Chapter 28

Edited by Bob Ross

I spent that evening at the Cop Out, ‭ ‬well from‭ ‬9‭ ‬PM until about‭ ‬11‭ ‬PM anyway.‭ ‬Blevins never showed, ‭ ‬nor did Anya.‭ ‬Jerry was there, ‭ ‬along with some EMTs from the County Ambulance and Rescue Squad.‭ ‬I danced with all of them at one time or another, ‭ ‬I think.

I left for home at‭ ‬11:15.‭ ‬I know because someone asked why I was leaving so early.‭ "‬I am leaving early, ‭ ‬because I need my beauty sleep, ‭" ‬I explained.

‎"‏Do you really think that will help‭?" ‬One of the female EMTs asked.

‎"‏Hell, ‭ ‬it's like the pistol that the cops carry.‭ ‬It might not always help, ‭ ‬but it sure as hell can't hurt.‭" ‬ Everyone laughed.

‎"‏Is that why you carry a gun‭?" ‬the same EMT chick asked.

‎"‏No, ‭ ‬I carry it for ballast.‭ ‬I lost so much weight this year, ‭ ‬I'm afraid I'll blow away.‭" ‬ I resisted the urge to suggest that she try it.‭ ‬She had to be at least fifty pounds overweight.‭ "‬So goodnight one and all.‭" ‬ Since the shootout in front of the club, ‭ ‬no one offered to walk me to my car.‭ ‬I didn't mind at all.

I fell asleep that night wondering what kind of dress Margie was going to send.‭ ‬Something tight, ‭ ‬she warned me.‭ ‬So I would probably have to go buy new underwear for the big party.‭ ‬God, ‭ ‬I hadn't bought fancy undies in years.‭ ‬When I broke down and did that, ‭ ‬the bras cost much more than my usual outfits.‭ ‬If I had to buy a lacy, ‭ ‬half cup, ‭ ‬padded, ‭ ‬push up bra‭; ‬I might have to take out a loan.‭ ‬Even with those thoughts rolling around my head, ‭ ‬I finally managed to fall asleep.

I woke in the middle of the night for a bathroom run, ‭ ‬as usual.‭ ‬The cabin was extremely warm, ‭ ‬so I turned the heater down before I returned to bed.‭ ‬I must have got it at the height of its cycle, ‭ ‬because the next morning the cabin was too chilly for a shower.‭ ‬I could have hung out and waited for the one large room to warm up, ‭ ‬but I wanted to get moving.‭ ‬I didn't even make coffee‭; ‬I just pulled on some heavy clothes and packed my ass out to the van.‭ ‬I did check to make sure the temperature inside the cabin was above freezing.‭ ‬It was by a few degrees, ‭ ‬so I didn't increase the setting on the oil stove.

I stopped by the closest fast food joint for coffee and a biscuit.‭ "‬I miss Skeeter, ‭ ‬damn it, ‭" ‬I said aloud, ‭ ‬as I drove into the office parking lot.‭ ‬I opened the door and staggered to my desk.‭ ‬The Hardee's bag held not only my biscuit, ‭ ‬but two large cups of black coffee also.‭ ‬I would drink both of them before the Mr.‭ ‬Coffee finished brewing.‭ ‬The coffee wasn't as good as what I made, ‭ ‬but it wasn't bad either.

I looked at the calendar program on my computer only because the icon was flashing.‭ ‬I found the reminder about an appointment with my bookkeeper.‭ ‬I had a standing‭ ‬10‭ ‬AM meeting with her on the last working day of every month.‭ ‬I carried my checkbook in, ‭ ‬and she told me how broke I was.

Actually my finances were not too bad.‭ ‬Ed didn't charge me any rent because of the thing with his son.‭ ‬I had the rent on the cabin and my utilities there, ‭ ‬plus what I spent on food and entertainment.‭ ‬That was substantially less than my retirement check, ‭ ‬so the office money was extra.‭ ‬It was a good thing, ‭ ‬since almost all of the income after expenses went to Lucas.‭ ‬It was expensive to have an employee.

I was expecting it to get a little better, ‭ ‬since I had picked up a little computer tracing work.‭ ‬Lucas had proven to be a great researcher with the old ones and zeros machine.‭ ‬The traces were for an insurance group with agents all over hell.‭ ‬Their home office was in Tryon, ‭ ‬so it was a good gig for us.‭ ‬Lucas hated it, ‭ ‬of course.‭ ‬I explained that it would pay his salary, ‭ ‬so he was willing to go along.‭ ‬I expected that he would have revolted if we didn't also do the process services at least twice a week, ‭ ‬and the occasional pick up of bail skips.

I hadn't expected the dress to arrive before‭ ‬10‭ ‬AM, ‭ ‬so I wasn't too disappointed when I left for my bookkeeper's office without it.‭ ‬Nothing is very far away in a town the size of Aster, ‭ ‬which made the drive to Thelma's bookkeeping service about five minutes.

‎"‏Maxine, ‭ ‬how you doing girl‭?" ‬The‭ ‬250‭ ‬pound woman with the blond wig asked.

‎"‏I have been worse, ‭ ‬Thelma.‭ ‬How are you doing‭?"

"Dieting again and I just fucking hate it, ‎" ‏she said, ‭ ‬while making sure no one was around to hear her choice of words.‭ ‬I was sure that she used that kind of language only with a very few clients.

‎"‏I know that, ‭" ‬I said, ‭ ‬in agreement.‭ "‬So did I have enough money to pay my bills this month‭?"

"Yes, ‎ ‏with a couple of hundred left over even.‭ ‬You ought to think about an investment plan.‭ ‬Your money is getting lazy in the bank, ‭ ‬but not fat for sure.‭"

"Yeah, ‎ ‏but if you want to see the stock market fall like a rock, ‭ ‬just let me invest in it.‭ ‬I tried once and lost my ass off.‭"

"Ah, ‎ ‏so that's why you are so skinny.‭"

"No, ‎ ‏I'm skinny because of a ruptured esophagus.‭ ‬If you tried deep throating a giant zucchini, ‭ ‬you could probably wind up in the hospital on clear soup and Jell-O for a month, ‭ ‬too.‭ ‬Then I promise you would lose some serious pounds.‭" ‬I laughed at the thought.

‎"‏Then I'd have to ride cross-country on a bike for a couple of months, ‭ ‬day in and day out, ‭ ‬to get my body in shape, ‭" ‬she added, ‭ "‬I think I'll stick to fucking salads.‭"

"Yeah, ‎ ‏that does seem a lot simpler, ‭" ‬I agreed.

‎"‏I got the checks for you to sign right here.‭ ‬Max, ‭ ‬you know you need to get rid of Lucas.‭ ‬You can't really afford him.‭"

"Sure I can.‎ ‏I just can't afford him if I want to eat three times a day.‭"