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want to look like a pig but I knew if I said something bad about your pie I would get one in my face.”
    Della laughed. “Pretty smart, huh?”
     
    I dropped Momma off around nine o’clock. An array of colorful flickering lights like the fourth of July came from the living room. Daddy was probably snoozing on the sofa with the TV flickering. Momma got the empty pie takers and the broken umbrella gathered up in her arms and headed for the house. I waited for Momma to get in the house before heading off down the street.
     
    The streets were quiet, so quiet it seem spooky.  A few blocks from the office  I saw the black sedan parked behind our competition, Mr. Graham’s Bail Bond’s office.
    “What the heck.” I murmured to myself.
    I parked around the corner. Made sure my Glock was fully loaded and made my way to the office window. Mr. Graham was setting with his feet propped up on his desk. I moved in closer to get a good look at his guests. Hoping I could hear their conversation. I stepped back to get a good footing and stepped on a big black cat. The cat squealed and ran across the street. Out the back door came two guys dressed in black with guns drawn. I dropped to the ground hugging the wall. They saw the cat make it’s way across the street. Their guns went back in their holster and they walked back into the office.
    “Just a cat out prowling.” One of the men said.
    I made my way back to the Explorer and jotted down the black sedan’s license plate number.
    I used my key to enter the apartment. The lights were out. The TV was blaring with Lucy and Ethel working on a belt sorting chocolates.  Mona was asleep on the sofa and woke as I entered reaching for her 38.
    “Hold it, it’s just me. We might need to use a secret knock before entering.” I laughed.
    I switched on the lamp and set down in the easy chair.
    Mona’s manicure paraphernalia was scattered all over the coffee table I made from an old door cut in half setting on two peach field boxes.
    “I’m sorry for the mess. I’ll get it cleaned up.” Mona started piling fingernail polish in an array of colors, polish remover, files, buffers and cotton in a shoe box.
    I grabbed a bottle of bright pink polish and shook it vigorously.
    “You care if I paint my toe nails?”
    “Of course not, pink toes are pretty.“
    I opened the bottle and propped my feet up on the coffee table and painted one toe at a time. I held my feet in the air kicking my legs and stretching my toes.
    “Pretty sharp don’t you think?”
    Mona laughed, picked up her shoe box and carried it to her room.
     
    “Mona, I saw the black sedan parked at Graham’s Bail Bonds.  I looked in the window and saw the two thugs that have been chasing us or that we’ve been chasing.”
    Mona came running from her room. “Did you got the license plate number? What do you think Mr. Graham is up to?”
    “I don’t think it’s anything good. Those guys looked like they belong to the mafia. They were dressed in black pants, black leather jacket and a white shirt. They had bad written all over them.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    TEN
     
    Bailey and I jogged to the park for his morning poop and hike. Brad Bradford was setting on the park bench when I arrived. I unhooked Bailey and set down beside Brad.
    “Hi Brad,” He looked up from his newspaper.
    “Tiffany, how nice to see you. You haven’t been at the park much lately.” Brad said as he folded his newspaper and stuffed it under his leg.
    “No, I’ve been busy with work and Bailey and I have been taking quick runs down here.”  I said smiling and pushing my red locks behind my ears.
    “I have two tickets to Conway’s High School performance of ‘Hello Dolly’. Would you like to join me Friday night?  I know I’m being a little hasty but I might not see you before the