Page 30 of Love vs The Ooze Monster!
A pause. “She’s with you? In your house?” Vince sounded slightly worried. “That’s a real respectable lady, boss. You can’t have her alone in…”
Boyd cut him off. “I’m going to marry her, you fucking idiot.” They were already better than married, to his mind. Mabel’s own father hadwilledher to Boyd. You didn’t get more binding than that. “And she’s staying in a separate room, for now. Anyone who has a problem with that, I’ll be happy to discuss it with them on a boat ride.”
The threat went right over Vince’s head. He let out a reassured breath. “Oh, I don’t think anybody’ll complain, if you marry her. It’s just Miss Mabel’s real popular, around here. She gave everyone a raise last month.”
“Igave you the raise.”
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t have done it, if she didn’t tell ya to.”
Boyd pinched the bridge of his nose. Hell, that was probably true. “Send Charlie over here to guard my house.” He repeated. “Actually, send a bunch of guys.”
There could be more spies in the organization, so having extra men there meant they were all watching each other. He liked Charlie, because the man was older, and unambitious, and had been around the docks forever, but why take a chance? Boyd was a gambler about everything, butnotabout Mabel. He took no risks with her safety.
Besides, if Rico wanted to come at Boyd, the best way was through Mabel. Everyone knew it. She was in danger, until he was caught.
“Sure, boss. I’ll send a whole crew.”
“Good. Then, get me some clothes for Mabel. Something colorful. Not black. And some stockings and toiletries and whatever else women need.”
“Where am I supposed to get all that rigmarole?”
“I don’t care.” Boyd said truthfully. “Just get it. And then send a couplemoreguys to the local library. Break in and steal all the books on jellyfish.”
It had belatedly occurred to him that tomorrow was Sunday and the library would be closed. That meant checking out research materials in a less conventional way.
“Jellyfish, boss?”
“Yeah, jellyfish. Send everybody else out looking for Rico. I want him dead. Be careful, though. There’s a slime monster killing people, over by the funeral home. I don’t want to lose any guys.”
“Sure, boss.” Vince agreed in a humoring tone. “I’ll tell ‘em to watch out for it.”
Boyd made a face. Like he’d told Mabel, nobody would believe the truth, until it was too late. “Just do what I say, alright?Now.”
He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair.
His town. His home. His business. Hiswife.
He was going to protect them all from every kind of monster.
Chapter Eight
It’s the snake’s hips!: (1920s slang) It’s the coolest thing ever, daddy-o!
Being a policeman in Volstead was the snake’s hips.
Bulls got served free tarantula juice in every gin joint in town, for starters. Never had to pay for a drink. Plus, sexually uninhibited bearcats, like Mrs. Leticia Burman were always on the prowl for a real man. Womenloveda guy in uniform. It was just a fact. Not to mention all the kickbacks from speakeasy owners and bootlegging outfits. Those could double a man’s salary. A badge let you live like a king. So long as a cop was smart and didn’t go enforcing the laws that nobody much liked, he did just fine.
And Dave Anton was plenty smart.
That was why he was presently parked with Leticia, while all the other dopes on the force were off investigating some hubbub at the funeral home. What was gonna happen at a mortuary? People getting deader? Besides, what if it was those vampires, who had taken out everybody at O'Shaughnessy’s?
Dave was still convinced only a paranormal foe could have done so much damage. Either a subnatural or a vampire. Guaranteed. And he didn’t feature messing with either of those fuckers. He’d grown up in Nevermore County. He knew the score.
He was staying put in the back of his police cruiser, while Leticia sucked him like a lollypop. Kids called the backseat of a car the “struggle buggy.” No mystery why. Mrs. Burman sure wasn’t struggling, though. She loved a good time.
“We’re going to the Pioneer Picnic together, right?” She asked coming up for air. Leticia was a redheaded war widow, with an incredibly limber body and a real talent for making casseroles. She brought him one every Tuesday.
“Sure, baby. You bet we are.” He agreed. Nice hair, quality sex, good cooking… He liked all those traits in a woman. Gotta keep her happy.
