The Devil's Dwelling Read Online Free PDF Page B

days or two thousand miles is all the warranty you get from me.” Mr. Hood smiled and his gold tooth caught the sunlight blinding me.
    We found a nice Ford Explorer setting in the back of the lot next to a trailer set up for an office.
    “What are you asking for this one?” 
    I looked in checking out the interior. Hopped in the drivers seat and turned the ignition over. “Let’s go for a test drive.”
    “It aint for sale.”  Mr. Hood threw his hat on the ground , picked it up and dusted it off, straightened the brim and put it back on his head. “It aint for sale.”
    “Don’t give me that song and dance you sell cars, everything is for sale.”
    “That’s my personal rig.”  Mr. Hood was rubbing the back of his neck when Mona and I drove off the lot. We made a few blocks and headed back to the lot. Mr. Hood was sitting on the steps to the office shaking his head. I jumped from the Explorer and walked up to Mr. Hood.
    “What’s your bottom dollar?”
    Mr. Hood pushed his hat to the back revealing his balding head. “Like I said it’s not for sale. But if you really want to buy it it’ll cost you.”
    Mr. Hood came up with a dollar amount and I offered 500 dollars less.
    “Okay, it’s yours. That’ll be cash.”
    “I don’t have cash but my words good. I’ll bring you the money in a few weeks.”
    “You get my price down and you don’t have the money to buy this rig.” Shaking his head. “Come on in the office.” We followed Mr. Hood up the steps to his office a trailer from the fifties with a small dinette area for signing papers.  The back of the trailer was set up for storing files and maybe napping or whatever on the cot.
    Mr. Hoods secretary wrote a note for the car. He slapped a temporary tag on the rear window. I signed the note and Mona and I again had wheels.
     
    Sheriff Randy Reagan and I have been seeing each other for too many years to count. Seems when Randy is ready to commit I’m not and the reverse. Randy joined the sheriff department right out of Junior College and worked his way through the ranks. He was elected Sheriff about five years ago.  He doesn’t approve of my occupation, although he is always ready to help me out when I find myself in a bad situation or needing information.
    My phone rang. I looked at the readout.  “It’s the Sheriff .“  I told Mona.
    “I hear you are looking for Marty Martin. Meet me over at Main and K Street.”
    “You got it. I’m driving a red explorer.”
    “What happened to the Blazer?”
    “It’s in the shop getting new shoes.”
    “The way you drive her I’m not surprised.”  Sheriff Reagan said and chuckled.
     
    I pulled out from the curb heading for Main and K Street when I  noticed a black sedan in my rear view mirror.
    “Mona, we have a tail. It‘s the same dang black sedan we chased the other day.”
    I tossed the phone to Mona.
    “Hit number one on speed dial and tell Sheriff Reagan we have a tail and won’t be stopping at the lot.”
    “Sheriff Reagan.” Came across the phone loud and clear.
    “This is Mona, Tiffany’s partner. We have a tail. We’ll just drive by the lot. Maybe you can get a make on the black sedan.”
    I cut the corner making a cloud of dust as we crossed the empty lot. The black sedan was in pursuit and couldn’t see the Sheriff’s car for the dust bellowing up.  I continued on trying to ditch the black sedan.
    “How the heck did they know we changed rigs?”
    I turned into the city parking garage. It’s a maze to get through I hoped the black sedan wasn’t familiar with the layout of the garage. Tires screeched as we rounded the corners. I drove through every obstacle and couldn’t shake the black sedan. Bullets were zinging off the concrete walls.  Mona was returning fire but never connecting except for maybe a few cars park in the way of her target.  I took the ‘do not exit’’ ramp going the wrong way,  knocking the wooden barricade to the side.  As I exited the