Checkered Thief (A Laurel London Mystery Book 3)

by Kappes, Tonya

  “Ha, ha.” I slowly clapped my hands. “Very funny,” I sneered.

  “That was then.” I waved the money again. “Before I made myself an honest girl and got a big girl job.”

  “Getting fired from Porty Morty’s is a big girl job?” Derek chuckled. “How did you get fired from selling port-a-lets?”

  I wasn’t sure, but I detected a little hint of sarcasm in his tone.

  “Morty let me go. Something about overhead and people aren’t using port-a-potties anymore.” My mouth dipped down.

  “Where are the people pooping?” Derek’s nose curled up.

  “Got me.” I shrugged. “Anyway, I need a set of wheels. That old 1977 beat-up Caddy was Morty’s. He let me borrow it because my job was to get all of those outdoor venues to use Porty Morty’s at their events. He made me give it back. I need a new set of wheels to find a job before Trixie finds out. She is going to kill me when I tell her Morty let me go.”

  Kill might be a strong word to use, but she wasn’t going to be happy. Trixie had been in charge of the orphanage for years. It just so happened that when I turned eighteen, the state shut down the orphanage forcing Trixie to retire.

  She said I needed guidance and in no formal sort of way she became my guardian. The only mother figure I’d known. In truth, I think she was really worried about me and wanted to make sure I did well. She was the first person to ever see potential in me. Then and there I’d decided I was going to make something of myself. She got me the job with Morty and I’d been working there ever since, bringing home a steady paycheck. Not much. But it was reliable. I was able to get a studio apartment, though my rent was always a tad bit late.

  “I love you like a sis’ and all, but how am I going to do that?”

  “You got all those cars out there.” I pointed to the field filled with abandoned cars that Derek used for parts. The grass had grown up around the tires which were probably dry-rotted, and they all had a little rust. Nothing a set of new tires and paint job couldn’t fix.

  “Those old clunkers? Nah, I don’t have anything that’s reliable and good enough to drive.” He bit the side of his lip.

  I waved the money again. “Morty called it compensation.” Compensation my ass. It was guilt money. “It’s all I have to get me a car. Come on. I’ve been on the straight and narrow for five years. You know it, and I know it. All I need is a car to get around so I can get another job.”

  Jobs were slim pickings in our little town of twelve hundred. Louisville was only thirty minutes away and surely I could score some sort of job there.

  “I don’t know.” Derek shook his head. “There really isn’t anything out there that fifteen hundred will fix.”

  I put my hand up to my brows to cover the sun beaming down and scanned the field. There had to be something.

  “What about that one?” I pointed to the black-and-white-colored one to the far right. Sort of off by itself.

  “That old ’62 Plymouth Belvedere?” Derek laughed so hard, he was hyperventilating.

  “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?” There was no humor in my voice. “Other than the faded sign on the side.”

  “Come on.” He tugged his head to the side. “The engine may need a good clean up.”

  “Okay.” Like I knew what that meant. I followed him to the edge of the grass and stopped to take my shoes off. The heels would’ve gotten stuck in the ground and I had to keep them clean. It was going to be a long time before I bought any new shoes. “Oh.” My face contorted. Up close I could tell the old Belvedere had seen better days.

  I swiped my hand across the dusty old door.

  “Taxi?” I laughed, never recalling a taxi service in Walnut Grove.

  “I got that when the police academy tore down the old building on the edge of town.” He pointed to me. Derek was also training to be a deputy with the sheriff’s department. On Monday and Wednesday he drove to the University of Louisville for the police academy. “Remember? I told you about how they had us running around the old building and things popped out at us and we had to assess the situation before we pulled the trigger.”

  Vaguely I remember him saying something about it.

  “Still. I’m serious, Derek. I need a ride.” I tapped the car. “Even if it does say taxi.”

  “Can you imagine if you drove that thing down Main Street.” He slapped his knee. “Everyone would know you were crazy, not just wonder.”

  “We could repaint it,” I suggested.

  “We? We?” He gestured between the two of us. “You mean me.”

