabriella stepped closer, saw the person on the back seat had created a nest for themselves.

“Who’re you?” The demand would have been rude, but Gabriella could hear a slight tremor in the rough voice.

It was a man, she finally worked out. A small, wizened man, wrapped up as if it was the depths of winter, although in fact it was a particularly nice late summer day.

As a nod to the weather, the windows of the car had been wound down, presumably to let a cross breeze through.

“Mr. Nelson lets me stay here.”

Gabriella wondered if that was true.

As if seeing the skepticism on her face, he wriggled a bit closer to the window.

“’Til they come tow the car,” he amended.

What harm was it doing? Gabriella gave a nod. “I’m Miss Farnsworth.”

“Teddy Roe.” Teddy extended a hand covered in a filthy mitten through the window.

Gabriella shook it gently, and she suddenly felt a lot more friendly toward Mr. Nelson. Not that she’d disliked him before, but he had seemed very stern and rigid to her.

That was obviously a front.

Mr. Nelson was marshmallow inside.

“Long as I don’t cause no trouble, Mr. Nelson lets me stay,” Teddy said, as if to make sure she understood.

“I’m happy to keep to that arrangement, Mr. Roe.”

It seemed to take him a moment to get her meaning, and then he relaxed back on the seat in a way that almost broke Gabriella’s heart.

“Well, good day to you, Mr. Roe.” Gabriella moved on, noticing a curtain twitching in the house closest to the park.

Friend or foe, she wondered?

Probably a friend, as Mr.

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