Chapter 246: Pain and Good Drugs

I awoke the next morning after having slept long and hard. I took a quick shower just to get awake before I tried to drive a car. After my wake up shower. I headed off to Helen's Sit Down for breakfast. I recognized a couple of cops and paramedics from the cop out. None from the night before though. Also none with whom I felt comfortable enough to sit.

So I sat alone at one of the picnic table Jack had built. I had been seated only a couple of minutes when a much younger man in the casual uniform of an EMT approached. "Would you mind if I sat here?" he asked.

"Not at all." I said, then waited for him to go on.

"I'm Everette Simpson my dad went to school with your older brother." he said.

"Okay Everette is there some reason you felt the need to remind me that I'm old enough to be your mother?" I asked.

"No," he said obviously embarrassed. "I didn't mean it that way at all. Actually I just didn't want you to think I was trying to pick you up or anything."

"Why not," I paused a moment then I laughed. "Lighten up Ev, I have been down this road before. I know you are half my age, if that. It's okay." Just then another EMT came over and sat with us.

"You don't mind do you?" the woman who was younger than me but older than Ev asked.

"Not at all," I said "So are you two going or or coming off shift?" I asked.

"We are on for the day. It's quiet enough for us to have breakfast for a change. Usually this time of the morning people are waking up to find out they are sick." she said. "Or that their wife is dead."

"Ah okay," I said not really understanding.

"So, Ms Stone what are you up to today?' Ev asked.

"I'm Maxine, and I'm headed out to walk at the mall. Then the rest of the day is just a 'wing it' kind of day." I replied.

"Maxine, I think we met once after you got stabbed in Kaplin's parking lot?" she said.

"Well I did get stabbed there, but I don't remember you," I admitted.

"Yeah, I guess met was the wrong term. I took you to the hospital that day," she informed me.

"Then I should say thank you. I expect your saved my life," I replied.

"Who knows. You probably would have walked the mile and a half, if we hadn't gotten there first." she said laughing.

"I'm not that tough, that would have been my friend Gunny," I said.

"You could have fooled me. All that crap it made into the papers and I expect to see it on TV." she said. "Since the TV guy was filming us the whole time."

"Well it might be on there, I have no control over what those clowns do." I admitted.

After I finished my meal, I walked out with the two of them. I left them at the big yellow Ford truck, as I got in my car and headed to the Mall.

At the mall a lot of my old walking buddies passed me as usual. I alway smiled and said good morning as they went by. It cost me nothing to be polite, and someday it might pay off, I thought.

I missed Tiny Dancer, so I must have been early. I was halfway through my four laps when I heard Jame's voice behind me. "I see you don't walk so fast with the bad leg," he said being honest if not tactful in his observation.

"No, I don't walk fast at the mall, but I can keep up when I have to," I said.

"So I hear," he replied as he passed me and just kept going at a pace I wouldn't even attempt on my best day.

After the walk I went to see Lucas. He was sitting behind Ed's old desk. It was much fancier then either of the other two desks in his office. "Well Lucas you seem to have gained a pound or two. The bail business must agree with you?"

"It agrees with my bank account, but it is so boring. I have been out to bring a couple of the yahoo's home, but even that is a bore." He paused a moment then asked, "So what can I do for you?"

"Not a thing for a change. I just came by to see if you need anything, since you agreed to take on Julie," I said.

"I haven't even met her yet," he informed me. "She should be here at any moment."

"Well let me know if she gives you any trouble," I said.

"If she gives me any trouble, Helen said I could just spank her little ass," he said smiling.

"Lucas, if she is anything like Cheryl, you would be wearing a shank as a belt buckle, if you tried," we both laughed. "So when is she going to start?"

"Monday, so I got time to up my insurance," he said smiling at me. "I hear you came into some real money this time."

"Not really, it's probably enough for a down payment on a funeral though," I said.

"Good, cause this shit is going to catch up with you one day," he said.

I just laughed as I said goodbye. then I headed for home. I had a couple of hours to kill so I spent it banging around the Internet. I made a call from the phone by my computer to be sure the bike was ready at noon.

"Yes Ms. Stone, we have your bike ready to go," The middle aged lady informed me.

"Okay, I'll be over to pick it up in just a minute or two." I spent a few more minutes taking a second shower. The second one was to clean my body and wash my thin hair before I went for my bike. No I wasn't fixing up for the blond kid.

I parked the maroon Cruiser, with the bike rack, outside the bike shop and walked in. The woman was alone in the shop. She explained that Blondie was making a pickup. He said that the bike was ready to go according to her. So I paid her the almost two hundred bucks. When she rolled it out I was a little surprised. The motor looked even larger on the bike than it had on the shelf.