Trouble With the Tumbleweed Twister by Lawrence Kelter & Melissa Bourbon & Christie Craig & Diane Kelly

Author:Lawrence Kelter & Melissa Bourbon & Christie Craig & Diane Kelly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, mystery, detective, crime, comedy, humor, funny, collection, crime fiction, novella, humorous mystery series, mystery crime, Short stories
Publisher: F Street Books
Published: 2022-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Velma was on the front porch, rocking in her favorite chair and fanning herself with a copy of Better Homes and Gardens when an old VW Microbus rambled up the darkened road to Smoky’s house. She stood abruptly and strained her eyes to see who was sitting in the odd-looking vehicle. A stranger was behind the wheel. Her husband rode shotgun but he wasn’t holding a shotgun and she knew he took one with him when he left the other night.

“Thanks for the ride,” Smoky said as he got out of the van. “I wouldn’t wait too long on replacing that ignition coil. I jerry-rigged it best I could but it won’t last long.” He closed the door and the van backed out of the driveway.

Smoky reached out to hug Velma but she stepped away.

“Richard T. Rolle, where the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting up for you to call thinking the worst while you’re out God knows where with your dumb-as-hell cousin. I didn’t know if you were dead or alive. By the by, where is Travis and who the fudge was that behind the wheel of that flower power love truck?”

“Velma, take it easy. I lost my phone.”

“You lost it? What about Travis? You lose him too?”

Smoky’s eyes were large, his nostrils flared. “We got rousted.”

“Rousted? Smoky, the hell are you talking about?”

“Just like Travis was worried about. A pair of vans rolled up on us, three masked men got out holding down on us. I was outgunned.”

“And Travis?”

“Travis was up in the bucket when they showed up and that’s where he was when they drove off.”

Velma wrinkled her nose. “The hell?”

“Just like I said, Velma. They took the whole damn truck, lock, stock, and Travis. My phone was in the glovebox and I was on the ground with my hands behind my head. That’s why I couldn’t call you.”

“What about the guy who gave you a ride?”

“That’s Stu, Norman’s brother. Small world, ain’t it?”

Velma rattled her head. “This is a lot to take in. Norman’s got a brother? He’s never said two words about his family.”

“It’s a fact. Didn’t even know Norman had a brother but the hospital got word to him and here he is. He said he didn’t carry a dang cell phone. From the looks of him and the vehicle he drove I wouldn’t put it past him not having a mobile phone. When I met him, he was broken down along the side of the road. Good thing I was able to makeshift repair his ignition coil or we’d still been out there in the dark.”

All of Velma’s pent-up frustration fled. She threw her arms around Smoky and buried her head against his chest. “Crazy darn fool putting your life at risk. Don’t you ever do that again. We’re strapped for money but we’ll figure something out. Next time your foul-ass cousin shows up, you run the other way. You hear me?”

“Wasn’t like I had much of a choice. Those bandits were on us faster than a mountain lion on a jackrabbit.

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