Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology Read Free Page B

have alerted the police. They will not remain there long."
    " It's classified? You know what this is about?" I ask, forgetting to be afraid for a second. "You'd better start talking right now! I need to know what the hell is going on here!"
    " You are in danger. Maybelle Younger intends to recover the remains of Matteyo Dillinger. It will only be a matter of time before she locates you."
    " Oh my God! Why is Mattie's ex-girlfriend such a total psycho? What can she possibly want with his ashes?"
    " The logical explanation is that she would like him back."
    Goose bumps break out on my arms again. "Is he contacting her, too? Does she know something?"
    " Maybelle knows many things. But, it's my understanding from my conversations with Matteyo that he would prefer not to converse with Maybelle on any occasion for any reason. I believe that would extend into his death."
    The windshield lightens and the security camera feed from Mattie 's apartment disappears. "She came to his funeral, you know?" I murmur.
    " I was unaware of that information."
    " I don't remember much about that day...it's all sort of a blur, but I remember her. She was unforgettable."
    " You were still prescribed pain medication at that time. You had just left the hospital."
    My heart erupts again to pound in my chest. "How do you know all that?"
    I have security access to all of Matteyo 's former residences and his organization, Source Products. People spoke of little else. I understand that one of the bullets that killed Matteyo also penetrated you as well. You were in intensive care for several days after the shooting."
    I feel sick. I open the window wide to get air.
    "Have I upset you?"
    " I'm fine," I lie. After a few moments, my heartbeat slows and I close my window.
    " What do you remember of Maybelle Younger on the occasion of Matteyo Dillinger's funeral?" SOA asks.
    " She was being even crazier than usual, which is really hard to top because every time I see her she acts deranged."
    " In what way?"
    I sigh. "She offered to buy Mattie's ashes from me."
    " And you found that crazy?"
    " Uhh, yeah. Insane," I agree with a nod.
    " And how did she take your refusal?" SOA asks.
    " Not well. Stan had to practically drag her out of the wake. She was screaming at me, telling me how much I didn't deserve him."
    The truck slows and pulls off the road into a small, rundown convenience store gas station. SOA puts the Escalade in park near a gas pump and turns off the engine. "We need fuel in order to make it to our destination," SOA states.
    Still preoccupied with my memories of Mattie 's funeral, I just sit there staring at the convenience store ahead of me. "This is the only fueling station around for several miles," he adds.
    " Okay," I murmur absently. I pull on the handle of the truck to open the door but it doesn't budge. My brow furrows in confusion. "Umm, we need gas, right?"
    " Yes," SOA states.
    " Okay. Open the door and I'll get some and then you can tell me everything you know about May on the way to Mattie's house." I try to open the door again. It doesn't move.
    " I am uncomfortable with this fueling station."
    " Urr...what? Why?"
    " There are five large males in this establishment."
    " Uhh...okay...is that bad?"
    " Two of them are attempting to conceal their presence from us."
    " Oh," I say, feeling nervous about this new tidbit of information. "What if I just jump out, use the pump, and pay with a credit card? I won't even have to go into the store."
    " That is not a good option. Maybelle Younger will track your credit cards. You have one hundred seventy-two dollars and eleven cents in your purse. Pay in cash."
    " You scanned my purse?"
    " I did."
    " Maybe we should go somewhere else?"
    " We do not have enough fuel to make it to the next station."
    I exhale a long breath. "Ohh-kay, it looks like we're out of options then. So...I'll get gas and go in..." I pull on the handle again and find that it's still locked. "So-wah, are you worried about me?"
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