clean."
Debbie wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her chubby hand and shrugged. "Whatever." She continued scrubbing the tabletop, grunting with every stroke. She was a good waitress but side work and cleaning challenged her. "Never get any help around this place anyways."
I took off my jacket and slung it on the back of a chair, then pushed the wet hair out of my eyes. "Where's Manny?"
"Gone."
"And this buyer person?" Zelda prodded.
"Long gone." Debbie threw the bar towel into the bucket. "I give up, these tables won't get clean." She stood back and admired her work. "I did the best I could. Time for pie."
She ambled past us to the pie case. Pulling out a cherry pie she asked, "When's pie day? We're running low here."
Zelda got out of her chair and moved to the counter. "What's the matter, not enough variety for you?"
I went behind the counter and poured us each a coffee then sat next to Zelda. "When did Manny leave?"
Chewie frowned at all the sudden activity and slinked back to the kitchen.
Debbie took her generous piece of pie to the ice cream freezer and scooped a mound of vanilla ice cream on top. As an afterthought, she squirted a big whipped cream hat on top of it and grinned. "Now, that's what I call a reward. Big ol' piece of cheery pie la mode." She plunked down at the counter next to us and dug in. "Mmm mmm."
Zelda eyed Debbie's plate. "You going for heart attack of the month club president?"
I elbowed Zelda and shook my head. "Tell me about this mystery buyer, Debs."
"Not much to tell." She looked up from her pie. "Not like Manny introduced me or nothing." She shook her head and forked a big bite of pie. "I get no respect around this place."
"Man or woman?"
"Lady."
Zelda rolled her eyes at Debbie. "How old?"
"I dunno. Not super old, like not a granny.” Debbie looked up from her pie but her gaze didn't land anywhere. "A lady, dressed nice like she was going out to dinner or coming back from a hot date."
I sighed. Prying information out of Debbie was never an easy task. I put my hand on her shoulder. "What made you think she was the other buyer? Did Manny say anything? Did she say anything? Did they say anything about signing papers or contracts?"
Debbie stabbed her fork in the air. "Whoa, so many questions. Slow down Scotti, the night is young."
I took a deep breath. "Okay, one question; what made you think she was the buyer?"
Debbie stopped eating, looked up to her thinking place and deliberated for a minute. "I can't put my finger on it, but something one of them said made me think it was the other buyer. Then they went in the back. They were in there a long time, so I figured they were talking turkey." She took another bite of pie. "Scotti, you make the best pie ever, girlfriend! Can I come over on pie day and help?" She smiled sweetly at me.
"I really want to see how you do it."
Zelda snapped at her. "No, you can't. Because on pie day we make pie, we don't eat pie."
Debbie chuckled and shook her head. "Oh Zelda."
I stood and hooked my head toward the back. Zelda frowned but she followed me into the kitchen. We picked our way through the unpacked produce boxes that Chewie was too lazy to put away. I glanced at him – still whispering to his girlfriend on the phone.
Zelda glared at him. "Are we the only ones who work in this place?"
I grabbed her arm and pulled her along to Manny's office door. Checking to make sure Chewie had his back to us, I tried to open it. "It's locked, damn it."
Zelda nudged me out of the way and tried the door. "What does he keep in there? Gold bouillon?"
I stared at the locked door. "Can we use a steak knife to open it?"
Zelda's stare informed me of the stupidity of the question. She tugged at my arm. "Screw it. Let's get out of here."
"But..."
"Tomorrow's another day. We'll come up with a plan."
I sighed and
Debbie wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her chubby hand and shrugged. "Whatever." She continued scrubbing the tabletop, grunting with every stroke. She was a good waitress but side work and cleaning challenged her. "Never get any help around this place anyways."
I took off my jacket and slung it on the back of a chair, then pushed the wet hair out of my eyes. "Where's Manny?"
"Gone."
"And this buyer person?" Zelda prodded.
"Long gone." Debbie threw the bar towel into the bucket. "I give up, these tables won't get clean." She stood back and admired her work. "I did the best I could. Time for pie."
She ambled past us to the pie case. Pulling out a cherry pie she asked, "When's pie day? We're running low here."
Zelda got out of her chair and moved to the counter. "What's the matter, not enough variety for you?"
I went behind the counter and poured us each a coffee then sat next to Zelda. "When did Manny leave?"
Chewie frowned at all the sudden activity and slinked back to the kitchen.
Debbie took her generous piece of pie to the ice cream freezer and scooped a mound of vanilla ice cream on top. As an afterthought, she squirted a big whipped cream hat on top of it and grinned. "Now, that's what I call a reward. Big ol' piece of cheery pie la mode." She plunked down at the counter next to us and dug in. "Mmm mmm."
Zelda eyed Debbie's plate. "You going for heart attack of the month club president?"
I elbowed Zelda and shook my head. "Tell me about this mystery buyer, Debs."
"Not much to tell." She looked up from her pie. "Not like Manny introduced me or nothing." She shook her head and forked a big bite of pie. "I get no respect around this place."
"Man or woman?"
"Lady."
Zelda rolled her eyes at Debbie. "How old?"
"I dunno. Not super old, like not a granny.” Debbie looked up from her pie but her gaze didn't land anywhere. "A lady, dressed nice like she was going out to dinner or coming back from a hot date."
I sighed. Prying information out of Debbie was never an easy task. I put my hand on her shoulder. "What made you think she was the other buyer? Did Manny say anything? Did she say anything? Did they say anything about signing papers or contracts?"
Debbie stabbed her fork in the air. "Whoa, so many questions. Slow down Scotti, the night is young."
I took a deep breath. "Okay, one question; what made you think she was the buyer?"
Debbie stopped eating, looked up to her thinking place and deliberated for a minute. "I can't put my finger on it, but something one of them said made me think it was the other buyer. Then they went in the back. They were in there a long time, so I figured they were talking turkey." She took another bite of pie. "Scotti, you make the best pie ever, girlfriend! Can I come over on pie day and help?" She smiled sweetly at me.
"I really want to see how you do it."
Zelda snapped at her. "No, you can't. Because on pie day we make pie, we don't eat pie."
Debbie chuckled and shook her head. "Oh Zelda."
I stood and hooked my head toward the back. Zelda frowned but she followed me into the kitchen. We picked our way through the unpacked produce boxes that Chewie was too lazy to put away. I glanced at him – still whispering to his girlfriend on the phone.
Zelda glared at him. "Are we the only ones who work in this place?"
I grabbed her arm and pulled her along to Manny's office door. Checking to make sure Chewie had his back to us, I tried to open it. "It's locked, damn it."
Zelda nudged me out of the way and tried the door. "What does he keep in there? Gold bouillon?"
I stared at the locked door. "Can we use a steak knife to open it?"
Zelda's stare informed me of the stupidity of the question. She tugged at my arm. "Screw it. Let's get out of here."
"But..."
"Tomorrow's another day. We'll come up with a plan."
I sighed and
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