The Marquesa's Necklace (Oak Grove Mysteries Book 1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: P.J. MacLayne
will ever be able to say anything in my apartment is dirty.
The whole ritual was cathartic. It made me feel in control again. Almost as good as deep meditation. I put away the soap, bucket and sponges and sat down to relax. The fresh scent of pine filled the air, and I filled my lungs as I sank into the cushions of my couch. The notion of borrowing Piper to spend the night with me fled. As much as I love him, he stank. Then my eyes fell on my laptop case.
With the piece of blank paper tucked inside.
The one from the library.
The one I conveniently forgot to mention to Detective Thomason.
*****
Monday morning, I pulled up to the library in my brand new salsa red Jaguar. I could practically hear the vertebrae in people’s necks cracking as they twisted their heads to see. It was an F-Type V-8 S, and smokin’ hot. Definitely not a George. That snooty salesman never knew what hit him when I walked in wearing my old jeans, pointed to the car I’d seen on-line, and brought out my checkbook. He practically fainted when he looked at the check and realized it was for the full amount of the asking price of the car. Of course, the sales manager needed to call my bank before he handed over the keys. Now I had two new best friends. Too bad neither one of them was my type.
I considered doing my bit for the environment and buying a Tesla Roadster. But living in a third floor apartment it made it next to impossible to charge the battery. And the Jaguar was only half the cost of the Aston Martin I checked out, being a big James Bond fan. I could spend hours debating the merits of each of the actors who played him in the movies. Daniel Craig was my new favorite.
So I bought the Jaguar. I should be able to outrun anyone who tried to tail me now. Her name would come to me soon. Yes, a she. That much I knew.
*****
I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as I settled into my preferred chair. It gave me view of the front door as long as I didn’t pile too many books in front of me, and the sun streaming in the windows made it as cheery as me. It didn’t take more than a minute for Janine to show up.
“Don’t tell me your insurance paid for that,” she said, her eyes wide with admiration.
“Would you believe it’s a loaner until George gets repaired?”
She put her hands on her hips and stared at me.
“I haven’t asked yet if my insurance covers accidental bombings,” I tried not to smile, but lost the battle. “Let me know when you go on break, and I’ll take you for a quick spin.”
“Oh no, not on my break. After work. When I can go home and put on an outfit the car deserves. I’m thinking ‘Thelma and Louise’.”
Bad reference, considering my recent past, but I let it slide. I was in a good mood. “It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at 5:30. We’ll find a long straight road somewhere and see what she’ll do.”
“Maybe you ought to spend a few days getting used to it before you push it too far.”
“What do you think I was doing when your calls went to voice mail yesterday?”
She still looked doubtful. I winked at her. “Who’s the scaredy-cat now?” She was always after me about expanding my horizons, trying new things, letting go of my inhibitions. She’s the one who introduced me to Jake.
Chapter Five
Jake.
He’s the one that gave me the confidence to buy the Jaguar. His car, a souped-up Dodge Charger, could outrun anything in a 200-mile radius, including the cops. That’s the car he used to give me driving lessons. And I don’t mean the check your rear view mirror, use your turn signals, hands at ten and two type lessons. I mean like the 90 degree handbrake turn, or parallel parking by sliding into a spot. I never got the courage to try driving on two wheels like he wanted. After our arrest I figured out why he wanted me to be able to drive that way.
Jake was perfect. At least I thought so for the longest time. He was tall and handsome in the rough way cowboys are. The scar that ran
The whole ritual was cathartic. It made me feel in control again. Almost as good as deep meditation. I put away the soap, bucket and sponges and sat down to relax. The fresh scent of pine filled the air, and I filled my lungs as I sank into the cushions of my couch. The notion of borrowing Piper to spend the night with me fled. As much as I love him, he stank. Then my eyes fell on my laptop case.
With the piece of blank paper tucked inside.
The one from the library.
The one I conveniently forgot to mention to Detective Thomason.
*****
Monday morning, I pulled up to the library in my brand new salsa red Jaguar. I could practically hear the vertebrae in people’s necks cracking as they twisted their heads to see. It was an F-Type V-8 S, and smokin’ hot. Definitely not a George. That snooty salesman never knew what hit him when I walked in wearing my old jeans, pointed to the car I’d seen on-line, and brought out my checkbook. He practically fainted when he looked at the check and realized it was for the full amount of the asking price of the car. Of course, the sales manager needed to call my bank before he handed over the keys. Now I had two new best friends. Too bad neither one of them was my type.
I considered doing my bit for the environment and buying a Tesla Roadster. But living in a third floor apartment it made it next to impossible to charge the battery. And the Jaguar was only half the cost of the Aston Martin I checked out, being a big James Bond fan. I could spend hours debating the merits of each of the actors who played him in the movies. Daniel Craig was my new favorite.
So I bought the Jaguar. I should be able to outrun anyone who tried to tail me now. Her name would come to me soon. Yes, a she. That much I knew.
*****
I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as I settled into my preferred chair. It gave me view of the front door as long as I didn’t pile too many books in front of me, and the sun streaming in the windows made it as cheery as me. It didn’t take more than a minute for Janine to show up.
“Don’t tell me your insurance paid for that,” she said, her eyes wide with admiration.
“Would you believe it’s a loaner until George gets repaired?”
She put her hands on her hips and stared at me.
“I haven’t asked yet if my insurance covers accidental bombings,” I tried not to smile, but lost the battle. “Let me know when you go on break, and I’ll take you for a quick spin.”
“Oh no, not on my break. After work. When I can go home and put on an outfit the car deserves. I’m thinking ‘Thelma and Louise’.”
Bad reference, considering my recent past, but I let it slide. I was in a good mood. “It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at 5:30. We’ll find a long straight road somewhere and see what she’ll do.”
“Maybe you ought to spend a few days getting used to it before you push it too far.”
“What do you think I was doing when your calls went to voice mail yesterday?”
She still looked doubtful. I winked at her. “Who’s the scaredy-cat now?” She was always after me about expanding my horizons, trying new things, letting go of my inhibitions. She’s the one who introduced me to Jake.
Chapter Five
Jake.
He’s the one that gave me the confidence to buy the Jaguar. His car, a souped-up Dodge Charger, could outrun anything in a 200-mile radius, including the cops. That’s the car he used to give me driving lessons. And I don’t mean the check your rear view mirror, use your turn signals, hands at ten and two type lessons. I mean like the 90 degree handbrake turn, or parallel parking by sliding into a spot. I never got the courage to try driving on two wheels like he wanted. After our arrest I figured out why he wanted me to be able to drive that way.
Jake was perfect. At least I thought so for the longest time. He was tall and handsome in the rough way cowboys are. The scar that ran
Readers choose
Mike Monahan
Don Pendleton
Kim Golden
Marco Missiroli
Maria V. Snyder
Robin Skone-Palmer
Rose Christo
Wendy Lou Jones
Sophie Littlefield
Viola Morne