Ghost Road Blues (Pine Deep 1)

“What? None at all? What about the one that lives in town?”

“No. That’s been over for weeks. There’s no one. ”

Ruger smiled a slithery smile. “I find that kinda hard to believe, nice-?looking piece like you. What’s the deal? Didn’t you give him enough?”

Val just looked at him.

“C’mon, I’m interested. Why’d you break up?”

She managed what she hoped was a casual and dismissive shrug. “Just didn’t work out. ”

“Uh-?huh. ” Ruger’s dark eyes glittered like the glass eyes of a stuffed shark. “So nobody new, huh?”

“No. ”

Val tensed, almost as afraid of more questions as she was of Connie blurting out the truth and screwing them all. She wasn’t entirely sure why she denied Crow’s existence, but some instinct had triggered her words when she had spoken. No boyfriend, no husband, no attachments that could somehow be used against her, or who could be hurt if she were to be used against them. Keep the man’s thoughts away from that kind of thinking. It was bad enough that Connie had mentioned Mark, Val’s brother, who was due home sometime soon.

“Okay, you get two points for answering all your questions. ” He winked at her. “Okay, Pop. Your turn. What kind of car do you have?”

“A Bronco. ”

“Oh yeah? What year?”

“Ninety-?six. ”

“Any good?”

For some reason, Guthrie felt a brief flash of cockiness. He said, “It gets lousy gas mileage in the city, the clutch sticks, and it has a shimmy when you get it above sixty. ”

Ruger blinked, and then he laughed. “Well, well. ” He raised his glass to toast Guthrie and took a heavy knock of the whiskey. “Where are the keys?”

“On a hook by the back door. ”

“Where is it parked?”

“Right out back. Just outside the door. ”

“What color?”

“Dark green. ”

“Any vanity plates?”

Guthrie looked at him for a moment, uncomprehending.

“I mean do you have one of those stupid plates that say 2-FAST or BIG BUX or any of that shit?”

“No…no, just regular tags. ”

“Registration and

inspection up to date?”

“Of course. ”

“‘Of course,’” Ruger repeated, shaking his head. “I break into your house, kick your ass, and am planning to steal your car, and you sound offended when I ask if your inspection is up to date. ”

“The car’s fine. Why don’t you take it and go?”