  “Come on,” I begged. “You are my only hope of not letting Trixie down. You don’t want to do that, do you? After she has done for us. This place.” I pointed to his garage.

  Trixie owned the property and when Derek graduated from mechanic school, she gave him the run-down building that he had turned into his business.

  “Oh.” He shook his finger at me. “You are good at playing the guilt card. I worked hard for this place. I went to work every morning before school and every day after school.”

  “Yeah, but Trixie gave you the car to do it.” I reminded him of her other good deed.

  His chest heaved up and down as he let out a heavy sigh. He knew I had him.

  “The only real problem with it is the rust.” He rubbed his hands along the side of the car and walked back to the bumper. “It was garage kept and it has low mileage. I probably should have covered it with a tarp or something, but I thought I’d be using it for parts. I suppose it would look fine if you painted it.”

  “You can do that for me right?” I squinted to keep the sun out of my eyes. The skies were blue and the sun was bright.

  “No. I don’t do paint,” he protested.

  “I bet you could.” I tilted my head around the edge of the car to see the other side.

  “Laurel, you exhaust me.” He bit the side of his lip.

  I could tell he was thinking about it so I put the unexplained shadow behind me and batted my lashes. I put my hands together in a little praying way and mouthed please.

  “Fine.” He jammed his hands in the pockets of his overalls. “It’s not going to be perfect,” he warned.

  “I don’t care.” I smiled from ear to ear. I held the money out in front of me.

  “Nope. I’m not taking the only money you have.” He shoved my hand back toward me. “Consider it an early Christmas gift.”

  “You do love me.” I jumped up and down before throwing my arms around his neck.

  “No. I love that Quantum Rod and Reel still.” He gave me a slight hug back.

  Enjoy the first chapter of CHECKERED PAST, the second novel in the Laurel London Mystery Series.

  Chapter One

  When you have spent most of your life being a petty criminal, you know a bull-shitter when you see one. And I could tell Gilbert Pinskey was a bull-shitter before he opened his fancy mouth.

  “Walnut Grove?” he asked as he looked at the sign I held up. Gilbert Pinskey had contacted Drive Me, my driving app, to arrange his ride from the airport to my little town of Walnut Grove, Kentucky.

  He wore a neatly pressed pair of khakis and pink cotton polo shirt that screamed of arrogance. I swore I could smell the finest leather from his tasseled loafers when he stepped closer. His brown hair was not too long and not too short. The ends of it slightly curled around his ears. His eyes were the exact same color of his hair and matched his olive skin perfectly. He was a normal, average, blend-in kind of guy and I wondered what business he had in my little town of twelve thousand people.

  “Gilbert Pinskey?” I asked.

  “The one and only.” He smiled and looked down at his luggage. Multiple bags of luggage. “Unless Walnut Grove, Kentucky is a happening place and others are dying to get there.”

  “Right this way.” I turned, flipping my honey-blond hair behind my shoulder and headed out the sliding door of the Louisville airport. I looked back to make sure he was following me. He wasn’t. “Don’t those fancy sh
oes work?” I asked, tapping the toe of my cowboy boot.

  “Aren’t you going to help me?” His feet stayed firmly on the ground. “You were late after all.”

  “Fine.” I hurried back over and grabbed the small briefcase, leaving the heavier items to him. I had just gotten my nails done at Shear Illusions and I wasn’t about to mess them up. Especially the glittery nail on the ring finger. Kim Banta, owner of Shear Illusions and my stylist, said it was called a Diva nail. “Sorry about the time thing.”

  Being on time had never been one of my strong suits. I probably should have left in plenty of time to make the half-hour drive—taking into consideration tractors or other farm equipment that might have taken the back roads, plus the time of day.

  Lunchtime.

  Many farmers got out early and went home for lunch. Unfortunately for Mr. Pinskey, I didn’t take that into consideration. It was how I rolled.

  “What is that?” Gilbert asked. He put the luggage on the ground, his eyes staring at the car.

  “My car.” I proudly smiled at the old yellow ’62 Plymouth Belvedere my best friend, Derek Smitherman, had refurbished for me when I was in between jobs and in a little bit of a pickle.

