The Tesla Legacy Read Free Page A

myself into here? This is the old-age pensioner from hell.
    The old lady glared up at Mick. ‘So why are you here? What do you want? Nngrrhh.’
    ‘I came to see about the car,’ answered Mick.
    ‘The car?’ grunted the old lady. ‘Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place? Have me standing here all day. I’m an old woman you know. I’m eighty-six.’
    ‘That’s…very good,’ smiled Mick.
    ‘Yes. Well, I don’t need you to tell me that,’ frowned Mrs Hedstrom. The frown turned into a scowl. ‘Well come in,’ she barked. ‘Don’t just stand there.’
    ‘What about the chain?’ asked Mick.
    ‘Chain? What bloody chain?’
    Mick pointed. ‘The one just there.’
    The old lady looked at the chain then glared up at Mick. ‘Well how am I supposed to see that? Can’t you see I’m an old woman? I’m eighty bloody seven you know.’
    ‘Sorry,’ said Mick.
    The old lady undid the chain then stared angrily up at Mick. ‘Well, what are you doing?’ she snapped. ‘Are you coming in or not?’
    ‘Yeah. I am. Thanks.’
    Mick stepped into the house and Mrs Hedstrom closed the door behind him. It was gloomy inside. But Mick noticed a bedroom on the right and a hallway leading down to the kitchen at the back. On the left was a loungeroom full of bric-a-brac. Mick started picking a few things out as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, when suddenly he blinked and started to gag. The house absolutely reeked of stale urine. Mick was about to check the front of Mrs Hedstrom’s dressing gown when through the gloom he noticed a cat box sitting behind a recliner that faced a TV set near the front window. Next thing, a fat, senile, grey-faced blue cat with its stomach dragging on the ground wobbled over, miaowed and rubbed its back against Mick’s leg.
    ‘That’s Hazel. Give her a pat,’ commanded the old woman.
    ‘Okay,’ smiled Mick. He gave Hazel a pat and came up with a handful of stringy fur. ‘Nice puss,’ he said, still trying not to gag.
    ‘She’s my friend,’ said Mrs Hedstrom.
    ‘Yeah. I can see that,’ gasped Mick.
    Mrs Hedstrom gave Mick a withering once-up-and-down. ‘Wait here,’ she ordered. ‘I have to go and take a tablet.’
    ‘All right,’ said Mick.
    As the old lady shuffled off towards the kitchen, Mick spotted a pile of newspapers on the floor; he quickly grabbed two and placed them over the cat box. They helped to block the smell and Mick was taking in some air when the cat came over for another pat. Rather than get hair all over his jeans, Mick gave it a quick toe in the backside. It jumped away in surprise then turned and looked stupidly at Mick before wobbling across the loungeroom and taking itself out through a cat flap into the backyard. The old lady returned from the kitchen and glared rancorously at Mick.
    ‘Now what is it you want again?’ she snapped.
    ‘The old cat…I mean the old car you’re thinking of selling,’ said Mick.
    ‘It’s out in the garage.’
    ‘I thought it might have been.’
    ‘Well, what did you ask me for?’ Mrs Hedstrom replied irritably.
    Mick stared at the old woman and shook his head. ‘I don’t know,’ he replied helplessly. ‘I just did.’
    ‘Asking me stupid questions,’ scowled Mrs Hedstrom. ‘Where did you think the car would be?’
    ‘Can I just see it, please?’ pleaded Mick.
    ‘Isn’t that what you came here for?’ barked the old woman, glaring menacingly at Mick. ‘Well, come on,’ she said, turning slowly around. ‘Don’t stand there all bloody day. And don’t walk so heavily. You’ll frighten the cat.’
    ‘I’ll be lighter than Tinkerbell,’ said Mick.
    Mick slowly followed the old lady across the loungeroom then out the same glassed door the cat had gone through into an unevenly paved backyard edged by three rickety wooden fences overhung with trees. A number of plants in pots were scattered around the yard and Mick noticed the cat eyeing him from behind the one furthest away. Standing in the