Previously Loved Treasures (Serendipity #2)(63)

Although Max was none too fond of leaving his bundle alone in the car, he followed the attendant inside and handed him the money. “Five bucks, regular.”

The attendant took the bills and said, “Pull over to pump two.”

“Two? What’s wrong with the pump I’m at?”

“It’s just high test. You want high test?”

High test was thirteen cents a gallon more, and Max would not be suckered into paying more than he needed for gas. “Nah, I’ll pull over.”

After he’d pumped the gas, Max locked his car and returned for directions to the local pawnshop.

“Two blocks past the pool hall, make a right onto Bucket, and the next left onto Graymoor,” the attendant said. “It’s a block-and-a-half down Graymoor.”

“Thanks.” Max returned to his car and pulled out of the station. The attendant watched the car pull away and breathed a sigh of relief.

When Max had come back toward the station, Joe Mallory thought for sure he’d caught on. So far no one else had. It was an easy scam: charge a customer five dollars, set the pump inside for four-fifty, and pocket fifty cents. Do it twenty times a day, and you had some decent money. Pump two was on the dark side of the station where you couldn’t see squat, let alone the numbers on the pump. People paid their money, pumped their gas, and left.

Joe Mallory watched the taillights of Max’s car disappear; then he turned and went back inside the station. It would be another seven hours before he’d get off duty.

~

Edgar’s pawnshop was easy enough to find, and with its brightly lit interior it bore no resemblance to Buddha’s place. The window was filled with things like saddles, boots, and coffee pots. Max climbed out of the car and carried his bundle inside.

He set the bundle on the counter and removed the items from the pillowcase one by one. A tinkling bell over the door had announced his arrival, but no one was behind the counter. Max waited a few minutes then called out, “Anyone here?”

“Keep yer’ shirt on,” a voice answered. “I’m coming!”

It was yet another minute, perhaps two, before an extremely tall man with graying hair came through the door. “Everybody’s in a hurry,” he said with an air of impatience.

“I thought maybe you didn’t know I was here,” Max replied. “Sorry.”

“I ain’t deaf. I heard the bell.”

On the inside of Max’s brain he was thinking, Then why didn’t you answer it, *? but his response was simply a soft chuckle and another, “Sorry.” The thing about Max was that when he wanted to, he could be pleasant, charming even. It came and went at his discretion. He used it to elicit a favor or a free ride, then tucked it back inside until he had another such need.

Max spread the array of items across the counter. “What’ll you give me for the lot?”

Edgar made no move to pick up anything. He eyed the merchandise, then pulled the right side of his nose and mouth into a skeptical look of doubt. “I don’t get much call for stuff like this. I could maybe go sixty or seventy.”

“You’re kidding,” Max replied. “The watch alone is worth that.”

“It’s only worth what I can get for it, and I done told you I ain’t got much call for stuff like this.”

“The watch is solid gold, and these spoons sterling!”

“Don’t matter none. People ’round these parts ain’t looking to buy stuff like this. You got a saddle or cooking pots? Them things sell. Fancy stuff don’t sell.”

“Cooking pots?” Max repeated. “That’s used junk. What I got here is valuable merchandise that’s worth something.”

“No.” Edgar leaned across the counter and glared down at Max. “What you got here is a bunch of stuff you’re looking to sell, the kind of stuff that starts me thinking you might’ve come by it dishonestly.”

Max started to sputter a response, but Edgar held up his hand. “Don’t bother. I ain’t in the asking questions business.”

“Well, if you’d let me explain—”

“I don’t much care for explaining either,” Edgar said. “Seventy bucks, no questions asked. Take it or leave it.”

Max took it.

Seventy bucks would show Maggie Sue a good time for three, maybe four days. After that Max would start rethinking his strategy of what to take and what to leave. “Bunch of crackpots,” he grumbled as he climbed back into the car. “Don’t know good from worthless.”

~

It was after ten when Max arrived back in Rose Hill and rather than stop by the Owl’s Nest, he went straight to Maggie Sue’s apartment. From the street he could see a light in the bedroom. He walked up the single flight of stairs whistling “I’m in the Money” then eagerly rapped on Maggie Sue’s apartment door.

She was listing to music. He could hear it coming from inside, but she didn’t open the door. Max knocked again, harder this time. Still no answer. He rattled the doorknob and called out her name. No answer.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Max thought about the last time they were together. He remembered the feel of Maggie Sue’s hot breath as she whispered how she was crazy for him. It had been ten days since he’d seen her. But you don’t stop being crazy for someone in ten short days. He rattled the doorknob again.