Читать книгу The Redneck Riviera - Richard N. Côté - Страница 12

Captain Willie’s Restaurant

The Tuesday night crowd was fairly brisk, but not as heavy as the weekend crush. Ron hadn’t been thrilled with the rest of their weekend afternoon together. “Lack-a-nookie is the driving force of the universe,” Dolly recalled as she delivered an order. She had once heard Chrissie say to one of her girlfriends, “Men will do anything to get a little.”

“What happened, Dolly?” Ron had asked the next time they saw each other. “We’d been having such a good time all morning and then...nothing.”

“Do you ever take your ear off that damn cell phone?” she said. “And do you ever get calls from men – or just women?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Ron admitted. “Sometimes it seems like I don’t know how to relax anymore. But don’t worry – those were just clients or the wives of clients. Men don’t care about the details that go into choosing a condo. They leave that to the women. That’s why I get so many calls from women.”

Dolly wasn’t sure that the answer really addressed the question, but she was mollified and grateful that he’d at least taken the time to explain. Most of her old boyfriends wouldn't have bothered.

“The next time we go out, can you turn that damn thing off?” she asked in a warm but mildly sarcastic voice. “It kinda throws cold water on things, if you catch my drift.”

One look into her big blue eyes and Ron caught her drift quickly. “I won’t even bring it with me,” he said and wrapped his arms around her. In return, he got a small, but affectionate kiss. She meant it to be a preview of coming events. It worked like a charm.

“How about we run down to Savannah for the weekend? I know a beautiful little Victorian bed-and-breakfast place. We can take a carriage tour, have dinner on the waterfront, catch a little jazz. What do you say?”

“Hey, fella, I have to work for a living, remember?” she said. “And I work almost every weekend.”

“Aw, come on. See what you can do.”

“OK,” she replied. “I’ll try to get someone to cover for me. I'm always doing it for the other girls.”

He kissed her. “Gotta run. I’ll call you.”

The cars were starting to fill Captain Willie’s parking lot, and the staff was bustling when Ruthie called Dolly to the phone. The look in her eye put Dolly a little on edge. “For you, Honey,” Ruthie said, and quickly walked away.

“This is Dolly Devereaux,” she said.

“Dolly – er, Ms. Devereaux – this is Detective Capt. Steven Hunt of the Myrtle Beach Police Department. We need you to come to the station. Your daughter is under arrest for possession of a controlled substance.”

“What?” Dolly screamed. “What are you talking about, Steve? April’s only seventeen. She’s at school.”

“I’m sorry, Dolly,” said her former high school boyfriend, now head of the vice and narcotics division of the police department. “Today was a staff development day. Teachers only. The kids didn’t have to go to school. April was arrested on the beach behind the Pavilion with a group of known drug users. She had what we think is crystal methamphetamine and some other drugs in her purse. They’re testing them now. She was high when they busted her, and she’s coming down fast from whatever she’s on. We need you to get over here now.”

Dolly mumbled something and placed the receiver back on the hook. Grabbing her purse from behind the counter, she ran for the side door, forgetting to even remove her apron.