He was amused because he thought places like this always had sports on above the bar even if it is was something to fill the offseason void like bowling or golf. Instead, the news was on. It wasn’t muted, but the volume was down very low. Garth stopped singing and Leik asked the barman to turn up the volume.
A reporter was talking about what appeared to be a violent crime in Texas. It took a few moments to fill in the backstory. A man in Dallas walked into a bakery and started randomly punching people. He broke a man’s nose and dislocated a woman’s shoulder. His face was bloodied, but it was from self-inflicted wounds. On the screen, it showed the police taking the man into custody.
As they dragged him into the back of the waiting patrol car, he was screaming about how the ducks told him to do it so he could finally fly.
Leik felt a wave of nausea come over him. He was confident the people selling or manufacturing Ducky were either arrested or the supply was efficiently cut off in Puta Gorda and the surrounding area. He never dreamed that the illicit formula could have gotten out of the county, let alone the state!
He cursed, downed the rest of his drink, and grimaced.
“Another?” the bartender asked.
Leik shook his head. “Tab, please.”
He looked back up to the screen where they were showing the bakery. The assailant apparently broke out the windows. The name of the bakery was Yellow Duck Bakery and Deli.
Leik paid his tab as the jukebox started up again with George Jones telling everyone how he ‘stopped loving her today’. Leik grinned, those selections are as old as the nicotine stains on the ceiling.
As he made his way to his car it was apparent he was buzzed. He knew he shouldn’t drive. He sure wasn’t going to have a cab or Uber driver take him all the way home. So, he slipped into the driver’s seat and simply waited.
He thought about how he worked in the lab alongside their people at the police station. Could there be something for him there? What if the college released him? It would be another few days before he knew for sure. Maybe he would reach out to Steele, see if there was anything he could do to get him a spot at the station.
He sighed and looked to the center console.
The little yellow rubber duck was tucked away inside a little shelf. It gave him a wide plastic grin, it’s orange beak bright and cheerful. It could have changed the world.
But, Leik was chilled by that smile. It was the sort of sinister smile you saw on the face of someone about to pull a nasty prank. Never again, he thought.
He picked it up and gave it a little squeeze into the floorboards making sure it was empty. He started the car and decided to drive around behind the bar. He rolled down his window and as he rolled passed the dumpster, he gave it a toss. There was no quacking as he drove away, just the sound of gravel crunching beneath his tires.
* * *
Jacki was not allowed to return home for another five days. When Steele came to take her home, he was delighted to see she looked better than she looked in months. The nurses helped her wash her hair and styled it a bit. An LVN helped with some makeup. Her mother brought her a new outfit but made sure she was long gone when Steele arrived.
The drive home was so relaxed Steele wished he could just keep driving. Jacki was smiling and for a brief moment, it was as if they were back in college.
“Music.” The sound of Jacki’s voice broke Steele’s thought.
“What would you like to hear?”
“Oh, Noah. You know.” She smiled beautifully and he knew.
Noah flipped down the sun visor and ran his finger across the dusty CDs. He hadn’t played the song in years. He always found an excuse not to. This afternoon, he would play Jacki her favorite song. Noah knew holding back the tears would be tough, but he wouldn’t spoil this moment for all the money in the world.
“Here you go.” Noah sipped the disc into the console. He clicked the advance button until number twelve appeared on the display.
Jacki smiled and closed her eyes as Elton John began to sing Can You Feel The Love Tonight?
She loved The Lion King. After they dated for several weeks, she made pizza and made Noah watch it with her in her tiny dorm room. He loved it, and he loved her reaction to the film, and how she would sing along and say bits of dialog along the way. That seems like an eternity ago now.
As they pulled up to their apartment, Eva was waiting on the porch. Steele was delighted to see her and bring this episode full circle.
“Who is this?” Eva smiled brightly at Jacki’s new look. “She won’t ever let me fuss over her like that!”
“Maybe we have entered a new era!” Noah got out of the car.
Eva ran into the house and came out a few seconds later with Jackie’s wheelchair.
“This era will never change.” Jacki’s voice trembled with the reality of her confinement.
Noah didn’t respond. “Eva, let me do that.”
“You’ll throw your back out. You’re not used to this kind of thing.”
Noah moved out of the way so Eva could get Jacki into her chair. He stood watching as the two women in his life went into the apartment.
