Free Tombstone by Candace Smith Page A

vacation and fifty thousand dollar reward are hard to pass up.
    Ultimately, greed won out, and Sandy stood next to Annika while she placed the call.   Annika felt like she had completely sideswiped the grieving man when she insisted her friend had to come with her.   They ‘high-fived’ each other when she hung up.
    The girls boarded a flight for New England, and Duke paid a moving company to clear out their apartment and get rid of their stuff.   One of the neighbors asked what was happening, and he shrugged his shoulders and said the girls had moved out.   “Thank god,” the woman muttered.   She was sick of the late night parties from the little tramps.
    The girls took just a hit of pick-me-up for added confidence for the meeting.   It was enough that it had not occurred to Annika how bad it looked to have the ring on a chain.   “I wanted to make sure it didn’t get lost,” she answered weakly.
    When Stanley’s father told them they were going to the cemetery, the girls protested.   “We didn’t really know him, Mr. Bentley.”   They still did not have the reward money, so they tried not to upset him.   His eyes were grief stricken, and he said something about how his son would have liked to know that two pretty girls said goodbye.   It seriously creeped Annika out, but they agreed.
    With two girls, Tombstone decided to recruit Jude’s help.   He stood in front of the headstone that had both the names etched on it.   ‘Annika and Sandy Smith’, with a birth date as fictitious as the last name.   Annika began crying and sank to the ground, while Sandy wailed and sold her friend out.   “It wasn’t me.   I didn’t do anything.”
    In the end, both girls woke in matching coffins, while Tombstone and Jude shared a drink.   “They were high, you know,” Jude mentioned.
    “Yeah, I know,” Tombstone muttered.   “You think it’s something they need?”
    “More recreational, would be my guess.   They don’t look strung out enough to be full-time users,” Jude answered.   After years in the club, he recognized junkies.
    “I’ve got a January deadline on them.   You feel like taking off from the club and helping me?”
    Besides owing Tombstone for giving him a great job after Stevie kicked him to the ally, Jude’s lust-filled eyes told the story.   The huge black man flashed his teeth.   “Sabrina and Teresa can take care of the club, and I can always get back to help with special orders.”
    “Right.   Okay, this is how we’ll handle it.”   Tombstone showed Jude the picture of the order.   It was a one of a kind drawing he had designed.
    Jonathan studied the photos of the girls that Duke had sent him, showing the petite pixies back in action, hitting on men at the beach bar.   After discussing possible options with Tombstone, he was very pleased with the ultimate design.   The two girls would cost him, but he no longer had Stanley’s maintenance to cover… and he still had four other sons and a daughter to consider.
    Weak little Stanley had been constantly sick, and his siblings coddled him as a favorite of their family.   He had never been destined for more than a gratuitous place in the company, because even with tutors he barely passed his classes, though he studied diligently.   Poor little Stanley had neither the stamina nor the understanding of the darker games his family enjoyed.
    Jude was intrigued, carefully following Tombstones orders and watching the process.   The first time Tombstone ordered the ‘twins’ returned to the caskets for disobeying, Jude tucked one under each arm, carrying the two screaming girls back to their dark isolation and laughing a deep rolling sound when the lids were closed.
    He sat with Tombstone, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair, anxiously awaiting the next order.   After thirty minutes, Tombstone stretched.   “That should do it.”
    “Do you think it’s been long enough?” Jude asked, though he really wanted