idea. How about tossin’ me one of them breath mints then let me sample some of that lipstick. On your lips, of course.”
“Not happening. What kind of pickup do you drive?”
“It’s a Ford—wait, who says I drive a pickup?”
“Just a hunch.”
He studied her with those bloodshot eyes. She studied him back, disgusted but undeterred.
“Who cares what kind of truck I drive?”
“No reason. Just curious. What color is it?”
“Well, I guess that’s for me to know and you to find out, Keri. Course, if you’d like to come hang out at my place a while, I’d be happy to take you for a little drive in my truck. Let you find out for yourself what color it is.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, weary of the game. “You stole my backpack in sixth grade, didn’t you?”
“Well, duh? I stole everybody’s backpack. It was one of my defining middle school characteristics. You wanna come over to my place and see if you can pick it out? I kept ‘em all, y’know.”
“Yeah?”
“Course. They’re called souvenirs in my line of work.” He laughed again, this one full of wheeze and phlegm.
Keri pressed her lips together, not sure she could keep her stomach down. “Fascinating though it is, I’ve got to run. But I may stop by sometime. You still live in that double-wide out on Lynn Lane with your dad?”
“Yeah. But just me and Duke. My dad croaked a few years ago. So the trailer’s all mine now. I own it free and clear.”
“Who’s Duke?”
“My rottweiler.”
“Of course it is.”
She turned to leave, already wondering how fast she could get home and take a hot shower to wash off the stench of this place. And him.
“Bye now, little missy. You come on out sometime and meet ol’ Duke.”
Sure thing. Right about the time hell freezes over . . .
Chapter 11
With that hot shower still front and center on her mind, Keri rounded the last corner onto her street and immediately spotted Jerry Winkler’s familiar black truck sitting in the driveway. “Must be my lucky day,” she said out loud. Grant would label it a divine appointment, but Keri simply thanked her lucky stars for making her job easier today.
Then her stomach tightened. Jerry’s here to talk to Dad. This can’t be good.
Before she even opened the door, she heard her father’s voice.
“It wasn’t me, Jerry. I swear I never said that! Not to anyone! Why won’t you listen to me?”
A string of Jerry’s expletives peppered the air as she opened the door. They both turned as she walked into the kitchen.
“And you can tell your stupid daughter to mind her own business!” Jerry growled.
Tyler backed toward her, his hands raised in warning. “Leave her out of it. She’s just doing her job. Like I said before, if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.”
“I’m not afraid of anything, McMillan. Least of all you. But if one more of my guys tells me he’s heard I’m the lead suspect in the fire that burned down that Blankenship monstrosity, then it’s you and me.” He stepped into Tyler’s path, his nose not an inch from her father’s. “Just like old times, Tyler. You and me.”
The two men glared at each other, their chests heaving with each angry breath. Finally, Jerry turned, taking a step toward Keri. He pointed an index finger in her face, closing the gap between them. “And you, young lady.” He paused, as if needing a moment to contain his wrath.
She could feel his breath on her face. It reeked of alcohol.
At this hour of the morning?
“You’d better watch your step.” He lifted a curl, wrapping it around his finger. “I sure wouldn’t want to see anything happen to that pretty little face of yours.”
She jerked her head back, dislodging the strand from his grasp. “You don’t scare me, Jerry. I know you’re just a big teddy bear underneath all that whiskey bravado.”
He stared at her for a moment before throwing his head back to roar with laughter. “Oh Keri, you
“Not happening. What kind of pickup do you drive?”
“It’s a Ford—wait, who says I drive a pickup?”
“Just a hunch.”
He studied her with those bloodshot eyes. She studied him back, disgusted but undeterred.
“Who cares what kind of truck I drive?”
“No reason. Just curious. What color is it?”
“Well, I guess that’s for me to know and you to find out, Keri. Course, if you’d like to come hang out at my place a while, I’d be happy to take you for a little drive in my truck. Let you find out for yourself what color it is.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, weary of the game. “You stole my backpack in sixth grade, didn’t you?”
“Well, duh? I stole everybody’s backpack. It was one of my defining middle school characteristics. You wanna come over to my place and see if you can pick it out? I kept ‘em all, y’know.”
“Yeah?”
“Course. They’re called souvenirs in my line of work.” He laughed again, this one full of wheeze and phlegm.
Keri pressed her lips together, not sure she could keep her stomach down. “Fascinating though it is, I’ve got to run. But I may stop by sometime. You still live in that double-wide out on Lynn Lane with your dad?”
“Yeah. But just me and Duke. My dad croaked a few years ago. So the trailer’s all mine now. I own it free and clear.”
“Who’s Duke?”
“My rottweiler.”
“Of course it is.”
She turned to leave, already wondering how fast she could get home and take a hot shower to wash off the stench of this place. And him.
“Bye now, little missy. You come on out sometime and meet ol’ Duke.”
Sure thing. Right about the time hell freezes over . . .
Chapter 11
With that hot shower still front and center on her mind, Keri rounded the last corner onto her street and immediately spotted Jerry Winkler’s familiar black truck sitting in the driveway. “Must be my lucky day,” she said out loud. Grant would label it a divine appointment, but Keri simply thanked her lucky stars for making her job easier today.
Then her stomach tightened. Jerry’s here to talk to Dad. This can’t be good.
Before she even opened the door, she heard her father’s voice.
“It wasn’t me, Jerry. I swear I never said that! Not to anyone! Why won’t you listen to me?”
A string of Jerry’s expletives peppered the air as she opened the door. They both turned as she walked into the kitchen.
“And you can tell your stupid daughter to mind her own business!” Jerry growled.
Tyler backed toward her, his hands raised in warning. “Leave her out of it. She’s just doing her job. Like I said before, if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.”
“I’m not afraid of anything, McMillan. Least of all you. But if one more of my guys tells me he’s heard I’m the lead suspect in the fire that burned down that Blankenship monstrosity, then it’s you and me.” He stepped into Tyler’s path, his nose not an inch from her father’s. “Just like old times, Tyler. You and me.”
The two men glared at each other, their chests heaving with each angry breath. Finally, Jerry turned, taking a step toward Keri. He pointed an index finger in her face, closing the gap between them. “And you, young lady.” He paused, as if needing a moment to contain his wrath.
She could feel his breath on her face. It reeked of alcohol.
At this hour of the morning?
“You’d better watch your step.” He lifted a curl, wrapping it around his finger. “I sure wouldn’t want to see anything happen to that pretty little face of yours.”
She jerked her head back, dislodging the strand from his grasp. “You don’t scare me, Jerry. I know you’re just a big teddy bear underneath all that whiskey bravado.”
He stared at her for a moment before throwing his head back to roar with laughter. “Oh Keri, you
Similar Books
