Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle. This week I am most distressed. I requested a hold at the library for Who Wants to Be a Poodle I Don’t by Lauren Child, and it showed up in my queue as being on the shelf and then it wasn’t there. What kind of horrific nightmare is that? I had till August third to send my novelist over there to pick it up for me. Did that rotten bulldog Ruffles steal it and check it out? I’ll bet he did. That insipid slobbery hound is always out to devastate me. Never trust a dog that walks like a covered wagon and drools like a drainpipe. The way those things sit is almost obscene. And now this beast has my book. I’ll bet he’s reading it right now laughing at me and eating greasy uncouth potato chips. I’ll bet he’s getting paw stains all over my precious book. And to top it all off I got a bath this past weekend. I’m miserably clean and fresh and that monster is putting greasy potato chip stains on my book. Pardon me. I do not mean to get in such a frenzy. But I do take my library books seriously. I should let you know by the end of the summer I will be wrapping up What I Found in the Trunk and will keep you updated as to the premiere of my new story which is something completely different entirely. Without further ado, here is Chapter eighteen of What I Found in the Trunk.  

What I Found in the Trunk

by

Gigi the parti poodle

Chapter 18

The room phone rang. Bennet hopped on the bed and checked the caller. “It’s the front desk,” he said.

“Answer it,” Gary told him.

Bennet picked up the handset. “Hey there,” he said. “Uh, huh…really? Fantastic! When…great! We’ll do that. Thanks!”

“What was that about?” Rusty asked.

“The fires are under control now. We can skedaddle, dudes!”

“Alright,” Gary said. “I’m going to drive us back to Soap Lake. The three of you are going to sit in the back seat together with Rune in the middle.”

“One of you can sit in the front,” Rune said. “I’m not going to jump out the door.”

“Like you didn’t bolt out of the bakery. Like you didn’t sell me your Chevy Baretta and skip town. Right. You’re sitting in the back between Rusty and Bennet.”

“I think it would be okay if she just sat in the back with me and Rusty rode shotgun,” Bennet said. “Rune and I have a connection.”

“You wouldn’t have a connection with an iron wall if you were covered in industrial strength magnets.”

“Seriously, we are mondo sympatico. Aren’t we, Rune?”

“Sure,” Rune said.

“See? She and I can sit in the back together and Rusty can ride up front.”

“If she escapes the car, I’m going to clobber you.”

“Awesome! Okay, Rune. You’re riding in the back with me.”

“Great,” Rune muttered rolling her eyes.

“Alright,” Gary said, “Let’s go.”

The motley crew left the Bavarian themed hotel and headed for the Buick. Gary and Rusty climbed in the front and Bennet opened the door for Rune who scooted over behind Gary. Then he got in and sat behind Rusty. Although the fires were over the smoke still hung in the air and the burning smell wafted through the atmosphere.

As Gary drove towards the highway entrance, he looked out into the great beyond and felt gripping fear. Being trapped in Leavenworth had been comforting. No one got in and no one got out. Now the terrible feeling of being hunted returned. He mulled over his last phone call to his dad. Something wasn’t right. Had Durwin been there? Was he looking over his dad’s shoulder? Did he know where they were or where they were going?”

“You okay, man?” Rusty asked.

“I’m fine,” Gary said not wanting to tip anyone off about his concern. “Call my dad, would you?”

“Why?”

“I just want to check in with him,” he said and picked up his phone, unlocked it and handed it to Rusty. 

“Alright.” Rusty took the phone and dialed Larry.

Gary’s heart raced as he listened to the dial tone. It rang several times.

“He’s not picking up,” Rusty said.

“Hang up and dial again.”

Rusty did. Still no answer.

“Something wrong?” Bennet asked from the backseat.

“I’m trying to call Larry, but he won’t pick up,” Rusty told him.

“Weird. He always answers his phone.”

“Call him again,” Gary snapped.

“Maybe he’s with a customer,” Rusty said.

“Maybe.”

Rusty dialed the number again. Gary listened to the steady ring. Still no answer.

“Let’s call him again in an hour,” Rusty suggested.

“Yeah, alright,” Gary said.

