Read Online Falafel Jones - Max Fried 02 - Payback's a Beach by Falafel Jones - Free Book Online
Authors: Falafel Jones
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Installed after his last visit.”
CHAPTER NINE
We thanked Bryan for his help and flew the coop. Out on the street, I said to Mariel, “C’mon. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
She took my arm. “Thanks, Sport.”
We entered a shop named Thanx a latte and I saw a young man, about Brenda’s age, behind the counter. He perked up when he saw customers and said, “Hi, folks. How can I help you?”
I noticed a sign behind the counter that read, “Unattended children will be given an espresso, a drum, and a puppy to take home.” A couple of professorial types sat at a table covered with papers and two laptops. The place was a quiet as a library.
I said, “Two small lattes with skim milk, please.”
“Sure thing.”
The man busied himself at the espresso machine and I asked, “You the owner?”
With apparent pride, he said, “Yes, I am. Scott Barker. Been open two years now. Don’t recall seeing you before. You on vacation or new to the area?”
“Nah, we just don’t spend much time on the mainland. Hey, maybe you know our friend, works down the block, Brenda McCarthy?”
The espresso machine went quiet and the man turned to look at us. “You her folks?”
One of the learned looking customers at a nearby table lowered her book and looked at me over her reading glasses.
I turned to her, “Do I look old enough to have a daughter with a Master’s degree?”
The woman raised her eyebrows at me and made a show of going back to her book.
I turned to Scott and pointed at Mariel. “OK, maybe I might look old enough but she certainly doesn’t, does she?”
Scott looked uncomfortable about the apparent need to state his opinion on this topic. Mariel let him off the hook when she said, “We actually have a daughter in California a few years older than Brenda, but no, we’re not Brenda’s parents.” The woman with the book smiled at Mariel and nodded what seemed to be her approval of Mariel’s attempts at preserving her youthful looks.
Scott dropped his hands to his side and formed fists. “You’re not here for coffee are you? What do you want?”
I said, “Actually, we really would like some coffee but since you asked, do you know where Brenda is?”
Scott went back to making our drinks. “Haven’t seen her since she dumped me.”
“You mean since you broke the glass door at the Co-op?”
Scott stopped making coffee and turned to face me. “Look, I got upset, made a mistake. No one got hurt and I paid for the door. It’s over. It’s all over.”
“Good, then where were you Friday night?”
He placed our lattes on the counter. “What? Where was I? Where were you?”
I pointed to Mariel with my thumb. “With her. Your turn.”
Scott shook his head. “You crazy? Why do you want to… oh, hey, was that when that guy was killed on the boat? The one Brenda was on. You think I had something to do with it? Man.”
“Prove me wrong. Where were you?”
“Here man. I’m always here. The curse of the small business owner. I might as well sleep here too.”
“Any proof?”
“Yeah, the local beat cop. He was in and out all night for coffee and to use the facilities.”
“What’s the cop’s name?”
“Colletti. Officer Colletti. Complained he was working a double and needed caffeine.” Scott put our coffee in a bag and placed it in front of me. “That’s seven fifty. I made your order to go.” I paid him and we left. That’s me, spreading cheer wherever I am.
We strolled east on Canal Street until we reached Riverfront Park where we took occupancy of a fine bench with a river view. I had a nice cup of coffee and a beautiful woman by my side. There was even a clean public restroom nearby. I was all set to spend some time here. Mariel smiled and I could tell she was enjoying the action on the water. As a sailboat motored towards the drawbridge, she said, “This is nice but I feel bad having a good time while Brenda is missing. We should be looking for her.”
I said,
CHAPTER NINE
We thanked Bryan for his help and flew the coop. Out on the street, I said to Mariel, “C’mon. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
She took my arm. “Thanks, Sport.”
We entered a shop named Thanx a latte and I saw a young man, about Brenda’s age, behind the counter. He perked up when he saw customers and said, “Hi, folks. How can I help you?”
I noticed a sign behind the counter that read, “Unattended children will be given an espresso, a drum, and a puppy to take home.” A couple of professorial types sat at a table covered with papers and two laptops. The place was a quiet as a library.
I said, “Two small lattes with skim milk, please.”
“Sure thing.”
The man busied himself at the espresso machine and I asked, “You the owner?”
With apparent pride, he said, “Yes, I am. Scott Barker. Been open two years now. Don’t recall seeing you before. You on vacation or new to the area?”
“Nah, we just don’t spend much time on the mainland. Hey, maybe you know our friend, works down the block, Brenda McCarthy?”
The espresso machine went quiet and the man turned to look at us. “You her folks?”
One of the learned looking customers at a nearby table lowered her book and looked at me over her reading glasses.
I turned to her, “Do I look old enough to have a daughter with a Master’s degree?”
The woman raised her eyebrows at me and made a show of going back to her book.
I turned to Scott and pointed at Mariel. “OK, maybe I might look old enough but she certainly doesn’t, does she?”
Scott looked uncomfortable about the apparent need to state his opinion on this topic. Mariel let him off the hook when she said, “We actually have a daughter in California a few years older than Brenda, but no, we’re not Brenda’s parents.” The woman with the book smiled at Mariel and nodded what seemed to be her approval of Mariel’s attempts at preserving her youthful looks.
Scott dropped his hands to his side and formed fists. “You’re not here for coffee are you? What do you want?”
I said, “Actually, we really would like some coffee but since you asked, do you know where Brenda is?”
Scott went back to making our drinks. “Haven’t seen her since she dumped me.”
“You mean since you broke the glass door at the Co-op?”
Scott stopped making coffee and turned to face me. “Look, I got upset, made a mistake. No one got hurt and I paid for the door. It’s over. It’s all over.”
“Good, then where were you Friday night?”
He placed our lattes on the counter. “What? Where was I? Where were you?”
I pointed to Mariel with my thumb. “With her. Your turn.”
Scott shook his head. “You crazy? Why do you want to… oh, hey, was that when that guy was killed on the boat? The one Brenda was on. You think I had something to do with it? Man.”
“Prove me wrong. Where were you?”
“Here man. I’m always here. The curse of the small business owner. I might as well sleep here too.”
“Any proof?”
“Yeah, the local beat cop. He was in and out all night for coffee and to use the facilities.”
“What’s the cop’s name?”
“Colletti. Officer Colletti. Complained he was working a double and needed caffeine.” Scott put our coffee in a bag and placed it in front of me. “That’s seven fifty. I made your order to go.” I paid him and we left. That’s me, spreading cheer wherever I am.
We strolled east on Canal Street until we reached Riverfront Park where we took occupancy of a fine bench with a river view. I had a nice cup of coffee and a beautiful woman by my side. There was even a clean public restroom nearby. I was all set to spend some time here. Mariel smiled and I could tell she was enjoying the action on the water. As a sailboat motored towards the drawbridge, she said, “This is nice but I feel bad having a good time while Brenda is missing. We should be looking for her.”
I said,
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