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

in on me to see if I wasalright?” Donnie asked.

“Well, you weren't out here, so, ya know, you had thetrouble with those guys the other night. So, just checking.”

“That's sweet, Blue Eyes. Thank you.”

“Don't mention it,” Allen said, waving him off. “Who are youexpecting?”

Donnie scanned the area for eavesdroppers. “Well, I metsomeone last night, and he's coming over.”

“Last night? You were sitting out here last night. How didyou meet someone?”

“I drove over to the grocery store after I spoke with you.”

“And you bought a guy in the produce section?”

Funny, Allen, but no. I met him in the checkout line.”

“See that, you didn't even need a wing man.”

“I guess I just needed to get back on the horse,” Donniesaid, leaning in and placing his hand alongside his mouth. “And I will begetting back on the horse, if ya know what I mean.”

“A little too much information, Donnie,” Allen said. Heturned back toward the office door. “Just keep it down—remember, I'm rightabove you.”

“I ain't making any promises.”

Allen went through the office door. Crystal was standingbehind the desk.

“Hey, Crystal,” Allen said. “Ya think I could get a couplemore towels? I think that girl shorted me one.”

“Sure. No problem,” Crystal replied. She turned and wentthrough the door behind her. When she returned she was holding a stack of threebath towels. “Here ya go. I'll have a word with the housekeeper.”

“Thanks,” Allen said, taking the towels. “Good help is hardto find these days.”

Back outside, he looked down at Frankie's judgmental eyes.“Oh, shut up, dog,” he said. “It's just a towel.”

At the top of the stairs Allen pulled open the door andFrankie ran through. Someone was sitting in one of the chairs in front ofAllen's picture window. The young man slouched in the chair. The slouching,along with the expression on his face when he saw Allen coming down thewalkway, gave the man an air of arrogance. He looked familiar, but Allen didn'trecognize him right away. He was wearing his street clothes this time.

“Mr. Crane,” said Officer Jim Tucker.

“Officer Tucker,” Allen replied.

“Just call me Tuck,” Tucker said.

“Then you can call me Cray.”

“What's that?”

“Nothing.” Allen lifted his doormat and removed the key.“So, what brings you to my humble abode?” He slid the key into the lock andturned.

“Just checking up on you,” said Tucker.

Allen pushed open his door and went inside. “Checking onme?” he asked.

Tucker followed Allen inside. “Just seeing how things aregoing.”

“Things are going fine.” Allen went into the bathroom andplaced the towels on a shelf. When he walked back into the room he asked, “Whatkind of things?”

“Oh, you know, things.” With his fingertips, Tucker movedsome papers around on Allen's table, next to his laptop. “Getting a lot ofwriting done?”

“Better than average. No work today? Have all of the crimesin the area been solved?”

“Day off.” Tucker turned the laptop so he could see thescreen.

Allen reached out and closed the device.

“You weren't so touchy the other day,” Tucker observed.

“I hadn't made any progress the other day. And maybe I'vegrown a lot touchier since then.” Tucker snorted soundlessly. “What's itabout?” He returned the laptop to its original position.

“A writer on vacation in Maine.”

Tucker sent Allen a sly grin. “Kind of like you're a writeron vacation in Maine.”

“Kind of like.”

“Does this writer in the book meet a woman while he's onvacation?”

“He meets several women.”

“I know you're having dinner at Rose's house tonight.”

“Okay.”

“And I know you went out with Mya last night.”

“Okay.”

“Her and I used to be together. Did you know that?”

“Yes. And you should have said, 'She and I.'”

“What?”

“She is a subject pronoun because it performs the action inthe sentence.”

“You think you're pretty fuckin' slick, don't you, Crane?”

“No, I'm just slick enough to know bad grammar when I hearit.”

Tucker was unfazed. “Mya tell you about me and her?”

“No, her great-grandmother told me.”

Tucker stared out the picture window. “You met hergrandmother.”

“I did.”

“Where?”

“The nursing home.”

“How long are you planning on staying in town, Crane?”

“Why, Tucker?” Allen asked. “Is this town not big enough forthe two of us?”

If Tucker thought that Allen's comeback was even slightlyfunny, it didn't show on his face. He continued to gaze out the window. “Justwondering when you'll be leaving, so things can get back to normal, withoutanyone getting hurt.”

“What's back to normal?”

“You, not here.”

“And who would be getting hurt?”

Tucker slowly turned around and he and Allen locked eyes. “Whoevergets in my way.”

“I'll be sure to send out a memo.”

Tucker snorted. “That mouth of yours is going to get you ina lot of trouble someday.”

“Maybe.”

“What day did you say you were leaving?”

“I don't believe I said.”

“Why don't you go ahead and say it now.”

“My plan was to leave a week from tomorrow.”

“I guess it's a good thing you got the Bobby Jordansituation straightened out. I take it that's why you're sticking around?”

“What makes you think I got everything straightened out?”

“Small town. I hear things.” Tucker stepped toward the door.“Good talk, Crane,” he said, and walked out.

Allen moved forward and craned his neck to see out thewindow. When Tucker was out of sight, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Officer Tucker wasn't as friendly as he was the first timehe was here. Me thinks he still has the hots for Mya, Frankie.”

Allen glanced over at his dog. Frankie had slept through theentire conversation.

“Hey, dog,” Allen said.

Frankie annoyingly opened one eye.

“He probably had a gun on him, dog, and you just lie therewith your eyes closed. I don't understand. You have one job, and that's toprotect me. Next time an unwelcome guest barges in here, you stand at theready. Show some teeth, growl every once in a while, if you'd like, but don't justlie there like a log.”

Frankie closed the eye.

“Nothing?” Allen shook his head and waved his hand at thelounging dog. “Whatever.”

Allen checked the time on his cell phone. “Perfect,” hesaid. “It's booze o'clock.”

He went to the fridge and filled a plastic cup with ice. Headded a shot and a half of tequila and topped it off with Coke. He then carriedhis drink to the laptop and sat down.

“Well, Frankie, the book already had an arrogant douchebagcop that no one