The Devil's Dwelling (21 page)

“What? Another freakin bomb?”

I jumped in the Explorer and Mona drove across the street to an empty lot.

I hit my speed dial for Randy.

“Randy, I’m at the apartment. My Blazer has a freakin’ bomb in it. At least it’s ticking.”

“Get away from the Blazer and make sure no on goes near it. I’ll be right there.”

Within moments we could hear sirens in the distance getting closer as the bomb ticked away. Randy slid into the empty lot across the street where we were waiting. His bomb squad was right behind him. They jumped from their vehicles and opened the Blazer door.

“The bomb is in the passenger side floor. It looks like it can be detonated from a distance.” Randy told his deputies.

“We have to get the robot. Who ever put the bomb here is probably near by and could detonate it at any time.”

Randy made a call to the office and summoned the robot.  The robot arrived in a few minutes.  They rolled him down the ramp and he started toward the Blazer. The robot got within twenty feet and my Blazer was blown to smithereens.  I grabbed my head, turned away and screamed. The bomb squad ran in every direction. Green metal was flying all around us. When the debris stopped falling I looked for Randy. Thankfully he was standing by his SUV.  A couple of the bomb squad men were hit by flying debris but were not seriously hurt.

‘Whoever detonated the bomb knew no one was near enough to get hurt.  They are playing with you, Tiffany. They are letting you know they could blow you up any time.” Sheriff Randy told me. My stomach turned flip flops.

Randy’s deputies roped off the area with the yellow tape. Caution Crime scene Do Not Enter.

TWENTY-SIX

My phone rang, caller ID, it was Momma.

“Hi Momma.”

“Tiffany, we heard on the noon news a bomb went off in your Blazer. Is that true?’

“Yeah, Momma it’s true.”

“Tiffany you’ve got to get on at the Pickle Plant. I’m going to get you an application.”

“Guess you’ll be wanting the Edsel again. Dad’s getting it fixed up for you.”

“That’s not necessary. Mona can haul me around. We work together anyway. If I need it I’ll let you know. And don’t get me an application at the Pickle Plant. I like my job. The bomb had nothing to do with my job. Bye Momma.”

I knew I was lying but I tried not to worry Momma. 

As soon as I hung up my phone rang again. It was an private number. Which means I don’t have it listed in my phone book. 

“Hello,”

“Hello Tiffany, this is Brad Bradford.”

“Hi Brad, how are you?” I couldn’t think of anything to say. Brad hadn’t called since our date. I figured he decided I wasn’t his type.

“You busy Friday night?”

“I don’t have any special plans.” I wondered if this was going to be a date or what was up.

“I thought we might have dinner and take in a movie.”

“That would be nice. Can we make it a little more casual this time?”

“Now that sounds good to me. I’ll pick you up at six on Friday. I heard about the fire where do you live now?”

“I’m staying with a girlfriend on Maple Street.” I gave him the address.

Brad knocked at the door at 6 pm. One thing can be said about him he is prompt. He was wearing jeans and a gold shirt.  The silky kind that hangs loosely. I wore jeans and a button up white shirt.

“Hi Brad. Come in and meet my friend.”

Brad stepped inside the apartment and looked around. His mouth fell open when his eyes fell on Mona.

“Brad, this is my friend Mona, Mona this is Brad.”

“Nice to meet you Mona.”

“Same here.” Mona smiled and shook his hand.

“Tiffany said you were going to the movies, what are you going to see?”

“I’ll let Tiffany decide. I hear there are some good movies playing at the theatre.”

“I’ll have her home before too late.”  Brad said with a chuckle in his voice.

I took my jacket from the hook Mona had installed next to the door. Brad helped me with it and we were out the door.

“You kids have fun.” Mona giggled as the door closed.

We walked down the stairs and out the foyer door. I looked around for the red Ferrari and didn’t see it.

“I’m in the yellow Corvette tonight. This way honey.”

I gave a frown. I don’t like to be called honey especially on the second date.

“I’m driving a yellow Corvette tonight.”

“My mind started wondering. What does this guy do to have two fancy sport cars. I joked last time about selling drugs. Maybe I was right. Okay, I need to settle down and maybe he will tell me tonight.

We had dinner at Conway Inn. Conway Inn is a quaint Italian restaurant on the outskirts of town nestled among tall pine trees.  We entered and everyone greeted Brad like he was a relative. The lady came from the kitchen and gave him a kiss on both cheeks. A young man seated us in the corner. The table was covered with red and white plaid table cloths and white napkins. A Mason jar set in the middle of the table with a red candle burning.

I asked Brad to order. We had lasagna and salad with the best Italian bread I’ve ever eaten. 

“Brad, this bread is delicious.”

“I’ll have to tell my Uncle Louie. Your uncle made this bread?”

“My Uncle Louie owns this restaurant. That’s my Aunt Maria in the kitchen. Uncle Louie will be out in a while to see if you approve of his cooking. Give him praise or he’ll wonder were he went wrong.”

“You have so many surprises for me. What’s going to be next?”

Brad chuckled. “I don’t mean to surprise you on things.”

Brad was right as soon as we finished with our wine out the swinging doors came Louie. “Did you enjoy your meal?”

