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Sorry about the absence. I hope to be back by September 15 October 6, with a full explanation. Or, at least, a decent excuse.
Outside, New England was once again proving that it was not really meant to be inhabited, only appreciated from a distance. The heat and humidity had soared. Lissa swamped in Banny's jacket, took it off and carried it over her shoulder.
A blue Mercedes pulled in, drove around back. Lissa took a couple of steps to get away from the smoke smell.
This might be a good time to get some practice, she thought.
Lissa catted her ears, transformed just her ears. Mostly just the inner parts. Cat hearing was so sensitive she could probably hear even around the back of the building. And in the dark, beneath her long black hair, the change should be too subtle for the smokers to notice. Lissa hoped.
"I told you. Human bodies cost extra."
There was no way she could have heard what she thought she heard. Though the voice was vaguely familiar. Catting her ears fully, and her eyes so she could see where she was going, Lissa snuck around back.
"And I will pay. This was an emergency. These two got too close. Almost ruined everything." This voice, Lissa had never heard before, but the other..
She rounded the corner, close enough for her cat eyes to see...
...A tall black man carrying a large parcel into the building. Or, rather, half a large parcel. Somebody inside obviously had the rest. The Mercedes' trunk was open, though Lissa couldn't see inside at this angle.
A moment or two the man came back out. Lissa got a better look at him now. Tall, light-skinned black, heavy-set, short hair, at least fifty, wearing an expensive suit. He had a diamond ring, not flashy, on his left ring finger, and no other jewelry.
But that suit cost more than a courier should make in a month. And that high-end 'cedes did not have any sort of company logo.
Out the door came Chuckie, carrying a flashlight. "-saying most people don't realize how difficult disposing of a body is. Bones in par-"
The other man interrupted. "And that is your concern! I have already agreed to pay, and still you try to raise the price!"
Chuckie laughed, nervously. He's afraid of the big dude, Lissa suddenly knew. The two men went over to the trunk.
They pulled out something wrapped in a sheet. It's a body! There's no way in hell it's not a body! Lissa lost much of her color vision when she catted her eyes, but even at this distance, those stains had to be blood stains. Except there looked like way too much blood. Dried blood.
The men carried the body inside.
When they returned Chuckie lifted a few metal plates from the trunk. They were so heavy the car actually raised in the back, the weight had pushed the rear down significantly. Lissa imagined she could almost hear the car sigh with relief
Despite Chuckie's hyper-muscled physique he apparently could barely carry the plates. Were those printing plates? As in counterfeit dollar printing plates?
"I assume you don't want me to try to help you. You know I can't lift even one of those."
"Just open the frigging door! Uh... I mean, please, if you don't mind. Sir." Chuckie had screwed up. And that look on his face wasn't effort, it was fear. But the other man just laughed. And got the door.
When the two came out this last time Chuckie had his shirt off and was wiping his forehead with it. Lissa saw the gon on Chuckie's left shoulder. Like I needed any more proof!
As the two men talked Chuckie held his flashlight with his left hand, not really aiming it at anything. He suddenly froze. He swung his light, back and forth, over what Lissa was hoping wasn't as crappy a hiding place as she was now thinking it was.
"What?" asked the black man.
"Thought I saw something, something reflect. Must have been a cat or something."
After Lissa came back in (late) she realized: I lost Banny's jacket! I must have left it where I was hiding!
Go to Chapter 9: Hi Ho, Hi Ho
Go to Chapter 11: ...There's Fire
Bring your friends into the Gonspiracy! Tell them about
Banny
And
Lissa
and get their eternal gratitude, and a chance to win $10,000 and a Sony DVD Player, because using your friends for your own personal enrichment, and having them owe you for it, is the gonner way!
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Dave Lerner Stories (note that to use the mailto you'll need to edit it in your 'send to' window. I apologize, but I've already lost one address to spam, and if I get inundated again, I won't have time to read your letters.) - All Rights Reserved. Note that this includes images of the Tricryptogon, and the name "Tricryptogon".