LITMIR.BIZ

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      He nodded. “I never thought I’d see a suicide bomber in person.”

      “Homicide bomber is more accurate. I hope you never see another one either.”

      Dixie looked at her. “Alex said you are his guardian?”

      Rita smiled a little. “Yes, I guess I am.”

      Stella was standing outside her house when Rita rode past and parked the bike under the car port. She walked quickly next door and looked at Rita and the well dressed Alex. Looked closer at the dried blood and flesh on Rita’s uniform.

      “I just heard the news on the radio,” she said.

      Rita squinted at her neighbor dressed in a long colorful smock, large brimmed straw hat on her head. “Its okay now, Stella. I need to get cleaned up.”

      Stella looked at Alex, back at Rita. “I’ll keep Alex company while you shower.”

      Rita nodded, walked toward the back door.

      Stella smiled at Alex. “Why don’t you come to my house. I have something to show you.”

      He looked at the older woman, he liked her, but was worried about Rita. “I should stay close to Rita.”

      She smiled. “The major is a professional soldier. She is alright. Come with me, I think you’ll like what I have to show you.”

      He nodded, followed the woman next door. He looked up at the eagle circling overhead, followed the woman to her garage. Watched as she opened one of two doors.

      She smiled. “What do think of my truck?”

      He looked at the older vehicle, blue in color. “Its okay.”

      “Just okay? Its an older truck, but its in excellent shape. I hardly ever use it since I got the car. I want you to have the truck.”

      He stared at her, eyes wide and shining. “You’re giving me a truck?”

      Stella grinned. “Not just a truck. A 1972 Chevrolet pickup. A man who dresses so nicely shouldn’t ride on a motorcycle.”

      He looked at her, walked to the blue truck, looked at it closer. Looked at Stella again. “And…you’re really giving me a truck?”

      Stella smiled and nodded.

      “I don’t have a license.”

      “Just drive it up and down the beach road for a while. Get the hang of it. But don’t go onto the highway.”

      He grinned, nodded, jumped onto the front seat, spotted the keys in the ignition. He’d driven a couple of times with his buddies before. He looked at the dash, the gear shift. Glad it was an automatic. He turned the key. It fired up first try. Alex liked the way it sounded too. His own truck. What a day he was having.

      Stella sat with Rita on her front porch watching Alex drive back and forth along the beach road. The day had grown warmer. Rita sat on a wicker chair wearing only a white sleeveless t-shirt and jeans. Feet bare.

      She watched Alex, smiled at Stella. “He seems to like his new truck.”

      “Yes. He looks good behind the wheel.”

      “I guess I’d better take him for his license soon.”

      Stella glanced at Rita’s chest, the large breasts moving slightly. Dark nipples quite evident under the rather tight white cotton t-shirt. “I’ve never seen you wearing a bra, Rita.”

      Rita looked at her, grinned. “I never wear one. I don’t even own a bra, except the one I use when I run.”

      “A sixteen year old boy might like to look.”

      Rita glanced down at her chest. “He’ll get used to it. I doubt seeing a woman without a bra can be worse than seeing what he saw today.”

      “He saw it all?”

      Rita nodded. “Yeah. I told him to go to class, but he wanted to help me.”

      Alex parked the truck in front of the house, opened the gate and walked on the sidewalk toward the porch.

      Rita spoke out. “Nice truck, Alex.”

      Alex grinned. “It sure is a nice truck, Rita.” He smiled. “Thanks Stella.”

      “You’re welcome, young man.”

      Rita looked at him. “Maybe you should get out of your school clothes and put them away for a while. I think school is over for this term.”

      He nodded.

      Rita said, “Maybe tomorrow sometime we can get a learners permit for you.”

      “Okay.”

      “And now that you have a truck, I know where you can find a job for a while.”

      He looked at her. “Doing what?”

      “What you like to do. The owner of Kats Klub didn’t mind some of the pictures you and your buddies painted, but she hated the words. She wants flowers painted on the building.”

      “I don’t know how to paint flowers.”

      Stella said, “I have book with pictures of flowers. You can use that to get ideas.”

      He smiled. “Flowers, huh?”

      Rita grinned. “Yeah, flowers.”

      Chapter Five (Tuesday, June 22, 2021)

      First thing in the morning Rita let Alex drive her in his new truck to the Army base; Alex dressed in jeans and t-shirt, Rita in her black uniform. She thought he did okay behind the wheel. A little fast maybe. Alex waited in an office with a female corporal, while Rita and Colonel Robinson talked in his office.

      “Damn close call yesterday, Rita.”

      “Yes, Colonel. Too close. Did you arrest the security guard who was supposed to be at the school?”

      “We will when we find him. He hasn’t shown up at his house.”

      “Why would drug dealers want to blow up a school?”

      He shook his head. “No idea. Maybe the two are not connected. We’re still trying to identify the dead bombers.”

      “Seems to me its bad for business blowing up kids.”

      “I think so too. Maybe we’ll know the names soon.”

      “And this guy Zamani, the leader who came to my house on the beach. What’s the deal with him?”

      “I’m told he was a kind of head man in the mosque. Not an Imam, but one of the head guys.”

      “Maybe the drugs on the pier belonged to him.”

      “I have Lieutenant Sweet and Sergeant Lewis investigating. So far no one’s talking.”

      “Did Zamani have a wife?”

      He nodded. “A woman named, Rafa.”

      Rita thought about this. “And the three on the pier and the one in the boat, anything on them?”

      “Nothing so far. They weren’t local Muslims. That much is known.”

      Rita stood to her feet. “If you find out more, you can reach me on my cell.”

      “Will do, Major. I must say, you’ve opened up a can of something around here.”

      “Seems like it.”

      “I’ll keep some MPs watching your house.”

      “Thank you, Colonel.”

      Rita walked into the outer office, spotted Alex chatting up the brunette corporal. He stood to his feet when he saw her. She motioned for him to follow and they were soon back inside the pickup truck.”

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