I am looking to purchase my 3 series when my lease ends. I have a guy who works on my Japanese vehicles at his house, but doesn’t work on German vehicles. Any recommendations for a non-dealer ship mechanic that specializes in German vehicles?
submitted by PART ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE Friday Knowing exactly how Mason felt when it came to coping with the changes, Lucas watched the younger man take his parents down to his new room to show off his new toys. Mr Williams still wasn’t happy about him staying, but it seemed Mrs Williams was being (at least on the surface) more accommodating.
Lucas' first look inside Mason’s room had been when he brought down the supplies from upstairs, and he too had been curious to know what that electronic table in the corner behind his desk was all about. He might’ve also had a little peek inside the timber divide, and groaned at the ridiculous beast of a gaming setup that had one foot firmly in the realm of science fiction.
He and Robbie were going to have to keep an eye on Mason and make sure his studies came before that sucker got turned on. Mason may have been twenty-three, but the closest he'd ever gone to owning anything like that was a second-hand, handheld console he’d picked up at a swap meet a couple of years ago. When he’d brought that thing home, he’d locked himself in his room for the whole weekend and to this day Lucas didn’t think he'd slept the whole time.
Mason’s parents never found out about that because Boyd hid the game for almost a week and only gave it back after Mason proved he could get his head back into his studies.
Lucas hadn’t realised how expensive the equipment was until Mason quoted the million-dollar figure, but given the income source was Nascerdios and that Mason was trying to get a veterinary degree, it didn’t surprise him either. After checking out Boyd’s rooms, he had the feeling he had one of the cheaper ones, but given how perfectly it suited him anyway, he was a long way from being upset about it.
Now, knowing Angelo was no longer returning, he’d been curious about what was inside their former roommate's room and after leaving Mason’s, he went across the hallway to look.
It was yet another spectacular room, but not to Angelo’s taste at all. Very art deco, with grey and cream walls broken up by gold beading. A huge, stone and gold framed mirror hung over a wide chest of drawers that were longer than him and three drawers deep. On one end was a gold vase with pink flowers and leafy green foliage, adding a little non-earthy colour to the room.
The walls on either side of the mirror were sconced, and a grey and cream floor rug with blush geometric styles across what looked like the same marble tile that was in the kitchen.
The queen-sized bed was made up with coffee coloured satin sheets and ruffled pillows. The frame of the bed was padded suede in a slightly lighter coffee colour that was matched by the double door side tables on either side of the bed and the enormous headboard that went almost wall to wall. It was in the same geometric design as the frame and side tables, making it look like one cohesive unit.
But on the wall behind it, above the headboard, was the biggest hung picture of a golden dragonfly on a black background that Lucas had ever seen.
Whoever designed this, knew Angelo wasn’t coming back. He couldn’t see Daniel telling anyone in his family about the case, but somehow someone within it clearly knew. Because this … this was something else. The sophistication of it was off the charts.
For the next two hours, Mason remained in his bedroom with his parents, trying to convince them that he wasn’t leaving in the morning to go back to Illinois. Most of that was convincing them not to cut him off financially and force his return, which was what Lucas and Robbie had heard through the partially open doorway a few times.
He hadn’t interfered at that stage because it wasn't technically any of his business. But watching the way Robbie drew himself up off the kitchen counter and kept looking down the hallway towards Mason’s room, he knew his friend well enough to know one way or another, Mason would be given the choice of where to study for himself.
The Williams’ had been invited to stay for dinner, but declined, saying they’d eaten hours ago and this was more like their bedtime.
So they wrapped up Mason’s meal and put in the warming oven along with Llyr’s and Ivy’s (who’d left for parts unknown just as soon as the 'meet and greet' of Mason’s parents was over).
Boyd had come back out of his room and joined him and Robbie at the counter for dinner.
“What do you think the outcome of that’s going to be?” the oldest of them asked, his eyes flicking to Mason’s slightly ajar door as he ate.
“Mason’s not going anywhere,” Robbie declared. “Not with the training tools he's been given to stay here. If his parents won't see reason, I’ll put him through the rest of his course myself if I have to.” Which confirmed what Lucas had thought earlier. Robbie then twisted his head to look at Boyd. “So, what about you? What are your plans tomorrow?”
The question was innocent enough, but the way the muscle in Boyd’s jaw tightened momentarily in response told Lucas he was missing something here. He shifted his eyes silently between the two of them, biting on a freshly baked roll.
“I’ve gotta duck out in the morning, but I shouldn’t be long,” Boyd answered, shifting his focus back to his food.
“You
sure you don’t want company?”
So this
had been discussed before…
The fingers around Boyd’s fork tensed for a second. “Positive.”
Lucas heard the unspoken warning to drop it and didn’t pry. At least, not straight away. He
would get to the bottom of it though, even if he had to take a leaf out of Mason’s book and tail his friend in the morning. The secrets he’d allowed this household to keep had almost destroyed them all. It wouldn’t be happening again.
“Well, Lucas and I are going clothes shopping in the morning.”
Lucas wasn’t quick enough to stop his eyes from rolling, causing Boyd to smirk at him in amusement.
