Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
She shook her head. “That’s not it.”
“What is it then?”
She licked her lips again, looking wild-eyed and angry. So, so angry.
“I think that my grandfather just got screwed out of a lot of money, and I have a feeling that he’s not going to want witnesses to his tears. He’s a proud man. He’s not going to want you there.”
“Well, if it starts going downhill, I’ll wait outside. You think he’s gonna lean that way, give me a signal and I’ll leave. Okay?” he asked.
Her shoulders drooped.
“I have to drop this chicken off to Coke, and then I’m heading to the nursing home,” she explained.
I held up my finger. “Let me take it. I’ll explain that I’m taking a lunch, and if needed, investigating something if we learn that your grandfather was taken advantage of like you suspect. It’ll give you time to explain.”
Her shoulders drooped even more.
“What did I do to deserve you?” she asked.
I grinned and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I think you’ve got it all wrong.”
“Oh yeah?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s not what you did to deserve me. It’s what I did to deserve you.”
***
I arrived at the nursing home thirty minutes later, hoping it was time enough for June to explain, and get some of her facts straight.
I waved at the attendants at the desk, then stopped in front of the middle-aged woman with graying black hair.
“Can I help you?” she asked tiredly.
She looked haggard and worn.
“I’m looking for Tennessee Common’s room. Can you direct me to where it’s at?” I asked politely.
I didn’t miss the slight sneer that she tried to cover up. “Tennessee’s granddaughter is here visiting at this time, but if you’d still like to go back, the room he occupies is in the far west corner.”
She pointed at the far ‘west’ corner that actually ended up being the far ‘east’ corner, and I nodded my thanks.
I made my way to the west corner that was actually east and stopped right outside the door.
“I don’t…I have a check missing, June Bug. I don’t…I don’t…I didn’t…”
I swallowed at the despair that I could hear in Tennessee’s voice.
“I’m going up to the bank as soon as possible,” June said. “I just have to wait for my ride.”
That was my cue.
I knocked on the door, and June opened it moments after I’d removed my knuckles from the old wood.
“Hey,” she said, opening the door wider. “Come in.”
I stepped through the threshold, and my eyes immediately found the haggard, weathered old man. He seemed despondent, broken, as if he’d tried and failed to live life.
He brought his head up and his eyes met mine, recognition flaring in them and giving him a spark of anger to go with his despair.
“You’re the friend?” Tennessee asked.
I grinned and then offered my hand to the old man. “I hope one day she’ll refer to me as more than just a friend,” I admitted. “But until then, I’ll be whatever she needs me to be.”
Tennessee’s eyes warmed. “That’s…good to know.”
I grunted. “She’s a stubborn one, your June.”
Tennessee laughed. “Ain’t that the truth.”
Then his eyes dropped to my chest where my badge lay. “I seem to have acquired a problem.”
I winced. “I heard.”
His spine stiffened to what he would call ‘straight’ but others would see as stooped and narrowed his eyes. “I want to file a police report against my son and his wife.”
Thirty minutes later, with permission from my boss, I was at the car dealership that had taken the stolen check, trying to gather more information.
“And you didn’t ask for ID?” I asked, looking at the man who had taken the check.
“No,” he admitted. “But since it was a local check, and the bank was local, all I did was make sure that the funds were actually available in the account. Once I knew that we sold them the vehicle.”
Something in my gut burned. “The check was stolen,” I told the man. “That holds you liable for the money’s safe return to the original owner.”
In between the bank and the car dealership, I was going to make sure that Tennessee’s money was returned. Pronto.
“I…I…that’s not how this works.” He shook his head.
I laughed. “You should’ve checked ID before completing the sale at the very least. Probably should’ve checked with the bank to verify the transaction was legit before just processing it. It is how it works, though.” I apologized. “If you want to pursue this in court, that’s fine. But I know a few judges that’ll fast-forward this right along, so that means that you’ll be paying him back whether you want to or not. It’s just a matter of time at this point.”
The man’s eyes narrowed as if he was seriously contemplating murder.
“Get me the truck back, and I’ll return the payment.”
I nodded once. “You’ll have it within the hour.”