Free The Lovely Chocolate Mob by Richard J. Bennett Page A

in North Korea and Iran, Iraq and on the black market in the U.S.S.R, I mean, Russia. How much of that is true, I don’t know, but it’s a rumor.”
    “You’re talking about a billion dollar industry,” I said. I started to wonder if Dr. Franklin Burke was interested in Susan Lovely the bikini model or her soon-to-be chocolate empire.
    “Not just a billion, multi-billions,” corrected Walter. “And since Old Man Lovely died, his granddaughter stands to inherit the Lovely chocolate business. She doesn’t have to sell bathing suits and underwear anymore. Who needs that when you have chocolate?”
    This sudden burst of information made me go silent. Walter doesn’t like silence, especially among friends, and so he said, “Now tell me, this fellow who’s having a fling with Susan Lovely, does he stand a good chance of marrying her, do you think?”
    “I don’t know, Walter. Like I said earlier, I’m still in the information-gathering stage. Let’s get a drink.”
    Walter raised his hand for the waitress to see us. She came over, and was obviously familiar with Walter, because her manner became friendly when she recognized him.
    “Hello, Walter. Haven’t seen you around here for awhile.”
    “I’ve been laying low, darlin’. Say ‘hello’ to a friend of mine, from way back in school days.”
    I smiled and said my hellos, and introduced myself, and so did she. She was a pretty waitress whose name was Kim Rogers, a bleach blond, who wore a tight and low-cut cowboy blouse with blue jean pants, a leather belt with a her name on the back and a large buckle in front, and cowboy boots. She had on enough clothes to cover up anything too noticeable, and was young enough to be my daughter. I found myself holding in my stomach for her anyway.
    “I’ve been coming here since way back, Randy-boy. Kim’s mom used to work here, and I’ve seen Kim grow up right before my eyes. We’re old friends now.” He looked at Kim, lovingly. “Well, I’m the old friend; she’s the young one.”
    Kim took our order and disappeared, coming back with our drinks, and disappearing again, giving us our privacy. She knew that people took the far booth to talk about serious matters. Walter had ordered himself a beer and me a coke. He remembered that I didn’t drink, and it was good of him not to push me. I enjoyed a good bar atmosphere with good friends, but was afraid of alcohol. Losing control is one of my phobias. Maybe I should talk to Miss Planter about that sometime.
    “So you and Kim are old friends, right?” I asked.
    “Yeah,” he said. “And before that I was friends with her mom, too.”
    “What happened to her mom?”
    “She married and split. Kim liked the area, and decided to stick around. She works here and drives to school in Nac-Nac-Nacogdoches, whenever she can, takes classes online, and is working towards her nursing degree.”
    Walter had a thing with names. He enjoyed butchering what he thought, or felt, was an unusually long name.
    “I’ll bet she makes a good nurse,” I said.
    “Yeah, she will. She’s not only cute, but smart, too!”
    I chuckled into my coke, then set it down and said, “It’s good that this working girl is smart; she’ll go far.
    We didn’t say anything for a few minutes; Walter liked to enjoy his beer in silence. Then his face screwed up, and he said, “Say, are you being hired by a woman to keep tabs on her man? What’s going on? Who is this woman?”
    He was beginning to put the pieces together. I knew this would come out sooner or later, but wasn’t expecting it this soon.
    “The lady’s name is Burke. Mrs. Burke. And she’s not keeping tabs on her husband. Her daughter discovered this mess.”
    Walter’s face scrunched up some more, and said, “What kind of man would mess around when he’s got a wife and a kid?” he asked. “If I had that, I think I’d be content,” he said, and took another drink. “Did you say Burke?”
    He leaned back in his wooden chair,