Page 59 of Pretty Poison
“How’d you find me, anyway?”
“I’m a PI. I’m very good at finding people,” Rocky replied.
“Sounds sketchy to me. You have two minutes.”
“I only need one,” Rocky quipped. “Sinister in Savannah.”
Grant’s brow shot up. “What’s that?”
“A podcast I produce with my two best friends. Listen to our first season. It’s called ‘Ride the Lightning.’ You’ll see what we’re all about. My contact information is on the card.”
Grant looked at the rectangle of cardstock in his hand, then back up at Rocky. “Look, you seem like a nice enough guy, and I like your sense of humor.”
“They call me Mr. Congeniality.”
Grant chuckled, shook his head, and extended the card back to Rocky. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it. I really have nothing more to say to you. I will ask you nicely to leave my mother alone. She’s already been tried and acquitted for the alleged crimes. This will all die down eventually.” His words were spoken without real conviction. It was wishful thinking on his part, and both he and Rocky knew it. “Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I really need to get dressed and get on the road.” Grant’s rejection wasn’t reflected in his tone or body language. He was curious, and Rocky claimed it as a small victory.
Knowing it was time to retreat, Rocky took a few steps backward. “Keep the card. Your curiosity will get the better of you, and you won’t be able to resist checking out the podcast. When you do, you’ll want to call me.”
“You’re awfully sure of yourself.”
Rocky shrugged. “Your mom has something to prove, and we’re the best chance she has.”
He felt the weight of Grant’s stare when he walked away. When he reached the squeaky gate, Rocky turned and glanced back at the porch. Sure enough, Grant hadn’t budged from the doorway.
“Oh, and good luck on your date,” Rocky said.
Grant replied by slamming the door shut. Rocky chuckled all the way back to his car. Once inside, he glanced over at Grant’s house in time to see a first-story window curtain flutter back into place.
Yeah, Grant was totally going to call him, and Rocky needed to be ready when he did.
Rocky wasn’t ready to go home to a quiet house yet, so he swung by the ATM and withdrew some cash. He had a debt to pay after all, and besides that, he loved spending time with his grandmother.
Rocky found Queen Bea in the middle of a hotly contested game of canasta. She was too busy cursing out some guy named Harvey to notice Rocky had entered the room. Then again, her eyeglasses probably hadn’t been updated since Nixon left office. Rocky had tried to tell her that the cat-eye frames she preferred were back in style, but she insisted she wouldn’t be able to find pink ones with rhinestones.
His nana’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw him. “My best boy is here,” she said, throwing open her arms for a hug. Queen Bea didn’t do delicate embraces; she held you tight like it could be the last time.
“Hi, Nana. You still give the best hugs.” She smelled like lavender, vanilla, and cedarwood. “You’re wearing the perfume I bought you for your birthday.” He’d seen it at a department store and bought it on a whim because the perfume’s name matched the phenomenal woman he loved so much.
“I can’t resist a perfume called Fucking Fabulous.” Several scandalized gasps and a few masculine guffaws echoed around the card table, and Queen Bea soaked up the attention. “Are you here to pay up?”
“A deal is a deal.” Even if he couldn’t remember it. Rocky pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of his pocket and placed it on the table. “Are you having a good day?”
“Harvey felt me up,” Nana said loud enough for people two counties over to hear.
“I did no such thing,” Harvey said in a gravelly voice. He tossed his cards down onto the table and glared at Nana. “All I did was catch you when you started to fall.”
“By grabbing my breasts?” Nana shrieked.
“Hey,” Harvey said, “my reflexes aren’t as quick as they used to be. What would you like me to do next time? Let you fall and break a hip?”
“Try wearing less cologne,” Nana snapped. “The stench bowled me over and enabled you to grope my tits. Or was that your plan all along?”
“Listen here, you meddlesome old bitty,” Harvey said, pointing a trembling finger at Nana. “I don’t need to resort to such ridiculous tactics to pick up the ladies.”
“Ha!” Nana shouted. “You can’t keep your hands off me. Just admit it.”
Harvey’s face flushed bright red, and Rocky worried Nana had just caused the man to have a stroke. “Why…you…I oughta…”