Bus Stop at the Last Chance (Loni Wagner Western Mystery Book 2)

by Sue Hardesty

  “Thought that was the point, Carl,” Loni teased. “How many times have you told me ‘If I'm not going to use it, don't carry it’?”

  “Shut up and listen.”

  In spite of the cool breeze, the trash bin was hot, and sweat ran into Loni’s eyes. She mopped her face and handed the kerchief to Carl. The sound of a truck engine coming down the alley grew louder as it got closer to the loading dock at the bakery. Through a hole in the trash bin, Loni spied Dirk stepping out of the truck.

  “Go, go, go!” Loni shouted exploding out of the bin with Carl right beside her. Dirk froze like a rabbit sensing danger. Carl cuffed him while James walked out of the bakery dragging Mable and Tommy Flavio. Tommy slumped forward on his knees, and Mable screamed like a banshee hen whose eggs were being robbed, and kicked James where it hurt the most. Loni worked hard not to laugh as James doubled over, struggling to control his temper.

  “Look at this.” Tully held up a loaf torn in half. “They wrapped the drugs in aluminum foil and baked it in the middle of the loaf.” Nodding at the Dirk, Tully grinned. “He won't shut up. Said he picked up the drugs in Alegaro in five gallon flour cans.”

  “Oh god.” Loni cringed. “Right in front of us. Wait till Liv hears this.”

  “Best of all, I called Jim to pick up the head of this mess. As we speak, he's arresting this big time financier who lost big in Bush's crash.”

  Grinning, Carl grabbed Loni for a big hug. “Looks like we finally scotched the snake.”

  Loni grinned in agreement. “Feels good, huh?”

  Carl grinned back. “It's what we live for. The good days.”

  Three hours later, the paperwork was done, and Tully had left with the prisoners. Loni gave a deep sigh as she stood up and stretched.

  “Wait a minute.” Lola stopped her before she could leave. “There’s a report here for you.” Lola handed her a fax. “What does it mean?”

  “Shit! I forgot! There was an explosive in my tire. The blowout was intentional.”

  “What's going on now?” Lola's worried voice rose with her stress.

  Frowning, Loni fanned herself with the page. “I’m beginning to get paranoid.”

  “You know the old saying. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”

  Loni shook her head at Lola. ”Damn, Lola, I feel better already.”

  “What was in the tire anyway?”

  Loni read the fax to her. “It was a mixture of nickel and mercury. It explodes with heat. At 60 miles per hour, a tire doesn’t take long to blow. I was just lucky that I had slowed down when it happened.”

  “Do you have any idea who did it?”

  Loni tilted her head and stared at Lola. “Who knows the most about explosives around here?”

  Lola’s whole body moved as she vigorously shook her head. “No, no no! I know he can be a real asshole, but he wouldn't do this.”

  A buzz startled them, and they looked down the hall as Lola opened the door. Junior rolled in like a whirlwind, crashing into the half-wall in his hurry to get to Carl's office. Following Junior, Loni and Lola watched him grab Carl out from behind his desk and shove him up against a wall. Yelling gibberish the entire time, Junior kicked Carl’s legs apart and cuffed him. “You're under arrest, you miserable drugger. You have a right to an attorney, and I hope you get that stupid lawyer that hangs out here all the time.” Junior dragged Carl out of his office and pushed him up to Lola's counter. “You have the right to stay silent, and if you try to talk, I’ll shut your mouth for you. Anything you say can be used against you, but I already have all the proof I need.” Slamming Carl's gun on the counter, Junior yelled at Lola, “Book him!”

  Lola and Loni looked at each other in amazement.

  Carl snarled, “This ain't funny.”

  “Shut up, Carl!” Junior pushed Carl toward the booking room.

  “Wait a minute!” Loni came out of her shock. “Wait a minute! What do you think you’re doing, Junior?” Loni grabbed Junior's belt.

  “Just what it looks like,” Junior taunted Loni. “'Course you’re too stupid to understand.”

  “I'm beginning to wonder. Looks to me like you’re arresting Carl. On what charges?”

  “Trafficking drugs, of course.”

  “On what evidence?” Loni demanded.

  “On yours, Loni. It's in your notes.”

  “What notes?”

  “The case file of your'n Carl gave me. It's all there,” Junior insisted.

  “No, no, no, Junior! It's Carl's ranch that had drugs, not Carl.”

