Read Online Ed Lynskey - Isabel and Alma Trumbo 01 - Quiet Anchorage by Ed Lynskey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ed Lynskey
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patience.
“I’ll give you my pet theory if you care to hear it,” said Willie.
“Well, there’s no time for your harebrained ideas,” said Ossie.
“No time in the universe,” said Blue Trent, nodding.
“On the contrary, all we’ve got is time.” Hope enlivened Alma’s speech. “What’s your pet theory, Willie?”
“Oh, boy.” Ossie flicked away his broken match fragment to land in the wood shavings. “You’ve gone and done it now.”
Blue Trent also spat.
The hairy back to Willie’s wrist swiped across his mouth. He rested the quail decoy on the bench, chunked the tip to his knife blade into its wood, and scraped his palms together.
“The Robbins’ property lies in what some of us refer to as a ‘hot sector’. Over the years it has dazzled us.”
“Can you be more specific?” asked Alma.
“Man, I wish you’d never gone to Roswell,” said Ossie.
“Those Star Trek books have unhinged your mind,” said Blue Trent.
Willie ignored his two friends. “In the still of the night, bizarre objects do acrobatics over those piney woods. I’ve watched them. Ossie, you can quit grinning. Intergalactic aliens—yes, you heard me right, I said aliens—have grown more brazen. Their starships now swoop down in broad daylight.”
Blue Trent made a disgusted scoff, and Willie glowering at him finished his story.
“Aliens docked their starship near the Robbins’ house, a few hopped off, and they did in Jake. Aliens from a warrior galaxy, I’ve read, are just out-and-out ornery.”
A rising laugh sputtered from Isabel’s lips. Turning, she suppressed her giggles behind a hand clapped over her mouth as Alma’s face lost its bright-eyed optimism.
“Thanks for your interesting story,” she managed to say.
Blue Trent leaned in from the sunny end of the bench. “Willie, you’ve sat here and whittled away all of your brains.”
Willie palmed his quail decoy and carving knife. “Laugh if you like but I was a skeptic, too, until I read Colonel Corso’s book on how he collected the alien artifacts at Roswell. In fact, did you know scientists invented the computer chips from the aliens’ silicon wafers they recovered at the Roswell crash site?”
“That’s enough hooey out of you, Willie,” said Ossie.
Willie gave the sisters a wink.
“Well, thank you gentlemen, and we’ll be off to do our errands,” said Isabel.
Alma fussed as they went by the melted tar patch to the grocery store. “Quit acting so glib, Isabel. Next time you can suggest a better idea.”
“Laughing at spontaneous humor isn’t acting glib. I’d no idea Willie was so funny and strange. Imagine, UFOs and aliens here in our neck of the woods. Those old coots crack me up. We must talk to them more often.”
“Willie was just pulling our leg. He’s crazy like a fox, you know.” Alma stared off until a new insight clarified itself. “When we ducked into Jake’s shop, did you see an office or desk?”
“No, just the barber chair the mangy barn cat snoozes on,” replied Isabel as they entered the grocery store’s air-conditioned chill. “Why your question?”
Before Alma could respond, a man’s greeting boomed out. “Alma! Isabel! Haul it on back here.”
Jumpy’s nod beckoned them as he wiped his hands on a blood-streaked apron. A burly man, he wore a gold earring and chin whiskers.
Alma and Isabel neared the meat counter’s humming refrigeration where the sausage links and chicken gizzards were set out for display behind the frosty glass panels. Alma turned up her runny nose at the suety aroma. With a poorer sense of smell, Isabel leaned into the meat counter.
Jumpy continued speaking. “It’s a shock on Megan. Has she grabbed a lawyer? Is it Dwight? If it was me, I’d go out of town because he’s too light hitting. No, I’d hire a barracuda lawyer with razor teeth to rip apart red meat and shake out the gouts of blood. That’s the surest way to get her free.”
“Call off your barracuda
“I’ll give you my pet theory if you care to hear it,” said Willie.
“Well, there’s no time for your harebrained ideas,” said Ossie.
“No time in the universe,” said Blue Trent, nodding.
“On the contrary, all we’ve got is time.” Hope enlivened Alma’s speech. “What’s your pet theory, Willie?”
“Oh, boy.” Ossie flicked away his broken match fragment to land in the wood shavings. “You’ve gone and done it now.”
Blue Trent also spat.
The hairy back to Willie’s wrist swiped across his mouth. He rested the quail decoy on the bench, chunked the tip to his knife blade into its wood, and scraped his palms together.
“The Robbins’ property lies in what some of us refer to as a ‘hot sector’. Over the years it has dazzled us.”
“Can you be more specific?” asked Alma.
“Man, I wish you’d never gone to Roswell,” said Ossie.
“Those Star Trek books have unhinged your mind,” said Blue Trent.
Willie ignored his two friends. “In the still of the night, bizarre objects do acrobatics over those piney woods. I’ve watched them. Ossie, you can quit grinning. Intergalactic aliens—yes, you heard me right, I said aliens—have grown more brazen. Their starships now swoop down in broad daylight.”
Blue Trent made a disgusted scoff, and Willie glowering at him finished his story.
“Aliens docked their starship near the Robbins’ house, a few hopped off, and they did in Jake. Aliens from a warrior galaxy, I’ve read, are just out-and-out ornery.”
A rising laugh sputtered from Isabel’s lips. Turning, she suppressed her giggles behind a hand clapped over her mouth as Alma’s face lost its bright-eyed optimism.
“Thanks for your interesting story,” she managed to say.
Blue Trent leaned in from the sunny end of the bench. “Willie, you’ve sat here and whittled away all of your brains.”
Willie palmed his quail decoy and carving knife. “Laugh if you like but I was a skeptic, too, until I read Colonel Corso’s book on how he collected the alien artifacts at Roswell. In fact, did you know scientists invented the computer chips from the aliens’ silicon wafers they recovered at the Roswell crash site?”
“That’s enough hooey out of you, Willie,” said Ossie.
Willie gave the sisters a wink.
“Well, thank you gentlemen, and we’ll be off to do our errands,” said Isabel.
Alma fussed as they went by the melted tar patch to the grocery store. “Quit acting so glib, Isabel. Next time you can suggest a better idea.”
“Laughing at spontaneous humor isn’t acting glib. I’d no idea Willie was so funny and strange. Imagine, UFOs and aliens here in our neck of the woods. Those old coots crack me up. We must talk to them more often.”
“Willie was just pulling our leg. He’s crazy like a fox, you know.” Alma stared off until a new insight clarified itself. “When we ducked into Jake’s shop, did you see an office or desk?”
“No, just the barber chair the mangy barn cat snoozes on,” replied Isabel as they entered the grocery store’s air-conditioned chill. “Why your question?”
Before Alma could respond, a man’s greeting boomed out. “Alma! Isabel! Haul it on back here.”
Jumpy’s nod beckoned them as he wiped his hands on a blood-streaked apron. A burly man, he wore a gold earring and chin whiskers.
Alma and Isabel neared the meat counter’s humming refrigeration where the sausage links and chicken gizzards were set out for display behind the frosty glass panels. Alma turned up her runny nose at the suety aroma. With a poorer sense of smell, Isabel leaned into the meat counter.
Jumpy continued speaking. “It’s a shock on Megan. Has she grabbed a lawyer? Is it Dwight? If it was me, I’d go out of town because he’s too light hitting. No, I’d hire a barracuda lawyer with razor teeth to rip apart red meat and shake out the gouts of blood. That’s the surest way to get her free.”
“Call off your barracuda
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