Page 15 of Cursed
Seth nodded. “I like those ideas. They could work without too much risk. And I agree that the restaurants are likely hiding places. That’s hoping it’s not hanging in his bedroom or in his office.”
Evan shook his head. “I guess that’s possible, but I think that he’s likely to have it somewhere he can draw on the magic. Let’s see what we find, and if the anchor isn’t there, we’ll come up with new ideas.”
Seth’s knee nudged his under the table. “Before, after, and in between, I’m fine if you have some things on your sightseeing list, plus time to take pictures. Maybe after lunch, we shoulddrive by where Pax and Tony live and get an idea of how vulnerable it is.”
Evan knew it was tough for his hard-charging partner to build in off-time and appreciated Seth’s willingness to indulge his touristy interests. “That all sounds good.”
“Savannah’s a modern city, but I love how much of its history is still here,” Evan said as they drove. “Some places are better than others at growing but also holding onto their heritage.” He found himself enjoying the drive around the city even though they were doing reconnaissance.
The morning flew by, and his grumbling stomach reminded him that breakfast had been a while ago. “Probably time to go looking for Peachy-Cue,” Evan said.
Even with traffic, it didn’t take long to find the lot where Pax had his food truck. Peachy-Cue sat in a row of vendors lined up in a lot cordoned off from other parking. Picnic tables added a festive feel.
The truck stood out with bright yellow paint and a red and yellow striped awning over the ordering window, with a prominent menu board. Hungry diners lined up at each of the trucks, while others enjoyed their food and conversation at the tables.
At one end of the lot, a small raised platform served as a stage with an amplifier, a stool, mic, and music stands. A sound system guaranteed that the performances could be heard by the patrons of the trucks but wouldn’t spill far beyond the boundaries of the lot.
“There’s Tony.” Evan nudged Seth. Tony fussed for a moment to plug into the amp and arrange the stool and stand to his liking.
“Hello, everyone!” the musician called out to the crowd. They responded like old friends, giving Evan the impression that the regulars were familiar with him as well as with the trucks.
“For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Tony Spencer, and I’m going to be playing for the next little bit. Sit back, enjoy the day and your lunch, and relax—you’re on Savannah time now.”
Tony went right into an upbeat acoustic classic he hadn’t played at the bar the night before. He soon had folks in the audience nodding along. Seth and Evan got in line for food, and the tangy, rich aroma made Evan’s stomach growl.
“Interesting menu.” Seth poked Evan with his elbow and nodded toward the board on the side of the truck where the choices were painted in bold letters.
“Chopped pork sandwich with choice of our own Peachy-Cue or Carolina Gold sauce. Fried pickles. Candied bacon.” Evan read aloud and noted the serving sizes and combos. The rest of the board listed drink options.
“Pick one and I’ll get the other, and we can do the same with the pickles and bacon,” Seth suggested. “Gotta say, I’m intrigued.”
The truck had a line of people waiting. All of the vendors were still busy, and the live music added a festive feel to the gathering.
When Seth and Evan got up to the window to order, they saw two men inside alternating taking orders and filling plates.
“Told you we’d come by for lunch,” Evan said when Pax smiled in recognition. “Everything on your menu looks great.”
“Glad to see you made it. What can I get you?” Pax seemed relaxed and in a good mood despite the heat wafting from inside the truck and a non-stop line of customers. “Choosing one of everything is always a good move,” Pax joked.
Seth gave their order, and Pax nodded approvingly. “We’ll have that ready quick. What brought you to Savannah?”
“Here on business,” Seth replied. “Although it’s tempting to stay for the food.”
Pax grinned. “There’s a lot of good ’cue in the city, but in my completely biased opinion, I think ours is the best.”
It didn’t take long before their order was ready. Seth carried a tray to one of the open picnic tables, and they settled in. Evan hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he dug into the food.
“He wasn’t kidding about the sauces.” Seth polished off both halves along with his share of the pickles and bacon. “Those are addictive.”
“Yeah, I’m tempted to get seconds, even though I know I shouldn’t,” Evan said ruefully.
The trucks were busy, but plenty of tables meant Seth and Evan didn’t feel pressured to leave right away. That gave them the chance to sip their drinks and appreciate Tony’s music.
“He’s good. I give anyone credit for having the balls to perform in public, especially in a setting like this.” Seth nibbled his last piece of bacon.
“The crowd loves him. Pretty clear that he plays here a lot and that there are plenty of regulars eating the food.” Evan enjoyed Tony’s upbeat song choices that had him tapping his toe.
The food truck lot was set back from a busy sidewalk, with an open-air market on one side and shops on the other. That made for plenty of foot traffic, especially since Evan guessed at least some of the buildings also housed offices.
