Where There's Smoke Read Online Free PDF Page B

employees addressed her, they cleaned up their act.
     
    Of counse Jody would shoot on sight any man using vulgarities in either her or her daughter's presence.   Paradoxically, Jody herself had an extensive vocabulary of obscenities and blasphemies, an irony that seemed to escape her.
     
    The fact that Janellen emanated an invisible repellent against casual and unguarded behavior didn't please her.   In fact, she considered this characteristic a liability.   It set her apart and proved that she didn't attract men in any way, on any level including friendship.
     
    She couldn't even be one of the boys, although she'd grown up having to contend with two older brothers.
     
    She wasn't so much affronted by Key's salty language as she was stunned.   In a way she took it as a compliment.   Key, however, couldn't guess that.
     
    "Oh, hell," he muttered remorsefully and stroked her cheek.   "I'm sorry.   I didn't mean to say that.   It's just that you're too hard on yourself.   Lighten up, for chrissake.   Have some fun.   Take off a year and go to Europe.   Raise hell.   Create a ruckus.   Scare up a scandal.
     
    Broaden your scope.   Life's too short to be taken so seriously.   It's passing you by."
     
    She smiled, clasped his hand, and kissed the back of it.   "Apology accepted.   I know you didn't mean to hurt my feelings or insult me.
     
    But you're wrong, Key.   Life isn't passing me by.   My life is here, and I'm content with it.   I'm so busy, I don't know how I'd fit in another interest, romantic or otherwise.
     
    "Granted, my life isn't as exciting as yours, but I don't want it to be.   You're the globe-trotter.   I'm a homebody, not at all suited to hell-raising and ruckuses and scandals."
     
    She laid her hand on his forearm.   "I don't want to argue with you on your first day home since Clark's .   . ."   She couldn't bring herself to complete the sentence.   She dropped her hand from his arm.   "Let's go downstairs.   The coffee should be ready by now.
     
    "Good.   I could use a cup or two before facing the old lady.   What time does she usually get up?"
     
    "The old lady is up."
     
    In the doorway stood their mother, Jody Tackett.
     
    Bowie Cato came awake when he was nudged hard in the ribs with the toe of a boot.   "Hey, you, get up.
     
    Bowie opened his eyes and rolled onto his back.   It took him several seconds to remember he was sleeping in the storeroom of The Palm, the loudest, raunchiest, and seediest tavern in a row of loud, raunchy, and seedy taverns lining both sides of the two-lane highway on the outskirts of Eden Pass.
     
    As the recently hired janitor, Bowie did most of his work after 2:00
     
    A.M when the tavern closed, and that was on a slow night.
     
    In addition to the piddling salary he earned, the owner had granted him permission to sleep on the storeroom floor in a sleeping bag.
     
    "What's going' on?"   he asked groggily.   It seemed he hadn't slept for more than a few hours.
     
    "Get up."   He got the boot in the ribs again, more like a bona fide kick this time.   His first impulse was to grab the offending foot and sling it aside, throwing its owner off balance and landing him flat on his ass.
     
    But Bowie had spent the last three years in the state pen for giving vent to a violent impulse and he wasn't keen on the idea of serving another three.
     
    Without comment or argument, he sat up and shook his muzzy head.
     
    Squinting through the sunlight coming from the window, he saw the silhouettes of two men standing over him.
     
    "I'm sorry, Bowie."   Speaking now was Hap Hollister, owner of The Palm.
     
    "I told Gus that you'd been here all night, didn't leave the premises once since seven o'clock last evenin', but he said he had to check you out anyway on account of you being an ex-con.
     
    He and the sheriff asked around last night and, best as they can tell, at the present, you're the only suspicious character in town."
     
    "I