Free On The Beat (Goosey Larsen Book 3) by James Vachowski

friend.”
    Duke ignored the offered pen, choosing instead to reach into his jacket and draw his own Mont Blanc. Regan’s signature devolved into a hurried scrawl after the first few letters, his way of showing the world exactly how valuable his time was . “Thanks, old man.” Tucking his pen safely away, he rose from his chair.
    Brooks arched his eyebrows again. “Off so soon? You mean to tell me you’re so rushed that you don’t even have time for a Bloody Mary at Poogan’s?”
    Duke smiled. “Business waits for no one, my friend. But I’m sure I’ll see you before long.”
    The banker returned the smile but remained seated, apparently having decided that it would require too much energy to raise his body up out of his seat . “Not if I see you first.”
    Outside, the warm air was already turning humid despite the early hour. Spring started quickly in Charleston, and the misty sea breeze carried with it a stickiness which made the month of March feel like an early introduction to summer. Duke allowed his manicured hands to loosen his silk bow tie, but staunchly refused to remove his navy blue blazer. Instead, he pressed a linen handkerchief against his brow as he reached for his Blackberry. He had forbidden himself to program the contact into his phone, but his fingers pressed each digit automatically. With the phone pressed firmly against his ear, Duke counted seven rings.
    “McCready’s, this is Antoine. How may I help you today?”
    Duke smiled at the professional manner that his partner used to answer the phone. Even when working such a menial restaurant job, the young man clearly knew how to conduct himself. “Yes, I’m calling to confirm a reservation. The last name is Snow.”
    There was no response from the other end of the line, but the sound of shuffling feet was a clue that Antoine must be carrying the cordless phone to a more private location. Smart boy , he thought.
    “Yes, sir. How can I help you ?”
    “Hello, sir. I’m calling because I had a sudden social obligation come up this evening. Is there any possible way that you can accommodate my party of three for tonight?”
    Another pause. “Just a moment, sir. I’ll check our guest list.”
    Duke smiled again. This Antoine was definitely a smart boy, unlike some of the street thugs he ’d been forced to work with in the past. He hadn’t made the cardinal mistake of using Duke’s real name over the open telephone line, and he was even doing a passable job of making a large drug deal sound like an innocent dinner reservation.
    “Yes sir, I believe we can accommodate that. Would nine o’clock be acceptable?”
    “Perfect. I’ll see you tonight, then.”
    “Certainly. We look forward to seeing you.”
    Duke let out a sigh of contentment as he slipped the Blackberry back into his pocket and jaywalked across Broad Street to his office. He stopped on the sidewalk for another long moment, pausing to admire the hand-painted wood sign with the gold-leaf letters that read “Duke Regan and Associates, Realtors.” As he unlocked the door to begin yet another productive work day , Duke made a mental note to speak with Antoine about formalizing their arrangement through an internship program. The young man obviously had a bright future on the horizon, and given the right guidance he could easily become a force to be reckoned with.

4.
    Sometimes I even surprise myself with my initiative. There I was, on a gorgeous Friday afternoon, and for some reason I was actually heading into work as scheduled instead of calling out sick! I still couldn’t believe it, but somehow my car had made it onto the James Island Connector and pointed itself towards downtown Charleston, and the only resistance I could feel was this slight twitching sensation in my hands. On any given work day there was a fair chance of my veering off course and heading for the beach, but that night felt just a little bit different than normal. Maybe I was still feeling the warm