Free 1 In For A Penny by Maggie Toussaint Page B

steering wheel, the other waved feverishly in front of me. “How hard can it be to follow? If I don’t show up for my shift at the Tavern, I get sacked. Dean has to have reliable help.”
    “Calm down,” I said, thinking of our precarious safety in this tin can. “Dean’s not gonna fire you. He’s got the hots for you and you’re the best worker he’s ever had. We’ll tell Dean what happened and everything with your job will be fine.”
    “Easy for you to say,” Jonette grumbled. “You don’t have a gay man living in your house, taxes you can’t pay, and a crummy car that will kill us both if I wreck it.”
    “Speaking of which, slow down. Where are we going?”
    “We’re going home,” Jonette said. “I need some TLC and by damn I’m gonna get it. This is my hour of need, I tell you.”
    My work could wait. Jonette needed me. “I could use a cup of tea,” I said as she rocketed into my driveway and slammed on the brakes.
    Jonette must need TLC desperately if she was willing to let Mama see her distress. I hoped Mama took her time at the grocery store so that Jonette and I had time to talk this out.
    Of all days for me to sustain an injury, this had to be the worst. I had house guests coming in tonight, a funeral to attend, a temporary dog that needed walking, and two daughters to watch over until the murderer was caught.
    I hobbled determinedly towards the house thinking “ouch, ouch, ouch” with every step I took. When I was halfway there, Ed Monday emerged from his shuttered house, stooped down to get his newspaper, then waved his pudgy hand. I couldn’t help staring at him.
    Now that we had a murderer on the loose, Ed Monday’s antisocial tendencies stood out like a flashing red light. I hurried inside.
    “That man creeps me out.” Jonette shuddered. “What is he doing in that dark bat cave? Isn’t he over the weight limit for vampires?”
    I couldn’t quite get the image of Ed Monday flying through the night sky to come into focus. Some things were better left as a mystery. “I dunno and I don’t want to think about Ed Monday right now. We’ve got enough to deal with as it is.”
    Jonette set me up on the sofa with an ice bag and a cup of tea. She sat down in the overstuffed chair and slipped off her shoes, sitting on her feet in the rose-covered chair. She was quiet and I respected her need to gather her thoughts.
    Until Madonna woke up and came down the stairs to greet us, it felt like old times again, with me on the sofa and Jonette in Grandmother’s chair. It made me wonder how many times life circled back in on itself. We’d sat here in this room and worked our way through our problems more times than I wanted to count.
    Jonette cooed over the dog. Madonna wagged her tail vigorously and licked Jonette’s face. “How’d you end up with Dudley’s dog?” she asked.
    “Long story,” I said. I was glad to see her respond to the dog. She’d been quiet for a long time. “The short of it is that it’s temporary. Bitsy and her boys will be here tonight so we’re trying not to become too attached. Lexy and Charla had hissy fits last night. You know how they’ve always wanted a dog.”
    “I do.” Jonette scratched under Madonna’s chin. “I understand completely. Madonna is such a cutie.”
    Cute was definitely in the eye of the beholder. Mounds of runny dog poop were not cute. Slime trails of doggie drool were not cute. “She’s not so cute at midnight when she is determined to sleep in my bed.”
    “Your bed?” Jonette stopped in mid-stroke. “What’s wrong with her dog bed?”
    I shrugged. “I’m guessing Dudley allowed her to sleep with him. I gave in because I didn’t want to traumatize her further.”
    “You’re a softie.”
    Since Jonette was talking again, I figured it was safe to get to the heart of this new problem. “Tell me about the police station. Why do they think you killed Dudley?”
    “Because they’ve all got their heads up their butts,”