Friday, June 17, 2016

Monster's Palace (Other Books) - Jo plans to go on run if needed.



Today’s excerpt is from Monster’s Palace, a standalone book, featuring Clyde Feegle, some old friends, and a few new ones.  Jo Kelly discovers she has been unwittingly helping a drug operation and makes plans to disappear if the need ever arose.  Enjoy and have a great day.

m.j.

 

However, Jo was not ready to forget the situation, nor the potential long-term problem she might have due to it.  Yet that day she started making plans to disappear from sight.  One of her customers was a big-time New York Irish mob chieftain.  He had purchased several of her less expensive pieces for his wife.  While not friends, they had a very agreeable relationship.  Thus, after she closed up shop for the day, she flew her own plane up to New York.

Once there she went to an address she had shipped a few heavier items to for the mobster.  The address was an Irish pub in New York City.  She went there, and was quite pleased to see her customer in a corner booth with three other men.  She approached and waited to be summoned forward, after two men had intercepted her.

When alone with the man, she got right to the point.  “I may have a problem, causing me to vanish.  Can you help me with false papers under a new identity?  I’ll pay the going rate.”

When asked what the problem was, she politely declined to discuss it.  The mobster agreed to help her with the papers, which would include a passport.  He arranged for a picture-taking session with a D.C. photographer, so she would not have to return to New York.  He also told her he would personally bring the completed items to her store.

On her return to Washington, Jo thought about appearance.  She purchased a black wig with a pageboy look, to cover her auburn, nearly shoulder length hair.  To hide her own hair under the wig, she worked on it until it all fit underneath.  Satisfied—if not happy with the look—she put the wig away until time to visit the photographer.

While waiting for the finished papers to be delivered, Jo made two trips out of the country, to arrange things for her “escape plan.”  Her store was open five days a week, Tuesday thru Saturday.  The trips were taken on the next two Sundays and Mondays.

When the Irish mobster delivered her new passport and other items, she was quite pleased, and paid the requested amount, surprised it hadn’t cost more.  While in the store, the mob boss looked at a few items, picked them up, and set them on the counter.  He handed her the money she had just given him. 

Jo took the money, counted out a fair price for the items selected, and handed the rest back to the Irishman.  “Thanks, but fair is fair.  I have an idea what you gave me is more costly than I paid.  Let’s not compound it by you overpaying for these items.  While nice, they are not worth all of what I just gave you.”

“You’re quite a lass, Jo.  I like you—especially with a last name like Kelly.  You are Irish, are you not?”

“Yup, through and through.  I like you, too.  Enough not to overcharge you, even if I did underpay you for the passport and stuff.  At least I paid full price for the pictures, didn’t I?”

“Almost.  As you wish.  I’ll keep the rest of the money, and take my purchases so you can get on with your day.  Before I do, are you sure there is nothing else I can do for you?  I have friends here in the D.C. area.”

“No.  But thank you.”

 

Sponsored by:  www.mikejacksonbooks.com      


No comments:

Post a Comment