"	Gene's Story or How I Gained a Cousin A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright 2016

Ginny took a quick look out the front window, “Oh shit, it's him, it's Morales,” she wailed.

“Get to the sink, and relax. I'll handle this no matter what they want,” I said. “Just act interested in the dishes.”

No sooner did I finish speaking, than the door bell rang. Wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans, I opened the door. “Can I help you?” I asked the two large men who were crowding the front steps.

“You Ellen Hanson?” I nodded yes, “Boston Police,we need to ask you a few questions.”

I took a breath, “May I see some ID?” The older of the two took out a leather wallet and flipped it open showing a gold badge.

“I'm Sargent Spanos, and this is Detective Maroney, may we come in?” I opened the door fully, and waved them in.

“What's this about?” I asked. Spanos ignored me asking “Who's that at the sink?”

Ginny turned and faced us, “I'm her cousin from Falmouth.”

“I asked what this is about,” I said again. “If I don't get an answer fast, I'm dialing 911. Then you can tell me and the Swampscott cops just what you want.”

“We're looking for a guy named Gene Thomas, seen him?” This again from Spanos.

I thought for a moment, “Who's Gene Thomas?”

“He's a truck driver,” answered Spanos. “As a matter of fact, it was his truck abandoned at your construction site on Friday. He drives for MacDonald Trucking.”

I shrugged, “Look, I'm the Resident Engineer on that job, I don't deal with truck drivers, that's the job of my foreman. You should talk to him. Do you want his phone number?”

Detective Maroney answered, “We just came from his place, he sent us here.”

'Well,' I thought, 'he does speak.'

“Can't help you gentlemen, what do I do if he shows up?”

Spanos handed me his card, “Give me a call, anytime, I'll answer.”

Maroney walked over to my “cousin”, and started to quietly talk to her. They must have heared my heart pounding it was so loud. I was ready to faint.

“Hey, kid, stop chatting up the chick, and get into the car,” shouted Sergent Spanos.

I closed and locked the door and ran into the bathroom, just making it. When I came back out, I looked at Ginny, and swore. “What are you smiling at?”

“He wanted my phone number,” she smirked, “I told him I don't date Catholics. He said he'd be Jewish if I would go out with him.” With that, we both lost it, sitting on the sofa roaring with laughter until we cried.

“Damn,” Ginny said “I just peed myself.”

“Welcome to womanhood,” I gasped, laughing even harder.

Once we calmed down, and caught our breath, I sobered up quickly and asked Ginny if she thought they were Boston cops doing their job. “I don't think so; there was a third man in the back seat of the cruiser, it looked like Morales.”

“What does this Morales look like?”

Ginny shuddered, “You saw him, he's the one who came into the office looking for me Friday afternoon, a real ape.”

I looked at the clock, “Crap, I have a riding lesson in Newbury in a hour. I have to get changed,you too, you're coming.”

I quickly changed into riding pants and tall boots, grabbed a jacket and jumped into the Explorer. Ginny was already sitting in the passenger seat, wearing loose jeans and a polar fleece of mine; somehow it looked better on her then on me.

To be continued

Many thanks to Bronwen for fixing typos and puncuation