“Excuse me for a minute.”
I walk over to the wall-mounted phone and lift the receiver.
“Main Street Mechanics.”
The old geezer on the other end doesn’t bother with introduction and launches straight into particulars.
“I’m pretty sure I have one that’ll fit, but I ain’t going out in this weather to look.This for the truck I sold that kid?”
“Yeah, for the Chevy pickup,” I confirm.
“Well, you’re gonna hafta come over and look for yourselves.I’m here ’til six.”
“Won’t be today, Wally, but I can do tomorrow if someone’s gonna be there.”
Today would be too late anyway; by the time I’d get there I’d have lost daylight already.Better tomorrow so I can actually see something.
“Should be,” the old man acknowledges.
“I’ll see you then.”
I end the call and join Tessa, who has her eyebrow raised.
“I’ve been hunting for a part for the boy’s truck, and it looks like I may have found it.Do you think he’d want to tag along tomorrow?Same junkyard.”
“I’m sure he’d love that.”
I walk over to the banister, leaning over as I yell down.
“Yo, kid!You up to go on a hunt for a new transmission tomorrow?”
Remi turns his head and grins up at me.
“Hell, yeah!”
Chapter24
Clem
“Grab that box, will ya?”
I point Remi to the large box I left at the bottom of the stairs.It’s big, and a bit cumbersome, but not too heavy for the kid.
Tessa dropped him off ten minutes ago.She’d stuck around here for a bit yesterday afternoon, and shared about the arrest the FBI had made on the investigation, and Remi’s role in it.Turns out the poor kid was towing a pretty heavy load.At some point I’d gone down to give the boy a hand trying to take apart the truck’s engine, while Tessa had a short nap on the couch upstairs.
But when the snow let up late in the afternoon, she took Remi home.Sensing she might want a quiet night with her boys, I told her I had a few things I needed to take care of.All of which are now packed in that big box.
“Where does it go?”he asks as he lifts it up.
“Back of my truck.”I toss my keys over the railing.“Why don’t you warm it up; I’ll be right out.”
I brew a fresh coffee in my travel mug and take a water bottle from the fridge for the kid.Then I make sure Mouse has fresh water.
“Watch the place, okay, girl?”
I give her a few pets before heading downstairs, make sure all doors are locked, and join Remi who’s already sitting in the passenger seat of my running truck.
“Jesus, even my ass is cold,” I observe grumbling, cranking up the heat in the cab even higher.“I should’ve invested in a seat heater.”
