The Traveling Corpse Read Online Free

to help you.”
    â€œThe first thing to do is to not say
anything to anyone for a while. I may be in danger.”
    â€œJust tell us what you want us to do. We’ll
be there for you.”
    â€œThanks,” Annie said to her friends.
    Verna said, “Von, you are wet. I don’t want
you getting sick. We’ve got a mystery to solve, and you need to
stay well. Go put on a dry shirt.”
    Barb had been looking out of Vigeaux’s front
window. She exclaimed, “I see some lights over there.” She pointed
towards the part of the park where she and Annie lived. “Hopefully,
ours are back on, too”
    Annie looked out the window too. “And it
looks like the rain is beginning to slacken. Like Verna said, these
sudden, hard storms never last too long. Maybe the electricity is
back on at my place by now. Please, may I use the phone again? I
want to call home and talk to Art, or at least leave him a message
on our answering machine, that is if it’s working. I’ll ask him to
come over here or to find me at Old Main.”
    Annie dialed her home phone number. When Art
didn’t pick up, she pleaded to the answering machine, “Oh, Honey, I
hope you get home soon; something awful has happened. I need you; I really do. Please call Brad and let him know that Barb’s
with me at Vigeaux’s. If we aren’t here, we’ll be at Old Main with
the Sheriff.” She knew that ‘need’ was a magic word and so was
‘Sheriff.’ Art would come looking for her as soon as he heard her
plea, no matter how tired he was.
    Â 
    Â 
    * * *
    Â 
    Â 
Tuesday, 7:00 P.M.
    Â 
    Brad Barkowski pulled his Chevy Suburban to a
stop under the shelter of Art Andersen’s carport.
    Art climbed out, stretched, said his thanks,
and waved good-bye to his friend. He was exhausted after a long day
away and was glad to be home. The house was dark, so he knew Annie
wasn’t home from Bingo. He flipped the light switch on and then
hung up his windbreaker in the Florida room. There was only one
thing he wanted to do and that was to ease his long lean body into
his favorite recliner and rest until Annie got back. As he crossed
through the kitchen, he saw the light blinking on the microwave
oven. That meant one thing; the power had gone out again.
    Checking his wristwatch, he noted that it had
only been off for twelve minutes. He decided that the microwave
could wait; he’d reset its clock later. The answering machine was
also blinking. He hesitated, thinking he’d really like to rest
first. But since Annie wasn’t home, it might be a message from her.
With a sigh, he pushed the button and immediately heard the
distress in his devoted Annie’s voice. This summer they would be
married 50 years, and he knew every nuance in her pleasing voice.
This particular tone meant trouble. As the message was playing, he
started pulling his jacket back on. He made a quick call to Brad
and then hurried to his car.
    It was still raining hard, but it wasn’t a
downpour now. Fortunately, the streetlights were working on
Lakeside Blvd. As he parked in Von and Verna Vigeaux’s driveway,
Brad pulled in beside him. “Long time no see,” he joked as the two
men shook hands.
    â€œI didn’t expect to see you again tonight,”
his friend answered. “Looks like Barb’s involved in some trouble
that Annie’s stirred up.”
    â€œShe didn’t go into details; so I don’t know
what it is. She just left me a message to come here first. But the
sound of her voice has me worried.” Art shook his head, remembering
some of the adventures that the two women had shared. “Those two
have had some fun times together, but they’ve never had to call in
the law before! Glad we got here before the Sheriff did. I want to
be with Annie when she faces them.”
    As they walked to the side door, Brad said,
“And I’ll bet those officers aren’t