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“I’ll call it in to the police,” I said

“I’ after that punk ass”

“You won’t catch him on foot”

“I’ his truck”

“Do you kno to drive a truck?”

“Sure I kno to drive a truck,” Lula said “What’s to know?”

She got a foot onto the first step to the cab but couldn’t get any lift

“This here stupid thing is too high,” Lula said “Get your hand under ive me a shove up”

“Not for all the tea in China,” I said

“Then go around and pull me in”

I cliave Lula a hand up

“This is a bad idea,” I said “You don’t have a clue where he’s headed He’s disappeared, and on top of that he probably stole this truck”

“I knohere he’s going,” Lula said “He’s going to the chop shop on Stark He’s gonna sell my Firebird off for pieces That’s what these creeps do They got no respect for people’s personal vehicles”

I tookit in”

Lula stared at the dash “There’s a awful lot of doohickeys here”

“I thought you said you kne to drive one of these”

“I’ot a cup holder and everything” She looked down at the floor “It got a lot of pedals down there What the heck is that big one?”

“That’s the clutch”

“Yeah, it’s all co back to ot established as a ’ho”

She planted a Via Spiga on the clutch pedal and shifted “Here goes nothing”

The truck lurched forward and ground through a gear