Last Diner Standing by Terri L. Austin Read Free Book Online Page A

But by one, our usual closing time, we only had two customers left, and they were stragglers who decided to linger over coffee.
    “Damn,” Ma said. “We’ve got to get the word out about lunch. I’m going to have to come up with another marketing plan.” She stalked back to the kitchen.
    I texted Ax and told him to come by the diner. He showed up fifteen minutes later, his ubiquitous backpack balanced on one shoulder.
    “You ready for the best pulled puck you’ve ever had?” I asked.
    “Sounds good.”
    I put in his order brought him a soda. “Any info on Asshat?” Since the diner was empty, I pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
    Ax unwrapped his straw and stuck it in his glass.  “Divorced from Janelle. No visible means of income. No unemployment checks. And no money trail. Sorry. But I do have his address.” He handed me a Post-it note. “And Freddy Libra owns The Bottom Dollar. Pays his taxes on time, owns a three-bedroom home on the decent side of town and a vintage Mustang. Which is pretty awesome. Dude owns a strip club and a Mustang? He must live in poon city, man.”
    I shuddered. “I’m getting a visual I don’t want. Did you find anything on Crystal?”
    “She’s on my to do list. I’m going to have a hard time calling her Crystal, though. I’m used to Chicken Licker.”
    “Thanks for helping out, Ax. Let me check on your order.” At the pass thru window, I scooped up a plate full of pork, beans, and a thick slice of cornbread covered in melting butter and slid it in front of him.
    Ax took a bite and nodded. “This pulled puck rocks.”
    I grinned. “I’ll be sure to tell Ma.”
    I took care of the stragglers and bussed the tables once they left. Roxy cleaned the restrooms. So far, New Kid had been useless.
    When Ax finished eating, I waved the check and handed him a sack of leftover donuts for the road.
    “I’ll call you when I get more info,” he said and left.
    By three, the diner was empty and had been for over an hour. Ma was in a snit.
    “It’s those damn menus. If only I could have passed them out, we’d have had takers, I just know it.” She peered at Roxy through her trifocals. “While Rose and I finish clean up, you drive down the street. Go into Rudy’s and look at a menu.”
    I rubbed her shoulder. “Ma, this is ridiculous. Rudy’s sucks. We’re Ma’s Diner. Nobody’s going to give Rudy the time of day.”
    She glared at me. “You don’t know the first thing about being a businesswoman, toots. You’ve got to know your competition. Roxy, get me that menu.”
    Roxy rolled her eyes and grabbed her coat. “I’m on it.”

Chapter 6

    After work, Roxy and I decided to check out Asshat’s house. Maybe we could find some info about that money he’d been flashing around. 
    We drove south to a low-rent neighborhood on a dead end street. Asshat’s tiny house sat toward the back edge of the property and was surrounded by a chain link fence and overgrown hedges. Brown, patchy bald spots and six cars in various states of disrepair covered the large yard. Some were missing doors and hoods. Three old Pontiacs, two Hondas, and one Toyota sat like my nephew, Scotty’s, little toy cars. Except his had wheels.
    “What’s with the cars?” I asked.
    Roxy popped her gum. “Don’t know, don’t care.”
    We approached the house and I sidestepped a broken lamp. Roxy jumped over a large wall clock with a silhouette of a naked girl—like the kind you see on mud flaps. And we came to a stop in front of an upside-down coffee table that sat cockeyed near the front porch.
    “I think this was Janelle’s handiwork,” I said.
    “She’s got some serious upper body strength to flip that coffee table,” Roxy said.
    As we made our way to the back of the house, I withdrew four latex gloves from my pocket. I’d lifted them from the diner and figured Ma wouldn’t mind. 
    Roxy looked at me with respect. “You came prepared for mischief. I’m impressed.”
    She pulled an