  “No.” He raised his hand in the air, contorted his face, snarled and pointed. “That.”

  “Henrietta?” I asked, looking at my fur baby curled up on the dashboard taking in the heat of the mid-afternoon sun. “My cat?”

  “What kind of business is this?” he protested. An angry look on his face.

  “You used my app, Drive Me, and paid to have me pick you up from the airport. Ta-da.” I flung my arms out to the side and wiggled my fingers. “I’m here. Just like the fine print said.”

  A few months ago, a couple people had mistaken the Old Girl, the name I had given the Belvedere, as a taxi. I had been fired from Porty Morty’s, a port-a-let sales job, and figured Walnut Grove needed a taxi driver. I was right!

  When word got around I was operating a taxi, I got all sorts of business from Walnut Grove’s senior citizens. Who knew when you got old you had to go to so many doctor appointments? Good for business though. In fact, Sharon Fasa was a regular. I took her somewhere almost every single day.

  Not only was I good at driving, I was pretty good at all things electronic, mainly hacking.

  Using my skills, I designed my own app. Anyone within a forty-mile radius who needed a safe ride could go on my app and sign up. They also paid online. No hassle with exchanging of money or tips. And I didn’t have to pay all the taxi fees and abide by the taxi laws. Plus I didn’t keep any money on me so there was no chance of me getting robbed. Not that Walnut Grove was a big car-jacking town or crime ridden, it wasn’t. If anyone tried to car-jack me, I’d know him or her. Or I would show them my little friend in the glove box. My little .22 Colt Defender was all I needed to scare the shit right out of anyone who wanted to mess with me.

  “Well?” He tapped the trunk of the car. “Are you going to open the trunk?”

  “Oops.” My face reddened. I still hadn’t gotten the hang of waiting on people down. It’s only ever been me, and me alone I had to worry about. And of course, Henrietta.

  So being late probably wasn’t a good idea. I did cover the issue of Henrietta in the service contract of Drive Me, albeit in fine print, but it was there just the same. In case anyone was allergic and all, I had to cover my tracks.

  “I saw nothing about a cat.” He stomped like a little two-year-old having a hissy fit right there in the airport pick-up line.

  “There is a line about Henrietta in the disclaimer. Fine print.” I walked around the car. “You can either get in. Or pay a lot more money to get a cab. Either way, I’m outta here.”

  Gilbert huffed and puffed, but eventually got in the car.

  “Who reads the fine print? I’ve never seen a cat ride in a taxi.” Gilbert held his briefcase close to his chest with his arms wrapped around it, never taking his eyes off Henrietta, who didn’t pay him any mind. “You keep her up there.”

  “Gilbert Pinksey, are you telling me a big guy like you is scared of a cat? A sleeping cat that doesn’t even know you’re in the car?” I asked.

  I adjusted the rear-view mirror to get a better look at him. Gilbert Pinksey was fancy. There weren’t a lot of fancy people coming in and out of Walnut Grove, which made me suspicious of him.

  There were times I should probably keep my mouth shut and this was probably one of those times since I needed Gilbert to give my app a review. Especially since he was my first client who wasn’t from Walnut Grove.

  “I don’t like cats. I never have.” He white-knuckled the leather-bound case.

  I wanted to change the subject because there was no way he was going to win with me. Henrietta had been with me since my crazy teenage days. Derek and I had gone down to the river to illegally throw back a few beers and there she was all curled up under a bush. Skinny. There was no way I was going to leave her there. Sneaking her into the orphanage, my home, was easy. Keeping her from meowing all night was not. Trixie Turner, the head mom at the Children’s Home, had a keen sense of hearing. Henrietta must’ve tugged at Trixie’s heartstrings because she let me keep her. She was the first thing with a beating heart who had ever truly loved me.

  “I need to see Jax Jackson.” His body melted back into the seat. Clearly a little more relaxed now that we were on the road and he could see his presence didn’t phase Henrietta.

  “Jax Jackson?” I asked and pulled out of the airport, veering the Old Girl west toward Walnut Grove. “Does he know you are coming?”

  “Jax Jackson’s office please.” A loud sigh escaped Gilbert’s lips.

