Free Hurricane Force (A Miss Fortune Mystery Book 7) by Jana DeLeon Page A

hall.
    “We’ll work on the finer details,” Gertie said, “but that’s the basic plan. We better go get that meat before it spoils.”
    She didn’t have to ask me twice. Gertie’s car was one of our main means of transportation when we were investigating…yeah, that’s it. “Investigating” sounded a lot better than “breaking the law.” Anyway, given her refusal to buy new glasses and a host of other issues, I didn’t want her driving my Jeep, and the three of us couldn’t fit on Ida Belle’s motorcycle. So the Caddy was often our only choice, and if it smelled like a ten-day-old crime scene, I was going to start walking.
    We headed outside and I stopped short at the trunk of the Cadillac. Gertie hadn’t been kidding. The entire thing was stuffed with packages of ground meat. I picked up one of the packages and looked at the handwritten label.  
    “Did you run over a brontosaurus?” I asked, remembering a previous unfortunate cow incident that I’d heard about.
    “No, smarty,” Gertie said. “If you must know, a friend of mine retired from farming and liquidated everything before he moved to a condo in Florida.”
    I shook my head. “If we manage to eat all of this, I could take the starring role in the next Iron Man film. I probably won’t even need a costume.”
    “If we eat all this,” Ida Belle said, “the only role we’ll be starring in is the toilet paper one.”
    I grabbed an armful of packages and headed for the house. According to Marie, quite a few people couldn’t return home yet and roads weren’t clear enough to leave town. A batch of hamburgers delivered to the churches would probably be a welcome sight. I just hoped Walter had some buns left in the store.
    I dumped the load on the kitchen table next to the stack that Ally had carried in. She had already taken the three big mixing bowls out of the cabinets and was gathering the seasoning.  
    “I figured we could take some of this to the churches once they’re cooked,” I said.
    “That’s a great idea,” Ally said. “Sandwiches can get old.”
    “I need to call Walter and see if he has any buns left.”
    “I’ve got buns,” Gertie said as she lurched into the kitchen with an armful of meat.  
    Ida Belle stepped in behind her. “She’s referring to the kind you eat. Not the kind you sit on.”
    Gertie gave her the finger, and the packages of meat exploded from her grasp and scattered across the kitchen floor.  
    Ida Belle shook her head. “Why didn’t you just stick out your tongue? We really have to work on your efficiency skills.”
    “I’m retired,” Gertie said as she picked up the meat. “How efficient do I need to be?”
    “How many buns do you have?” I asked, interrupting their argument.
    “A bunch,” Gertie said. “I had Walter order them in when I saw the storm coming.”
    Ida Belle dumped her meat on the counter and turned to stare at Gertie. “Is that what’s in those giant trash bags in your backseat? What if that storm had turned and headed to Florida?”
    “Then I would have hosted a party at the park,” Gertie said. “Like people here would turn down free food.”
    “Is there more meat?” I asked.
    Ida Belle nodded. “I’m pretty sure there’s a black hole in the bottom of Gertie’s trunk and meat is coming through it from another planet. We’ve hardly made a dent.”
    I was just about to head out for another load when I got a text message. It was Harrison.
    Call me as soon as you are able. Have information.
    I glanced over at Ida Belle and inclined my head toward Ally. Ida Belle gave me a slight nod, and I headed outside to call Harrison. Cell phone service wasn’t all that strong, but the call went through.
    “Is the storm over?” Harrison asked.
    “Yes, but there’s no power and some of the homes are damaged.”
    “Can you get out of town?”
    I clenched the phone. Harrison was careful, which is why I liked partnering with him. He didn’t have the kind of showboat