Part 22 (1/2)
”This thing stinks,” he said.
”You'll get used to it.”
”Smells like your buddyused it to haul dead fish.”
”My buddy isa dead fish.”
Jake didn't want to know what she was talking about, so he shut up.
Carnie pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot.
”Now, how are we going to pick up women here?” said Jake. ”There's a guard driving around the parking lot.”
”That guy on the little electric golf cart?”
”Yeah. He may be old, and he probably doesn't even have a gun, but all he has to do is dial 911 and we're in big trouble.”
”He's not gonna be a problem.” Carnie parked the van.
”Here he comes.”
”Watch this,” she said, as she stepped out of the van.
She waved to the guard as he approached.
He saw her, and drove to where she was standing. ”Do you need help, Ma'am? Dead battery? Flat tire?”
”No, I'm fine, thank you. I just wanted to tell you I'm meeting both of my grandmothers here and taking them out for a fancy dinner. They think they're coming to help me pick out some material for drapes. In fact, neither of them knows the other's coming.”
”I see.”
”I hope that's okay. Because I know we're really not supposed to do that. You're only supposed to park here if you're shopping at Wal-Mart.”
The old guard smiled. ”Well, Honey, don't worry. It'll just be our little secret.” He winked at her.
”Oh, you're wonderful. Thanks so much.”
”No problem. Have a nice time with your grandmothers.” He drove away.
”Well, at least everything's out of the truck,” said Greg.
”Sorry about your garage,” said Beverly to her daughter. ”I didn't realize I had so much stuff.”
”That's okay, Mom,” said Cynthia. ”I don't mind parking my car outside for a while.”
”Y'all getting hungry?” said Greg.
”I could eat a horse,” said Beverly.
”What did you have in mind, Sweetie?” said Cynthia to Greg. ”I'm pretty grungy. I don't think I'd want to go out to eat.”
”Why don't we order pizza?” said Greg.
They agreed on a large pepperoni, and Greg pulled out his cell phone and walked out of the room to call in their order.
”Honey, would you mind helping me with my hair in the morning?” said Beverly.
”Sure, Mom.”
”I want it to fix it up nice for church. So, I really need to wash it tonight. When we finish eating I'll run down to Wal-Mart and get some more of my shampoo.”
”You don't need to go out tonight. I have shampoo.”
”No, Honey, there's a special brand I use. It's the only kind that works right for me.”
”Okay. I'll go with you,” said Cynthia.
”Oh, don't be silly. You just said you were too grungy to go out.”
”But I hate for you to go out alone at night-”
”-now wait a second. If I had known you were going to treat me like a child when I moved in with you, I would have just stayed in Marshall.”
”Alright, fine. Go by yourself.”
”That's more like it,” said Beverly.
They both smiled. This living together thing would take some work, but they knew they could do it.
Chapter25.
”Didn't you forget a couple of things at the house?” said Jake.
”Nope. We've got everything we need,” said Carnie.
They were sitting in the stolen van at Wal-Mart, waiting for their first victim.
”What about the knife? You were going use it to scare them and make them get in the van? And you forgot the gun. I was supposed to point it at them to keep them quiet. We better go back. We can do this some other night.”
”Look in the glove box,” said Carnie.
Jake twisted the latch and opened the glove box, and a light came on inside.
”Hey, ain't this myscrewdriver?”
He examined it. ”What's this red stuff on the handle? Blood? Don't tell me you killed somebody when you stole this van?”