Read Online Deadly Gamble: The First Charlie Parker Mystery by Connie Shelton - Free Book Online
Authors: Connie Shelton
Tags: Mystery, Private Investigators, female sleuth, Amateur Sleuths, southwest mysteries, albuquerque, new mexico mysteries
Ads: Link
to think some more about Gary Detweiller. Who was this,
Robin Hood? Robbing from the rich to give to the poor? If so, who
would be mad enough to do him in? Maybe tomorrow I'd head back to
the rich side of town.
As it turned out I didn't get a chance. I
walked in my front door to find Paul and Lorraine stretched out on
the couch with the TV blasting. Annie and Joe sprinted through the
living room just then chasing Rusty, who dashed for cover behind my
legs as soon as he saw me. I put my hands out to fend off the
attackers. Paul noticed me then and mouthed some words in my
direction. Lorraine mouthed something at him, he nodded, then
directed more words at me. It felt like stepping into a Hitchcock
movie where the background music jangles so loudly that the actual
dialog is meaningless.
I told the kids Rusty needed to go out
now—alone. They set off toward the kitchen door. Making my way over
to the couch I picked up the remote control and adjusted the
television to a reasonable level where human conversation could
take place.
"How was your day?" I removed two empty
glasses from my Queen Anne coffee table and wiped at wet rings with
my sleeve.
"It was nice," Lorraine said. "We got a
chance . . . " Joe plopped in her lap with enough force to knock
the air out of her.
"Mom, when're we gonna eat?" he whined.
Lorraine turned to offer him some
explanation, apparently forgetting that she'd been talking to me.
Annie was tugging at Paul simultaneously, so I carried the dirty
glasses and a crushed potato chip bag to the kitchen.
Yes, let's eat, I thought. I hated to do this
to Pedro, but I had to get these guys out of my house.
"I'd rather go to McDonald's," Annie
whined.
"But sweetheart, we can go to McDonald's at
home. Pedro's is a place Daddy and Aunt Charlie and I really like."
Lorraine's voice was kind and patient. Personally, I'd have told
the kid to shut up and get in the car. Guess that's why I don't
have kids.
"McDonald's." Annie kept her little voice
firm, and Joe joined in. Soon it became a chant. Paul looked up at
me helplessly. I shrugged. Anyone who's powerless at the mercy of a
ten-year-old probably deserves it. We went to McDonald's.
Annie and Joe each ate about thirty cents
worth of the burger from their kid meal boxes that I'd paid two
dollars apiece for. The rest lay scattered over the table. They
scampered off to the play yard where they crawled around through a
series of hamster trails sized for kids.
Paul and Lorraine kept a conversation going
of sorts, interrupted by one or the other going to check on their
offspring about every three minutes. I ate my Big Mac and fries and
nodded at the right times, while my mind darted back and forth
thinking about the people I'd talked to in the past few days. Who
killed Gary Detweiller?
By three o'clock the next afternoon I was
wondering who would kill Annie and Joe. I might be a good
candidate. The sleeping bags were neatly rolled, the bags packed,
and it was all I could do to resist carrying the stuff to the car
myself. When the front doorbell rang I jumped.
"Anybody home?" Ron stuck his head in.
"Ron! You're back. Look who's here," I said
taking him by the arm. Paul and Lorraine were in the kitchen. Annie
and Joe stood off to the side eyeing Ron suspiciously. "Want to
take the houseguests from hell back to your place for awhile?" I
muttered under my breath.
"Not a bit," he smiled.
Paul had emerged from the kitchen just then.
He and Ron clasped hands in a hearty shake. Lorraine got scooped up
in one of Ron's giant hugs. I stood back and watched my brothers'
contrasting interaction. Paul is tall and thin with dark hair and
eyes, technically the better looking of the two. Ron is about
five-ten and heftier. His dark hair is thin on top and shows
touches of gray at the temples. Paul is the slacks and polo shirt
type, while Ron chooses Levi's, western shirt, Stetson, and boots.
