Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 3:

Wes pulled his car up to the house, and Ellery noticed Edna was still there. “I thought she would a gone home by now,” he said, helping Ennis out of the car.

“She’s probably cookin, you know Edna.”

Indeed she had. As they came inside, the smell of homemade biscuits wafted out of the kitchen, and an apple pie was just going into the oven. The mess in the kitchen had been swept up and a workman was laying a new frame in the patio door. “I hope ya don’t mind, I called a company I know,” she said cheerfully, giving her husband a nod as Wes led them back in the house. “You boys want coffee?”

“I’ll take another glass a water,” Ennis said, sinking down into the recliner but not sitting back.

“You poor boy,” Edna said. “You gonna be all right?”

“Cuts an scratches Edna.”

“That thing on yer eye isn’t any cut or scratch!” she declared, bringing him a drink as Ellery started a pot of coffee.

“Well no, that was a beer bottle from last night. Hey Ellery, you see Leon before all this shit happened?”

“Sure did. An he is gonna cool his heels another night before he gets bail set.”

Despite his scratched, sunburned, bruised face and swollen eye, Ennis smiled. “Best news I had all day.”

[MaineWriter]

Another relic from the archives. Click to enlarge!

[belbbmfan]

and from chapter 4, despite all the angst and pain, a comedy moment! Poor Edna 

Ellery handed Ennis his Amoxicillin and Darvocet, gave him a soft kiss, then went out to the kitchen. “I suppose you are gonna want ta hover over us all the rest a the day, Edna.”

She nodded, smiling briefly. “How is Ennis doin? He gonna be ready for a tuna salad sandwich an some coleslaw an fruit salad in a little bit? I thought with him feelin poorly he might like somethin light.”

His stomach growled in reply. “I don’t know about Ennis but I missed my mornin muffin an I am ready ta eat. He just took his pills.”

She nodded, setting the table for the two of them and pulling out a serving tray Ellery didn’t know he had, stashed in a cabinet over the stove. She arranged some sliced tuna sandwiches on a plate, a large glass of lemonade, a bowl of fruit salad, and another of coleslaw. “I’ll just bring this in for em, you sit down.”

“I can do it Edna...”

Her blue eyes flashed. “You had your turn, now it’s mine.” Ellery sank down into the chair, his holster fetching up against the side of the chair as he sat. He debated taking off his gun and changing out of his uniform, and decided against it for the moment. Being in uniform and armed made him feel a little more in control at the moment... and control was something he needed.

Edna brought the tray in, tapping with a knuckle on the door before she entered the bedroom. “Lunchtime, Ennis.”

“Oh Edna... you didn’t have ta do all that...”

“I wanted ta. They should have the patio door all done by the end a the day at the latest too, you might be happy ta know.” She frowned as she looked for a place to set the tray, frowning at the cigar box, lighter, ashtray, massage oil and jar of Vaseline on the nightstand. “You must have really dry hands if you got ta keep that nearby all the time,” she said, picking it up with one hand, balancing the tray. “Belongs in the bathroom.”

“Uh, Edna...” Ennis blushed hotly. “Ain’t fer our hands.” She nearly dropped the tray, and set the jar back down carefully.

“Sorry, sorry.” He held out his hands for the tray and she retreated rapidly. “I got ta check the pie,” she said as she rushed back out of the room.

[mariez]

Good Morning! 

That doctor's write-up from the ER was great. Talk about great bits of minutia - that takes the prize!   

I loved Ellery replying, "I am a frantic husband.” and also Ennis's very Ennis-like “Ran inta some rough types, jumped out a their truck.”

Edna and the Vaseline is a classic!   

Ellery gives her a further warning in Chapter 5:

Edna rushed out to the kitchen and Ellery looked up, swallowing a mouthful of tuna sandwich. “What’s wrong, Edna?”

She began to run water in the sink to wash the dishes, saying nothing.

“Edna you fixed yerself lunch, now yer washin dishes. Come on an sit down, I know how to wash my own damn dishes.”

She looked up at him with a tragic expression. “I really wasn’t tryin ta pry...”

“Pry? Inta what?” Ellery frowned, wondering what had gotten into the normally unflappable Edna.

“The... I don’t need ta know what you do with the Vaseline, I really don’t.”

Ellery grinned. “Oh. Ohhhh... Sit down an relax Edna. Yer right, probably too much information.”

“I just was tryin ta clear a spot.”

“Well, just don’t ever try ta tidy up my nightstand Edna, that’s all I’m sayin,” he said, giving her a sober look.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened, and for a long moment, no sound came out. “Sure enough,” she said at last.


Holy Crap - the nightstand!  Perhaps it's best if Edna stays out of the boys' bedroom altogether! 

Thanks for the quotes, ladies!

Marie

[MaineWriter]

Thanks for helping out with the quotes, ladies! I really appreciate it....

Here's a bit more from chapter 5:

“No no, no need ta bother,” she said, and leaning over, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Uh oh, I’m gonna tell Ennis!” he teased.

