The Alibi (A John Chance Mystery) – Chapter 8 (Yep, New)

(i can tell you right now this chapter will either get moved to a new location.
Extra points if you can guess why (leave your idea in the comments))

The Alibi – Chapter 8

 
Ed reached up and caressed a ripening apple. It hung like a glittered like a red and green Christmas ornament in the sun. Except for the August heat and the gnarling branches of the apple tree, Ed remembered a childhood with Christmas treats and presents and goodies and smells of baking and roasting permeating his house. He wondered what became of this brothers and sisters. Christmas was one of the few days everyone came together in the orphanage. There were times he missed it so.

He snapped the apple from its stem and bit into it. Sweet nectar of the sun dribbled down his stubbled chin, over his fingers, pooled in his palm.

Morelli’s Impala came up his dirt road. A short bed lowboy, two men in overalls in the cab, came up behind it hiding something big and roundish under a tent sized tarp. A knuckle boom crane sat at the very end of the lowboy, its crane reaching over the tarp and locked in position behind the cab.

Morelli got out of his Impala and pointed to a large shed at the far end of the road, on the far side of the orchard.

Voss shouted, “If what’s under the tarp is sensitive, better let them know that track’s rutted from tractor tires.”

Morelli called up to the lowboy’s cab. “You got that?”

The driver held a thumb’s up towards Voss. The lumper got out of the cab and stood five feet in front of the hood.

“And you damage any growing thing, I’ll put a shotgun shell into whatever’s under that tarp myself.”

Both driver and lumper gave Voss a thumb’s up.

The lumper got ten feet in fromt of the truck, turned to face it, and waved his hands to guide it forward. The driver kept his eyes on the lumper’s hands and never took the lowboy out of low gear. He let the diesel’s idle drive the lowboy forward.

Morelli came up beside Voss. “Did I tell you the Director sends her thanks?”

Voss focused on Morelli’s abdomen before looking up.

“Will you stop doing that?”

“Going to tell me what’s under the tarp?”

“You want G20 or higher security clearance?”

“And you know for a fact this isn’t going to harm my orchards?”

“I asked. Nobody thinks it could. It’s completely passive. No moving parts. Just…” Morelli stopped, looked down, cleared his throat.

“Just a lot of direcitional and distance sensing gear?”

Morelli frowned at him. “What makes you say that?”

“You didn’t do a deep background check on me once your found out who I am?”


Previous entries in The Alibi (A John Chance Mystery)

Did You Hear the Owl Call Your Name?

With all due respect to Margaret Craven’s amazing and powerful 1967 I Heard the Owl Call My Name, I invite you to sit somewhere quiet, increase the volume on your device, and listen to one of Susan’s girls.

You can ask Susan what I mean by that.

I first read Craven’s novel in the late ’60s while staying with some friends in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

The novel’s stayed with me ever since.

So an homage if you will.

Or more correctly, a biblioage, or perhaps a librage.

 

The Alibi (A John Chance Mystery) – Chapter 7 (Yes, Another New One)

The Alibi – Chapter 7

 
Voss felt a tingling along his arms, looked up, and saw Morelli’s Impala coming up the dirt road to his farm.

Morelli got out and waved.

“Didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Still haven’t seen Gio. Don’t know where he is.”

“Couldn’t keep away. I need a favor.”

“Do I have to kill somebody?”

Morelli chuckled. “Sorry, that’s not in our charter. Did you have somebody in mind?”

“What’s the favor?”

“You have any outbuildings you’re not using? Empty? Maybe a small barn or big shed? And not near your house?”

“What are you going to use it for?”

“Storage. And I’ll pay any rent or fees you want.”

Voss cocked his head at him and snorted.

Morelli reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of bills secured with a thick elastic band. “Off the books. Nobody needs to know. What’s your price?” He undid the elastic. Ben Franklin frowned up at Ed from the top bill.

“Don’t you work for the government?”

“Right hand left hand thing. I won’t tell anybody if you won’t. So?”

Voss kept his eyes on Morelli. “Last time I saw a roll of bills like that was in an FBI Al Capone movie. What d’you want the buildling for?”

“The Costner-Connery-Di Nero one? Yeah, that was a good one.” Morelli paused. “You’re not buying the storage story, huh?”

“Uh-uh. Your attitude makes me think this is something illegal. Is this illegal?”

“Hey, I work for the government, remember?”

“Is this illegal?”

Morelli wrapped the elastic back around the bills and shoved the roll back in his pocket. “I told them this wasn’t the right approach.” He sighed. “Can I ask you a question?”

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Previous entries in The Alibi (A John Chance Mystery)

Sylvester and Sylvestet

It’s been a while since we shared the lives, loves, and liberties of our backyard Rabbits.

Not for lack of rabbits, I assure you.

My home state…did an interesting thing a while back.

They brought in several tens of thousands of rabbits and let them loose. Estimates range from 20,000 to 50,000.

Sometimes I wonder if they let them loose in our backyard. A friend woke up to find twenty in his front yard merrily munching on his grass.

I offered, “At least you don’t have to mow now.”

He didn’t smile.

I wonder if my home state understood bringing that many rabbits into the state would cause predators to come in, as well.

Because that’s happened. Bear, bobcat, wolf, hawk, owl, and eagle are definitely aloft more often than before.

We see their signs even if we don’t see them.

And whenever we see their signs, we are amazed because, having no social media accounts, they get their messages out.

Two-Legs had that ability, too.

But that was long ago.

 

Fresh Ink Group’s Beem Weeks and Stephen Geez interview me on TheVoiceOfIndie

Yes, indeed, it is true and will happen on Wednesday, 26 July 2023, 8pmET on BlogTalkRadio’s TheVoiceOfIndie podcast.

I love talking with people. I’m always learning. The topic doesn’t matter, it’s the individual who interests me.

Long ago I worked for NASA and was having a ball. At a family dinner, my brother-in-law, John, asked what I did.

I don’t remember what I said, only that I shared my joy at doing science as a job, one of my many dreams as a kid.

Brother-in-law John smiled throughout. I have no idea how long I talked. John laughed when I finished. “I have no idea what you said, only that whatever it is you’re doing you’re real happy doing it.”

I always remember that when I talk with someone.

The words are the vector, the message is the energy of what is said.

So Beem Weeks and Stephen Geez are interviewing me. Hope they enjoy whatever it is I say.

Stop on by, take a listen. Let us know what you think.