Read Smoked Out (Digger) for Free Online Page B

business? Is today any example?"
    "Okay. Sometimes it was busy. Most days it wasn’t much. Sometimes I think Mrs. Welles wondered why she opened the store. She would say to me, ‘Lorelei,’ she’d say, ‘sometimes I wonder why I opened this store.’ But I guess it was like fun for her, like something to do."
    "Bored doctor’s wife, like that?" Digger suggested.
    "Maybe."
    "Did Mrs. Welles work hard at the business or was it a hobby? For instance, she was on her way here at 6:00 A.M. Wasn’t that early to get here?"
    "Yeah. I used to open the store most days. We open at nine-thirty and I’d always be here by nine. I’m very reliable. Most people think a girl with a big chest isn’t reliable, but I’m very reliable. But the last week, she was coming in early every day."
    "Did you ask her why? Did she say why she was coming in early?"
    "She just said that she had an urge to come in early. The doctor was away and all, so maybe she just wanted to get out of the house. Did you talk to him? Is he going to keep the store open?"
    "I haven’t talked to him yet. This is all going to be a surprise for him. But I will talk to him later and I’ll put in a good word, Lorelei. You’d be surprised, girls with big chests who are reliable are hard to find. Does he know you’ve got a big chest?"
    "He knows. Oh, he knows."
    "You sound like you don’t like Dr. Welles too much. Is he fresh?"
    "No, but he looks. He comes in the store once in a while, or he used to, and he’d always look at me, you know how, I was always afraid of that because I was afraid he would try to get over on me and when he did I was going to have to quit, because I don’t give it up for commerce."
    "A wise decision. Commerce will prostitute us all if we let it. Why did Dr. Welles come in the store? Just to take his wife to lunch? Like that?"
    "No. She always ate lunch in the store. I used to go out and bring her back a sandwich. Tuna on toast. She always ate the same thing. I don’t know why he came in. He always came in around lunchtime, just when I was going out."
    "How long did he stay?"
    "He was usually gone when I got back. But sometimes he was still here. Once I heard them arguing."
    "About what?"
    "I don’t know. I didn’t listen. It was about money. This place doesn’t make a profit. He must have been upset about that."
    "Rich doctor. Mercedes-Benz. House in the hills. Why worry about a couple of dollars from your wife’s hobby?" Digger asked.
    "I don’t know. Once he really upset Mrs. Welles. I waited until he left before I went into the back office to give her her sandwich because I didn’t to want walk in while they were arguing. She was all pale and popping a pill. She didn’t even touch her sandwich. When I left, I threw it in the trash basket at the corner. If I threw it away here, I’d probably get mice and bugs. I hate bugs. I don’t mind needles or pills, but I hate bugs."
    "What kind of pill? Did she take pills a lot?"
    "I don’t know. I never saw her take pills but that once, but she had pills in her desk. Sometimes I’d find her with her head on the desk, like she was asleep. He yelled at her a lot, I think. I don’t want to marry a doctor."
    "I’m glad that doesn’t include me," Digger said.
    "You want to marry me?"
    "Maybe later after I’m done with this job. This is really important to my career. Sooner or later, everything comes to a Standstill. I want to be sure to get this right. Do you think her pills are still in her desk?"
    "Let me see."
    Lorelei walked away. She was tall and leggy and her rear, ungirdled buttocks coexisting warmly in the same space, was as impressive as her front. Digger followed her into Mrs. Welles’s office to look around. It was a small room, eight-by-ten, with a desk, filing cabinet and adding machine, telephone and not much else. He looked at the telephone number, but it was the same number as the phone on the outside desk.
    Lorelei rooted around in the center desk drawer as Digger