Chapter 131: The Bicycle Thief

Even though I wanted to sleep forever, I awoke at 7AM. I made coffee then dressed in my cold weather bike riding outfit. After a few more pulls than usual, I got the bike started, and off I went to Hardee's for breakfast. Again, as I did every morning while at home, I wished that Helen would find a place to open a sit down diner of some kind. I loved Hardee's, but I felt like a trader. I really wanted to spend my money with Helen, and now Cheryl.

Still Hardee's was always interesting. "Hey there, haven't seen you in a while," one of the old men commented.

"I've been out of town working," I replied.

"And how about your friend?" he asked. Cheryl was who he really wanted to know about. The one with the big boobs and smaller ass.

"Cheryl, got a job. She works morning, so no time to come out and play," I said with a innocent smile.

"Ah that's a shame, but it's good to see you back," he spoke loud enough, so that any of the regulars, who happened to be in the place, would know the whole story first hand.

"Thanks," I said.

After I finished my breakfast, I pulled and pulled on the bike's engine and I finally got it to crank. I rode it to the mall for my morning walk, even though I knew I should go straight to the preacher's bike shop with it instead.

I walked inside the mall as I always did. I got even more questions like, "where you been" and "Where the hell is your friend." In the beginning I was amused that the men seemed to be so attached to Cheryl's boobs. After a while, I was a little sad, since people seemed to have missed her so much more than they did me. But I was still able to laugh it off as a boob thing.

When I returned to the spot where I remembered leaving my bike, it wasn't there. I glanced around at the other spots where I might have left it. Then I replayed everything to be absolutely sure that I wasn't looking in the wrong place. When I was positive that I was indeed standing beside the correct dumpster, I walked into the mall to find the on duty security officer.

"Hello, I'm Maxine Stone," I said to the older man. "I think I have a problem."

"Oh what kind of problem Ms Stone?" the older man asked.

"My motorbike isn't where I left it. Did you have it towed away by any chance?" I asked.

"No Ma'am, we would only do that, if we had a complaint. I have never had one about your bike." He said it looking concerned.

It was quite obvious that someone had stolen my damn bike. I was so pissed. I couldn't think straight, the security officer had to call the police for me, while I ranted.

"While we wait for the local police, why don't we hop in my car and ride around the parking lot. We can check to see, if someone moved it to just bug you," he suggested.

"That is possible, so sure lets do it," I said. We rode in the mall's three year old Ford. We rode from one end of the mall to the other. The bike was just plain gone. That was our conclusion at the end of our ride.

"There is the police car," the security officer said. Sure enough the city police car was sitting by the lower entrance to the mall. It was where I normally parked the bike. The police officer, who got out of the car as we drove up, was familiar to me. She had been in the Cop Out a few times.

"Maxine, is it your bike that is missing?" she asked.

"Yes it is, and I really want that bike back," I admitted.

"Let me fill out a report for your insurance company," she suggested.

"I don't want a report for my insurance company, I want my bike back, That is a special bike and I want it back." I didn't tell her that the bike had belonged to the Gunny, She wouldn't have understood anyway.

"I can see that you are upset, but you have to understand that we seldom recover bikes. It will wind up in the hood. The fact that it has a motor will make it easier to identify, but still don't get your hopes up."

I can't believe this, I have been out of town two weeks. The first thing that happens when I get back is someone steals my bike."

"Welcome home," the cop said sarcastically.

I calmed down and gave the bike some logical thought. Then I said, "I know the detectives are not going to do any follow up on this. So tell me where would this kind of thing wind up, if the kid doesn't keep it for himself?"

"I never had a motorized Bike stolen, let alone had one recovered. Maybe Big Al's pawn shop. That's about all I can think of," she suggested. "Do you know where that is?"

"Yeah, I know where it is. Someplace I wouldn't let my kids go, if I had any." I replied.

"Yep, that would be the place," she admitted. "I'm not supposed to do this, but do you need a ride."

"No thanks, I have a friend nearby." I admitted. The friend nearby was Gwen that morning. Thanks to TV's never ending need for mind numbing crap, I have a ride home, I thought.

"So do you want to drive me to Big Al's pawn shop, or do you want to drive me home and follow me to Big Al's?" I asked if of Gwen after she pulled up. She had been filming from a spot several yards from the Cop's car.

"I think I'll drive you. For once I won't be scrambling to catch up." She said. Good luck with that, I thought. She looked up the address on line, then punched it into her GPS. It told her everything, except to stay the hell away from Big Al's without a police escort.

Big Al had found the ideal place for his pawn shop. Before Big Al put his pawn shop in the building, it had been several other things. It had been built as a major gas station in the forties. Then the highway bypassed Downtown Aster in the fifties or sixties, leaving it to wither. At that time the building became a second rate gas station. Then the Feds decided that Aster needed a low income housing development. They said it was for displaced agricultural workers, who had moved to the area around Tryon and Aster. The housing project was after the major loss of family farms and the farm jobs they provided. The second rate service station became a convenience store run by a Korean family for the next decade.