Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum 13)

they gave me the day. So I stayed home all that day, and the next day, and the next day. And

on the third day, someone came to fix my cable problem. Except they were told the problem

was inside my house, and it was really outside, so they couldn't fix it.

"It's not like I just have television, you know. I sell my animals on the Internet, and I didn't

have any Internet connection all this time. So I gave the guy twenty dollars, and he ran a line

from the junction box across the street to my house. Only it's like a plastic cable kind of thing,

so right away, with all the cars rolling over it, the cable started breaking. So I wrapped it in

electricians tape. And I do that twice a day to hold the cable together."

“How long you been doing this?” Lula asked.

"Three months. I keep calling them back and telling them, and they keep saying they're

going to send the first available crew out to me, but I have to be home or I'll get put at the end

of the line. So that's why I can't go downtown with you. I never leave for more than five

minutes unless it's real late at night. Even when it looks like my car is gone and I'm not in the

house, I'm watching from somewhere. I can't take a chance on missing the cable repairman.“ ”And the opossum in the truck?"

"The cable repairman stopped at my neighbor's house three weeks ago and swapped out his

broken box, and I went postal and threw a performance piece through the driver's side

window."

“And you think they're still gonna give you cable service after you bombed their truck?” "They send me a bill every month, and I always pay on time. I figure that means something.

And twice I got an automated message that said a crew was scheduled, but they never showed

up."

'Well, I can understand why you can't go to the police station and get rebonded," Lula said.

“There's extenuating circumstances.”

“They might never show up,” I told Coglin.

"My friend Marty lives on the next block, and he had the exact same thing happen, and they

showed up one day and fixed his cable."

“How long did he wait?”

“It was almost five months.”

“And he stayed home for five months?” I asked Coglin.

“Yes, you have to. It's the rule. He lost his job, but he got his cable fixed.” “I hate those fuckers,” Lula said.

“So as soon as the cable guy shows up and fixes your cable, you'll call me?” “Yes.”