Cover painting copyright © 2019 by Paul Mann

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Print edition ISBN 978-1-78909-193-9

E-book ISBN 978-1-78909-194-6

Design direction by Max Phillips

Typeset by Swordsmith Productions

The name “Hard Case Crime” and the Hard Case Crime logo are trademarks of Winterfall LLC. Hard Case Crime books are selected and edited by Charles Ardai.

Dedication

for Jason Davis

& Simone Lueck

A foraging wild creature, intent above all upon survival, is as strong as the grass.

—RICHARD ADAMS, Watership Down

BLOOD SUGAR

Money

Money

Fat boy says hes gonna put crack inside Fun Size Snickers. I guess he went ahead and lost his dang mind. News flash, Robbie, crack is rocks, and you cant squoosh rocks inside Fun Size Snickers without ruining the Fun Size shape. Thats some idiotical sharkweek right there so I go <Im jonesing, man, Im jonesing, how about you hook a little man up with some sweet supermilk instead?> Robbie doesnt smile or nothing. Dudes trying to be some kind of hard ass robocop. Says no poopypants baby that still skid marks his drawers oughta joke out loud about a grown mans personal stash.

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The mightyduck is he grumping for? The chunky butts seen me hit a whole thing a Reddi Whip till I got crunk. Saw me get torched on a big bowl a dank too. Dang, I puked a whole bottle a stank ass apricot schnapps while he just sat there and laughed his fat ass off. I dont say none a that out loud though cuz what if Robbie thinks all that stuff is poopypants baby stuff? One thing I dont need is more teasing from Robbie cuz when he teases he does it real hurtful.

* * *

So I switch up my play and go <Be cool, Robbie, its no thing> and then fat boys all smiles. He calls me by my actual real name, Jody, which he hardly dont ever do, and he says <Im glad to hear that Jody cuz I need you to go fetch me some candies, so are you gonna stand there holding your dick all morning or are you gonna walk your pale pasty ass down to Walgreen for some Fun Size Snickers like I said?>

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