Earthshaker

Chapter 36

Chapter 36By the time I walked into Late Jim's diner the next morning, everyone else was already there, plus two strangers—a young guy and girl in battered leather jackets and bluejeans. It was pretty much as I'd expected, since I was arriving fifteen minutes late, at a quarter after six.

No big deal, as far as I was concerned. Let them wait, especially Duke. He'd kept me waiting long enough for answers, hadn't he?

"Gaia!" He waved me over to the counter, where he, Laurel, Corinne, and the strangers were gathered. "I want you to meet someone."

See if you can guess what kind of mood I was in that morning. "If his name isn't 'big cup of coffee,' he can wait." You guessed it: "Sinking fast." My meeting with Duke the night before had left me spinning in free-fall. I'd gotten all of two hours' worth of sleep after my walk, so I had just the right edge of pissed-offness and unpredictability to make me a perfect loose cannon. Just when I most needed to be calm, cool, and in control.

As I walked over to the counter, Corinne poured me a cup from the coffee pot. "Order up!" She plunked the cup down on the countertop and put the pot beside it. "I'm guessing you take it black."

"This morning, I do." I whisked the cup from the counter and had a long drink. It wasn't exactly Duke's, but that was probably for the best. My anger might've killed the taste, if you know what I mean.

Not that Duke was about to stay out of my face. "Gaia." He got off the stool he was sitting on and pulled over the young strangers. "This is Roy and Rusty."

I shook their hands without smiling. Figured they were there for my own good, but I couldn't help my lousy mood. "Nice to meet you."

"Roy and Rusty, meet Gaia Charmer." Duke was pouring on the personality, like always, but I could tell he had an edge. Seemed to me he hadn't walked away from last night unscathed, and I was glad of it.

"Roy's my son," said Corinne.

"Hi, Gaia." Roy had red hair and freckles like his mother. Similar all around, except younger and skinnier. I guessed he was no older than twenty and at least sixteen, though I could've been all wet on that one. "Rusty's my girlfriend."

"Charmed, Ms. Charmer." Rusty crinkled her nose when she laughed. Watched sharply from ice blue eyes under shimmering blonde bangs. I knew in an instant she had a mind like a lightning bolt.

But like I said, I was grouchy. "Say, that's funny. I've never heard that one before."

"You don't have a daughter named Lucky, do you?" said Rusty. "She didn't marry a boy with the last name Bracelet, I hope."

"Sorry, no." I sipped my coffee. "But my brother's first name is Snake."

Rusty's gleaming blonde hair shook when she laughed. "Good one, Gaia."

Corinne cleared her throat. "Would you like something to eat, Gaia? Breakfast's on the house."

I glanced at the breakfast dishes in front of Duke and Laurel. Nothing left but toast crumbs and smears of egg and jelly. "Maybe later. How're things coming along?"

"Roy and Rusty have offered to take us into Parapets," said Duke. "They know a way onto the property."

"We ride our quads around there all the time," said Roy. "We found a hole in the Great Wall, all right." Grinning, he high-fived Rusty.

"How far in have you gone?" I said. "Have you scouted the whole compound?"

"If by 'whole compound,' you mean the far corner by the hole in the fence," said Rusty, "then hell yes."

Roy shrugged. "We can get you in, though."

I emptied my cup and reached for the pot on the counter. "When can we leave?"

"As soon as you make with the ching." Rusty held out her hand, palm up, and jabbed a finger at the palm. "Fill 'er up, guys."

Duke dug into his pants pockets and came up with a rolled-up wad of cash. Hundred-dollar bills, actually. "How's this for a downpayment?" He dusted a little dirt off the cash and dropped it square in Rusty's palm.

Rusty didn't blink. "A little on the light side, dontcha think?"

"Downpayment?" Roy gaped at the cash. "That's a downpayment?"

Suddenly, Corinne scooted out from behind the counter and grabbed the wad of bills from Rusty's hand. "This is too much." She tried to hand it back to Duke.

But Duke wouldn't take it. "I think it's fair, ma'am. This is a risky job. They could get in trouble or worse." His expression was grim. "We don't know what kind of security they have up there. People could get hurt."

Corinne stared at the money, then looked at me. "We want to help you find whoever killed your best friend." She looked at Laurel. "And your lover. We're not interested in cashing in on your grief."

"Thank you." Laurel's serene smile was firmly in place. She was back to the role of the benevolent mountain range incarnate. "Bless you. But this is the least we can do."

"We can't take this." Corinne tried again to hand back the wad of money.

Rusty cleared her throat loudly and hip-checked Roy, who almost fell over. "We can't?" said Roy.

"It's fair," said Duke. "We insist."

"Now wait a minute." I took the money from Corinne. "Shouldn't we wait till we talk to Mahoney?"

"Mahoney?" Rusty planted her hands on her hips and thrust out her chin. "What about Mahoney?"

"He's looking into arranging a visit to Parapets," I said. "He knows his way around the place."

I noticed a flicker of emotion in Corinne's eyes. Did she have a history with Mahoney? "He might be able to help you," she said.

"'Scuse me." Rusty put her hand on Corinne's shoulder. "You're talking us out of a job here, y'know."

"Gaia." Laurel was practically glowing with tranquil wisdom. "Maybe all of them could help us." She said it like she was the one who'd come up with the idea in the first place. Like it had just then popped into her head.

I was starting to think the two of us were doomed to a love/hate relationship. Mostly hate. "Why not?" I said it with sarcastic enthusiasm. "The more, the merrier!"

"And the more people who get a share of the money." Rusty said it under her breath.

"Don't worry, young lady." Duke said it with a fatherly smile. "There's plenty to go around."

Rusty waved off his reassurance and crossed her arms over her chest with a vengeance. "It's not fair. Mahoney's always stealing our business. R&R Quadmania was the only one doing guided tours of Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob on quad-back, till that mope set up shop."

"R&R Quadmania's our company," Roy said by way of explanation.

"A serious company," said Rusty. "Not just a tax write-off."

"They have a company." Corinne ruffled Roy's hair. "I'm so proud of them."

Just then, the bell on the door jingled, and two customers walked in. I took it as my cue to get moving. "Thanks for the coffee." I plunked my empty cup on the counter beside the almost-empty pot.

As Laurel, Duke, and I headed for the door, Rusty called out behind us. "See you later," she said. "If we're still here."

I pushed the door open. "Okay then."

"If we don't take another job first," said Rusty.

"Sounds good," I said as the three of us walked outside.

"And you can tell Mahoney I said..." The rest of Rusty's words were lost behind the closing door.