difference did it make? We’d
clean up our diet next week, when the dust settled, or rather, the
floor dried.
Penny Sue drained her mug, clicked it down
on the counter, and stood. “We have to stop the water.”
Right. We were running out of sopping
material for the front door and I’d already donated my remaining
sheets to the cause. The sun was up, so it was time to go into
action, even if we had to dig a moat around the front stoop.
Ruthie wrapped her arms around her body as
if she had a sudden chill. “I don’t have a good feeling about
this.”
“This what?” I asked.
“The water.”
“Not good, how?” Penny Sue waved at Ruthie
as if trying to draw out more information.
“Not good, like evil.”
Penny Sue, Ruthie, and I went to find the
source of the water. Guthrie’s knee was still swollen and horribly
bruised. It was painful to even look at. I thought we should take
him to the hospital, but he refused, saying he hated doctors. Geez.
I brought out the battery-powered radio for his amusement and
wrapped a bag of Ore-Ida frozen fries around his leg. Before we
left, he insisted I give him the Glock and ammo in case there were
looters. I wasn’t in the mood to argue, but asked him to call out
to us before he pulled the trigger.
Ruthie and Penny Sue, with gun drawn, waited
for me at the front door.
“I wish you’d put that thing away,” I said,
nodding at Penny Sue’s gun.
“Heck no. You heard about the looting in
Orlando last night.”
“Those were stores. Who would loot
condos?”
She put her hands on her hips; thankfully
the .38’s barrel was aimed at the wall and not me. “Crooks know
most of these condos were evacuated. TVs, computers, DVDs—that’s
what they want. Smash and grab. It takes an experienced crook ten
seconds to break in. Even with an alarm, they’re long gone before
the police arrive, especially after a storm. Ted would tell you
that.”
“Thanks, Penny Sue, that makes me feel real
good. I felt secure with the alarm system until now.”
“You should get a gun, Leigh, and take some
lessons. A lone female on the beach—you’re a sitting duck.”
Boy, she was on a roll, that made me feel
even worse. “For crissakes, Penny Sue, I’ve got enough stress
already. Let’s deal with the present situation, and I’ll deal with
my future another time—like in the future. Maybe I’ll go into a
convent, ashram, or something. Then, I won’t need a gun.”
Penny Sue opened the door and stalked out.
“That would never work—all they’d give you is gruel and sacramental
wine. No ice cream, for sure.”
She was hitting below the belt. Mint
chocolate chip ice cream was my one—okay, one of
several—indulgences. No mint chocolate chip? I’d have to re-think
the religious commune angle.
Penny Sue led the way with her gun at ready.
I followed close behind, while Ruthie trailed by a good three
yards. I hoped Ruthie was lagging because she was getting info from
her spirit guides—like we should turn back. Guess not, because she
didn’t say anything.
“Look!” Penny Sue pointed at the roll-down
hurricane shutters on the ocean side of Guthrie’s condo. They had
been sheered off at the top and were lying on the ground. One of
the unprotected windows had blown in. She stopped to examine the
closest shutter. “This is really strange. It broke off in a
straight line. It’s like someone sliced it off.”
“Don’t look now, but I see where the water’s
coming from.” I pointed at the small door to the crawl space of
Mrs. King’s condo that we’d inspected the previous day.
“She must have a water main break,” Penny
Sue said. “We need to find the master switch for the water to her
house. Do you think Guthrie knows?”
I gave her a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding
expression. After all, this was the guy who’d spent the previous
evening eating brownies laced with who-knew-what and trying to
teach a toy parrot to count. “Remember the parrot?”
She got my drift.
clean up our diet next week, when the dust settled, or rather, the
floor dried.
Penny Sue drained her mug, clicked it down
on the counter, and stood. “We have to stop the water.”
Right. We were running out of sopping
material for the front door and I’d already donated my remaining
sheets to the cause. The sun was up, so it was time to go into
action, even if we had to dig a moat around the front stoop.
Ruthie wrapped her arms around her body as
if she had a sudden chill. “I don’t have a good feeling about
this.”
“This what?” I asked.
“The water.”
“Not good, how?” Penny Sue waved at Ruthie
as if trying to draw out more information.
“Not good, like evil.”
Penny Sue, Ruthie, and I went to find the
source of the water. Guthrie’s knee was still swollen and horribly
bruised. It was painful to even look at. I thought we should take
him to the hospital, but he refused, saying he hated doctors. Geez.
I brought out the battery-powered radio for his amusement and
wrapped a bag of Ore-Ida frozen fries around his leg. Before we
left, he insisted I give him the Glock and ammo in case there were
looters. I wasn’t in the mood to argue, but asked him to call out
to us before he pulled the trigger.
Ruthie and Penny Sue, with gun drawn, waited
for me at the front door.
“I wish you’d put that thing away,” I said,
nodding at Penny Sue’s gun.
“Heck no. You heard about the looting in
Orlando last night.”
“Those were stores. Who would loot
condos?”
She put her hands on her hips; thankfully
the .38’s barrel was aimed at the wall and not me. “Crooks know
most of these condos were evacuated. TVs, computers, DVDs—that’s
what they want. Smash and grab. It takes an experienced crook ten
seconds to break in. Even with an alarm, they’re long gone before
the police arrive, especially after a storm. Ted would tell you
that.”
“Thanks, Penny Sue, that makes me feel real
good. I felt secure with the alarm system until now.”
“You should get a gun, Leigh, and take some
lessons. A lone female on the beach—you’re a sitting duck.”
Boy, she was on a roll, that made me feel
even worse. “For crissakes, Penny Sue, I’ve got enough stress
already. Let’s deal with the present situation, and I’ll deal with
my future another time—like in the future. Maybe I’ll go into a
convent, ashram, or something. Then, I won’t need a gun.”
Penny Sue opened the door and stalked out.
“That would never work—all they’d give you is gruel and sacramental
wine. No ice cream, for sure.”
She was hitting below the belt. Mint
chocolate chip ice cream was my one—okay, one of
several—indulgences. No mint chocolate chip? I’d have to re-think
the religious commune angle.
Penny Sue led the way with her gun at ready.
I followed close behind, while Ruthie trailed by a good three
yards. I hoped Ruthie was lagging because she was getting info from
her spirit guides—like we should turn back. Guess not, because she
didn’t say anything.
“Look!” Penny Sue pointed at the roll-down
hurricane shutters on the ocean side of Guthrie’s condo. They had
been sheered off at the top and were lying on the ground. One of
the unprotected windows had blown in. She stopped to examine the
closest shutter. “This is really strange. It broke off in a
straight line. It’s like someone sliced it off.”
“Don’t look now, but I see where the water’s
coming from.” I pointed at the small door to the crawl space of
Mrs. King’s condo that we’d inspected the previous day.
“She must have a water main break,” Penny
Sue said. “We need to find the master switch for the water to her
house. Do you think Guthrie knows?”
I gave her a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding
expression. After all, this was the guy who’d spent the previous
evening eating brownies laced with who-knew-what and trying to
teach a toy parrot to count. “Remember the parrot?”
She got my drift.
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