Something's wrong."
Harley raked his black beard, reluctant to admit that Roadrunner had a point, because to do so would be admitting that somethingwas wrong. "Maybe they're already there and they just haven't had time to call. This wasn't a pleasure cruise, you know. They have work to do."
"Are you saying Grace and Annie just forgot to call?"
Harley sighed. "Grace left a sheet with contact numbers on it, right?"
Roadrunner nodded.
"Okay, genius, why don't you call Green Bay and find out if they showed yet?"
Roadrunner started pacing again, faster than before. "Yeah, but what if they're not there?"
"Jesus. You run yourself ragged worrying about them, and now you're afraid to call and find out if you should be worrying at all?" He stretched out his hand and waved it impatiently. "Give me the damn number and go take a Valium or something."
"NICE OF YOU to ferry me all over town like this, buddy."
"No problem." Magozzi took a turn off Snelling and headed back into the residential checkerboard of one of St. Paul's older neighborhoods. "But as long as I'm over here, I should take a drive past Grace's house while she's gone. Just to keep an eye on things." Gino rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh."
"Seriously. It's not the best neighborhood, you know." "Yeah, right. You can always spot a crime-ridden neighborhood by all the tricycles in the yards. And those kids in that plastic wading pool over there? Talk about your unsavory types. Look at 'em. They're probably planning a heist right this minute."
"Oh, give me a break. It's just a few blocks out of the way."
"Twenty-two, to be exact. And the point is, my friend, you got it bad."
"Meaning what?" Magozzi pulled to the curb in front of Grace's little house and stared at the lifeless windows.
"Meaning you're mooning over an empty house, buddy, just because your girlfriend lives there. Shit, I haven't done that kind of stuff since high school."
"I am not mooning over an empty house. I am looking for burglars and arsonists."
Gino snorted. "Special Forces couldn't break into Grace's house, and you know it. Damn thing's probably rigged to self-destruct if the paperboy steps on the front mat." He leaned across the front seat and looked out Magozzi's window. "Man, the only yard in the city sadder than yours is Grace's. Between the two of you, you've got the landscape sense of a fire ant. Nobody's trying to kill he anymore, so why doesn't she put some shrubs or something around that place? Looks like nuclear winter."
Magozzi sighed and pulled away from the curb. "She likes it that way."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Ten minutes later, they pulled into Harley's driveway and Gino wasted no time in pointing out the superior landscaping. "Now here's a yard. Living grass, mature trees, and nice, big shrubs with those puffy white things all over them."
"Flowers. Why are you suddenly so obsessed with people's yards?"
"I'm not. All I'm saying is that there's nothing wrong with a little pride in ownership."
"Uh-huh. Angela finally made you dig out that flower bed she's been talking about for three years, didn't she?"
"That's not the point."
Magozzi smiled. "Right. Pride in ownership."
"Exactly. By the way, I got all my plants at Uptown Nursery, and Lily Gilbert gave me twenty percent off, and if she knew what your yard looked like, she'd probably donate everything."
"I'll think about it."
He and Gino got out of the car and headed up the front walk, Gino lagging behind as usual. He'd always taken it slow on the way up to Harley's house, and Magozzi used to think it was because the grandeur of the place intimidated him. But now he was beginning to suspect that Gino had been examining the garden layout all along, making mental notes that he could use later to impress Angela.
"You sure Harley said to just walk in?" Gino had finally caught up and was now standing at the mansion's massive front doors, staring at the huge iron demon face that served as a knocker.
"Yeah. He
Harley raked his black beard, reluctant to admit that Roadrunner had a point, because to do so would be admitting that somethingwas wrong. "Maybe they're already there and they just haven't had time to call. This wasn't a pleasure cruise, you know. They have work to do."
"Are you saying Grace and Annie just forgot to call?"
Harley sighed. "Grace left a sheet with contact numbers on it, right?"
Roadrunner nodded.
"Okay, genius, why don't you call Green Bay and find out if they showed yet?"
Roadrunner started pacing again, faster than before. "Yeah, but what if they're not there?"
"Jesus. You run yourself ragged worrying about them, and now you're afraid to call and find out if you should be worrying at all?" He stretched out his hand and waved it impatiently. "Give me the damn number and go take a Valium or something."
"NICE OF YOU to ferry me all over town like this, buddy."
"No problem." Magozzi took a turn off Snelling and headed back into the residential checkerboard of one of St. Paul's older neighborhoods. "But as long as I'm over here, I should take a drive past Grace's house while she's gone. Just to keep an eye on things." Gino rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh."
"Seriously. It's not the best neighborhood, you know." "Yeah, right. You can always spot a crime-ridden neighborhood by all the tricycles in the yards. And those kids in that plastic wading pool over there? Talk about your unsavory types. Look at 'em. They're probably planning a heist right this minute."
"Oh, give me a break. It's just a few blocks out of the way."
"Twenty-two, to be exact. And the point is, my friend, you got it bad."
"Meaning what?" Magozzi pulled to the curb in front of Grace's little house and stared at the lifeless windows.
"Meaning you're mooning over an empty house, buddy, just because your girlfriend lives there. Shit, I haven't done that kind of stuff since high school."
"I am not mooning over an empty house. I am looking for burglars and arsonists."
Gino snorted. "Special Forces couldn't break into Grace's house, and you know it. Damn thing's probably rigged to self-destruct if the paperboy steps on the front mat." He leaned across the front seat and looked out Magozzi's window. "Man, the only yard in the city sadder than yours is Grace's. Between the two of you, you've got the landscape sense of a fire ant. Nobody's trying to kill he anymore, so why doesn't she put some shrubs or something around that place? Looks like nuclear winter."
Magozzi sighed and pulled away from the curb. "She likes it that way."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Ten minutes later, they pulled into Harley's driveway and Gino wasted no time in pointing out the superior landscaping. "Now here's a yard. Living grass, mature trees, and nice, big shrubs with those puffy white things all over them."
"Flowers. Why are you suddenly so obsessed with people's yards?"
"I'm not. All I'm saying is that there's nothing wrong with a little pride in ownership."
"Uh-huh. Angela finally made you dig out that flower bed she's been talking about for three years, didn't she?"
"That's not the point."
Magozzi smiled. "Right. Pride in ownership."
"Exactly. By the way, I got all my plants at Uptown Nursery, and Lily Gilbert gave me twenty percent off, and if she knew what your yard looked like, she'd probably donate everything."
"I'll think about it."
He and Gino got out of the car and headed up the front walk, Gino lagging behind as usual. He'd always taken it slow on the way up to Harley's house, and Magozzi used to think it was because the grandeur of the place intimidated him. But now he was beginning to suspect that Gino had been examining the garden layout all along, making mental notes that he could use later to impress Angela.
"You sure Harley said to just walk in?" Gino had finally caught up and was now standing at the mansion's massive front doors, staring at the huge iron demon face that served as a knocker.
"Yeah. He
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