One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 17, page 1

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PART IV: INTO THE WILDERNESS

Chapter 17: Rise and Shine



Tamé Vékídıpaíro’s head pounded with agony at every knock on his front door. Who the plagues needed him this Pétíso-damned early in the morning?

He shuffled down the hallway, still wearing his coveralls from the day before. He had one eye half open, the other fully closed. Even with the lights off, it was too bright inside his house to open both eyes. Píríuso, damn Yourself and Your sun.

The pounding on the door grew more fervent.

“Coming!” Tamé yelled, instantly regretting it as his brain reverberated with pain.

The knocking stopped.

Thank Vuzhí! He veered away from the front door towards the kitchen. Now where’s that aspirin?

Last night’s poker game had done him bad, in more ways than one. Tamé groaned. He never should have bet it all on an Animal Month Pair. More than all, actually. Tamé now owed his cousin Mapé more money than he had in the bank. He moaned again as he opened a cupboard door.

A muffled woman’s voice filtered through the door behind him. “Mr. Vékídıpaíro, this is Lawperson Nulıpésha. You are needed on constabulary business.”

Why couldn’t they just call? Tamé glanced at his answering machine on the kitchen counter. The message light was blinking. Oh.

He grabbed the aspirin bottle out of the cupboard, poured several pills into the palm of his hand, and tossed two of them into his mouth. Without water, he swallowed them. He stared at the remaining two pills in his hand, considered the strength of his headache, and swallowed those pills as well.

“Mr. Vékídıpaíro?” The urgent knocking resumed.

As Tamé picked a semi-clean glass off the counter and filled it from the sink faucet, he called, “Coming!” again. He chugged the water and refilled the glass, then began walking toward the front door. He finally managed to open his second eye, just a crack.

“Mr. Vékídıpaíro, if you don’t open this door, I am authorized to force entry. Your services are required.”

His head still pounding, Tamé unlocked the door and opened it enough to show his face. He squinted into the brightness of the morning. On the front porch, Little Séara stood with her hands behind her back, her chin up. Her usual smile was absent.

“What?” Tamé grumbled.

“You need to come with me to the Kılímos’ house and tow some vehicles to the precinct headquarters. They’re evidence in the murder investigation.”

Tamé closed both his eyes in a scowl as he shook his head. “Murder?” Someone got killed? In Tuhanı?

“The one in front of your shop last night. Don’t you check your messages? Some Narakamíníkan broke into your yellow sports auto and went on a shooting rampage.”

Tamé leaned heavily on the door frame and cracked open his eyes. “You need my auto as evidence?”

He needed that RZ-7 to pay off Mapé. If it was now evidence, he’d never be able to sell it in time. Pétíso’s hells, the RZ-7 probably wouldn’t cover his debt to Mapé in any case. He might just have to sell the business. I really should quit gambling.

“No, that was just a break-in,” snapped Séara. “It’s nothing to do with the murder investigation now.”

A smile crept upon Tamé’s lips as he contemplated the scene last night. The thief wouldn’t have gotten very far in the RZ-7, what with the alternator missing.

Séara sounded annoyed. “So, come on. Let’s go.”

“Yeah, yeah. Keys.” Tamé pushed away from the door frame, turning to search for his keys, his shoes, his hat, his wallet. He didn’t remember a thing from when he arrived home last night. They could be anywhere. He rubbed his aching forehead and staggered back towards his bedroom.

Pétíso-damned constabulary. Are your problems really bigger than mine? He only had two days to pay Mapé. That was their poker group’s deal. Maybe he could borrow some cash from Képé, his cousin on his mother’s side. Képé had shady acquaintances. Maybe one of them could get Tamé some money quick.

But at what price? They wouldn’t give him cash for being such a nice person. No, Tamé would lose his business for sure.

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