Corridor Man Read Online Free PDF Page A

he was going to pull that off?
    “I could email this list to you?” she suggested.
    “That’s okay, Marci. I’ll get it from you when I fill out that contractor form. I’m tied up for the rest of the day, I could be down there tomorrow morning if that works.”
    “Yes, it will, Mr. Custer, tomorrow then,” her tone suggested she didn’t quite believe him.
    “Tomorrow,” he said and hung up the pay phone. He’d have to get moving if he wanted to walk down to the licensing bureau before they closed.
    He was posing for his driver’s license photo an hour later. He had passed the test by two points. A fact some might consider too close for comfort, but at this stage didn’t matter to Bobby in the least.
    “Okay, and look this way, sir. That’s it, look into the red light. There, I’ll have an image for you in just a moment so you can make sure it’s okay.”
    She was an attractive thing, he guessed maybe thirty-five and probably Hispanic from the dark eyes and hair, well and the nametag that read “L. Montez.”
    “Would you please just look at the screen here, sir and let me know if this image is acceptable.”
    It looked like someone much older staring back at him on the monitor, thinner, maybe a bit dubious-looking, but in the end still Bobby. “Yeah, that’s me, but can you make me look about ten years younger?” he joked.
    “So it’s okay?” she asked not finding any humor in his comment.
    “Yes, it is.”
    “All right, sir, you’ll see your license in the mail in two to three weeks’ time. This temporary license is good for thirty days. Have it in your possession at all times when you’re driving,” she instructed, then handed him a yellow carbon copy of his license application.
    “Thank you.”

Chapter Ten
     
     
    He still needed a set of wheels. He made three phone calls from the pay phone in the lower level of the downtown public library. He was calling former acquaintances, hoping they might help. He left messages on all three calls which was stupid because they couldn’t call him back. This wasn’t working.
    He walked a mile and a half up West Seventh Street to a used car lot, of sorts. There were nine cars in the lot under a hand-painted sign advertising FAST EDDIE’S AUTO L. The tail end of the sign had been broken off, just after the letter L. Suggesting maybe there had been another word there at one time like, ‘LOT’ or ‘LAND’.
    Eight of the vehicles were priced north of fourteen hundred dollars and out of his price range. There was a faded blue Geo Metro in the back corner with a sign on the dash that said ‘Runs Good’ along with a lot of bird droppings on the windshield.
    He crossed the street to a McDonald’s and called the number on the ‘Runs Good’ sign from a pay phone. Fast Eddie answered on the third ring.
    “Yeah.”
    “I’m calling about a car I saw at Fast Eddie’s.
    “You looking to buy?”
    “Yeah.” Bobby said wondering why else he would be calling?
    “You there now?” Fast Eddie sounded hopeful.
    “Actually, I’m just across the street, grabbing a bite at McDonald’s.”
    “I’ll be at the lot in just a couple of minutes.”
    Fast Eddie looked a little larger than some of the cars on his lot. He appeared to weigh in at about three hundred and seventy five pounds and probably rarely got up off the couch. Sizing him up, Bobby had a tough time believing he had ever been fast.
    Eddie eyed Bobby the moment he stepped out of the McDonald’s and watched while he crossed the street.
    “You the guy that called?” Fast Eddie asked through a mouthful of chocolate doughnut as Bobby stepped up onto the curb. There was no one else in sight of the car lot.
    “Yes, I am.”
    “Looking at that Ford Ranger? I hate to let it go for that, but I’ve got to move it, make room for a delivery I’ve got coming in. I’m gonna be losing money on it for sure.”
    Bobby thought maybe the only delivery Eddie had coming in was from Domino’s. “Actually,