  “It's his ranch, ain't it?”

  “Yes, of course, but...”

  “But nothing.” Junior turned away from Loni and continued to push Carl forward. “I been poking around out there. I know there's drugs still out there, and I know Carl's involved.”

  “Wait a damn minute, Junior.” Carl jerked out of Junior’s hold. “Unlock me right now.”

  “Too bad, Carl.” Junior grabbed his arm again and pushed him again. “You're going to jail.”

  Totally pissed, Loni caught up and took out her gun and shoved it into Junior's ass. “Unlock Carl, or I'm going to shoot off your balls.”

  Junior turned his head and looked down at her gun. “Loni, that ain't funny.”

  “See me laughing?”

  “I should have arrested you, too. You knew Carl was guilty, but you let him go anyway. Makes you as guilty as him. Makes me sorry the tire blowout didn't finish you off.”

  Loni cocked her gun. “Now, Junior or I will shoot you. Seriously.”

  “Wait a minute!” Lola said, “How do you know about the tire blowout? You caused it?”

  Junior ducked his head, refusing to look at Lola. Loni leaned over and unlocked Carl. The minute he was released, Carl shouted at Junior, “You dumb sonofabitch. You get your file, get your ass in my office, and show me your evidence. It better be good.”

  Loni and Lola listened to Carl and Junior scream at each other.

  “They used my ranch to move drugs without my knowledge.”

  “Well, according to Loni's notes, you should have known something.”

  “I was suspicious. That's why I brought in Tully.”

  “ Loni's notes said you were acting hinky. Said you misled her on purpose.”

  “She was a patrol officer, not a city cop. I tried to keep her safe.”

  “Don't look that way to me. She showed you’re guilty.”

  “Where?”

  “Right there!” Junior pulled out one of Loni's reports. “See! You told Loni the travel trailer had moved, but Loni couldn’t find that any trailer had ever been there. Same with the guard on your ranch. You knew that dead man came out of your ranch.”

  “This case wasn't Loni's job. If I told her the truth, she'd make it her job to protect me.”

  Junior pulled out another report. “How about not following up on the valve? Loni says right here the valve showed it was murder. How come you never looked for the guy whose fingerprint was in that epoxy? Or who broke in the hangar and shot at Loni?”

  “We finally found the perp in some obscure private pilot database. Besides, Rebecca Roberts had nothing to do with the drugs and Loni had already arrested her.”

  “I don't believe you.”

  Carl slammed the file down on his desk. “Junior! I don't care what you believe, you pigheaded sonofabitch. You're fired. Pack up your desk and get outta my sight.”

  Loni and Lola followed Junior out of Carl's office and watched him slink out of the building.

  Loni enjoyed watching Lola's eyebrows lift until they nearly met her hairline while her mouth stayed a perfect oval.”Like Bahb says, the bigger you are...”

  Lola laughed. “Shoulda' known you'd find a Bahbism for this. Why'd he do it?”

  “He wanted my job.” Carl hollered at them. “When you get through laughing out there, you two better get out of here before I fire you.”

  Lola took Loni's hand. “Good idea. Come o
n.”

  Helping her into the truck, Loni drove them up the winding road to the top of Caliente Butte. After she parked, she handed Lola the binoculars, and they climbed down to one of the park benches. The desert horizon gleamed in a long line occasionally broken by mountain peaks. The coolness of the early December day energized Loni, and she pulled Lola to her.

  Lola leaned against Loni as she studied the highway coming from Tucson. “There.” Lola’s excited voice jarred Loni as she stuck the binoculars into Loni’s face. “Look!”

  Turning toward Tucson, Loni saw a long ribbon of a highway snaking over tan rugged hills and down into dry sandy washes to wind out the other side. Finally she located a light speck moving in the far distance. “It’s a green truck.”

  Lola hit Loni on the arm. “Not a good time to try to be funny.”

  “Thought my humor was what you loved most about me.”

  “I said try. That’s not funny.”

  “Okay. It’s a bus.”

  Lola wrapped herself around Loni and kissed her. “Let's go home.”

  “Aren't we going to meet the bus so you can say hello to Manny?”

  “Time he took care of himself.”

  With a big grin, Loni opened the door for Lola, ready to help her climb up. “As Bahb would say...”

  Lola covered Loni's mouth with the tips of her fingers to shut her up. “Just get in the truck.”

  The End