A Baked Ham by Jessica Beck Read Free Book Online Page A

anymore.   Now, if you two will excuse me, I’m going to
lock my front door and get stinking drunk.   I don’t care how early in the day it is. You’re both free to join me,
but I should warn you, I get a little morose after I’ve had a few.”
    “Maybe next time,” Moose said as
Vern walked us out.
    Once we were through the door, he
closed it and locked it behind us, pulling the shade with one hand as he waved
good-bye to us with the other.
    “What do you make of that?” I
asked Moose.
    “I think the man needs to be on a
suicide watch,” he said.
    “Do you really think that he’d do
something that drastic?”
    “I don’t know, but I’m going to
make a few telephone calls to see if I can find a single friend he has
left.   Vern shouldn’t be alone right now,
in my opinion.”
    I was starting to really worry
now.   “Should I go back in and keep him
company while you’re on the phone?”
    “I doubt he’d open the door for
us again, but when I was digging around earlier, I heard about one man who
might be able to lend us a hand.”
    Moose made his call while I
stared at Vern Jeffries’ office door.   What was he doing behind that pulled shade?   Should we have left him alone?
    After a brief chat, Moose hung up
the phone.   “It’s good.   Steve Pierce will be here in five minutes.”
    “You called the man’s barber ?” I asked.   Steve was a good guy, and he liked to eat
some of his meals with us at the diner.
    “They’re fishing buddies.   It was the best I could do, Victoria.   Anyway, he’s coming right over.”
    “We’re waiting here, aren’t we?”
I asked.
    “If you don’t mind,” he said.
    “I’m happy to do it,” I replied.
    Steve got there soon enough, a
barber as bald as the day he was born.   “How bad is he?”
    “He’s probably already cracked
his first bottle by now, if that gives you any indication,” Moose said.
    “Thanks for calling me.   I know that Vern’s not a ray of sunshine on
his best day, but he’s a good man to have in your corner when you’re down.   That’s what nearly killed him about this deal
with Benny.   That man took advantage of
Vern’s good nature, and he walked all over him.   Now, let me see if I can get him to answer the front door.   No offense, but it might be easier if you two
were gone, if you know what I mean.”
    “Happy to do it.   Thanks again for coming.”
    “Hey, if something happens to
Vern, who am I going to go fishing with?” Steve asked with a grin.
    Moose drove off, but before he
could get far, he pulled into a lot a few doors down so we could see what was
going on.
    “I was just about to suggest that
you pull over,” I said.
    “Great minds think alike,” Moose
said with a slight grin.
    We both watched in silence as
Steve repeatedly knocked on the door, to no avail.   I was about to suggest that we call 911 when
the shade finally came up and Vern opened the door.   After a brief conversation, the insurance
agent moved to one side, opened the door, and the barber walked in.
    “That’s a relief,” I said.
    “Honestly, it’s a short-term
patch, but it’s all we can do.   What do
you say?   Are you ready to go after our
next suspect?”
    “I’m game if you are.”
    “Good.   Then, if it were up to me, I’d say we go to
Mad Dog Furniture and find Amanda.”
    “Why not?   This just gets better and better, doesn’t
it?” I asked as Moose pulled back out onto the road and drove toward the edge
of town.
    “It’s not the life of glamour
they make investigating look like on television, but then again, what is?” he
asked.   “At least we get to nose around
and ask a lot of impertinent questions.”
    “After what Vern told us, I’m not
entirely certain that it’s a good thing hearing their answers, though,” I said.
    “Cheer up.   After all, how much worse could it get?”
    “Do you really want to hear my
answer to that question?” I asked Moose.
    “On second thought, I’ll
pass.