Garage Sale Stalker (Garage Sale Mysteries) Read Online Free
Author: Suzi Weinert
figure less than Seller’s original price but more than Buyer’s original offer. E xceptions included items alrea dy very fairly priced or o nes priced so ridiculously low that the buyer snapped up the purchase without hesitation.
“Yes,” Jennifer pointed to the tree offered for $40, “but after all, this is a garage sale where people look for real bargains.” Per formula, she offered half the asking price. “Would you accept $20? You don’t want to cart it back inside after the sale if it doesn’t sell, do you?”
Seller offered a thin smile. “That’s true,” she hesitated as other buyers jostled toward her, items in hand. “How about $30?”
“Sold,” Jennifer agreed, thinking the brass planter alone was worth that much. She gave Seller the money and began lugging the cumbersome artificial tree toward her car.
And that’s when it happened!
CHAPTER 2
S omething thud ded hard against J ennifer, knocking her completely off balance! The bamboo tree fell from her grasp and she stumbled awkwardly, wind-milling her arms in a frantic effort to stay afoot. “Why don’t you watch out where the hell you’re going?” a cross male voice snarled as a burly man with a blond crew cut muscled past her. He carried a huge, heavy TV set without apparent effort. Reaching a black pickup, he deposited the TV lightly onto the truck bed as only a powerful weight-lifter could… and without a glance of concern in her direction.
Jennifer quickly looked back toward the sale to see if someone witnessed what happened, but all were engrossed in shopping. She turned again towar d the man who’d slammed into her. Despite his gym-trim muscles and hulking football player physique—which might be admired under other circumstances—he accepted no responsibility for the incident he’d just created, moved to the driver’s door of his pickup and climbed inside.
Politeness character ized most garage sale shoppers, and, frankly, everyone Jennifer knew, so she half-expected him to call out an apology or even return to help pick up her fallen tree. Instead, his truck motor roared to life and she heard its gears shift. That he ignored his role in nearly decking her upset Jennifer; but this coarse disregard paired with his startling strength reminded her that raw power in irresponsible hands spelled danger! A look at any day’s newspaper underscored that chilling observation!
This guy acted very differently from the well-mannered men Jennifer only now realized she took for granted. The men she knew not only behaved politely but large physically-intimidating men doubled their efforts at respectful, non-threatening behavior around women. Never would her husband, sons, male neighbors or business associates treat a woman so crassly.
C onsidering this, she fel t a new relief that he sped away instead of returning, perhaps to confront rather than assist her. She shivered, the hair on her arms prickling alarm as she watched his truck disappear down the street, grateful that he didn’t know or care who she was.
What was going on here? Jennifer liked people, made friends easily and avoided the rash judgments of flimsy first impressions. Was he just a jerk or maybe a nice guy having a bad day? Was the TV heavier than he let on, forcing him to concentrate more on hefting his burden than finding a clear path to his truck? Why did she even attempt plausible explanations for his callous behavior when her intuition told her this man spelled trouble? She’d steer clear of him if he appeared at other sales—or anywhere else for that matter!
Enough time wasted on this. She struggled to her van, stuffed the tree inside and took a tape measure from the box on the front seat. Checking the furniture measurements written this morning in her notebook, she locked the van’s doors and returned to the sale. Now for a close look at what remained.
Her eyes darted across the jumbled sale items. There—the bench she’d noticed earlier! She whipped out
“Yes,” Jennifer pointed to the tree offered for $40, “but after all, this is a garage sale where people look for real bargains.” Per formula, she offered half the asking price. “Would you accept $20? You don’t want to cart it back inside after the sale if it doesn’t sell, do you?”
Seller offered a thin smile. “That’s true,” she hesitated as other buyers jostled toward her, items in hand. “How about $30?”
“Sold,” Jennifer agreed, thinking the brass planter alone was worth that much. She gave Seller the money and began lugging the cumbersome artificial tree toward her car.
And that’s when it happened!
CHAPTER 2
S omething thud ded hard against J ennifer, knocking her completely off balance! The bamboo tree fell from her grasp and she stumbled awkwardly, wind-milling her arms in a frantic effort to stay afoot. “Why don’t you watch out where the hell you’re going?” a cross male voice snarled as a burly man with a blond crew cut muscled past her. He carried a huge, heavy TV set without apparent effort. Reaching a black pickup, he deposited the TV lightly onto the truck bed as only a powerful weight-lifter could… and without a glance of concern in her direction.
Jennifer quickly looked back toward the sale to see if someone witnessed what happened, but all were engrossed in shopping. She turned again towar d the man who’d slammed into her. Despite his gym-trim muscles and hulking football player physique—which might be admired under other circumstances—he accepted no responsibility for the incident he’d just created, moved to the driver’s door of his pickup and climbed inside.
Politeness character ized most garage sale shoppers, and, frankly, everyone Jennifer knew, so she half-expected him to call out an apology or even return to help pick up her fallen tree. Instead, his truck motor roared to life and she heard its gears shift. That he ignored his role in nearly decking her upset Jennifer; but this coarse disregard paired with his startling strength reminded her that raw power in irresponsible hands spelled danger! A look at any day’s newspaper underscored that chilling observation!
This guy acted very differently from the well-mannered men Jennifer only now realized she took for granted. The men she knew not only behaved politely but large physically-intimidating men doubled their efforts at respectful, non-threatening behavior around women. Never would her husband, sons, male neighbors or business associates treat a woman so crassly.
C onsidering this, she fel t a new relief that he sped away instead of returning, perhaps to confront rather than assist her. She shivered, the hair on her arms prickling alarm as she watched his truck disappear down the street, grateful that he didn’t know or care who she was.
What was going on here? Jennifer liked people, made friends easily and avoided the rash judgments of flimsy first impressions. Was he just a jerk or maybe a nice guy having a bad day? Was the TV heavier than he let on, forcing him to concentrate more on hefting his burden than finding a clear path to his truck? Why did she even attempt plausible explanations for his callous behavior when her intuition told her this man spelled trouble? She’d steer clear of him if he appeared at other sales—or anywhere else for that matter!
Enough time wasted on this. She struggled to her van, stuffed the tree inside and took a tape measure from the box on the front seat. Checking the furniture measurements written this morning in her notebook, she locked the van’s doors and returned to the sale. Now for a close look at what remained.
Her eyes darted across the jumbled sale items. There—the bench she’d noticed earlier! She whipped out
Readers choose
Kathi Daley
Sharon M. Draper
Rachel L. Demeter
Lindsay Townsend
Kristina Stanley
Shay West
Sabrina York
Louise Kean
Bernie McGill