“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not that opposed to clothes shopping.”
The conversation then devolved into who was opposed to what that had all three of them laughing purely as a way to release some tension, and when they were done, Boyd licked his lips clean and rose to his feet. “Well, I have to get back to my project. Leave the dishes, Robbie. I’ll take care of them in a bit.”
“Wow! All this extra help,” Robbie beamed. “At this rate, I might even get to sit down and watch a whole episode of Rachel Ray without interruption.”
“Yeah, well, we’re also gonna be re-assessing the chore roster over the weekend and getting things a bit more balanced. We also need to figure out what to do with the apartment upstairs since the lease runs out in three weeks. I'm inclined to cancel it, but before we do, we need to find out what Llyr’s plans for this place are, or we could end up homeless.”
“If he loses interest in it, I’ll ask if he’ll sell it to me before that happens,” Robbie declared. He looked across at Lucas and shrugged. “I might as well put Pop’s money to use somehow, and then the place’ll be ours to do whatever we like with it.”
“If you do that, we’re definitely going to be revisiting the chore list because you won’t be doing shit,” Boyd declared as if he were laying down the law.
“Maybe I’ll put in a clause that says I’m doing them whether you like it or not.”
“You’re an idiot if you do that.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Only when you deserve it…”
Lucas put two fingers to his lips and let out a quick, silencing note before their disagreement could get out of hand. “Llyr hasn’t done or said anything to imply an eviction date, so this whole argument’s getting off point. And the way Robbie’s determined to keep us all together, even if Llyr does ask us to leave, it isn’t going to be a problem. My vote's also to let upstairs go. And because Angelo’s not coming back, that gives the three of us the majority vote.”
“I’m already out,” Robbie replied. “Nothing this side of Hell would get me to sign another twelve-month lease for that dilapidated rabbit warren.”
“I’ll ring the landlord in the morning and let him know we’re not re-upping,” Boyd said, making his way towards his room.
“Oorah,” Robbie murmured slyly under his breath.
Boyd’s middle finger appeared at his right shoulder without the big guy ever slowing down. As he passed Mason’s door, he pulled it closed to give them privacy.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Lucas chuckled, shaking his head after the door to Boyd’s room closed as well.
“Not even if I wanted to,” Robbie agreed, beaming happily as he gathered up the plates and scraped them into the trash.
“Rob, let him do that,” Lucas said, reaching over to hook his fingers over the plate Robbie had in his hands. “He’s not working any more. Let him feel useful.”
Robbie’s eyes flared and he immediately put the plate down. “I didn’t even think about that,” he admitted. “Wow, if he’s looking for housework, this place is huge and I could certainly use the help.”
“And the fact that you’re admitting it just goes to show he’s right about us needing a new chore list.” Lucas’ phone rang and he reached into his left knee pocket, given that the was still wearing most of his uniform. “Dobson.”
“Hey, Lucas, right?” he heard a female voice ask hesitantly. In the background was the wail of sirens.
“Yes,” he said, straightening where he stood. Something in his tone had Robbie swinging around to face him. “This is Offi—Detective Dobson.” That was still going to take some getting used to.
“I never made this call, sir, but you’re down as authorising the welfare checks on your sister.”
Lucas barely kept it together. “What happened?”
“Sir, you need to get to her place of employment as quickly as you can. She’s in the process of being arrested.” And with that, the call was cut off.
“FUCK!” “Easy! Easy, Lucas!”
“Easy?!” Lucas roared, “Someone just gave me a courtesy heads up about Charlotte, then cut me off without giving me any real goddamn details!” He shoved the phone into his pocket and ran for the alcove, grabbing whatever convenient shoes he could find that would fit. Technically he was a size too big for Sam’s flipflops, but they were the fastest things he could find.
Robbie was right behind him, grabbing his from the middle of the pile. “Lucas! Where are you going?!” But Lucas was already out the door and Robbie had to run to catch him up.
He finally did so on the landing in the middle of the stairwell, when he leapt down three steps and pushed Lucas into the wall, restraining him. “Get the fuck off me, man!”
If Lucas hadn’t been so worked up, he would’ve noticed Robbie was just as agitated. “Where is she?”
“At work! Nearly a god-damn hour away!”
He struggled in a grip that held him far too easily as Robbie stared a hole in the wall beside his head. “Alright,” the younger man said, giving Lucas a small shake. “Snap out of it, Lucas. You’re not to ask any questions, ever, and if anyone asks, we were around the corner from Charlie when you got that call. Got it?”
“What?”
Without repeating himself, Robbie released his hand from Lucas’ shoulder, covered his friend’s eyes and forced him forward.
A moment of empty numbness buzzed his ears but was replaced by an assault on his senses that had Lucas heaving his head free in his determination to look around.
They’d gone from inside to outside. From quiet to the heavy wail of sirens. From the cleanliness of a well-maintained stairwell to the gagging stench of grease and rubber. From the well-balanced lighting of the stairwell to the flashing lights of emergency services. Even the air tasted different. “Wha…”
“Let’s go,” Robbie commanded, and with a hand under Lucas’ elbow, Lucas was dragged at a running pace towards the open gates of Paul Valoos’ Auto Repair and Body Shop down the road. The EMT bus was closer to them with its back doors open just outside the gates. Police were everywhere, and tape had already been tied across the opening.
