The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton Read Free Book Online

voice, a much thicker Mexican accent than his own. “She doesn’t eat right, so thin. Poor Anita, no husband, not even a boyfriend.” He grinned.
    â€œRosita sounds like my stepmother. Judith is sick with worry that I’ll be an old maid.”
    â€œYou’re what, twenty-four?”
    â€œMm-uh.”
    He just shook his head. “Sometimes I do not understand women.”
    It was my turn to grin. “What am I, chopped liver?”
    â€œAnita, you know I didn’t mean . . .”
    â€œI know, I’m one of the boys. I understand.”
    â€œYou are better than any of the boys at work.”
    â€œSit down. Let me pour coffee in your mouth before your foot fits in again.”
    â€œYou are being difficult. You know what I meant.” He stared at me out of his solid brown eyes, face very serious.
    I smiled. “Yeah, I know what you meant.”
    I picked one of the dozen or so mugs from my kitchen cabinet. My favorite mugs dangled from a mug-tree on the countertop.
    Manny sat down, sipping coffee, glancing at his cup. It was red with black letters that said, “I’m a coldhearted bitch but I’m good at it.” He laughed coffee up his nose.
    I sipped my own coffee from a mug decorated with fluffy baby penguins. I’d never admit it, but it is my favorite mug.
    â€œWhy don’t you bring your penguin mug to work?” he asked.
    Bert’s latest brainstorm was that we all use personalized coffee cups at work. He thought it would add a homey note to the office. I hadbrought in a grey on grey cup that said, “It’s a dirty job and I get to do it.” Bert had made me take it home.
    â€œI enjoy yanking Bert’s chain.”
    â€œSo you’re going to keep bringing in unacceptable cups.”
    I smiled. “Mm-uh.”
    He just shook his head.
    â€œI really appreciate you coming to see Dominga with me.”
    He shrugged. “I couldn’t let you go see the devil woman alone, could I?”
    I frowned at the nickname, or was it an insult? “That’s what your wife calls Dominga, not what I call her.”
    He glanced down at the gun still lying on the tabletop. “But you’ll take a gun with you, just in case.”
    I looked at him over the top of my cup. “Just in case.”
    â€œIf it comes to shooting our way out, Anita, it will be too late. She has bodyguards all over the place.”
    â€œI don’t plan to shoot anybody. We are just going to ask a few questions. That’s all.”
    He smirked. “ Por favor , Señora Salvador, did you raise a killer zombie recently?”
    â€œKnock it off, Manny. I know it’s awkward.”
    â€œAwkward?” He shook his head. “Awkward, she says. If you piss off Dominga Salvador, it’s a hell of a lot more than just awkward.”
    â€œYou don’t have to come.”
    â€œYou called me for backup.” He smiled that brilliant teeth-flashing smile that lit up his entire face. “You didn’t call Charles or Jamison. You called me, and, Anita, that is the best compliment you could give an old man.”
    â€œYou’re not an old man.” And I meant it.
    â€œThat is not what my wife keeps telling me. Rosita has forbidden me to go vampire hunting with you, but she can’t curtail my zombie-related activities, not yet anyway.”
    The surprise must have shone on my face, because he said, “I know she talked to you two years back, when I was in the hospital.”
    â€œYou almost died,” I said.
    â€œAnd you had how many broken bones?”
    â€œRosita made a reasonable request, Manny. You have four children to think of.”
    â€œAnd I’m too old to be slaying vampires.” His voice held irony, and almost bitterness.
    â€œYou’ll never be too old,” I said.
    â€œA nice thought.” He drained his coffee mug. “We better go. Don’t want to keep the Señora