When he wants to look a little more dressed up, he'll add a bolo
tie. Paul is quiet in
Robin Hood? Robbing from the rich to give to the poor? If so, who
would be mad enough to do him in? Maybe tomorrow I'd head back to
the rich side of town.
As it turned out I didn't get a chance. I
walked in my front door to find Paul and Lorraine stretched out on
the couch with the TV blasting. Annie and Joe sprinted through the
living room just then chasing Rusty, who dashed for cover behind my
legs as soon as he saw me. I put my hands out to fend off the
attackers. Paul noticed me then and mouthed some words in my
direction. Lorraine mouthed something at him, he nodded, then
directed more words at me. It felt like stepping into a Hitchcock
movie where the background music jangles so loudly that the actual
dialog is meaningless.
I told the kids Rusty needed to go out
now—alone. They set off toward the kitchen door. Making my way over
to the couch I picked up the remote control and adjusted the
television to a reasonable level where human conversation could
take place.
"How was your day?" I removed two empty
glasses from my Queen Anne coffee table and wiped at wet rings with
my sleeve.
"It was nice," Lorraine said. "We got a
chance . . . " Joe plopped in her lap with enough force to knock
the air out of her.
"Mom, when're we gonna eat?" he whined.
Lorraine turned to offer him some
explanation, apparently forgetting that she'd been talking to me.
Annie was tugging at Paul simultaneously, so I carried the dirty
glasses and a crushed potato chip bag to the kitchen.
Yes, let's eat, I thought. I hated to do this
to Pedro, but I had to get these guys out of my house.
"I'd rather go to McDonald's," Annie
whined.
"But sweetheart, we can go to McDonald's at
home. Pedro's is a place Daddy and Aunt Charlie and I really like."
Lorraine's voice was kind and patient. Personally, I'd have told
the kid to shut up and get in the car. Guess that's why I don't
have kids.
"McDonald's." Annie kept her little voice
firm, and Joe joined in. Soon it became a chant. Paul looked up at
me helplessly. I shrugged. Anyone who's powerless at the mercy of a
ten-year-old probably deserves it. We went to McDonald's.
Annie and Joe each ate about thirty cents
worth of the burger from their kid meal boxes that I'd paid two
dollars apiece for. The rest lay scattered over the table. They
scampered off to the play yard where they crawled around through a
series of hamster trails sized for kids.
Paul and Lorraine kept a conversation going
of sorts, interrupted by one or the other going to check on their
offspring about every three minutes. I ate my Big Mac and fries and
nodded at the right times, while my mind darted back and forth
thinking about the people I'd talked to in the past few days. Who
killed Gary Detweiller?
By three o'clock the next afternoon I was
wondering who would kill Annie and Joe. I might be a good
candidate. The sleeping bags were neatly rolled, the bags packed,
and it was all I could do to resist carrying the stuff to the car
myself. When the front doorbell rang I jumped.
"Anybody home?" Ron stuck his head in.
"Ron! You're back. Look who's here," I said
taking him by the arm. Paul and Lorraine were in the kitchen. Annie
and Joe stood off to the side eyeing Ron suspiciously. "Want to
take the houseguests from hell back to your place for awhile?" I
muttered under my breath.
"Not a bit," he smiled.
Paul had emerged from the kitchen just then.
He and Ron clasped hands in a hearty shake. Lorraine got scooped up
in one of Ron's giant hugs. I stood back and watched my brothers'
contrasting interaction. Paul is tall and thin with dark hair and
eyes, technically the better looking of the two. Ron is about
five-ten and heftier. His dark hair is thin on top and shows
touches of gray at the temples. Paul is the slacks and polo shirt
type, while Ron chooses Levi's, western shirt, Stetson, and boots.
When he wants to look a little more dressed up, he'll add a bolo
tie. Paul is quiet in
Similar Books