Eva spent the time while Jacki was in the hospital, and Noah was at work each day, to do an overhaul of the bedroom. She turned the mattress, bought a new mattress pad, and freshened the room.
Eva opened the curtains and sliding glass door in the family room. The late afternoon was beautiful and the air smelled of the neighbor’s Jasmine.
“I bought a few things. They are in the fridge. I think I’ll get out of your hair and let you enjoy the evening.” Eva crossed the room and gave Jacki a peck on the cheek. “Welcome home.”
“Urn the bess.” Jacki smiled.
“Thanks, Eva. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“This is a party I try to never miss! Bye, sweetie.” Eva gave Jacki a wave of her hand. “See you in the morning.”
Jacki nodded and turned her wheelchair to face the sliding door. Not completely satisfied with the view, she moved a little closer to the screen. The gentle breeze felt good on her cheeks. The aroma of blossoms was glorious.
Noah picked up the file he brought home from work. “Should you be sitting in a draft?”
“Feels good.”
“If you start to get cold, you let me know.”
“Warm.”
Noah began reading the file. Two break-ins. One fire. Arson suspected. The warm breeze coming through the slider felt good and smelled better. His eyes grew heavy. I’ll close them for just a minute. The air did indeed feel good, like a soft warm hand stroking his cheek. Before long he was sound asleep in his recliner.
Noah jerked awake with a pounding sound and was standing before he realized where the sound was coming from. Then the doorbell rang.
“Somebody at door, Sleepy.” Jacki turned her wheelchair to face him.
Noah tried to shake off the cobwebs as he made his way to the front door. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Flynt!”
Comrade Flynt stood on the welcome mat with a big goofy grin on his face. “Hi, partner.”
In his hands, he held a large pizza box. “I brought you guys dinner. I figured you’d be tired and I know Jacki can’t, well you know. So, I bought this.”
“Come in, come in.” The surprise of seeing his partner with a pizza was nothing compared to him being at his house. Steele walked toward the kitchen with Flynt close behind.
“I wasn’t sure what kind to get so I went with half cheese and half my favorite, Swedish.” Without another word, Flynt rounded the end of the kitchen counter and into the family room. He stood perfectly still like a skittish deer about six feet from Jacki.
“Comrade?” Jacki gave the odd little man a dazzling smile. “Nice to see you again. This time I’m a little more with it.”
“Hi, Jacki. I brought dinner. You like pizza, I hope?”
“Love it. You very sweet.” Jacki rolled closer and lifted her arm as far as she could to o
ffer Flynt her hand.
To the amazement of both Noah and Jacki, he bent and kissed her hand. “I am very happy to meet you. You are even prettier than I imagined.”
“Go on.” Jacki shook her head.
“Are you hungry?”
“Yes. I hate hospital food. Give me pizza any time.”
“You are in luck my lady, I brought pizza from the best pizzeria in the county.”
Noah looked on as Comrade Flynt poured on the charm, and Jacki was delighted. She pushed the stick on the arm of her chair and started rolling for the kitchen.
“Less eat.”
Flynt moved to the kitchen and opened the pizza box and started opening cupboards. “Plates, plates where are the plates?” He said in a little song. “There they are.” He turned to Noah. “Have a seat. I’ll serve.”
Noah made his way to the small kitchen table. Jacki rolled up toward the end of the table and motioned with her head for Noah to move the chair.
“Cheese or Swedish?” Flynt tilted the box.
“What is Swedish?” Noah asked.
“My favorite.”
“Yeah, you said that. But what is it?”
“Shredded curried chicken, pineapple, sliced bananas, and white kabob sauce.”
Noah grimaced. “Cheese.”
“Banana!” Jacki said excitedly.
Flynt put a slice on a plate and set it on the table in front of Jacki. The second he did, he realized she couldn’t pick it up. “Here, let me help.” Comrade picked up the slice and moved it toward Jacki’s mouth as if he did it a million times.
She took a big bite and chewed slowly. “Amazing.” She said reverently. “Noah, try.”
Flynt laid the slice on the plate and slid it toward Steele. Without a word Noah picked up the slice and took a bite. A smile crossed his face like he discovered the eighth wonder of the world. “Cancel the cheese order. I’m all in for Sweden.” Steele gave a hearty laugh.
“Hey, mine. Get your own.” Jacki said in a mock hostility.
