Читать книгу A Bet Turned Deadly - Alice Zogg - Страница 6

We met in the Jock Master Sporting Goods parking lot in the San Fernando Valley on that mild and sunny spring morning. Jacob had an agreement with the store owners to leaving the group’s individual cars parked on their lot for the week. The idea was that we would all drive up in Jacob’s van and my SUV. He had hooked up an enclosed small cargo trailer to his van, loaded with food and water, as well as tents and other camping gear. Air mattresses and sleeping bags were stored on his roof luggage carrier.

We got there early and found Jacob already waiting for us. He greeted Tala with, “Great to have you along. I couldn’t persuade Holly to join us; she’s a high maintenance sort of woman.” He chuckled, “Her words: ‘I’ll take sleeping in a comfortable bed, hot showers, and microwaving my food any day over your nature hunt!’”

The rest of our campers arrived in pairs or alone, and Jacob checked them off his attendance list. I had not met any of these people before and I don’t think that even Jacob knew our guests well. There was a blue-collar guy in his early thirties by the name of Todd; Marcelo, a kid of twenty-one; The Kim family - Yon and Min with their six-year-old little boy Mikey; a lesbian couple Hannah and London; and brothers Derek and Curtis, a pair of rednecks in their mid-twenties.

Jacob was pissed when the Kims showed up with a young child. He whispered to me, “I had no idea. I hope they don’t expect us to play little kids games.”

We had loaded everyone’s backpack and the booster car seat for Mikey into our respective vehicles, and people were ready to step into the cars when Jacob said, “Candie Valentina and her friend Nicklaus aren’t here yet.”

I said, “You’re kidding. The Candie Valentina. As in Hollywood?”

“Yep, her.”

As the group was getting antsy, Jacob said, “Dammit. Marcelo took the train and a bus, and managed to get here on time, so why can’t Candie and her friend?” Checking his watch, he continued, “I give them five more minutes and if they don’t show, we’ll leave without them.”

We already had our motors running when a late-model Mercedes-Benz tore into the parking lot at high speed. Candie leaned out the driver’s side window, hollering, “Looks like I’ve made it just in time. I’ll follow you!”

Jacob turned off the engine, got out of the car and said, “As agreed, we’re only taking the van and the SUV. So park your car and hop in.”

She argued, “No offense, but I refuse to leave my car in this lot for a week. Besides, I’m sure there isn’t room in your vehicles for my two suitcases and a carry-on.”

Jacob asked, “Where is Nicklaus?”

Hearing his name, a black poodle stuck his head out the back window and let out a happy bark.

“You’re taking a dog along? You must be out of your mind!”

Jacob stepped closer to Candie’s Mercedes and they argued some more, but I could not hear what was said. Judging by the way he gesticulated with his hand, there appeared to be a fierce battle of wills. Then he seemed to give in and walked back to his van shouting, “I bet you have a built-in GPS in the car.”

She promised, “I’ll keep it turned off.”

And so we caravanned to our destination, with Jacob leading the way in the van, followed by my SUV, and Candie’s Mercedes bringing up the rear. I could already tell that Candie Valentina was going to be a pain in the ass.