American Heroes Series - 03 - Purgatory Read Online Free PDF Page B

the woman.
    “She has two kids,” he finally
said. “Leave her alone, Monty. Don’t let the woman’s first impression of the
town be the mayor who wants to get into her pants.”
    Monty’s eyebrows lifted. “She’s a
best-selling author and now a local celebrity. It’s my duty as the mayor to
welcome her.”
    “You can welcome her, but don’t
act like you usually do. Don’t invite her out for dinner and drinks that don’t
include your wife.”
    Nash was taking all of the fun
out of Monty’s good time.  Monty sat back in his chair and began to pout.
    “Not all of us can be celibate
like you,” he countered, meaning it as a dig. “You and Julie divorced six years
ago and I don’t think I’ve seen you with a woman since. Have you gone frigid,
Nash? Maybe gay?”
    Nash and Monty had grown up
together, their families both deeply entrenched in the area for generations.
Trouble was, he never really liked Monty a whole lot. The man was a political
brown-noser with a penchant for only watching out for himself. He’d been that
way even back in high school. Listening to the man, Nash was once again
reminded of why he didn’t like him.
    “I’ve been busy getting an
appointment from the governor,” he jabbed back at the politically ambitious
man. “Some of us actually do our job, Monty.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    Nash stood up, knowing that if he
kept going he would say things he shouldn’t.
    “Nothing,” he grumbled. “Look, if
you don’t want to talk about the city council meeting, then I have things I
need to do.”
    Monty jabbed a fat finger at him.
“State Police Commissioner isn’t such a big deal,” he told him, his manner
filled with pure green jealousy. “You told the entire state assembly that you
were going to rid the state of corrupt police when you took office, but we all
know that was just a bunch of bullshit. When I’m governor, I’m going to bust
you down to patrolman. You’re not so great.”
    Nash just shook his head at him.
“Goodbye, Monty.”
    Monty started to yell at him but
Nash was out the door, shutting the panel to block out the man’s bad humored
threats. He was thinking ahead to the paperwork he had waiting for him back at
the office and the three o’clock meeting with Human Resources on Sexual
Harassment training for parish deputies. But he was thinking more about a
luscious blond he left back at what used to be his old family homestead.  He
had a mountain of work to do but found he couldn’t think of anything other than
her.
    By the time he hit his car down
in the parking lot, his plans for the afternoon had drastically changed.
     

 
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
    “Ms. Biffy, Ms. Tulip and Ms.
Leon have sent me to tell yo’ to come and visit them today.”
    Elliot was standing at her front
door, listening to a very old African-American man.  He wasn’t making much
sense but he seemed very sincere in his requests, although demands were more
like it.
     He was dressed in old black
pants, a dirty white shirt, and held his frayed straw hat in his gnarled hands.
From the weathered lines on his face, he must have been as old as the hills. He
seemed polite enough but Elliot really couldn’t figure out who he was or why he
had come other than a few politely, and perhaps urgently, uttered sentences.
    “Ms. Biffy, Ms. Tulip and Ms.
Leon?” she repeated. 
    “Yes’m.”
    “Who are they?”
    “The ladies , ma’am.”
    “What ladies?”
    He pointed off down the gravel
road. “The ladies from The Bottoms, ma’am. They want yo’ to come to the house.”
    Elliot’s features screwed up with
confusion. “They want me to…?”She stopped, shaking her head at the man. “Wait a
minute; let’s start over.  You said your name was Mickey?”
    “Yes’m.”
    “And these women sent you to
bring me to them?”
    Old Mickey clutched his hat.
“Yes’m. Ms. Biffy saw yo’ movin’ in with her lookin’ glass and she sent me to
fetch yo’.”
    By this time,