“For what?”
“There’s a flatbed truck backed up to the building at the far side of the parking lot. It looks like there’s someone in the truck, behind the wheel, but I can’t see him. Two men in khaki uniforms are walking from the truck to the building, doing something. I’m pretty sure they’re supposed to be repairing a transmitter, but I think they might be stealing it.”
“No way. How would you know that?”
I gave Lula the sanitized version of Wulf and the Evil Weather Machine. And I told her about the shopping list.
“Double no way” she said.
I looked in my mirror and saw a black Rangeman SUV pull in behind me. Tank was at the wheel. I didn’t recognize his partner. We all got out and stood hands on hips.
“Ranger saw you parked in front of the radio station and sent me to make sure everything is okay” Tank said.
“It was okay before you showed up,” Lula said. “Now I’m not so sure. Do you still have those cats?”
“Yeah. You want to see pictures?”
Tank pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed us a picture of three cats sitting, looking at the camera.
“This one’s Miss Kitty, and this is Suzy and this is Applepuff.”
“You’re carry ing around pictures of your cats?” Lula said. “You never had a picture of me in your wallet, and we were engaged.”
“I have big news about Applepuff,” Tank said. “I think she’s pregnant. I’m going to have kittens!”
“Kittens! Are you prepared to have kittens? That’s a responsibility. Does Ranger know about this? I have a mind to tell Ranger.”
“I’m going to find good homes for them,” Tank said.
Lula sneezed and farted. “See what you do to me. Get away from me. You’re full of cat cooties.”
“I can’t get away,” Tank said. “Ranger wants me to stay with Stephanie.”
“You’re too late,” Lula said. “I’m already here. This could be a dangerous mission, and Stephanie needs me. And there’s no car big enough for the both of us.”
“There would be if you’d lay off the fried chicken,” Tank said.
Tank’s partner sucked in some air and took a step back.
Lula leaned forward. “Did you just say what I think you said?”
“No,” Tank said. “I didn’t say that. I don’t know where that came from. You make me crazy. Look at me. I’m sweating. You scare the heck out of me.”
“It’s unnatural the way you sweat,” Lula said. “You should have it looked into.”
Tank’s partner was making a big show of looking at his watch. “I should be getting back to Rangeman,” he said. “I’m supposed to do something.”
Tank turned to me. “Ranger wants Jim to bring the Buick back to your lot, and I’m supposed to drive you around.”
Good deal. I had Tank to protect me from Wulf. I gave Jim the car keys, and Jim smiled wide.
“Cool car,” he said. “I’ll take real good care of it.”
Men love the Buick. Truth is, it reminds me of Lula. A lot of rumble, you have to muscle it around, and it’s got great big headlights.
The flatbed truck was still parked, and I hadn’t seen the uniformed men in a while. I was beginning to worry I might be wrong. I mean, what are the chances that someone could actually control weather? Zero? And what are the chances that these uniformed guys were sent by Wulf to steal a radio-?station transmitter? It was preposterous.
“You guys stay here and wait for me,” I said to Tank and Lula. “I’m going inside to snoop around.”