“Oh he told you I gave em a kiss did he? Well now you two boys are even. You look after em now, Ellery.” She picked up her box and, giving him another reassuring smile, headed out the door to her aging Pontiac, setting the box in the trunk before backing out of the driveway slowly and deliberately.

He went back in the bedroom, opening the door softly, and saw Ennis drowsing, the ice pack slipped away from his face, the bruises on his neck and shoulders visible above the edge of the sheet. Tears stung his eyes as he watched him lightly sleeping, and as he watched, the blond eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened, looking up at him.

“Hey,” Ennis said.

“Hey. Dupree is comin over in a while. They matched fingerprints on the door to a mugshot, he’s gonna bring the mugshots by for you to look at.”

“Wow. That’s good, Ellery...” he said, his voice raspy.

“You want some a this lemonade? You ate the food but didn’t drink nothin.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Edna found the...”

“Yeah,” he grinned. “I think she decided ta go home cause she was learnin way too much she didn’t bargain for.”

“She left?”

Ellery nodded. “Yep. Which means we can have some kissin an cuddlin till Dupree gets here.”

[MaineWriter]

Another photo story...

POOR ENNIS!  (by MaineWriter)

Poor Ennis! What a time he has had!

First, he gets hit on the



by a



Despite taking lots of



and Ellery acting like a



it is likely he did not sleep like a



The next morning is awakened by the sound of



and the sight of thugs in the kitchen, who are wearing



but on their



not their




The tie up Ennis with a



and speed away in a



What happens next? Stay tuned....

[mariez]

Also from Chapter 5 (just because I love Jeremy):

Ellery first called Dupree, relieved that he was at his desk and not still interviewing Sevigny. “What did you do with our witness?” he said as he heard him say hello.

“Shit, Ellery, what happened ta Ennis first?”

“He is home safe, in bed, he’s seen a doctor.”

“Good. I was worried sick, I was sittin in there with Poindexter Sevigny and nobody told me jack shit!”

“Reynolds is running prints, Dupree, this might be the same guys who killed Wilkes.”

“Damn.”

“You get that sketch artist over ta talk ta Poindexter? We need a sketch in the worst way. We got ta know if we got stalkin serial killers here.”

“Yeah yeah, my wish is yer command. He’s with em. But the question is, what do we do with the kid?”

“I don’t know what he’s worried about, he knows kung fu, he stalked us sight unseen for at least a day...”

“Three days,” Dupree interjected.

“Three days. He got a home around here?”

“Yeah yeah I got all that. Put a guy on his house?”



Aww.. Jeremy was so worried about Ennis.  Love all this dialogue and how Jeremy calls Sevigny "Poindexter!"

Marie

[mariez]

Those photo stories are priceless, Leslie!     I agree with Fabienne - we need some for the Laramie Tales!   

Thanks!

Marie

[MaineWriter]

Shelter from the Storm, chapters 6 - 10 today:

http://louisev.livejournal.com/76994.html

“At least I know I’m outside a nippin distance a Mr. Coyote,” Ellery said smugly, and slipped out the door to the kitchen with Ennis’s empty glass in his hand. He poured Ennis and himself full glasses of lemonade, nodded and smiled to the workman. “You know ta call out if anyone suspicious comes by, specially if they have a crowbar, right?” he said to Tony, who was finishing the trim on the patio door.

“Yes sir, Chief Deputy. Say, can I have some a that? Getting a little steamy in the sunshine here.”

“Oh sure, sorry I didn’t think of it.” He handed Tony his as yet untouched glass, and got another down from the cabinet, filling it up.

“No problem, Mrs. Brown was lookin after me all mornin. She said yer cousin got busted up kinda bad when they grabbed em this mornin. He gonna be okay?”

“Yep. He’s a little thirsty now though. Give a knock on the door if I ain’t out before yer ready ta go.”

“Sure enough,” Tony said, tilting the glass back and swallowing with a satisfied gasp.

Cousin, huh? Ellery thought to himself as he returned to the bedroom, glancing down at his bare chest and hip hugging cutoffs.

LOL

[MaineWriter]

The things we didn't know, way back when. From Chapter 6:

The doorbell rang.

“You better look through the peephole before you open it, Ellery.”

“I will.”

“An could you put on a shirt please?”

“Jesus Ennis, in my own home?”

“Boys from the Red Stallion come by yer own home, Ellery. Come on.”

Ellery rose from the bed and pulled a clean red tank top out of the bureau. “Is this enough coverage for you, momma?”

“Barely,” Ennis frowned.

“It is warm this afternoon, Ennis. I ain’t coverin up fer modesty because yer in bed sick an jealous. It is probably Dupree runnin early.”

“Dupree ain’t off the hook yet.”

Ellery headed for the door. “That queer boy Sevigny says Dupree ain’t queer.”

“I don’t believe it,” Ennis replied.

“Neither do I, now put on some drawers or somethin cause Dupree’s got ta show ya the mug shots.”