The Maine Events Rodney Riesel (red white and royal blue hardcover .TXT) 📖

only one other person waiting for breakfast. Thatman sat at the other table, facing the building. Allen thought that a bit odd.Why would anyone face a building instead of the ocean? Maybe the guy's alocal, and sees the ocean every day, he thought. Maybe this is nothingnew to him.

“Number thirteen!”

“Hey, that's my number too,” Allen mumbled.

“I ordered mine before he did,” the other guy complained.

Allen rolled his eyes. “You want mine?” he asked.

“What?”

“You want my breakfast, and I'll wait for yours?”

“No.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I just thought maybe they forgot about me.”

Allen walked up to the order window. “Did you forget aboutthis guy out here?” he asked.

“No,” said the woman inside.

“It's fine, buddy,” said the guy. “I'm not worried aboutit.”

“Never mind,” Allen said. “My buddy says it's fine. He saidit's okay for you to run your business the way you see fit.”

“That's not what I meant,” said the guy.

The woman handed Allen his Styrofoam to-go container.

“Thank you,” said Allen. “Come on, Frankie, let's go sit bythe beach and eat—wait.” Allen stopped and spun around. “Were you going to siton the beach?”

“No,” said the guy.

“Okay, because I didn't want to jump in front of you if youwere first in line for sitting by the beach.”

The guy glared at Allen for a second. “You got a problemwith me, buddy?”

“Good lord, no,” Allen replied. “As a matter of fact, you'reone of my eight favorite people in this town.” He tugged on Frankie's leash.“Come on, boy.” Halfway across the street Allen looked down at his dog, andloud enough for the guy to hear, he said, “Remember, Frankie, always put othersbefore yourself.”

“Asshole,” the guy grumbled.

Allen snickered to himself.

He walked Frankie down the concrete steps near the bathhouse and onto the sand.

“This looks like a good spot.”

Allen sat down and placed the to go container on the sand.He unhooked Frankie's leash.

“No chasing birds.”

He opened the container and pulled out one of the sausagepatties.

“Here ya—”

Frankie snatched it away.

“Jesus, dog! You almost took my finger with it.”

He gave Frankie the other two sausages.

“Chew it this time.”

He set the container on his lap.

“Go find something to do.”

Allen's scrambled eggs were more like one big lump ofscrambled egg. He cut it into pieces with the edge of his plastic fork.

“I should have gotten some ketchup packets.”

He shoveled some egg into his mouth and then stabbed at thehome fries. He watched a woman jog toward them for a second and returned to hismeal.

Frankie stood and wagged his tail in greeting as the womanneared.

Allen glanced up and recognized Mya.

“Well, if it isn't the famous supermodel dog, Frankie, andhis owner, what's-his-name,” said Mya, coming to a stop in front of them. Shewas wearing gray yoga pants and a matching sports bra. She leaned over and puther hands on her knees, getting her breath back.

Allen's eyes went to the tops of Mya's breasts. In thatposition, it looked as though they were trying to escape through the top of hersports bra. He looked away quickly, but not before she noticed him looking.

“Like what you see?” she said, straitening up.

“I'm only looking at the parts you're showing,” Allenresponded.

“Funny. And crude at the same time.”

“Just something we used to say in high school.”

“And how long ago was that … sorry, I forgot your name.”

“Allen. Long enough.”

“Nice to see you again, Allen Long Enough. Named after yourdad, no doubt. See, I can be a smart-ass too.”

“I see that.' He smiled appreciatively.

“You just sit here and eat in front of your dog?”

“He already ate his sausage.”

Mya squatted down and rubbed the top of Frankie's head withone hand and snatched a slice of Allen's bacon with the other.

“Help yourself,” said Allen. “We walked to Stones Throwfirst, but you guys don't serve breakfast.”

Mya rose up and stretched her arms over her head. “You wentto my place of work and now you just happen to see me running on the beach? Areyou stalking me, Allen?”

“You caught me. Took me two days, but I learned yourroutine.”

“I guess I better switch it up.”

“You working today?”

“I go in at three. Why, are you coming by for dinner?”

“Do you want me to come by for dinner?”

Mya smiled. “Do you want me to want you to come by fordinner.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay. Shoot.”

“The guy that I got into it with Sunday, the one they had totake to the hospital—you ever see him before?”

“Yeah, I've seen him before.”

“You know who he is?”

“No. I mean, I know his name is Bobby, but I don't knowhim.”

“How about the other guy, the short bald one?”

“I've never seen him before.”

“Why were they there that day? Had they just eaten?”

“They hadn't yet. I just sat them about ten minutes before Isat you.”

“Had they ordered drinks?”

“I'm not sure. You would have to ask their server.”

“You have any idea why they would be in the bathroomtogether?”

“Maybe one of them wanted a quick handy.”

“Wow, you can be a smart-ass,” Allen said. “But Idoubt that's why they were in there.”

“Why do you think they were in there?”

“I don't know, but when I opened the door, they were in aheated argument. Bobby Jordan had Tubb's shirt in his fist.”

Mya cocked her head. “How do you know who they are?”

“The cops told me when they came to my hotel to question me.Rose and Tucker. You know them?”

“I went to school with Paul Rose's daughter, Catherine, andTuck is a year younger than Catherine and me.”

“How old are you?”

“You don't mince words, do ya? Thirty-six.” Mya removed thehair tie from her ponytail, combed through her hair with her fingernails, andreinstalled the hair tie. “How old did you think I was?”

“Fifty-one.”

“Jackass.”

“No, I thought you were in your early thirties.”

“Any more questions, or is the interrogation over?”

“Almost. You know a man by the name of Benny Strong?”

“I know a woman named Betty Strong.”

“How do you know her?”

“She volunteers at the same nursing home I do.”

“You volunteer at a nursing home?”

“Yes. One night a week—Wednesdays. It's ice cream night. Ihelp out and serve ice cream.”

“Huh.”

“My great grandmother lives there. I started volunteeringafter she moved in.”

“Great grandmother? How old is she?”

“Ninety six, but