Murder on the Mainline: another Mike Claymore Mystery Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
5TH TUESDAY

Mike is all hooked up to the trailer train by eight and on the road by half past. He drives out around the Mary Hill Bypass and hit’s the freeway near the Port Mann Bridge. Across the bridge and up the valley he rolls. As he nears Abbotsford he dials his cell phone. Marlene answers with a cheerful, “Good morning.”

“Hi Hon, It’s me. I’m on my way just coming up on Abbotsford. I left before you were awake this morning so I thought I better give you a call. Kids off to school and Jan to keep you company. What you going to be doing today?”

“I’ve started to put a laundry in, but I’m not too busy if you want to stop for coffee …or anything else, if you know what I mean.”

“If I don’t will you call Jeff?”

“Would you be mad if I did?”

“I know he was there yesterday. Did I act mad last night?”

“Mmmmm no, you were loving last night, but no sex. You sure you don’t want to stop this morning?”

“I’m afraid I can’t. I have to off load some goods in the Okanagan before heading on up to Calgary. They changed my load so I’m not going the Coqu to Kamloops. Then it’s over to Saskatchewan and back. Likely be three days at least, maybe four. No swamper this trip.”

“I wish you could stop. I get tired of Jeff all the time. Take care of yourself out there on the highway. I’ll see you this weekend.”

“What are you going to do when they move? I see the ‘For Sale’ sign in their front yard this morning. I tell you what. Get yourself all ready and I’ll pull in by the house in about five minutes.”

“Yippee. I’ll be all ready, lover man.”

After his compassionate stop over, Mike rolls again and soon pulls in at the Husky in Sardis. He catches a thrown kiss as he comes in the door with a smile and calls, “Just coffee, Trudy.”

She brings it and nudges him over to sit for a moment.

He says, “Hey. Won’t the boss see you? You better not get caught sitting with the customers. Even I know better than that.”

“I want him to see me. I want him to get a good look at you. The bastard seems to think because a girl doesn’t wear panties she’s fair game to run his hand up her twat. I told him off good and said you’d break his neck if you ever caught him doing that again.”

“He what? What were you doing?”

“He sent me for supplies and sneaked up on me in the supply room up on the ladder. Before I knew it he had my pussy in his hand. I lashed out and kicked at him as I jumped down then I told him off. Now he knows, the creep.”

Mike grins as he says; “I guess you took care of it then. Is that him?”

“Yeah. Glare at him and he’ll know what I’m telling you.”

Mike glares at the man back by the coffee machine and he quickly steps into the rear office. Mike chuckles and says, “I think he got the point.”

“How come you’re so late? I expected you an hour ago.”

“Had to make a stop; everything’s okay now. I figure three days tops but I told Marlene maybe four. Maybe we’ll get a chance to try that bed of ours out on Thursday night. Is it comfy?”

“Comfy but lonely. I’ll be waiting with my fingers crossed. Hurry home, my love. I better wait on some tables. I think we’ve made our point and I see it’s getting busy.”

“Right. I have to get going anyway. The sooner I go, the sooner I come back. You take care of yourself.” He finishes his coffee and heads back to the truck.

As he progresses out past Laidlaw he toots the air horn at another CPX rig sitting in the truck stop. He heads up past Hope and climbs to the lodge in Manning Park, leaving a trail of black smoke most of the way. The scenery is excellent with the wild rhododendrons blooming in the wood on the way up and wild life everywhere.

He sees deer, coon and smaller creatures like squirrel and muskrats in the river bends. He even spots a beaver at work gnawing at a tree. He wishes Crystal and Janet were with him. They would love the wild life. He notices a bear near the lodge with two cubs as he begins to gear up on the level highway.

Farther along near Princeton its mountain sheep and he has to slow, gearing down to ensure they don’t dodge out in front of him. He checks his brakes above Princeton then goes down past the Copper Mountain mine tailings into the town. Following the river he motors along, diesel humming and all in sync. In Keremeos he heads north and passes the truck stop without slowing. He’ll be stopping at Zellers in Penticton soon.

