Page 231 (1/1)

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Miss who?" Shannie turned to ht, as Shannie raced down the Atlantic City Expressway, I sat withwhy the elder Lucas blew his brains out It felt good to haveto work for Steve at the parlor, people thought I had inside inforest scandal I really didn't work for Steve, his father's partner owned the joint, but Steve was heir-apparent At the parlor the topic was taboo, except when Steve broached the subject "You know no matter how many time's I ash that wall I still see his brains on it" The next day, I repainted the wall, again

"Mrs Miller claims the old man was a necrophiliac," Diane said -a hint of scandal woven in her voice

"That old crow doesn't know the difference between Necrophilia and Negrophobia," I answered

"I'm surprised at you James, Mrs Miller is a dear lady"

"I'ht you'd have better sense than to yenta it up with that crone"

As always,He watched the cream curdle in his iced coffee

"She heard it fro Mrs Grebler?"

"As athat rumor like a farmer spreads shit And you wanna knohy?"

"Do tell," Diane s for old man Lucas' taste" It ell-known that Mr Lucas and Mrs Grebler were on again off again for years Surprising when his as GILF material The deceased had a fatty fetish and the librarian recently outgrew his taste "She's a scorned woman Of course she's pissed I don't believe a word of it The only fucking that happened there hen Count used to bang Marcy in the casket show roo coffee, looked athis quaff

"You're kidding hed

"See, you're not as in the know as you think," I said

What I did know and wasn't about to tell was the deceased ran into big time money proble, orand the old

At the parlor, I was a professionalthe hearse or li friends and fae Beyford's population is growing older The funeral business is a growth industry in this town, glad you can be part of it," Steve said shaking my hand the day I was hired I recoiled, stunned by his cold, waxy touch I wiped my hands on my pants when he turned away