Read Online Hound Dog Blues by Virginia Brown - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Virginia Brown
Ads: Link
Trumble?”
“Daily. But not like you mean. He said she was a mean, spiteful old lady and he shouldn’t ever have trusted her, but he never said he wanted to kill her. He did say he wished her bad karma would hurry and catch up to her, but that’s about it.” Leaning forward, she put her head into her hands and closed her eyes against a stab of pain. “I need an aspirin. Or morphine.”
Bobby stood up. “Diva still keep the aspirin in that frog-shaped bottle?”
“Yes. Listen—Bruno Jett was down there. I saw him. I talked to him.”
“Forget Jett.” Bobby disappeared into the kitchen, and when he came back, he had a glass of water and two aspirin. As she sat up, he added, “And don’t go over there, either.”
“Why are you on Jett’s side?” she asked after swallowing the aspirin. “He’s not very nice. He’s a smartass, too.”
“That’s not against the law. If it was, you’d be serving hard time. Look, Harley, just stay away from Jett. I want your promise on that.”
“He lives next door to my parents. How far away am I supposed to stay?”
“You know what I mean, dammit. Don’t go looking for trouble in dangerous places.”
She flopped back into the comfy chair cushions. “You’ve changed, Bobby. This is not an attractive side of your personality.”
“Get used to it. It’s the side you’re most likely to see if you trespass over there again.” He frowned, and she recognized a certain wariness in his expression. Why? What was there that he didn’t want her to know?
“What’s going on, Bobby? What is it about Jett—besides his surly personality and long rap sheet—that I should know?”
“That’s it. You already know all you should. He’s not someone you need to go snooping around, Harley. Trust me on that.”
“Ah yes. The trust factor. I remember when my good friend Bobby trusted my parents, when he knew my father was not the kind of man capable of murder.”
“Jesus, Harley. I never said I thought Yogi did it, I just said I need to question him. A witness put him coming out of Trumble’s house about the time of her death. He needs to give me a solid alibi or reason for being there, especially when he’s got a restraining order out on him.”
“You know Mrs. Trumble took his dog. Maybe that’s not a great reason for being there, but it’s certainly a valid one.”
For a moment, Bobby didn’t say anything. The mantel clock ticked loudly, and outside on the front porch, Diva’s wind chimes made a musical sound.
“They took King with them,” her brother said, and she and Bobby both turned to look at him. Sprawled on the couch, evidence of the reason for his total relaxation burned out in an ash tray on the floor, Eric blinked sleepily. “Yogi and Diva took King with them when they left.”
“Where did they go?” she and Bobby asked almost in unison. Harley got up and went to stand beside the couch. “Did they say where they were going, dude?”
“Said they’d be back in a few days.” He waved a languid hand. “Told me to be sure I go to all my classes.”
“So you saw them leave?” Bobby asked. “Did they take anything unusual with them?”
Harley glared at him. “You mean like a gun? Cripes, Bobby, give it a rest.”
“I was asleep,” Eric said, and gestured toward the dining room table. “They left us a note.”
Bobby got to it before she did, but she read over his shoulder, recognizing Diva’s firm, looping scrawl: “ Gone for a few days, we’ll be fine. Eric, stay with Harley while we’re gone, and don’t miss any of your classes .” She’d signed it with love and a postscript that they’d taken King with them.
“Just great,” Harley muttered. She ran a hand through her hair, letting the short strands slide through her fingers as she studied the note. Baby-sitting a twenty-two year old held little appeal for her.
“No offense, chick,” Eric said, “but I don’t want to stay with you. You won’t let me smoke in your
“Daily. But not like you mean. He said she was a mean, spiteful old lady and he shouldn’t ever have trusted her, but he never said he wanted to kill her. He did say he wished her bad karma would hurry and catch up to her, but that’s about it.” Leaning forward, she put her head into her hands and closed her eyes against a stab of pain. “I need an aspirin. Or morphine.”
Bobby stood up. “Diva still keep the aspirin in that frog-shaped bottle?”
“Yes. Listen—Bruno Jett was down there. I saw him. I talked to him.”
“Forget Jett.” Bobby disappeared into the kitchen, and when he came back, he had a glass of water and two aspirin. As she sat up, he added, “And don’t go over there, either.”
“Why are you on Jett’s side?” she asked after swallowing the aspirin. “He’s not very nice. He’s a smartass, too.”
“That’s not against the law. If it was, you’d be serving hard time. Look, Harley, just stay away from Jett. I want your promise on that.”
“He lives next door to my parents. How far away am I supposed to stay?”
“You know what I mean, dammit. Don’t go looking for trouble in dangerous places.”
She flopped back into the comfy chair cushions. “You’ve changed, Bobby. This is not an attractive side of your personality.”
“Get used to it. It’s the side you’re most likely to see if you trespass over there again.” He frowned, and she recognized a certain wariness in his expression. Why? What was there that he didn’t want her to know?
“What’s going on, Bobby? What is it about Jett—besides his surly personality and long rap sheet—that I should know?”
“That’s it. You already know all you should. He’s not someone you need to go snooping around, Harley. Trust me on that.”
“Ah yes. The trust factor. I remember when my good friend Bobby trusted my parents, when he knew my father was not the kind of man capable of murder.”
“Jesus, Harley. I never said I thought Yogi did it, I just said I need to question him. A witness put him coming out of Trumble’s house about the time of her death. He needs to give me a solid alibi or reason for being there, especially when he’s got a restraining order out on him.”
“You know Mrs. Trumble took his dog. Maybe that’s not a great reason for being there, but it’s certainly a valid one.”
For a moment, Bobby didn’t say anything. The mantel clock ticked loudly, and outside on the front porch, Diva’s wind chimes made a musical sound.
“They took King with them,” her brother said, and she and Bobby both turned to look at him. Sprawled on the couch, evidence of the reason for his total relaxation burned out in an ash tray on the floor, Eric blinked sleepily. “Yogi and Diva took King with them when they left.”
“Where did they go?” she and Bobby asked almost in unison. Harley got up and went to stand beside the couch. “Did they say where they were going, dude?”
“Said they’d be back in a few days.” He waved a languid hand. “Told me to be sure I go to all my classes.”
“So you saw them leave?” Bobby asked. “Did they take anything unusual with them?”
Harley glared at him. “You mean like a gun? Cripes, Bobby, give it a rest.”
“I was asleep,” Eric said, and gestured toward the dining room table. “They left us a note.”
Bobby got to it before she did, but she read over his shoulder, recognizing Diva’s firm, looping scrawl: “ Gone for a few days, we’ll be fine. Eric, stay with Harley while we’re gone, and don’t miss any of your classes .” She’d signed it with love and a postscript that they’d taken King with them.
“Just great,” Harley muttered. She ran a hand through her hair, letting the short strands slide through her fingers as she studied the note. Baby-sitting a twenty-two year old held little appeal for her.
“No offense, chick,” Eric said, “but I don’t want to stay with you. You won’t let me smoke in your
Similar Books
