maria’s car was parked under the shade of an elm tree on a street full of overgrown lots.
it was a 1940 studebaker and it was hard to tell what color it was supposed to be.
maria noticed the way lawyer jones looked at it. “i know it needs a paint job,” she told him. “but it runs good.”
“i am sure,” jonathon smiled. maria unlocked the passenger door for him and he got in.
“just head north on 53,” jonathon said as they pulled out. “i’ll let you know when we are getting there.”
“does this place have a name?” maria asked.
“smitty’s. smitty’s steak house.”
“oh, yeah, i know where that is, i’ve passed by it. that’s pretty well out there.”
“not so much. you aren’t worried about gas, are you?”
“oh no, i got gas. i always make sure i got gas. a car can’t run without gas, you know.”
“very true.”
“a car can run without paint, but it can’t run without gas. i always keep it filled up, and i got some cans in the back.”
“good, good, it’s always good to look ahead, and to be prepared.”
they left the town behind, and the well tended farms. they passed scrubby woods, and overgrown and untended fields.
they saw a few other cars , all headed into town, none headed in their direction.
the sun started to go down.
“you know what else this car doesn’t have, besides a new paint job?” maria asked.
“what?”
“a radio. the radio’s busted, and i never got it fixed.”
“i don’t mind, “ said jonathon. “i can sit back and enjoy the scenery.”
“what i meant was,” said maria, “since we can’t listen to the radio, maybe you could start telling me about what i am going to be investigating.”
“well,” jonathon replied, “i thought we should settle on terms first.”
“terms? how about twenty-five dollars a week? and like i said, that’s flat, no expenses. you can’t get much cheaper than that.”
jonathon hesitated.
“how about four dollars a day, and you can stop at any time? stop cold.”
“three fifty a day.” jonathon countered.
“my, you drive a hard bargain, mister. your old pappy must have been a mule dealer. three fifty it is, but four days up front, that’s fourteen dollars. no refund on the fourteen dollars, even if you call me off tomorrow. how’s that?“
“that sounds reasonable,” said jonathon. “it’s a deal.”
“and you are still buying me that steak dinner. “
“of course, of course.” jonathon smiled. “there is no turning back now.”
“all right, then what is the story?”
what have i gotten myself into, jonathon wondered.
and as they passed empty fields, and the sun continued to go down in front of them, jonathon began to tell maria the story of jonah james and buck gray.
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