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"Officer Shephorn knew your husband was dead"
"Of course"
"But he asked if Heathcliff was ‘otherwise all right’ "
"You’re an excellent listener I like that"
"But then you said your husband was perfect"
"And he is"
"Dead but perfect"
Instead of explaining that apparent paradox, Mrs Fischer extracted a roll of chocolate candies froe black purse She said, "Treat?"
Suddenly I felt pulled southward, notMercedes, but drawn by psychic er far ahead, and ere swiftly closing on him
Five
NO TRUCK STOP WILL EVER BE MISTAKEN FOR A FAR-FUTURE spaceport, but this one--Star Truck--had such a science-fiction feel that I would not have been much surprised if Captain Kirk and Mr Spock had bea Starfleet retirement home in their bunny slippers, jaas-pump islands were sleek stainless-steel ovals tri-saucer feel, and the pumps looked like platoons of robots at parade rest The facade of the huge building was clad in stainless steel--probably a convincing plastic imitation of stainless--with the lines and the details of a classic Art Deco diner, but that didn’t give it the appeal its architect most likely intended; because of its size, the place had an ominous military quality, as if it must be the headquarters of the extraterrestrial overlord of an invading force froe property was fenced for security, an ily lawless tially or not Two extra-wide lanes led into the facility, two out, and they passed through the saate, between barriers of chain-link, monitored by a pair of pole-mounted cameras A banner above the entrance pro to an enorn bordered by stars that ht, Star Truck offered a sasbord of road-warrior services: ALL FUELS, 24-HOUR GARAGE SERVICE, RESTAURANT, SNACK BAR, MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SHOWERS, MOTEL ROOMS, LAUNDROMAT, BARBERSHOP, TV LOUNGE, GAME ARCADE, TRAVEL STORE, GIFT SHOP, CHAPEL
In recent years, to save fuel, the tractors of ottenengines, you htliners, Macks, Fords, and Cats were gliding across the blacktop without effort, like antigravity craft in a Star Wars ns of Kenworth and Intercontinental had made some concessions to diminish wind resistance
The flashy and sinister ProStar+ with the red-and-black tractor and the black trailer was parked as at the north end of the property As I cruised slowly past,the license-plate number, I could see that no one was in the cab of the tractor, and I had no sense that the rhinestone cowboy ht be with his vehicle
Moments earlier, I had told Mrs Fischer that the fla three murders, but I hadn’t told her how I’d co," I said, braking to a stop
"Let’s set the cops on hiative history with the police in Magic Beach, which isn’t that far fro for someone who fits my description I haven’t been a bad boy, ot theot pretty much busted up And I wouldn’t like to have to explain to the authorities how just a simple fry cook uncovered a plot to nuke four cities, took down several terrorists, and got out of that toith all his skin"
"You aren’t a simple fry cook"
"That’s ave ain "You’re quite a riddle"
"Look who’s talking"
"So what you’re doing is like in those Agatha Christie novels--Miss Jane Marple, amateur detective?"
"I’ot a sweet face," Mrs Fischer said, and pinched my cheek "I suspect your iven me much evidence of that yet"
Edie Fischer didn’t look anything like ht back The X-Files with Agents Mulder and Scully as eighty-soeriatric Gillian Anderson, who had played Scully
The rhinestone cowboy and his custoarette S else in that old and perpetually enig to knohat he’s hauling"
"Don’t say such a reckless thing, child If I were the devil, I’d ask what you ,’ and you’d probably convey the intensity of your curiosity by repeating ‘anything’ with emphasis, and just like that--zap!--you’d be inside that trailer, you’d see what it’s loaded with, but you’d have sold your i"
"It can’t be that easy to sell your soul"
"So now you’re a PhD in deree, sweetie, frouy who lives in his parents’ base in his wardrobe but sweat suits?"
"It’s funny, "
"Because of et-out-of-jail-free card"
"Anyway, you’re not the devil, Mrs Fischer"
"Call me Edie Listen, child--if you’re at a party with a hundred people and one of them is the devil, he’ll be the last one you’d suspect"
Piloting the limousine away from the trucks and past the pump islands, I said, "I’m not much for parties Sometimes you have to wear a funny hat, so bait And there’s always soirl who thinks you’re s is if she’ll vomit on your shirt or instead on your shoes"
"My point wasn’t parties, as you well know"
At the south end of the sprawling complex, I parked the limo in a lot reserved for cars, pickups, and SUVs
More or less thinking out loud, I said, "If he sees me before I see him, I’m probably toast"
"Souise," Mrs Fischer said
"Yeah, but Inspector Clouseau borrowed uise kit and never returned it"
"Aruise"
"Ar to your ar you in this, erous it is to be around rateful for the ride, but we part company here"