  “I heard you the first time, but Jax isn’t at his office right now.” I looked at the Old Girl’s broken clock, hoping for a miracle it would somehow start working. Time was never on my side. Someday, I had great hopes we would become friends. “What time is it?”

  Gilbert pulled his wrist up to his face and looked at his fancy gold watch.

  “Eleven-thirty.” He huffed. “Where is he?”

  “He had a meeting at eleven.”

  “If you were on time, I probably would have caught him.” His eyes narrowed with annoyance. “How do you know where Jax is?”

  “Everyone knows everyone in Walnut Grove.” I left out how Jax Jackson and I did cross paths. In fact, Jax Jackson was the second person to have mistaken the Belvedere as a cab.

  A few months ago, after Jax’s business in Walnut Grove was over, he decided to stay and open up a private investigator’s business. With my history and time on my hands, he hired me to do some investigative work when he needed an extra hand. Gilbert Pinksey definitely had my curiosity up now.

  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much going on in Walnut Grove unless you considered stealing an apple pie out of Sharon Fasa’s kitchen window a hardened crime.

  Not that I’m a hardened criminal, but growing up in a orphanage and finding out I’m the direct descendant of one of the most notorious mob bosses in the United States, explained a lot about my past and my behavior. Not to mention the huge inheritance I had gotten when I did find out whom I was related to.

  Of course I could use the money and not worry with my Drive Me app, but there was something about how my grandfather got the money. Blood money. And I refused to use it. Somehow, someway that money was going to bite me in the ass.

  For now, I was determined to use the street sense I had to make my living.

  “Do you mind turning the radio on?” Gilbert gave me the not-so-subtle hint he no longer wanted to talk.

  Bam! Bam!

  Gilbert nearly jumped up front in the passenger seat when I smacked the dashboard to get the radio started. Henrietta gave him a look and he settled back in his seat, the two glaring at each other.

  Mewl. Henrietta rolled and curled toward the hot sunspot before she closed her eyes.

  “I’m not sure how she stands it in the hot sun.” I’d had all the windows rolled down even before G
ilbert got in because the Old Belvedere didn’t have working air. Plus Walnut Grove was having a heat wave. It was so damn dry around here, the trees were begging the dogs to piss on them.

  Gilbert didn’t respond. He rolled up his window once we got going. Beads of sweat were popping through his fancy shirt. He was hotter than blue blazes.

  Instead of worrying about Gilbert and what his business with Jax was about, I happily drove the curvy road and took in the scenery.

  The trees grew tall and out, meeting each other over top the hot pavement, creating a tunnel. The sun darted through the limbs. It was a beautiful day for the drive but a little bit humid.

  “Do you know where The Windmill Hotel is?” Gilbert asked.

  “Louie Pelfrey’s place. Of course I know where it is.” I kept my hands on the wheel and did a few finger taps to the country song piping through the speakers. I loved a good song where the woman gets even with the cheating man by burning up his clothes. “Are you staying there?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I’ll just go there until I get in touch with Jax.”

  “No. No you won’t.” I shook my head.

  We passed the Walnut Grove city limits signs that boasted our big city population.

  “Why not?” he asked. His tone angry.

  “He is at his second job. If you would have read his fine print, it states that check-in is at 1 p.m.” I shrugged. “I’m going to The Cracked Egg to grab some lunch before my next appointment if you want to go there and wait. The BLT’s are to die for.” My mouthed watered just thinking about it.

  “There can’t be many people staying at The Windmill.” His lips puckered in disgust and looked out the window.

  The Kentucky River ran along the left side of the road. A few fishermen had their boats pulled up along the banks under some of the overhanging trees to catch tonight’s dinner.

  “Is that the Kentucky River?” Gilbert shot up and took interest.

  “It sure is. Do you like to fish?” I asked and took a right on I-25.

  Gilbert and his loafers didn’t look like he had seen a hard day’s work in his life. Nor did his soft hands seem like he could hook a worm and unhook a fish. I rubbed the little scar on my finger where a fish had gilled me when I was being reckless once when taking it off the hook.