“That joke is older than you are.” He narrowed his eyes at me.
“Sorry.” I looked down at the ground and sighed.
“You’re going to need to get your tire fixed. You won’t go far on that donut. My brother Steve owns a repair shop in town. He’ll take care of you.” He put his hands on his hips. “What business do you have in Granite Falls anyway?”
“I’m here to tend to my grandmother’s estate—Gertrude Grant.” I figured he would know her, if anyone did.
“She was a sweet old lady—she made some killer pies.” He nodded and smiled. “Randy wasn’t able to come himself?”
“You know my father?” I tilted my head inquisitively.
“Not really. He took off a long time ago. I knew your grandmother though. I hope you like cats.” He turned and started back towards his car. “See you around.”
Cats? I’m deathly allergic to cats.
I got back in my car once Jesse was gone. The donut seemed to hold up well once I started moving, but I knew I couldn’t get very far on it. Luckily, Granite Falls wasn’t too far away. I rolled into the tiny town that had only one stoplight in the middle of town. From that location, I could see the repair shop Jesse mentioned and The Water Barn. There wasn’t much else to see except for a grocery store and a gas station. I could see the courthouse further downtown and while I wanted to head straight to my grandmother’s lawyer, I really wanted to make sure I could leave once everything was done. I pulled my car into the parking lot of Steve’s Auto Body, assuming it was Jesse’s brother’s place based on the name and the fact it was the only repair shop I could see. There wasn’t much going on at the repair shop. There was a car lifted off the ground in one of the repair bays and some parts scattered along the ground. The slim line of grass on the edge of the shop had a couple of broken down cars that looked beyond repair. A couple of cars were parked in the parking area, but I didn’t see anyone actually working.
“Hello?” I called out as I stepped out my car and slammed the door.