Chapter 396

It was only 4PM, when I was dropped off at my truck. Levi, the Jew, was very efficient. I started the truck and of course right away I smelled the odor of antifreeze. I shut the truck down quickly. Being my daddy's daughter, I knew that I had a coolantleak. It could be as simple as a hose, or as nasty as a blown head gasket or a cracked block.

I opened the hood and checked the radiator, it was bone dry. Since I was in the parking lot of a Mcdonald's restaurant, and it was a slow time of the day, I took a chance. I explained my problem to the manager, then asked to borrow a plastic mop bucket and to fill it with water from the ladies room.

He did me one better, he let me fill it from the outside faucet. So I managed to get the radiator full again. With the hood lifted I started the truck and found that the leak was in the core of the radiator. It wasn't the best possible scenario, but it was better than a blown head gasket or cracked block.

Even driving the truck to the meeting with a blown head gasket, would have been better than missing the meet. If I had to junk the truck, I could take a bus or a train with the diamonds a hell of a lot easier, than I could have with two large blue barrels.

I got directions to the closest auto parts store. I was thankful that I had worked with my dad all those years before. I was even glad that he was one of those make do mechanics who worked for the poor. I knew that I would be filling the radiator with stop leak, then driving it on the highway home. If it held wonderful, if I burned up the engine closer to home, that was okay as well.

Most likely, as it had done on the trip up, air passing over the engine at seventy miles an hour would keep it cool. It was when I stopped that I had to worry. For that reason once I got to the parts store, I spent slightly over twenty bucks for a jar of stop leak for aluminum radiators, and a five gallon water jug. At least they let me fill up the water jug from their slop sink in the back free.

I poured in the liquid alum with the motor running but the cap off the radiator. It instantly stopped the leak. I let the motor run a few minutes just in case, then topped off the radiator and put the cap back on. I considered driving the truck home with the cap on but loose as I had done from the fast food restaurant to keep the pressure off the radiator, but decided just trust my luck and seal the radiator. To keep the water jug from banging around I put the jug in the passenger's seat foot well. I filled the truck's gas tank, and checked for leaks again under pressure that time then I hit the highway for home.

I stopped for gas four times on the way home, mostly to check the radiator. The damn stop leak held all the way home. It was 8AM when I pulled into my parking lot. I had run the MP3 player all the way home, even though it hadn't really been necessary. I was surprised that the truck didn't need a bit of water all the way home. I knew without a doubt that I had dodged a bullet.

Inside the Downtown House, I removed my bag of diamonds from the McDonald's bag. That left Jerrod's plastic bag inside the white paper bag. Since the gun vault was the safest place in my apartment, I put one bag in each of the two top drawers drawers of the upright red mechanics tool box They definitely took up less room than the barrels had.

I for sure needed a better place to store them and I knew it. I didn't think putting them down the barrel of a shotgun then plugging it would be a good idea. I might get my guns confiscated someday. Freezing them into a block of ice had a certain appeal but it was a well known trick, so I mentally marked that as only a maybe if all else fails plan.

They were safe enough for the time being, so I rode the bike to Helen's for breakfast. I had that desire for sugar again. I downed the Cinnamon bun breakfast with the orange juice and coffee. I felt the cold shoulder from the cops in the dining area, but there were a couple of Paramedics seated in the rear. I found a seat at the empty table near them.

"How you doing Maxine?" The male asked.

'I'm fine how are you two this morning?" I asked.

"A little tired, we just got off. We had a late call," his almost middle-age partner said. She wasn't beautiful by any means, but she wasn't a dog either. She had a pixie's smile.

"Well it's over now," I said smiling as I bit into my roll.

"So it is," she said happily.

"I'll second that," the guy said.

I sensed there was more he wanted to say. I waited to give him a chance and when he didn't I tossed my trash, then headed to the mall. I couldn't read the paramedics mind, but I knew for sure that I didn't have time to be fucking around with anyone new. It would be bad timing at the very least. It might also be fun, but I just had too many things going at that moment. Would I have said no, if they both had asked? I doubt it, but was I glad they hadn't asked? Yes I was.

I didn't see the Dancer during my walk and I didn't mind at all. Of course I had been out of town, so maybe I should have worried a little. I sat at the silly little fountain in the middle of the mall and made a call to Jerrod. "So how is it going?" I asked, when he picked up.