It was three o’clock in the afternoon when Gary pulled the Buick up in front of the cabin. Various people were on the lake getting a tan, splashing around in the water, and rubbing the mineral enriched sand on themselves.

Bennet hopped out of the back while Rusty climbed in beside Rune. Bennet looked around the perimeter of the house to make certain nothing was out of place. Gary hopped out and looked inside the windows. He peeked in through the corners hoping no one would be able to detect him if they were inside.

“Is Gary being paranoid or not?” Rusty asked Rune as they sat watching them.

“About what?” she asked.

“About not being able to get ahold of his father. About Durwin…”

“David.”

“…and his posse following us here. About us being in danger. What’s the answer, missy?”

Rune turned and glared at him. “Let me tell you something, Rus,” she growled. “I don’t know if David kidnapped Gary’s dad. I don’t know if David’s lurking around here somewhere, and I don’t know what David’s planning. I don’t even know the full extent of what he’s capable of.”

“Great. Thanks. You’re loads of help.”

“Seems clear, dudes,” Bennet said returning to the car. “Everything looks to be in place. Let’s head inside.”

Rune and Rusty disembarked the Buick and followed Bennet up the steps to the front door. Gary was still standing at the window surveying the inside. Leery but relatively satisfied the place was empty he came around the corner and joined the others.

Bennet unlocked the door and cracked it slightly. They all listened for something or someone and looked to see if a figure’s outline might be revealed by the light. But the cabin appeared quiet and vacant, and they all headed inside. 

“Alright, Rune,” Rusty said. “Assume the position.”

“Suck mine, pervert,” Rune snapped.

“You don’t need to put cuffs on her, Rusty,” Bennet said. “She’s not going to run off.”

“Yeah, right,” Rusty scoffed. “I’m cuffing her.”

Gary ignored the three of them and continued searching the house. He was on edge and certain something was amiss.

“Call my dad again, Rusty,” he said.

Rusty, who still had Gary’s phone tried calling Larry once again.

“Put it on speaker.”

Rusty did and they all listened to the phone ring. Still no answer.

“Is anybody hungry?” Bennet said trying to break the tension.

“I am,” Rune said.

“I’ll order a couple pizzas and go pick them up. Maybe we could play some cards afterwards. What do you say, Gary? We’ll order pizza, play cards, and figure out our next move. What do you say?”

“Give me the phone, would you Rusty?” Gary said marching up to him. Rusty handed him the phone and Gary typed in a text and sent it. “Maybe he’ll answer that.”

But Gary knew he wouldn’t.

My Books

You can check out my books Chicane and the five installments in my Musicology book series Musicology: Volume One, Baby!, Musicology: Volume Two, Kid!, Musicology: Volume Three, Twist!, Musicology: Volume Four, Sweetie! and Musicology: The Epiquad on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. You can also check out Musicology’s web site at www.musicologyrocks.com and vote for who you think will win Musicology!!!

HOW INDEPENDENT FILMS SHOULD BE

From now till the end of the summer I’m going to recommend an independent film each week that stands out from the pack. In fact, the two previous films I recommended, The Limey and Ulee’s Gold are excellent examples of outstanding independant film making.

STREAM OF THE WEEK: THE LOOKOUT (2007)-Showtime

Whoever has the money has the power. This week’s fantastic thriller starts out innocently enough. Well to do high school student Chris Pratt (wonderfully played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has it all. He’s a star hockey player, has a beautiful girlfriend, popular friends, wealth, and brains…until one night when he makes a fatal mistake. Four years later he finds himself working as a janitor for a bank. Every day he writes down his list of events. He gets up, takes a shower with soap, takes his meds, watches a mysterious girl in a white coat head for her job in an office building. He no longer lives in his mansion with his wealthy father and mother. Instead, he lives in a grungy apartment with a wisecracking blindman named Lewis (one of Jeff Daniel’s best performances) who sells flowers for FTD. Then one night at a bar Gary Spargo (Mathew Goode) an old acquaintance comes back into Chris’s life, introduces him to an attractive young woman named Luvlee (Isla Fisher) and offers him a chance to put his life back on track if he does just one thing: be the lookout. This film leaves Showtime on 8/1.