Worked to Death (Working Stiff Mysteries Book 2) Read Online Free
Author: Kerri Nelson
ends in y ," I offered.
She scrunched her nose at me. "Well, of course it ends in y, all the days of the week end in y."
I decided to let it go. She'd made her point, and she wasn't wrong.
"Why are you wet?" She was also keen on stating the obvious.
"Yeah, well, that was just the start of my bad day. Do you mind driving me home for a change of clothes and to pick up Paget and then dropping us off at the towing yard to pick up Stella?" Stella was my 1963 Buick Skylark classic convertible that my father had affectionately named years ago.
"No problemo ."
Sundae had started speaking pseudo-Spanish lately. I wasn't sure why, but I decided that it wasn't worth mentioning. If it made her happy—that was my motto lately. I wanted some happiness in my life and in the lives of people I cared about.
Life was hard, and it certainly hadn't gone smoothly for me lately. So, I tried to keep my nose to the towline and bring home paychecks. One day, I would finish my medical degree, and I could provide for my sister in the way she deserved. For now, one day at a time and one meal at a time.
"Let's go, I'm starving," I said.
She swung the car around, narrowly missing a front-end scrape with Officer Keith's cruiser, and I held my breath as we putt-putted down the street in her VW Beetle that had seen better days.
As we drove by the tow truck, I saw Ty's head bowed down. He looked upset. Dr. C. was shaking his head and appeared similarly upset—the corners of his mouth downturned. But Officer Keith was staring straight back at me.
What was his problem?
* * *
An hour later, I was showered and changed, and Paget and I were standing in the office of Hollon Brothers Towing as my boss, Scabby Hollon glowered at me.
"How in heck did you manage to make my rig a part of a death investigation?"
"Mr. Hollon, this was so not my fault. I picked up the car as ordered, and it was not an easy pick-up let me tell you. I can't help that someone had disposed of a body in the trunk of it. That is in no way my fault."
He eyed me over his long, scarred nose and let out a little grunt.
"Well, you're off of pick-ups from now on. Plus, I don't know how we're gonna manage with only one truck."
Darn, no more pick-ups. This was the best news I'd heard all day.
"Do you still need me in the office?" I asked this part hopefully. I couldn't totally lose this job. I needed it in the worst way ever. Holiday credit card bills loomed over me.
"Yeah, we'll see you back here tomorrow for your regular shift. But see if you can talk to yer fella Dempsey over there and get my rig released."
My "fella?" A flash of Allyson's naked non-jiggly bits flashed before my eyes. Ugh . I remembered that I still had Ty's phone and needed to return it when I got to the station, but I didn't dare take another look at it for fear of any new nude incoming messages.
"Ah…well I do have to be at the station in an hour to give a statement, but I'm not sure that I have any influence over how Ty runs things."
He gave another grunt and shooed me away with his freckle-covered hand.
Paget had been quiet since I'd picked her up from our neighbor, Ms. Lanier's house. And as we rolled down Main Street toward our favorite place to eat, she still remained silent.
"How was your day, Page?"
She remained silent.
"Did Adam come by to see you?"
Still nothing.
"Wanna come to the police station with me after lunch and see Ms. Quick?"
This provoked a small nod that I caught out of the corner of my eye. And that was all I was going to get for now.
I didn't push it.
Paget had been diagnosed at a young age with a form of autism that made her difficult to read at times. Sometimes she would go for several days without talking, and sometimes you couldn't shut her up. Well, she was also a sixteen-year-old girl, and that might not be so unusual at any rate. But, though she was highly functioning, there were times when she could be set off into one of her "episodes," and they would
She scrunched her nose at me. "Well, of course it ends in y, all the days of the week end in y."
I decided to let it go. She'd made her point, and she wasn't wrong.
"Why are you wet?" She was also keen on stating the obvious.
"Yeah, well, that was just the start of my bad day. Do you mind driving me home for a change of clothes and to pick up Paget and then dropping us off at the towing yard to pick up Stella?" Stella was my 1963 Buick Skylark classic convertible that my father had affectionately named years ago.
"No problemo ."
Sundae had started speaking pseudo-Spanish lately. I wasn't sure why, but I decided that it wasn't worth mentioning. If it made her happy—that was my motto lately. I wanted some happiness in my life and in the lives of people I cared about.
Life was hard, and it certainly hadn't gone smoothly for me lately. So, I tried to keep my nose to the towline and bring home paychecks. One day, I would finish my medical degree, and I could provide for my sister in the way she deserved. For now, one day at a time and one meal at a time.
"Let's go, I'm starving," I said.
She swung the car around, narrowly missing a front-end scrape with Officer Keith's cruiser, and I held my breath as we putt-putted down the street in her VW Beetle that had seen better days.
As we drove by the tow truck, I saw Ty's head bowed down. He looked upset. Dr. C. was shaking his head and appeared similarly upset—the corners of his mouth downturned. But Officer Keith was staring straight back at me.
What was his problem?
* * *
An hour later, I was showered and changed, and Paget and I were standing in the office of Hollon Brothers Towing as my boss, Scabby Hollon glowered at me.
"How in heck did you manage to make my rig a part of a death investigation?"
"Mr. Hollon, this was so not my fault. I picked up the car as ordered, and it was not an easy pick-up let me tell you. I can't help that someone had disposed of a body in the trunk of it. That is in no way my fault."
He eyed me over his long, scarred nose and let out a little grunt.
"Well, you're off of pick-ups from now on. Plus, I don't know how we're gonna manage with only one truck."
Darn, no more pick-ups. This was the best news I'd heard all day.
"Do you still need me in the office?" I asked this part hopefully. I couldn't totally lose this job. I needed it in the worst way ever. Holiday credit card bills loomed over me.
"Yeah, we'll see you back here tomorrow for your regular shift. But see if you can talk to yer fella Dempsey over there and get my rig released."
My "fella?" A flash of Allyson's naked non-jiggly bits flashed before my eyes. Ugh . I remembered that I still had Ty's phone and needed to return it when I got to the station, but I didn't dare take another look at it for fear of any new nude incoming messages.
"Ah…well I do have to be at the station in an hour to give a statement, but I'm not sure that I have any influence over how Ty runs things."
He gave another grunt and shooed me away with his freckle-covered hand.
Paget had been quiet since I'd picked her up from our neighbor, Ms. Lanier's house. And as we rolled down Main Street toward our favorite place to eat, she still remained silent.
"How was your day, Page?"
She remained silent.
"Did Adam come by to see you?"
Still nothing.
"Wanna come to the police station with me after lunch and see Ms. Quick?"
This provoked a small nod that I caught out of the corner of my eye. And that was all I was going to get for now.
I didn't push it.
Paget had been diagnosed at a young age with a form of autism that made her difficult to read at times. Sometimes she would go for several days without talking, and sometimes you couldn't shut her up. Well, she was also a sixteen-year-old girl, and that might not be so unusual at any rate. But, though she was highly functioning, there were times when she could be set off into one of her "episodes," and they would
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