Death of a Coupon Clipper Read Online Free Page A

a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream before swinging by Hayley’s
     neighbor to pick up Leroy, whose simple playdate had morphed into doggie day care.
    When they finally arrived at Randy’s large oceanfront house, Hayley made a beeline
     for the kitchen to prepare their feast of freshly baked cookies and warm drinks, while
     Randy lugged in an armful of chopped wood from outside and stacked them in the fireplace.
    Leroy chose to curl up on the couch and fall into a deep sleep.
    By the time Hayley carried in two steaming mugs of Irish coffee, Randy was stoking
     the roaring fire with an iron poker. He had already tossed some pillows on the floor,
     and they both sat down and toasted to a hopefully short winter before taking their
     sips.
    “So, have you thought about what you’re going to do?” Randy asked delicately.
    Hayley shook her head. “The kids will be home soon. I’m going to have to figure something
     out quick.”
    “You can always go for the nuclear option,” Randy said, smiling.
    “No way! Absolutely not!”
    The nuclear option was calling their mother in Florida and asking her for a loan.
     Sheila had some cash socked away for a rainy day, but the ordeal of asking was as
     painful to Hayley as the time she underwent dental implants. There had to be another
     way.
    “You can at least try,” Randy said, reaching for the cordless phone on the coffee
     table. “I know she’s home. We chatted earlier.”
    “Randy, I’ve gone down this road before and she always makes me feel guilty for asking.
     I just don’t want to go through that again. I’m not that desperate.”
    “Yes, you are, sis.”
    He had a point.
    Hayley grabbed the phone out of Randy’s hand and started punching numbers. “I have
     a very strong feeling I’m going to regret this.”
    Hayley shook her head and sighed as it rang. In her gut she just knew this was a huge
     mistake. But what choice did she have?
    “Yes. Hello. Who is this?”
    “Mom, I know you checked the caller ID before you answered. It’s me. Your only daughter.”
    “Oh, hello, Hayley. You can’t trust caller ID. The government has a lot of tricks
     up its sleeve. They can tamper with anything. In fact, this may not even be you. I’m
     sure with all the techno gizmos they’ve got, they can play with voice patterns and
     re-create the exact sound of your voice.”
    “Mom, I’m calling for a loan.”
    “Well, you’ve convinced me. It really is you.”
    Randy gave Hayley an encouraging thumbs-up.
    Hayley took another sip of her Irish coffee to muster a little more courage. “I’ll
     pay you back this time. I promise.”
    “Is that deadbeat ex-husband of yours late with the child support again?” Sheila cried
     out. She was never a fan of Hayley’s ex, even when they were married.
    “No, but I’ve had a couple of unexpected setbacks and I’m just not going to make it
     through the winter unless I get a little help.”
    “How much are we talking about?” Sheila said evenly and businesslike.
    “Well, I’m not sure. I need a new furnace and a new roof on my garage, and my car
     is totaled, and . . .” Hayley was stalling.
    The last thing she wanted was to give her mother an actual figure.
    “How much ?”
    “Ten grand.”
    Dead silence on the other end of the phone.
    Hayley’s nerves suddenly took over and she began chatting incessantly. “I know it’s
     a lot, and I normally wouldn’t ask. Well, I mean, I would ask, because I’ve asked
     before. . . .”
    “Multiple times,” Sheila added.
    “But I just don’t know what I’m going to do. I never planned on any of those things
     happening, and—”
    “Don’t you have insurance to cover the cost of repairing your car?” Sheila asked,
     a cold tone to her voice.
    “Well, yes, um, I mean, no. It’s kind of funny. I sort of forgot to mail the check
     for the premium and they canceled my policy, and I didn’t even know it. . . .”
    More silence on the other end of the phone.
    As Hayley