Free BLUE BLOOD RUNS COLD (A Michael Ross Novel Book 1) by M.A Wallace Page B

When the timer on the library computer had gone down to five minutes, Michael's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He turned off the computer and left the library. He looked at the number of the missed call, then dialed t . A single ring, and then there was a man's voice. “Hey Ross, what's shaking? You hungry?”
                  “Actually, I am. Where do you want to go, McGee? It doesn't look like there's too many places around here worth going to. Just a lot of gas stations and beer distributors. We might have to go out of town to get anything good.”
                  “Hey, you know what? I had an idea.”
                  Michael tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He said, “Oh great. You had an idea. Now I know I should stay away. There's trouble brewing.”
                  “Don't kid a kidder, all right? I just thought, seeing as how there's this great big dining hall and the campus is almost empty, we should sit down and have our lunch there.”
                  “Are you sure? You know what they say about college food.”
                  McGee chuckled. He said, “My man, you know me. As long as they have banana peppers and pickle slices, that's all I need.”
                  “Probably a bad day for that. I bet you anything they'll serve a limited menu with so few customers expected.”
                  “Let's try it anyway. What do you say? Come on.”
                  “All right, but only if I get to choose where we have supper.”
                  “It's a deal. I'll be waiting.”
                  A blast of cold wind struck his face. Michael turned his back towards it. He said, “You're already there?”
                  “Yeah, waiting in the lobby kind of thing. Where are you?”
                  “I'm in town doing research. I found Miss Moore.”
                  “Oh yeah? Good on your father. See you soon.”
                  Billy hung up, leaving Michael feeling cold and hungry. He found his way back to campus with difficulty, then came in front of the dining hall. He saw Billy and waved. Billy waved his index finger in the air in a circular pattern, his way of saying hurry up. Finding a parking spot for the dining hall was not as easy as he had expected. He entered a lot designated for staff and faculty only. He parked in it anyway, then walked down a length of sidewalk. When he got to one of the glass doors behind which Billy waited, Michael found it locked. He went around and tried another door. That one opened.
                  Billy patted him on the shoulder. He said, “Hey, what took ya?”
                  “Parking. I really don't know why they don't just build a ten-story parking center or two here. Seems like it would solve all their problems.”
                  “Well yeah, if wishes were horses....”
                  They waited on someone to come to the register to take their credit cards, then seated themselves in a sunny, warm corner away from the few people who did show up. Since the dining hall did not serve a limited menu, Billy returned with a plate full of banana peppers, round pickle slices, and a hamburger that he had drowned in a pink-colored sauce that was a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise. Michael picked out the first foods that caught his eye, so that by the time he sat down at the table with a glass full of lemon lime Gatorade, he wasn't sure what he had picked out. He poked his fork at a green and white slushy mixture. Then he found corn mixed with lima beans. He had forgotten that he didn't like lima beans.
                  Michael put a spoonful of the slush, which turned out to be creamed spinach, into his mouth, then said, “McGee, what did you find at the station?”
                  Billy McGee sucked