Comrade Flynt stayed about a half-hour after they ate all the pizza they could hold. He chatted and laughed with Jacki to Noah’s amazement. He told stories of cases they went on. His perception of what happened was both enlightening and amusing.
Finally, he stood.
“Where you going?” Jacki sounded disappointed.
“I don’t want to wear out my welcome.” He looked directly at his partner.
“Thanks for dinner. It was great.”
“Glad you liked it.” Flynt picked up the dishes and put them in the sink. He closed the lid of the empty pizza box. “Where’s the trash?”
“I’ll get it,” Steele said standing.
“Nice to meet you, Jacki.” Flynt touched her gently on the shoulder as he passed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He nodded at Steele.
“Bright and early,” Steele said following Flynt to the door.
Flynt opened the front door and closed it behind him without speaking.
About ten feet up the sidewalk on the way to his car Flynt stopped and put his hands on his knees. He panted like he just ran a mile.
“You did it.” Flynt cheered between pants for air. “You did it.”
Noah returned to the table and sat in the seat closest to Jacki. She scooted even closer and placed his hand on her arm. “You’ve never come to the table before. What’s up with that?”
“We nevva had company befoe.” She smiled mischievously. “He’s nice. Not so weird like you said.”
“I don’t know who that guy was.” Noah put his arm around Jacki’s shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. “I guess we both made a new friend.”
Flynt and Steele will return in Dead on Arrival
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About the Authors
Micheal Maxwell has traveled the globe on the lookout for strange sights, sounds, and people. His adventures have taken him from the Jungles of Ecuador and the Philippines to the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, and from the cave dwellings of Native Americans to The Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s Eagles Nest! He’s always looking for a story to tell and interesting people to meet.
Micheal Maxwell was taught the beauty and majesty of the English language by Bob Dylan, Robertson Davies, Charles Dickens, and Leonard Cohen.
Mr. Maxwell has dined with politicians, rock stars and beggars. He has rubbed shoulders with priests and murderers, surgeons and drug dealers, each one giving him a part of themselves that will live again in the pages of his books.
Micheal Maxwell has found a niche in the mystery, suspense, genre with The Cole Sage Series that gives readers an everyman hero, short on vices, long on compassion, and a sense of fair play, and the willingness to risk everything to right wrongs. The Cole Sage Series departs from the usual, heavily sexual, profanity-laced norm and gives readers character-driven stories, with twists, turns, and page-turning plot lines.
Micheal Maxwell writes from a life of love, music, film, and literature. Along with his lovely wife and travel partner, Janet, divide their time between a small town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, and their lake home in Washington State.
Also by Micheal Maxwell
THE COLE SAGE SERIES
Diamonds and Cole (Cole Sage Mystery #1)
Cellar of Cole (Cole Sage Mystery #2)
Helix of Cole (Cole Sage Mystery #3)
Cole Dust (Cole Sage Mystery #4)
Cole Shoot (Cole Sage Mystery #5)
Cole Fire (Cole Sage Mystery #6)
Heart of Cole (Cole Sage Mystery #7)
Cole Mine (Cole Sage Mystery #8)
Soul of Cole (Cole Sage Mystery #9)
Cole Cuts (Cole Sage Mystery #10)
THE ADAM DUPREE SERIES
Dupree’s Rebirth: Book #1 (An Adam Dupree Novel)
Dupree’s Reward: Book #2 (An Adam Dupree Novel)
Dupree’s Resolve: Book #3 (An Adam Dupree Novel)
FLYNT & STEELE MYSTERIES
Dead Beat: Book #1 (A Flynt & Steel Mystery)
Dead Duck: Book #2 (A Flynt & Steel Mystery)
Dead on Arrival: Book #3 (A Flynt & Steel Mystery)
OTHER WORKS
The First Chapter: The Collected Short Stories and First Novel: The Whistler 1964-2017
Three Nails: (A Tale of Tragedy, Testing and Triumph)
* * *
Warren Keith is the pen name of Barry Napier the award-winning author of supernatural thrillers and faith-based fiction. He is currently at work on his own series of Cooper M. Reid Thrillers.
Check out the Wade Rivers series:
The Night Road
Slow Burn
Also, check out these titles written as Barry Napier
As Far Away as Possible
Dark Water (Cooper M. Reid #1)
Rival Blood (Cooper M. Reid #2)
Dust and Bones (Cooper M. Reid #3)
Eden House (Cooper M. Reid #4) (coming soon)
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