At Zellers he backs into the dock. A warehouse foreman details two employees to get the items off the rear trailer. Mike watches them as they work and checks the items off his bills. He get the foreman’s signature and gives him his copies. Then he ducks inside the store restaurant for a hamburger and Coke. Soon he’s on his way again. It’s straight into Calgary for him now and he hopes to make it over the Rogers Pass before dark.

As he comes down to the Columbia the sun has set and the dusk is deepening. He crosses the river and into Golden; where he pulls into the Husky around eleven local time, ten by his watch. Stiffly he gets down out of the rig and makes his way to the service center. He calls T.O. and reports his position. He tells them he might catch a few hours sleep here before heading into Calgary. It’s only a three-hour drive from here.

Next he heads for the cafe. He looks for Jena but doesn’t see her. A shapely blonde of about twenty-five greets him at his table. “Hi Mike, remember me?”

Mike grins lopsidedly and says, “I never forget a pair like those. Cathy, isn’t it?”

“What would you like tonight?”

“A pair like those,” he winks. “What time you get off work.”

“Come on. I have to put your order in.” She nudges his shoulder with her order pad and giggles.

“Have you had a chance yet to check out one of those big sleepers like mine?” He watches her with a light smile and his eyes are twinkling.

“I wouldn’t tell you if I had.”

“Bet you never saw one quite the same as mine. It’s set up roomy to accommodate two.”

“Are they really that big. They look awfully crowded and small to me.”

“Not the ones in the Kenworths. You’ll be surprised at how much space there is in there. In fact, I bet you’ll like it in there. So, what have you got that’s nice and light. I don’t want anything too heavy on the stomach. I plan on getting some rest later.”

“How about a toasted Western? That’s light and they really make good ones here.”

“If you think that’s what I should eat, I’ll have one. Make mine on brown, no fries and, how about a Coke. Just enough to give me energy to climb the ladder up into that big rig but not so much as to keep me awake all night.”

“I’ll bring it right over.” She smiles and rushes towards the kitchen. Mike chuckles and contemplates a possible roll in the hay. “Nice bod.” He says to himself as she disappears into the kitchen.

When she brings the sandwich she hangs around watching him eat. There are only two other tables occupied on the far side of a low partition and another waitress is waiting on them. “Where are you going in the morning, Mike?”

“Into Calgary then on to Gull Lake in Saskatchewan. After that it will be back across the Crow’s Nest Pass and down three to the coast.”

“You’re not coming back this way?”

“I could. What you got in mind, gorgeous?”

“I thought you might like some company. I’m off tomorrow and my boy friend and I aren’t speaking. He’s such a jerk. How long before we’d be back?”

“Hmmmm, bout this time tomorrow night or a bit later. Before sunrise, I should think.”

“I’ll let you know. I’m off in an hour.” She glances at her watch, “Oh, in just over half an hour.” She looks at him mischievously and says, “I won’t have to wake you. You’ll probably just be done eating.”

“I’ll wait for you. I wouldn’t want you to climb up into the wrong truck.” He grins broadly.

She goes to wash off a nearby table and glances often to where he’s watching her. Mike finishes his sandwich and sips on the Coke. As she bends over to wipe down the seats in a booth he catches a good view of her long shapely legs. She wiggles her bottom as she wipes the vinyl down then straightens herself as she goes to the next table.

Mike feels an all too familiar stirring in his loins and drops his eyes. When next he looks up she is wiping the seats in that next booth. Fascinated, he watches her long legs and bottom wiggle back and forth then realizes she’s peeking over the seat watching him. Her eyes are laughing in merriment as she ducks her head back down. He glances at his watch. It’s nearly eleven so he figures she must get off at midnight, local time. When he looks up again he can’t see her.

In a few minutes she comes out of the kitchen with a light jacket over her uniform and a purse under her arm. Mike gets up and meets her near the till. She waits as he pays his bill then walks ahead of him out of the center. Outside Mike catches up her hand and leads her towards the back of the center. He has pulled into an area away from the lights so he can rest.