THE REAL GYRO (Food Truck Mysteries Book 4) Read Free Page B

huge level of trust on my part, given the cost of a food truck and the fact that it remained my source of income. If anything happened to the truck, I’d be living back at home with my parents and watching Netflix all day long. While some people might think of that as heaven, I was less than enthused. I hadn’t been able to find a job after college. The recent recession had left an overload of former business execs that were competing for the same jobs that I wanted. With twenty years’ experience and a lengthy resume, they had all the qualifications that I lacked.
    So I was very hesitant to let anyone else near the truck. It was my own very tenuous link to a better future. While the economy had improved, my chances of finding full-time work in a corporation were not much better. Now I was battling against all of the recent graduates of business colleges as well as all those who had graduated with me. Earlier, I’d fought against those with more experience, now I was just one insignificant graduate among thousands of similar former students. I had no ideas on how to make myself stand out.
    Of course, the fact that I was running an expanding business was just the sort of thing that would attract employers, but the longer I worked here, the less I wanted to pursue a traditional career. It was hard enough for me to sit down in Jax Danvers’ cubicle and see the slice of light from the window. I liked the experience of the truck: new people every day, and the variety of experiences. The window where I stood took in a panorama compared to the cubicles I now dreaded.
    Carter jumped onboard and started with the tasks that Land had already shown him. He began cutting up the pickles for the relish and whisking the ingredients for the fresh mustard. He was almost done with the chores he knew how to perform when Land showed up. If he’d looked tired yesterday, today Land looked like he’d lost the fight with exhaustion. His eyes had thick dark circles under them, and his beard was at least two days old. His hair was mussed, and I was betting that he hadn’t showered that morning. I didn’t want to get close enough to him to win that wager. I was definitely glad that he didn’t have to interact with the customers today.
    Carter waited for me to say something, but I didn’t. I poured Land a cup of coffee and handed it to him. He’d expected a lecture as well, but he didn’t get one. How many times had Land bailed me out of a situation? He was apparently in one now, and he needed help more than chastisement.
    I went about the rest of my morning prep without saying a word. I knew that the situation would come down to either Land asking for time off or going back to his normal routine. In either case, the problem would be solved. The only other solution I had was to investigate his after-hours work to see what was going on. I hadn’t removed that option from my choices, but it wasn’t on the table this morning.
    Carter continued to work to get the truck ready to open. Land did a few things, but he cut his thumb and had to take fifteen minutes to staunch the bleeding and disinfect it. He was still fiddling with it when I walked over to him.
    “Why don’t you take the day off?” I asked. In all the time I’d worked at the truck, Land had never missed a day of work. We’d been shot at and threatened and chased, but Land always opened the truck the next day like nothing had happened. His work ethic was beyond comparison and offering him a day off seemed like the right thing to do.
    He looked shocked. “I’m fine.”
    I smiled in Carter’s direction, and then turned to face Land again. “You’re not fine. You look like you haven’t slept in two days, which I’m guessing is about accurate. You’re not much good to you, the truck or me if you can’t function. Go home, get some sleep, and come back when you’re awake.”
    He looked down at his thumb and then at me. He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll get some sleep today