Lucas went to duck under the tape but dressed in flipflops and without his shield, someone put their hand up to block their way. “Unless...” the officer began, but Lucas had just enough mental capacity to reach into his pocket and pull out his shiny new shield. “Major Case Squad,” he declared, folding it over his unbuttoned breast pocket just beneath where his old shield had sat and was immediately let through.
“You guys are certainly quick,” the officer muttered.
“You don’t say,” Lucas said. He saw the three bodies covered alongside Charlotte’s truck and paled, reminding himself that the woman had said Charlotte was being arrested (and thus alive). It was the only thing that stopped him from completely losing his mind.
“Charlotte Dobson,” he snapped.
The officer pointed at the ambulance behind them.
He and Robbie did an about-face and dived back under the tape, both arriving at the open doors at the same time. Charlotte sat on the back with a large blanket around her shoulders as two EMTs worked through vitals. Her rich green eyes were blood-shot and haunted and her throat was red from where someone had grabbed her with force. Through the blanket, he saw her hands were cuffed together. An officer stood at the corner of the ambulance, within arm’s reach, if necessary.
First things first. “Charlotte!” he called.
Charlotte’s head snapped up, and between one heartbeat and the next, she leapt to her feet and launched herself…
…into
Robbie’s outstretched arms.
Robbie wrapped her up and held her close, rubbing her hair and offering her words of comfort as she howled, all the while looking over her head at the three dead bodies like a man possessed. “Ssshhhhh…I’ve got you, sweet pea,” he crooned, moving her back to where the EMTs could work on her once more. His words belied his rage. “I’m here, baby. I’m right here. Trust me.” In the flashing lights, Lucas saw Robbie’s eyes spark with the beginning of what could only be described as flinted embers.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Staring at the picture they presented as much as everything else, Lucas felt his mouth fall open in shock.
* * *
PART TWO HUNDRED
((Author’s note: Once again, lots of thanks go out to my EMT reader who was able to let me know how the ambulance portion of this piece would go.)) Previous Part 198 ((All comments welcome))
I made a family tree/diagram of the Mystallian family that can be found here For more of my work including previous parts or WPs: Angel466 or indexed
here FULL INDEX OF BOB THE HOBO TO DATE CAN BE FOUND HERE!! submitted by Boyd Auto Sales. 3770 Cloverdale Rd Florence, AL 35633 256-712-5373 Read More Reviews Boyd Autobody & Glass repairs each vehicle to the highest standards in the industry: We use computerized estimating systems to calculate the damages on each vehicle. We have frame machines that straighten a vehicle’s frame to within 2mm of safety specifications. Our shops are equipped with computerized paint systems that offer superior colour-matching capabilities. Our technicians refinish ... Collision Repair, Glass Replacement, Auto Paint, Auto body work. Welcome to Boyd on Dayton. Located just behind ICBC on Springfield, we are the #1 in direct repair. Our Boyd Kelowna Location is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. At Boyd Autobody & Glass, we have been Voted #1 Repair Facility in the Okanagan by you, over 10 years in a row. We earned this title not just by the quality ... Der BYD e6 hat eine fast so große Batterie wie Teslas Model S, kostet weniger als 60.000 Euro und bekommt dennoch keine E-Auto-Prämie. Aber es gibt ihn in Deutschland. Probefahrt mit dem 5-Sitzer. Auto Body / Collision Repair / Auto Glass. For over 25 years, Canadians have trusted their automotive collision and glass repairs to Boyd Autobody & Glass. Quality workmanship backed by our Lifetime Guarantee and over 50 locations across western Canada are just a couple of the reasons why Canadians choose to bring it to Boyd.
Riding Shotgun with Derek Boyd as he takes the Boyd Auto Racing Mitsubishi Evo X up Pike's Peak on the short track. Best viewed with VR headset. 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe that is in excellent condition! Come by and take it for a test drive at David Boyd Auto Center, 7406 E 46th St, Tulsa, Ok. 918-949-9888. Visit our website for more details at ... AIRBOYD • The Most Watched Aviation Channel on YouTube • A hub for all things aviation and aerospace #AvGeek spoken here As seen on ABC, ITV, AFP, NatGeo, Channel4, TruTV, Pearson Education ... Auto body filler aka Bondo, polyester body filler, plastic filler, mud, etc. is used to fill small imperfections for auto body repair. A few common problems ... More interesting videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCix7... #Rc Watch our playlists: RC Cars off Road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLobg... Rc Cars M...
![[OC] Reports on the Demise of Our Bottom-6 are Greatly Exaggerated - An Analysis](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/l6CxvsI69SSOqu8ybFwjZpHB3ShL5hP3sVdpahwmMLk.jpg "[OC] Reports on the Demise of Our Bottom-6 are Greatly Exaggerated - An Analysis")
