Chapter Two #2
She quickly wrote up a sign and went outside, slapping it on the order window.
Sunny paused. “What was that?”
“It was a note that said, Cloudy’s sibling. Speak slow. Don’t mention his skin.”
She exhaled and called the nearest hospital. “Do you have an Emgoth there?”
“Yes, miss. He came in yesterday.”
“Well, if there is an attendant, please wish him well and say he is missing lunch rush.”
The woman was recording it. “Yes, miss.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you have a name?”
“I am his coworker. Cloudy.”
“Miss, why does he keep saying that you are going to kill him?”
“Because he is making me work the dock food stall alone? It is an affectionate threat. He said the same when I went in for surgery.”
“Oh. Oh no. Miss, if the peacekeepers come, please tell them that.”
“Oh. I get it. They are using me as their first likely lead.”
“I believe so, miss.”
“Thank you for the warning. I have to go. The hungry customers are coming for lunch.”
“Have a good day, miss.”
She hung up and warned her brother. “Peacekeepers are going to come and question me about a quirky turn of phrase. Apparently, it makes it look like I have reason to attack Emgoth.”
“Well, hell.”
“Yup. Get ready to smile without teeth.”
Sunny blinked, nodded, and started to greet the customers. They read the sign, laughed, and spoke slowly to Sunny. He laughed and said, “You really wrote that?”
“I really did. Keep going; we have twenty more in line.”
She was prepping based on voices behind her as she worked, and things weren’t as slow as she had feared.
Sunny had the orders coming in, and the akko was being portioned out appropriately.
She paused at the grill, grabbed a bucket of the shredded and dressed mix, and when he got the last of the akko out of the bin, she grabbed a clean bin, moved the dirty one aside, and dumped the veg into position, getting a cheer from the watching and hungry customers.
She chucked the bucket and the container aside in a safe corner for washing later, washed her hands, and returned to the line.
They made it through the lunch rush and stragglers, then started cleaning up. Sunny muttered, “Holy shit. You do this every day?”
“Six days a week.”
“Wow. That was lunch; is this it?”
“Nope. We cover the last shift change around three thirty. Then we clean up, and then we check our stock and get ready for tomorrow.”
She laughed at his appalled expression.
“I am surprised no one has asked for fruit ice.”
“Oh, I put the sign up. All the regulars know. No Emgoth, no fruit ice. I nearly cost myself my fingers the last time I tried.”
They washed up and got the containers from the drop-off. The akko was wrapped and put in the fridge for the next orders.
Sunny asked, “How do you do this?”
“Because I did it. I am used to it. We have a lovely profit margin and a loyal clientele. Several of whom have seen improvements in their love lives after the increased intake of vegetables and low-fat meats.”
Sunny blinked. “Do your customers know?”
“How do you think I know about their sex lives?” She chuckles. “We have three choices, Sea, land, or mix.”
“Everyone was ordering mix.”
“Yes. That is standard, but we always keep a third of the grill for specific mixes. Like allergy alerts. Occasionally, spouses come for lunch, and they want to prove they can order something different.” She chuckled. “When they return, they get the mix.”
Sunny was cleaning up front and said, “Cloudy, I think your visitors are here.”
A peacekeeper vehicle pulled up, and Cloudy stepped out with her hands away from her sides.
“We are looking for the Terran, Cloudy?”
“That is me. I have had adaptation surgeries.” She said it calmly.
“Are you aware that Emgoth is in hospital?”
“I found out from Ariget. She said she and the kids are with him.”
“You didn’t visit?”
“No, he would kill me if I didn’t open the stall on time.” She smiled. “Terran saying.”
They jolted and checked their records. One was sea, and one was high-land Vecchin. So, fish and fur. She waited.
“Has Emgoth ever used this phrase in regards to you?” The sea Vecchin asked.
“Yes. Twice. The first time was when I went in for the pigmentation, and the second was when I went in for my gill installation. He said if I weren’t back the moment the doctors cleared me, he’d kill me.
He said it in the stall, so we have video.
He has also taken days off for family events and grinned, saying that if I weren’t there at five the next day, I would kill him. ”
The sea Vecchin asked, “Do you have that on video?”
“Yes. I know the dates, and if one of you will come with me, my brother is inside cleaning, as I needed help, but there isn’t a lot of room with someone your size and me.”
The deep-sea Vecchin smiled. “I will come with you. May I record?”
“Certainly. It’s chaotic but clean. We just had our lunch rush.”
The peacekeeper came in behind her, and she walked to the office with him behind her. She announced the first day, and he recorded. The second. Third, fourth, fifth, and finally the sixth.
“I apologize if the human turn of phrase is impolite, but Emgoth took to it. I plan to visit him if I am allowed to after work.”
He paused. “You knew we were coming.”
“I did. And I knew what you were looking for. Him saying that I was going to kill him means that I would be angry if he missed work and left me on my own. I called in my brother, and he has kept up, but half of all profits are Emgoth’s.
We have direct split deposits that kick in after materials for the day are covered.
There is no benefit for him not being here.
He still gets half the funds for the day.
He should have started getting his pay already for the day. ”
“Your sibling?”
“He will be paid out of my funds until Emgoth reimburses me. He and I are partners. Everything is divided down the middle. We have been getting our funds together and debating opening a new stall somewhere.”
He perked up. “He wasn’t making much sense when we talked to him.”
“He was looking into setting up on Dock Yef.”
The huge black eyes went wide. “That is interesting. He did mention Yef, so we thought that was where this stall was. We had to find you via the registry.”
“You could have called.”
He chuckled. “We don’t often call suspects to tell them we are coming.”
“Ah. Fair. Well, if you come by when Emgoth is back, I think he would be happy to thank you for your diligence.”
“Not you?”
She smiled. “The suspects rewarding you is called bribery.”
He laughed and went outside with the files, and his partner nodded toward her with a smile and got into the vehicle. They left.
She got a call. “Emgoth. Who the hell hit you?”
“Some enforcers down at Dock Yef. They weren’t keen on the idea of a new stall for the local workers without a lot of kickbacks.”
“Right. How are you doing?”
“I need two more days of light duties, but then I will be back.”
“Excellent. I called my brother, and he’s doing good, but I put a sign out front for them to speak slowly and not comment on his pigment.”
Emgoth chuckled and grunted. “That’s funny. You put the ice sign up?”
“Yup. First thing when I got off the line with Ariget.”
“She wasn’t sure you weren’t involved. Apparently, I was mumbling in my sleep.”
“No worries. You mumble when you are awake, too.”
He chuckled and grunted again. “I have ordered food delivery based on what has come to my account. The restock will be there tomorrow around seven. You should have enough until then.”
“Yup. I will have enough for the afternoon and tomorrow’s breakfast, but I despise you to the centre of your soul for sending the veg here during morning rush.”
He laughed and then groaned.
“Go. Heal. Repair. Tell your wife I am not a psycho.”
“I never lie to Ariget.”
She snorted. “Go suck a flipper.”
“I have told you too much about our sex lives.”
She grinned and disconnected the call.
He was safe, he was healing, and he was a butthead. A better business partner could not be had.
Sunny asked, “You need me tomorrow?”