Read Online Jackrabbit Junction Jitters by Ann Charles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ann Charles
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Joe’s,
isn’t it?” Kate’s knowledge of Ruby’s dead husband came from Claire, so she
knew all of the dirt and none of the gems.
“Yep.” Claire squatted in front of the door. She frowned at
the keypad in the bottom left corner. “Shit. We need a code.” At least they
didn’t need a thumbprint. Claire hadn’t exhumed a body before, but she was all
for learning new trades.
Where in the hell was she going to find the code? Joe wasn’t
exactly a chatterbox these days, and Johnny Cash, whose profile had been
painted on black velvet and hung on the wall next to the door, didn’t share
secrets.
“Well, that sucks.” Kate echoed Claire’s thoughts.
“What sucks?” Jess asked.
Claire looked up to see Jess peeking over Kate’s shoulder.
“Hey, I bet that’s where Mom’s keeping that money you found
last spring.” Jess nudged Kate aside and squatted next to Claire. “Cool, it
even has a keypad.”
Claire closed her eyes and groaned.
* * *
“I don’t know why you have to drive me to the Franklin’s
place,” Jess said to Kate as they drove under the Dancing Winnebagos R.V. Park
sign and sped toward Jackrabbit Junction.
The tires hummed along the asphalt, not quite drowning out
the whir of the air conditioning blowing lukewarm air from the vents. Kate
swiped at the sweat beading on her upper lip. The back of her legs stuck to the
leather seat.
“I’m perfectly capable of driving myself.” Jess popped her
bubblegum, polluting Kate’s Volvo with the grape scent.
Kate gritted her teeth, not exactly thrilled to be driving
Jess anywhere. The girl didn’t stop talking long enough to breathe. But with
Ruby minding the store, Gramps nowhere to be found, Mac heading to Yuccaville
to “take care of something,” and Claire trying to fix one of the campground
toilets that had overflowed again, Kate had drawn the short straw.
Jess channel surfed on the radio with the same fingers she’d
just used to pull and twirl her gum. “Claire says you’re a teacher.”
Not anymore. Kate fished a napkin from her glove box and
offered it to Jess, who stuffed it in her pocket.
“You don’t look like a teacher.”
Kate wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. “Really?”
She let off the gas pedal as the STOP sign came into view.
“No. You’re too young looking.”
A compliment, how sweet. She might get along with her soon-to-be
aunt yet. “Thank you.”
“And you don’t have as many gray hairs as Claire.”
That was because she didn’t land ass-deep in trouble as
often as Claire. Besides the occasional rotten boyfriend, Kate’s life was
relatively stress-free.
“But you really should wax those sideburns.”
Kate gasped as if she’d been pinched. Sideburns? She tipped
the rearview mirror down and turned her face from side to side. What sideburns?
“Stop! Pull in here!” Jess yelled, pointing at the hardware
store’s gravel drive they were about to blow by.
Kate swerved into the drive and stomped on the brake pedal.
Her anti-lock brakes thumped, while the gravel crunched under her tires.
From out of nowhere, a pickup appeared in front of her.
Jess screamed and covered her face.
Kate tromped harder on the brakes. She winced as the
passenger side of the truck filled her front windshield right before she
crashed into it.
The impact slammed her forward.
The airbags exploded with a deafening bang.
Then there was silence.
Chapter Five
“I’d like to talk to the president, please, Edith,” Mac told
the gray-haired receptionist, a name plaque and tall counter separating her
from the reception area. He added a wide smile to his request in an attempt to
sprinkle on some charm.
Edith was new since March, the last time Mac had stormed
into this office. Her perfume reminded him of the rose-shaped soaps his grandma
had kept in a basket on the back of her toilet.
On the green wall behind Edith, the words Copper Snake
Mining Company hung in thick letters, made of the very metal the
isn’t it?” Kate’s knowledge of Ruby’s dead husband came from Claire, so she
knew all of the dirt and none of the gems.
“Yep.” Claire squatted in front of the door. She frowned at
the keypad in the bottom left corner. “Shit. We need a code.” At least they
didn’t need a thumbprint. Claire hadn’t exhumed a body before, but she was all
for learning new trades.
Where in the hell was she going to find the code? Joe wasn’t
exactly a chatterbox these days, and Johnny Cash, whose profile had been
painted on black velvet and hung on the wall next to the door, didn’t share
secrets.
“Well, that sucks.” Kate echoed Claire’s thoughts.
“What sucks?” Jess asked.
Claire looked up to see Jess peeking over Kate’s shoulder.
“Hey, I bet that’s where Mom’s keeping that money you found
last spring.” Jess nudged Kate aside and squatted next to Claire. “Cool, it
even has a keypad.”
Claire closed her eyes and groaned.
* * *
“I don’t know why you have to drive me to the Franklin’s
place,” Jess said to Kate as they drove under the Dancing Winnebagos R.V. Park
sign and sped toward Jackrabbit Junction.
The tires hummed along the asphalt, not quite drowning out
the whir of the air conditioning blowing lukewarm air from the vents. Kate
swiped at the sweat beading on her upper lip. The back of her legs stuck to the
leather seat.
“I’m perfectly capable of driving myself.” Jess popped her
bubblegum, polluting Kate’s Volvo with the grape scent.
Kate gritted her teeth, not exactly thrilled to be driving
Jess anywhere. The girl didn’t stop talking long enough to breathe. But with
Ruby minding the store, Gramps nowhere to be found, Mac heading to Yuccaville
to “take care of something,” and Claire trying to fix one of the campground
toilets that had overflowed again, Kate had drawn the short straw.
Jess channel surfed on the radio with the same fingers she’d
just used to pull and twirl her gum. “Claire says you’re a teacher.”
Not anymore. Kate fished a napkin from her glove box and
offered it to Jess, who stuffed it in her pocket.
“You don’t look like a teacher.”
Kate wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. “Really?”
She let off the gas pedal as the STOP sign came into view.
“No. You’re too young looking.”
A compliment, how sweet. She might get along with her soon-to-be
aunt yet. “Thank you.”
“And you don’t have as many gray hairs as Claire.”
That was because she didn’t land ass-deep in trouble as
often as Claire. Besides the occasional rotten boyfriend, Kate’s life was
relatively stress-free.
“But you really should wax those sideburns.”
Kate gasped as if she’d been pinched. Sideburns? She tipped
the rearview mirror down and turned her face from side to side. What sideburns?
“Stop! Pull in here!” Jess yelled, pointing at the hardware
store’s gravel drive they were about to blow by.
Kate swerved into the drive and stomped on the brake pedal.
Her anti-lock brakes thumped, while the gravel crunched under her tires.
From out of nowhere, a pickup appeared in front of her.
Jess screamed and covered her face.
Kate tromped harder on the brakes. She winced as the
passenger side of the truck filled her front windshield right before she
crashed into it.
The impact slammed her forward.
The airbags exploded with a deafening bang.
Then there was silence.
Chapter Five
“I’d like to talk to the president, please, Edith,” Mac told
the gray-haired receptionist, a name plaque and tall counter separating her
from the reception area. He added a wide smile to his request in an attempt to
sprinkle on some charm.
Edith was new since March, the last time Mac had stormed
into this office. Her perfume reminded him of the rose-shaped soaps his grandma
had kept in a basket on the back of her toilet.
On the green wall behind Edith, the words Copper Snake
Mining Company hung in thick letters, made of the very metal the
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