them out of there before the old man’s engine got revved up.
“We really should get going,” he said. “We’ve still got a long
night ahead of us.”
“Oh, come on,” Jessica said. “Don’t tell me
we can’t spare a few minutes before we hit the road again.” Her
tone was mocking in its complete and utter innocence. “I mean, how
long has it been since you’ve seen your friend here?”
“Too long,” Earl said. “Six months?”
“About that,” Kelton said.
“Well, we can’t just stop by, take what we
need, and run,” Jessica said. “That wouldn’t be very nice.”
“She’s right,” Earl said.
“Besides,” she said. “I could use a little
break from the road, and I’m sure you could too.”
Kelton sighed. Now that Jessica thought she
could get something out of Earl, leaving before she had a chance to
probe him for information was going to be impossible.
“Oh, what the hell,” Kelton said, figuring
he was screwed no matter what. There was no reason to fight the
inevitable.
“Great,” Earl said. “If you guys are hungry,
I could whip up something to eat.”
“I would love some food,” Jessica said. She
offered Kelton a sweet smile. “How about you?”
“I could use something to eat,” Kelton said.
“But I’m sure as hell not going to let Earl whip anything up. His
idea of gourmet food is Spam and crackers.”
“Then get your ass in the kitchen and make
us something, Chef,” Jessica said, waving him away. She slid along
the couch towards Earl. “So, Kelton tells me you taught him the
ropes?”
“That’s right,” Walter said. “I ran my own
business down in San Diego for twenty years—”
Kelton shook his head and left the room.
Although he was uneasy with leaving Jessica alone with Earl, he
knew all he could do was make the food as quickly as possible and
hope that Earl stuck to stories that Jessica couldn’t give him
grief about later.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kelton’s worst fears were realized upon
returning to the living room ten minutes later with a plate-full of
grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.
Jessica was laughing heartily and looked as
though she had been for some time. Her face was bright red and she
was gasping for air and holding her stomach. Across from her, Earl
was smiling profusely. He had always loved playing to an
audience.
“Having a good time?” Kelton said. He set
the sandwiches down on the coffee table in front of the couch.
Jessica nodded her head. Her hysterics had
died down, but apparently she was still unable to speak.
“Oh, you know,” Earl said. “Just sharing a
few stories about you.”
“I’m sure you are,” Kelton said. Then, to
Jessica, “I hope you don’t believe everything he says. Earl is
known to embellish just a hair.”
“Bullshit,” the old man said. “I just tell
the truth. I’m too old to do anything else.”
“Yeah, but whose version of the truth?”
Earl waved him off. “Don’t start up with
your relativity crap, Kelton. The truth is the truth, regardless of
whether or not it actually happened. Besides, I’ve gone easy on
you. I haven’t even told her about the time you got pissed on by
that bum while you were hiding in the bushes outside the Tijuana
whorehouse, trying to get pictures of Senator Whathisname.”
Jessica started laughing again.
“Oops,” Earl said, feigning surprise. “I
guess I just told her. My bad.”
Kelton tried to stifle his smile but was
unsuccessful.
“You have to stop,” Jessica said, nearly
breathless from exertion. “I’m dying over here.”
“All right,” Earl said. He grabbed a
sandwich and took a bite. “Hey, this is pretty good. But then
again, you could always cook.”
“Where did that come from, by the way?”
Jessica said.
“Beats me,” Earl said. “Cooking sure as hell
wasn’t part of my training regimen.”
“Self-taught,” Kelton said. “After college I
got sick of eating out all the time, so I learned how to cook. It’s
not
“We really should get going,” he said. “We’ve still got a long
night ahead of us.”
“Oh, come on,” Jessica said. “Don’t tell me
we can’t spare a few minutes before we hit the road again.” Her
tone was mocking in its complete and utter innocence. “I mean, how
long has it been since you’ve seen your friend here?”
“Too long,” Earl said. “Six months?”
“About that,” Kelton said.
“Well, we can’t just stop by, take what we
need, and run,” Jessica said. “That wouldn’t be very nice.”
“She’s right,” Earl said.
“Besides,” she said. “I could use a little
break from the road, and I’m sure you could too.”
Kelton sighed. Now that Jessica thought she
could get something out of Earl, leaving before she had a chance to
probe him for information was going to be impossible.
“Oh, what the hell,” Kelton said, figuring
he was screwed no matter what. There was no reason to fight the
inevitable.
“Great,” Earl said. “If you guys are hungry,
I could whip up something to eat.”
“I would love some food,” Jessica said. She
offered Kelton a sweet smile. “How about you?”
“I could use something to eat,” Kelton said.
“But I’m sure as hell not going to let Earl whip anything up. His
idea of gourmet food is Spam and crackers.”
“Then get your ass in the kitchen and make
us something, Chef,” Jessica said, waving him away. She slid along
the couch towards Earl. “So, Kelton tells me you taught him the
ropes?”
“That’s right,” Walter said. “I ran my own
business down in San Diego for twenty years—”
Kelton shook his head and left the room.
Although he was uneasy with leaving Jessica alone with Earl, he
knew all he could do was make the food as quickly as possible and
hope that Earl stuck to stories that Jessica couldn’t give him
grief about later.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kelton’s worst fears were realized upon
returning to the living room ten minutes later with a plate-full of
grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.
Jessica was laughing heartily and looked as
though she had been for some time. Her face was bright red and she
was gasping for air and holding her stomach. Across from her, Earl
was smiling profusely. He had always loved playing to an
audience.
“Having a good time?” Kelton said. He set
the sandwiches down on the coffee table in front of the couch.
Jessica nodded her head. Her hysterics had
died down, but apparently she was still unable to speak.
“Oh, you know,” Earl said. “Just sharing a
few stories about you.”
“I’m sure you are,” Kelton said. Then, to
Jessica, “I hope you don’t believe everything he says. Earl is
known to embellish just a hair.”
“Bullshit,” the old man said. “I just tell
the truth. I’m too old to do anything else.”
“Yeah, but whose version of the truth?”
Earl waved him off. “Don’t start up with
your relativity crap, Kelton. The truth is the truth, regardless of
whether or not it actually happened. Besides, I’ve gone easy on
you. I haven’t even told her about the time you got pissed on by
that bum while you were hiding in the bushes outside the Tijuana
whorehouse, trying to get pictures of Senator Whathisname.”
Jessica started laughing again.
“Oops,” Earl said, feigning surprise. “I
guess I just told her. My bad.”
Kelton tried to stifle his smile but was
unsuccessful.
“You have to stop,” Jessica said, nearly
breathless from exertion. “I’m dying over here.”
“All right,” Earl said. He grabbed a
sandwich and took a bite. “Hey, this is pretty good. But then
again, you could always cook.”
“Where did that come from, by the way?”
Jessica said.
“Beats me,” Earl said. “Cooking sure as hell
wasn’t part of my training regimen.”
“Self-taught,” Kelton said. “After college I
got sick of eating out all the time, so I learned how to cook. It’s
not
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