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“I wanted to have something classy like a martini, but we didn’t have any of the right stuff, so this is whiskey poured into a martini glass.” She held the chip bag out to me. “Want some? They’re spicy barbecue.”
“I’ll pass. I can’t stay. I came to borrow the Buick.”
“What happened to your Jeep?”
“It got smashed by an FTA.”
“What happened to your face?”
“It got punched by the FTA’s girlfriend.”
“That sucks,” Grandma said. “Are you sure you don’t want a whiskeytini?”
“It’s tempting, but no. Things to do. Places to go. People to see.”
“Anybody I know?”
“I’m still looking for Nutsy.”
“I heard his parents’ car got blown up,” Grandma said. “I can’t imagine who would do such a thing to the Manleys.”
“Do you have any ideas?”
Grandma sipped her whiskeytini and smiled. “I suppose I’ve got one or two.”
“Me too,” I said. “You go first.”
“I think it has to do with Nutsy. It looked like Nutsy had settled into his job with Plover. He was living at home. He wasn’tdoing anything nuts. And then there’s this robbery. And he’s accused of stealing a tray of diamondsafterthe robbery. And then he disappears, but he’s still in the area because people see him from time to time. Just glimpses of him. Like he’s in hiding. So, there’s something going on here, but the diamond robbery doesn’t fit. I can’t see it going down like that with Nutsy. I could see him taking something on a dare, but everyone would know about it. And he’d give it back.”
I nodded. “My exact thoughts,” I said to Grandma.
“There was some talk about the robbery and all in the beginning,” Grandma said, “but it got old pretty fast. Nutsy’s stunts aren’t exactly news anymore. Now all of a sudden, his parents’ car gets blown up. Now it’s getting interesting again.”
“Do you think someone thought it was Nutsy’s car?”
“Not for a second,” Grandma said. “Everybody knows Nutsy has a motorcycle. I think this was a warning. I think you’re not the only one after Nutsy. Someone’s trying to flush him out.”
“Who?” I asked her.
“I don’t know,” Grandma said. “Who do you think?”
“I don’t know who it is, either. Maybe someone who thinks he’s got the tray of stolen diamonds.”
“Plover?” Grandma asked.
“I guess that’s one possibility, but I can’t see him skulking around under cover of darkness, planting a bomb.”
“He could have hired someone.”
“Or there could be undiscovered people involved.”
“I suppose you want me to help you unravel this mystery,” Grandma said.
“Keep your ear to the ground,” I told her.
CHAPTER TEN
Bob and I rumbled out of my parents’ garage in the Buick. I drove past Morelli’s house to make sure it hadn’t burned down. I drove past the Manley house to make sure Nutsy’s Yamaha SR400 wasn’t in the driveway. I drove past the office to see if the Jeep had been picked up. Morelli’s house looked fine. No motorcycle in the Manley driveway. My Jeep was still in front of the bail bonds office.
