Touch and Go (A Mercy Watts Short) Read Online Free PDF

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    “Hi, Dad!” Stevie said.
    “Hello, son.” They looked at each other, Big Steve’s intelligent eyes looking into Stevie’s blank ones. I’d have liked to have known their thoughts, except Stevie probably didn’t have any.
    Big Steve turned to me and said, “Mercy, thank you for doing this. If you need anything, call me.” He gave me a look that I knew meant absolutely anything and I took note. Stevie started talking about his flight and we left. I dropped Claire off and went home to find Pick in the fridge eating hot dogs. Skanky was crouched a couple of feet away, gnawing on a dog of his own. Dog and cat had come to an understanding. Pick was the brains of the operation and Skanky had the inside dope.

For the next three days I slogged my way through Peds. Mrs. Jackson walked Pick for me and Chuck was still MIA. On the fourth day, I planned to sleep until hunger or the phone woke me. Neither did. At ten till seven something started pestering me. This went on for a while despite much cursing and position changing. It was Skanky. He was tenderizing my entire body like I was a huge steak. Pick joined in by licking. When Skanky started meowing, I gave up and fed them.  
    I hit the road by eight-thirty. Lucky for me there was only one bank in St. Seb. The bank was a one-story art deco affair in sad shape. The lobby wasn’t much better. I didn’t see anyone who fit the description Christina gave me. A couple of blond tellers eyed me at the far end of the counter. I walked over and said, “Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for someone.”
    “Who?” they said.
    “I’m afraid I don’t have a name. She’s in her thirties, blond, big nose and wears a lot of jewelry.”
    They looked at each other and shrugged.
    “Her husband may have disappeared about nine years ago.”  
    “Evelyn!” they said and gave each other a high five.
    “Evelyn?”  
    “Evelyn Calvin or Sorbeck. Take your pick,” said the heavier of the duo. It said Judy on her name tag.
    The other one tagged Sara said, “Please. I wouldn’t try calling her Sorbeck, if you know what I mean.”
    “She’s divorced?”
    “Doubt it,” said Sara.
    “Didn’t hang around long enough for that. When he split, he was G-O-N-E.”  
    “And he got it all. Least that’s what I heard.” Sara looked at Judy.
    “Oh, yeah. He took everything, including her sense of humor,” said Judy.
    “Did you ever meet him?” I asked.
    “Yeah. We all went out to dinner a few times.”  
    “I never liked him,” said Sara.
    “You did too. We all did. He was so sweet and—”  
    “And full of shit.”
    “Yes he was, but we did like him. Until later of course.”
    “Full of shit?” I said.
    “Oh, yeah. He could really lay a load and we bought it all,” said Judy.
    “I wouldn’t say that. We sort of wanted to believe it. It’s not like we could prove that he was lying,” said Sara.
    “What did he say?” I said.
    They put down their coffee cups, looked around, and edged closer to me.
    “He said he was in the CIA and not to talk about him to strangers,” said Judy.
    “He told me he was a Green Beret and had a Top Secret clearance,” said Sara.
    “How about that he was a spy in Red China.”
    “Or how he invented the Internet.”  
    “That was Gore.”
    “I know, but Evan said it too, I swear.” Sara crossed her heart.
    “What a loser. I felt so sorry for Evelyn when he ran off. You know he’d maxed all her credit cards and she’d bought him a brand-new car.”
    “What about the loans?”
    “Oh lord, the loans. She is still paying them off.”
    “Loans?” I said.
    “She took out a collateral loan on her own car so he could reestablish his credit after being undercover as a spy and all.” Judy rolled her eyes.
    “And worse, the home equity loan. That was thirty-five thousand dollars.”
    “How much did he take her for?” I said.
    “Who knows. I think he cleaned out her accounts too,” said