In the House On Lakeside Drive Read Online Free

affirmed. “If anyone, your uncle’s the idiot.”
    “Okay, guys,” Rachel said, a warning note to her voice. “Let’s drop it.” To Remy, she said, “You okay?”
    “Yeah,” the twenty-year-old said, not looking the least bit okay. “I’ll be fine.”
    “What say we head home?” Evan said, locking eyes with his best girl. “Tomorrow’s Friday, after all.”
    As the party of five gathered their things, the men at the table on the far side of the room stared at their quarry. “I think we found him,” the man with blue eyes said, a thick Southern drawl tinging the hushed whisper. “’Bout damn time, too.”

Chapter 4
    The next few weeks were uneventful. The fall weather meant more work for Evan, seeing as people wanted windows taped over and houses winterized for the season. The list of folks looking to have their yards cleaned meant that the town’s most dependable independent project man had to take on help to fill his quota. Many a weekend saw him acting as supervisor to students from OLBC looking to make a few dollars to go toward Christmas, and it meant that he was putting in more hours than normal.
    “Is this where to put the dead stuff?” one student asked, his hands filled with rake tines and molding twigs. He stood near a giant pile of yard detritus that threatened to take over a city lot.
    “Yep.” Nearby, a couple of girls were focusing on their conversation and less on the leaf bag that threatened to tip over onto the ground. “Hey, Analisa,” Evan called out, catching one’s attention. “I don’t pay you double to do the same job twice!”
    “Sorry, Mr. Evan,” she said sheepishly gathering the bag opening tightly. She loped off to collect the next pile, her right foot dragging a little in her gait.
    All in all, each of the kids made about ten bucks a day, and he took another five percent and divided it among the number of workers. On this particular day, he had about twelve students busy in four yards within a block radius. Across the street, Remy stood with his rake, busily trying to help Sam find the opening to the paper leaf bag they had to fill.
    “It’s right there,” Remy guided, carefully running Sam’s fingers across the top of the bag. The pads caught the serrated edge meant to make opening easier. “Feel it?”
    “I got it,” Sam said, slipping his digits between the paper sides. Soon he could feel the wet papery leaves sliding into the receptacle, and it didn’t take long to fill up. “Wish they made these things bigger, though.”
    “You’re not kidding,” Remy agreed, pulling his thin coat tighter around his shoulders. He blew on his hands, wishing he had thought to bring a pair of gloves from the garage.
    “Forgot your gloves again?”
    “Yeah. Not like they’d have done much good, thin as they are.”
    “So go get some new ones.”
    Remy scowled, though the gesture was lost on his friend. “If only it was that easy. My damn uncle is tying up my money again.”
    “Your government check?”
    “Yeah. The idiot thinks that if he freezes my bank account, he can ‘convince’ me to move back in with him,” Remy explained. “I called my lawyer. He’s working to straighten it out.”
    “You’re keeping tabs on it?”
    “Uh-huh.” Another fistful of leaves hit the bag. “What’s worse is that I’m late with the rent for Miss Rachel. I don’t wanna get bounced because of that asshole.”
    “Remy, you know she wouldn’t do that. Does she know?”
    “I said something to her.”
    “Then it should be okay. Don’t worry. I don’t think she’s gonna evict you because your uncle’s being a jerk.” Sam sat the filled bag down, reaching over to where he knew the pile of empty ones lay.
    “I know. I just wish there was some way of keeping the asshole out of my stuff, is all. I don’t like waiting.”
    “Patience is a virtue,” Sam said, half singing.
    “But not one of mine,” Remy sang back, laughing. He looked at his best friend, standing