Turbo Twenty-Three (Stephanie Plum 23)

“Sounds like you’re still mixed up with her.”

“I’m working at it.” He chugged his drink and held his finger up to Bertie for another.

I had no idea where to go with this. I wasn’t a brilliant conversationalist. I had no clue how to pick up a man at a bar. And here was another reminder that I sucked as Nancy Drew.

“Do you have a name?” he asked. “A job?”

Bam! I was back in business. “Stephanie. And I work at the Bogart Ice Creamery.”

“I hate Bogart ice cream.”

“I’ve only worked there a couple days.”

“Well, you should quit. Bogart is evil. And his ice cream is crap. Did you know the Jolly Bogart truck got blown up today? Good riddance. Too bad the clown wasn’t in it. That would have been good. Not as good as the guy who got turned into a Bogart Bar, but still pretty good.”

“I’m told they don’t know who did it.”

“Whoever it is, he deserves a medal. I hope more people get frozen.”

“Most of the people working there are nice. Maybe not the clown, but most of the people.”

“Then they should leave, because that factory is going down. Someone is out to destroy it.”

“Would that be you?” I asked him.

“I wish,” he said. “If it was me I’d do it differently. I’d cut off the head. Literally. And maybe I will someday.”

“Bogart?”

“He should die.”

“Have you ever thought about talking to someone about anger management?”

Bertie brought Kenny another drink. “Last one,” Bertie said. “This is your limit. You want something to eat before I call a car for you?”

“Nachos. Extra cheese.”

I leaned toward Kenny a little and lowered my voice. “Were you serious? Would you really cut off Bogart’s head?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“No guts. Haven’t got the right sort of knife. And I faint at the sight of blood.”

That got a smile out of me. I was liking Kenny Morris. From the corner of my eye I saw Lula get off her barstool and head for us.

“I’m trying to decide if I should order food,” Lula said to me. “What do you think?”

“Is this the person you’ve been waiting for?” Kenny asked.

I dropped a twenty on the bar and stood. “No. We’re going to go looking for her. It’s been nice talking to you. I hope things work out.”

• • •

“He seemed okay,” Lula said. “One of them preppy individuals.”

“He’s having a personal problem.”