BooksBarbecue
Back Fleeced Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. FLEECED
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. About the Author

“You told me to be discreet, so I waited until he went back inside. When I saw it was Wendy’s towels, I ran to get a laundry bag so I could throw the whole thing in there and carry it upstairs.”

“Clara,” Regan said, “you’re amazing.”

“Thank you, Regan. But Regan…”

“Yes, Clara.”

“I’m a little scared.”

Regan and Clara both stared at the soggy towels that Nat and Wendy had cherished. Towels that had most likely been used to cover up Nat’s murder.

68

When Daphne hung up the phone, she was afraid to go back and tell Jacques that Thomas wouldn’t sell the sheep to him. Be a good actress, she told herself. That’s what counts.

She sashayed over to where Jacques had planted his director’s chair. His cigarette holder was dangling out of his mouth, and his black beret was back in place.

“Well?”

Daphne laughed as though she didn’t have a care in the world. “It turns out, Jacques, that the sheep have deep, deep meaning for the club.”

“What do you mean ‘deep meaning?’”

“I mean that they are an important part of the club’s history, and they’re not interested in selling them.”

Jacques removed the cigarette holder from his mouth. “Don’t you want parts in my movies? Starring roles?”

“Of course I do, Jacques. It’s a privilege for me to work with you.”

“Those sheep are magic,” Jacques said, pointing to Dolly and Bah-Bah. “I don’t know what it is about them, but they’ve got something special. And I want them! I want, I want, I WANT THOSE SHEEP! And you are the only one who can arrange that. So do it! Tell them we’ll give them fifty thousand dollars.” He turned away and flicked his hand. “Get a check from what’s his name and take it up there now. Make sure they accept it!”

A moment later, Daphne took the check that had been hastily scrawled, raced down the steps to the street, and hightailed it up to the club as though her life depended on it.

69

You may take a lunch break now,” Maldwin announced to his little group of four.

“Thank you!” Harriet said cheerfully. “Can I bring anyone a sandwich from the deli?”

“No,” said Albert.

“Nah,” echoed Vinnie.

“I’m not very hungry,” Blaise said as politely as he could. He felt like wringing Harriet’s neck. She was like the kid in school who always reminded the teacher to give homework assignments.

“Okay,” Harriet said, wrinkling her little pug nose. “Maldwin, I’ll come back in a few minutes and do any extra work that might need doing around the apartment.”

“Take the whole hour off,” Maldwin urged her. Do me a favor, he thought. Do us all a favor.

Vinnie whispered to Albert, “Let’s go get a beer. This is going to be a long day.”

“Good thinking.”