The Maine Events, Rodney Riesel [best books to read in your 20s TXT] 📗

to cancel our date, I hope.”

“Nope. What are you doing in about two hours?”

“I'm writing right now. Why? I thought it was ice creamnight at the nursing home.”

“It is, but I was just informed that Betty Strong couldn'tmake it tonight—I guess she's out of town.”

“Um … what does that have to do with me?”

“I need a helper.”

“What are you saying?” Allen knew what she was saying, buthe asked any way.

Mya giggled. “I think you know what I'm asking.”

Allen sighed. “What time are you picking me up?”

“I'll pick you up at 5:45.”

“I'll be waiting with bells on.”

“Bells are only for the Christmas Eve ice cream, silly.”

Mya hung up before Allen had time to respond. He glancedover at the clock. It was three thirty.

“What should I wear to an ice cream social, Frankie?”

Frankie raised his ears and opened one eye.

“You're no help.”

Allen pounded away at the keyboard for another hour and ahalf before jumping in the shower and getting dressed. While he waited for Myato show, he sat back down at his laptop and read through what he'd written. Hetook a deep breath and exhaled. It felt good to be writing again.

A car pulled into the parking lot and Allen craned his neckto see if he could see the driver; he couldn't. The car pulled into one of theempty spots and the driver got out. It was Mya.

Allen stood. “She's here, Frankie.” He walked over to thedog and patted his back. “Jacob's gonna come up and check on you a couple timeswhile I'm gone.” He turned and walked out the door.

He waved to Mya as he hurried along the walkway. She wavedback and smiled.

Allen met Mya in the parking lot. “I'm glad you called,” hesaid.

“Yeah, I figured you were dying to serve ice cream to abuilding full of old people.”

“It's always been a dream of mine.”

The two climbed into Mya's red 2019 Chevy Volt. She statedthe engine, and pulled out of the parking lot onto Long Sands Road.

“Nice car,” Allen said, as he tried to adjust his seat toget comfortable.

“Don't make fun of my car,” said Mya.

“I said it was a nice car.”

“You were being sarcastic.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because no one likes this car.”

“Oh,” said Allen. “Yeah, it's a weird-looking little car.”

She laughed. “I got a really good deal on it. A friend of mygrandmother's bought it and died three months later. The woman's husband soldit to me for five grand.”

“That's a good deal?”

“Yes, smart-ass, it's a good deal.”

“How far is this place?”

“The nursing home? About fifteen minutes.”

“We got time to swing by Betty Strong's house?”

“Why would you want to drive by her house?”

“Curiosity.”

“That's what killed the cat.”

“What cat?”

“It's just a saying. You never heard of—”

“I know it's just a saying. I said it to a kid yesterday,and he asked me, 'What cat?'”

Mya pulled into a driveway, backed into the street, anddrove back the way they had come. She took a right onto York Street.

“We didn't have to drive by if it was out of the way,” Allensaid.

“It's just right up here,” Mya replied. “Are you friendswith Betty's son?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“Because yesterday you asked me if I knew Benny Strong.”

“You said you didn't.”

“I don't, but I asked a woman I work with about BennyStrong, and she says he's Betty's son.”

“Okay.”

“Why are you so interested in the Strongs?”

“Because Benny sent two of his goons to my motel room theother day. One was Vinny Tubbs. The other guy was Myron Spoon. You know eitherone of them?”

“No, but why did he send them to see you?”

“Because they were supposed to take me with them to seeBenny.”

“About what?”

“I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with myrun in with Benny's brother, Bobby.”

“The guy who collapsed at the restaurant Sunday?”

“The one and only.”

“Bobby is Benny's brother?”

“Half brother.”

“Same father?”

“No. Same mother.”

“Betty Strong?”

“Bingo.”

“What did you mean, his goons?”

“Vinny and Bobby are bad guys, Mya. Local PD says they'reinto prostitution, loan sharking, drugs, and who knows what else.”

“My God. Does Betty know?”

“I would imagine she knows. Her husband was doing the samething back in Jersey.”

“Like father, like sons.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Betty seems so sweet and innocent.”

“She probably has nothing to do with the family business,”Allen allowed, “but she knows what's going on. Mob wives conveniently turn ablind eye on their hubbies' shenanigans.”

Mya hung a left onto Roaring Rock Road. “It's right up hereon the left,” she said.

The speed limit slowed to twenty miles per hour in the heavilywooded neighborhood, and Mya took her foot off the gas to navigate the narrow,winding road. As she came to the foot of one of the driveways she slowed to astop.

It was difficult to see Betty Strong's house from where theysat because of the massive cedar trees and arrowwood and rhododendron bushes.

“Drive up the driveway,” Allen instructed.

“I'm not driving up the driveway,” Mya replied.

“No one will see us. They'll be in Augusta until Saturdaymorning.”

Mya turned her head toward Allen. “How do you know they wentto Augusta?” she asked. “I only told you they were out of town … and I know Ididn't tell you when they'd be back, because I didn't know that.”

“The cop I was telling you about, he told me.”

“I see. And why did he share this information with you?”

“Because he didn't want me to worry.”

“Worry about what?”

“Retaliation from Strong for putting his brother in thehospital.”

“Are you worried about what's going to happen when he getsback on Saturday?”

“No. Bobby's not angry with me over what happened, and hesays his brother was probably just being nosy.”

“How do you know Bobby's not angry with you?”

“He told me.”

“You went to the hospital to see him?”

“No. He stopped over to my motel room after he left the hospital,and we shared a pizza and some tequila.”

“You're a strange man, Allen,” said Mya. She gave the littlecar some gas and continued around the loop.

“Aren't you going to drive up the driveway?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because that's just dumb.”

“Dumb? How?”

“You just told me the guy was a gangster, and now you wantme to drive up his driveway and snoop around. Yeah, that's not gonna happen.”

“I never said anything about