“Uncle Louie this is my friend Tiffany.”

“Yes, I enjoyed my meal.  I love the bread. Brad tells me it’s your recipe.”

“Brads right and I don’t give it out to anyone. Except you, I might give it to a pretty lady.”

“Even if you gave it to me I couldn’t make it as good as you.”

Louie chuckled and slapped Brad on the back. “You come back more often we miss not seeing you.” He headed back to the kitchen.

Brad stood up and help me from my chair. Took my jacket from my chair and placed it on my shoulders.

The movie was about a city family moving to the country.  Really light hearted. I’m glad it wasn’t anything romantic or serious.

Brad walked me to the apartment and placed a kiss on my lips.

Mona was waiting up when I got home. She had the old late night game shows on. She was curled up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn in her lap and a beer on the end table.

“I’ve been racking my brain all night trying to figure out how I knew Brad. I finally figured it out. I know who he is.”

“You know him.”

“Yes, well sorta. His the jerk that repossessed my car.”

“What? He repossessed your car?”

“Yeah, I kept thinking where did I meet him before. Then it downed on me. He took my keys, my car and my home and left me on the street without any thing.”

“That explains a lot.”

“Explains what?”

“Last date he picked me up in a Ferrari. This time he picked me up in a Corvette. He repossesses these cars and uses them for his personal use.”

“I bet he didn’t pick up anyone in my Dodge.” Mona laughed, pitched popcorn in the air and caught it with her mouth.

“He’s a phony. He made me think he was some guy with a high paying job. Not that it matters but it was deceitful, well sorta anyway.”

‘He really is a charming guy. And I enjoy being with him. But nothing serious.”

“If he asked me out again I’m going to ask him what he does for a living.

“It’s really weird. Everyone knew him at The Majesty and his uncle owns the restaurant where we had dinner tonight.”  I kicked off my shoes and sat down on Granny Wiggins sofa. Well, it’s Mona’s sofa but it smells of Granny Wiggins.

TWENTY-SEVEN

“Linda, how’d we luck out. The box of donuts is full today?” Mona asked Linda. “Peewee fired the two guys he hired a few days ago.  Seems they were really working for Graham Bail Bonds and were here to get information on Peewee’s business. If they could detain the guys Peewee put bail on from showing up in court Graham figured he could shut us down.  Seems Graham’s Bail Bond company is going belly up.”

“What did I hear you right?” I took a donut from the box, poured myself a cup of coffee  and walked over to Linda and set down on the edge of her desk. “Tell me more.”

“I think you probably heard me right.”

“He hired the McGuire boys from Texas and all they wanted to do was slow down Peewee’s business where he would have to close the doors. They didn’t even look for Marty.”

“That’s who I saw at Graham’s office the other night. I still don‘t understand why they are after us.” 

“All I know is I have a donut in hand and a cup of coffee and I‘m happy.” Mona laughed with a mouth full of donut.

We walked into Peewee’s office. There he sat with his chair tilted back. He looked a little embarrassed. I waited for the inevitable snap.  I guess not today.  I grinned to myself.  Tiffany, I thought. Your certainly have a mischievous mind.

“I hear the McGuire boys are no longer employed at Peterson Bail Bonds. Any truth to that, Peewee?”

“Yeah, I screwed up. I’ve got egg on my face. Sorry sonnabitches were trying to shut me down. They found out who I had bonded and were keeping them from going to court. You’ve got a  mess of ‘no shows’ to pick up.”

“Zelda Zinger didn’t show up for court and I’ve got a big bond out on her. I need her picked up. Can you ladies get on it?”

I opened the file. “Is this the Zelda that locked her husband up in the cellar for weeks and hardly fed him? She’s crazy as a bed bug.”

“What happened to her husband?”  Mona asked.

“His daughter took him to her place over in Lamar. They’ve tried to commit Zelda but she always finds a good lawyer and they decide she’s not insane just mean.”  I told Mona.

“You up for it?” Peewee grinned.

“Of course we are. Is she still at the same address?”

“That’s the last known address. That’s all I know.”

Zelda lived a few miles out of town about two miles off the main road. We drove out the dirt road to a barbed wire fence. The gate was tied together with barbed wire and had electricity running to it.

“How are we gonna get over the fence?” Mona took a look at the electric wiring. “She has this wired up on a battery. If I can find the battery we can disconnect the cables and turn it off.”

I walked along the fence looking behind overgrown grass and bushes. “Here it is Mona.”

Mona came running and unhooked the cable. We pulled the fence gate back and drove through.  The road was rough with pot hole after pot hole. We could see smoke coming from the stove pipe.

“Maybe Zelda is fixing us lunch.”

“Don’t count on it. She might have us for lunch.”

I took my Glock from  my bag.

“You go around to the side. I’ll go to the front door. Cover me.”

I knocked on the front door. I didn’t hear anyone. “Zelda, you home?”

It was quiet. She must have seen us and went out the back.

“Hello!”  I heard Zelda’s voice coming from the side of the house.

Zelda pushed Mona from the corner of the house with a shot gun in her back. Mona’s hands were in the air.