Yeah, and have you ever noticed where its beautiful, theres a lot of pretty, but not a lot of jobs. Unless you worked for the university.
University? I made it a question.
University of North Carolina at Asheville. Jason didnt seem to want to talk about the scenery. Okay, I could stay on track.
You dont seem surprised that the Summerlands have someone like Chuck working for them.
Theyve always had someone like him working for them.
Why? I asked.
He looked at me. Dont do this, Anita.
Dont do what?
Dont play cop. Just let it be.
You know something.
Let me see my father, Anita. Let me see some old friends. Let me just try and keep out of the Summerland family mess. I dont want any part of them. Okay?
Tell me why they have muscle and Ill let it go.
What did Chuck think he was doing at the airport? he asked.
I frowned at Jason. He thoughTHE was keeping this Keith from bringing in another woman just days before his wedding.
Exactly.
I frowned harder, and then the light dawned. Hes their cleanup man.
Jason nodded.
Why does their cleanup man need to be armed?
Why are you armed?
I dont go out of the house unarmed, I said.
Jason gave me a look. Maybe Chuck is as paranoid as you are.
I dont
Jason knelt on the floorboard of the limo at my feet. He took my hands in his and gazed up at my face with a look of pure begging. Please, please, God, let this go, Anita. I will do anything, you name it, if you will just not poke at the Summerlands. Because of the wedding and the family resemblance we are going to have enough trouble.
He laid his head in my lap, and said, Please dont make more trouble, please, dont make this harder for me. Please.
I said the only thing I could say. Okay, Jason.
He raised his face up and flashed me that infamous smile. It wasnt his real smile. This was the smile Id seen him use on customers at Guilty Pleasures when he was trying to part them from their cash. Jason didnt want cash from me, he wanted peace. Id have rather shoved a twenty down his pants then let go of the niggling feeling that there was something wrong with the Summerlands. Something that needed an armed cleanup man. Something beyond a womanizing son. But I did for Jason what I wouldnt have done for almost anyone else. I let it go.
If Chuck of the too-small gun would leave me alone, Id leave him alone. I wasnt here as a marshal. I was here to help Jason say good-bye to his dad. Id just keep repeating that over and over, no matter how many clues I tripped over. The question was, clues to what?
None of my business. Id promised Jason, and it really was none of my business. Unless the Summerlands turned out to be evil vampires, it would never be my business.
I went back to looking at the amazing scenery on either side of the road. There was no bad view. Jason was back to looking out the window, too, buTHE didnt seem to be seeing anything special. I thought the drive into Asheville, North Carolina, was one of the prettiest drives Ive ever been on, but then I hadnt grown up looking at it all. I guess you get jaded about anything you see every day. Was I jaded about zombies and vampires? Maybe. But the mountains were pretty.
Chapter Ten