Sharp Turn - Marianne Delacourt [46]
And I thought I ate badly!
The energy bouncing between the two men seemed less volatile today, though Clem still wasn’t overly friendly.
‘Your girlfriend want something?’ I asked Red, glancing around for her.
He gave me an odd look. ‘Maybe she would, if she was here. She’s at work.’
‘Just thinking ahead,’ I said.
‘An enterprising sandwich vendor. Nice!’
It was a condescending, arrogant comment but I let it slide. I said goodbye and hustled back to Cass.
She had the whole thing under control: deep fryer boiling, the salads cut, and a thick brown sauce cooking in a saucepan on the hotplate.
‘What’s that?’
‘Beef gravy. I thought it’d be nice for the chips.’
I stuck a finger in it and slurped a taste. ‘Yum.’
‘Find out anything new?’ she asked.
‘All riders are jerks,’ I said as I squeezed into the van. Mobile cafés were like European dress sizes – not designed for big people.
The rush came, and lasted until just after 2 pm. I buttered, served and splashed oil and salt around until the last customer walked away. Then I left Cass cleaning up and went to watch the start of practice.
Frank Farina was on the grid alongside Gig Riley. I recognised both bikes. Lu Red’s Honda grumbled down the pit lane to join them.
Sharee was hanging out of her booth with her phone in her hand. As I got closer I saw that her face was flushed and her white skeleton earrings were jiggling. If I didn’t know better I’d say she had a guy in the bottom of the booth doing unseemly things to her. Watching bikes race could get a girl that way – all hot and sweaty.
‘Don’t block my view,’ she said, waving me to the side. ‘This is gonna be good.’
A small crowd had gathered near the finish line, including Jase the security guard and Cass’s skinny apprentice friend, T-Dog. Riley Senior bore down on the observers and they automatically parted to let him through, his aura slicing ahead of him like a saw cutting soft cheese.
Further along the railing was another smaller group. Clem and . . . Crack? It looked like my cousin had taken Bolo up on his offer.
‘They usually come out at different times. You know, avoid each other. This is a mind game, going up against each other in practice.’
‘Uh-huh.’
I watched Lu Red line up next to the other two.
The practice marshal gave them the all-clear signal and the three bikes were at the end of the straight before I could cough out their exhaust smoke.
‘You bet on the races?’ I asked Sharee.
She shrugged. ‘Sometimes. Not this one, though. Could go any way.’
‘I thought Red was the fastest?’
‘He’s been a bit unsettled,’ she said, sounding like she was talking about one of her pets. ‘And Gig’s been offered a huge bonus by his dad if he wins.’
‘What kind of bonus?’
‘Big.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Like a house. And you can’t write Frank off. He’s a crafty bugger, you know.
Anything goes wrong and he’s there waiting to pounce.’
‘Chesley?’
She shook her head. ‘Not this year. Bike’s a dud.’
I let her chatter on until the bikes sounded at the back of the home straight. Gig came through the line first, followed by Frank. The Honda was nowhere to be seen. Glancing over at Clem, I saw him barking into a two-way radio. Soon after, the marshal came past and picked him up.
‘Not again,’ groaned Sharee. ‘What’s wrong now?’
My phone rang. I stepped away from the booth to answer it and noticed the time. I had to hurry if I was going to make my parent-intervention meeting with Smitty.
The call was from Tozzi so I let it ring out. I wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. My missed calls showed one from Ed as well. He could wait too, until I knew what I was going to say.
Cass was waiting for me in the front seat of the truck, eyes already closed. I unhooked us from the power outlet and hit the road.
I fished in my bag for my wallet when I stopped at a set of traffic lights. ‘Here.’ I slapped a hundred and twenty dollars of Bolo’s retainer on Cass’s lap. ‘Thanks for your help. You’ll get another forty tomorrow.’
She turned the notes over carefully in her hand as though they might bite her.