Eggs are up!

[Zodiac]

August 2006
43 miles South of Pinon, New Mexico.

The door of the diner opened, causing the old, yet functional bell to jingle to announce to any concerned a new customer had entered. The normal breakfast crowd was assembled in their traditional spots like small tribes huddled around cups of coffee discussing their daily business in a never ending cycle. Some armed with newspapers and some scanning the net via their cell phones while others engaged in more primitive forms of interaction and just talked. The servers (still waitresses in this part of the country) moved about bringing orders, checking on their charges and slipping about like Nescafe Ninjas keeping the cups of coffee filled, cleaning tables and collecting tips.

The latest customer who had just entered the diner paused to take off his hat and wipe his brow. Just after 8 AM and he was already sweating on a day where the temperatures were racing to another possible 100 degree day. He stood and let the conditioned air bring his comfort zone back into focus. That was bad enough to deal with. The weather. A streak of inferno days like the town had been enduring tended to bring out the worst in some people. Nothing major violent (so far) but tempers baked pass normal tolerance brought out plenty of arguments and disputes on a less than civilized level.

"Morning, Sheriff." one of the waitresses waked past him with a smile.

"Morning, Daisy," he smiled weakly and tipped his hat (a habit he picked up from his father when he had the job of being the law here) and moved in the direction of the counter. 'Does not hurt to be courteous to people, especially the ones who give you zero problems' His father explained once when he asked why he did that. Also like his father, he was a big man physically. Being large and having a star on your shirt was a mixed blessing. When you arrived at the scene of a problem, the ones causing the problem saw you as one of two things. Either a very large symbol of law and order one should be respectful of or a target begging to be taken down. He had already had to break up a few fights and let some of the local cool off overnight in the jail. So far no one had gotten the idea to play 'Let's gang up on the Sheriff'. Yet.

He took a seat at the counter and sat his hat on the stool next to his while, like magic (or ninja) a woman was standing on the opposite side with order pad in hand and a smile.

"You look like you having a bad day and it ain't even 9 AM, Curt." The woman poured a glass of ice water and sat it in front of the man. "Problems already?"

"Nothing a good sized does of pest control wouldn't cure," he admitted before taking a sip of the water. "Bad enough we got the heat going to set people on edge. I can't arrest the weather or make it behave, but toss a circus of goddamned gypsies into the mix and it really gets fun."

"You getting over booked in your motel?" the woman kept smiling as she poured coffee.

"No, and that's the problem. Been using it to chill out a few of our town's attitudes, but I am getting a lot of calls about them freaks and not a lick of evidence to back anything up. All I need is some local to decide Doctor Twelve Gauge is the answer and go out there and start shooting people just because. Stuff is coming up missing but yesterday when I got some help from the county and we went out there to where they camped and searched we found zip. They are not stupid enough to hide what they stole in their own back pockets, plus they rented the land from Charlie Hopkins and he has zero complaints about them so I can't say they trespassing. Ten of them are helping him get his farm back together as part of the rent and I can't fault him for that either."

"Oh happy day," the woman sighed. "You want breakfast, boss?"


TBC

[Zodiac]

"Yes I do, Clara. Just give me the Sunny Special. You know how I like it."

"Comin' up" she jotted on her order pad and went to the small window that opened into the kitchen area of the diner. Clara hung the bit of paper on the rack and rang a bell. A moment later a small hand reached up and snatched the ticket, then returned to give a thumb's up sign. Clara returned to where the Sheriff sat and leaned on the counter. "They are not all bad, Curt. Some of them are working around town for money and I mean honestly."

"I am to the point I don't care," the big man sighed. "For every 'honest' one I get three phone calls about ones not so honest. What the hell?" he looked past Clara to the serving window where a yard stick had rose into view. He watched as it smacked down on top of the bell alerting the waitresses a order was up and waiting. "You got a kid back there working today?"

"No, course not. She's just short is all." Clara shrugged as one of her girls checked the order and took it to the table waiting for it. "Just some temp help I got in since Mabel hasn't been feeling well. She's quick, accurate, and the girls like her."

The bell rang again, and the woman excused herself to check. She brought the plate back to Curt and sat it in front of him. "See what I mean?"

Curt nodded and took a bite and then dug in. Clara sat his usual condiments within his reach. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Before or after I am done with breakfast?"

"You know what I mean."

"Gonna start taking a harder look at some of the ID's they keep showing. Get a link up to the main station and start running these names in real time. If they come up bogus, they get a few days in my motel till the county can come get them. I can't keep them out of town and I can't chase them off Charlie's farm. I may not find the evidence I need to arrest one for theft, but I sure can lock up someone on falsified IDs."

Clara nodded. It was a problem their town faced normally thanks to visitors from the South so it was not a strange solution to the issue. "Which ones you gonna focus on first?"

"The ones I can find," her replied as he sopped up the last of his eggs with a piece of toast. "Eggs were tasty today. Secret recipe?"

"No, can't take credit for that. New girl raided the spice cabinet. A pinch of this or that here and there. Breakfast crowd likes it. Told me I might sell more eggs." she smiled. "And she was right. Had more customers than normal in lately. Could be the heat too, but hey. They here, they eat and I am not gonna frown at the idea of more paying customers."

"Can't blame you for that," Curt stood up and dropped some cash on the counter to pay for his breakfast and peeled off a couple extra dollars. "For your short-short order cook." he smiled.

"Glad you liked it. Stay safe and cool out there."


TBC

[Zodiac]

The day progressed slowly and the temperature rose rapidly. Around 10:30 the breakfast crowd had begun to thin, leaving only the retired and elderly people who spent a portion of their days chatting away and nursing cups of coffee. In a bigger town or city, their type would be encouraged to move on to make way for others, but with the heat problems Clara didn't mind them hanging out. Business would be slow now. A few in for lunch, but the next crowd of worth would be after the sun began to relax. Some of her girls were in the back now attacking the dishes while two occasionally checked the customers still hiding from the heat. One by one the girls had tallied up their receipts for the first shift and turned them into Clara to count out the register and compare. Another good morning thanks to the heat and her new morning cook's creations.

After filing the receipts and prepping the deposit bag for the bank, Clara stepped into the kitchen. Barely any of the breakfast dishes remained to be cleaned between two of her girls and the cook. The grill had already been scraped down and cleared for the next round of orders and a list hung waiting to inform Clara what they were running short on as far as breakfast foods was concerned. The girl wasn't afraid to work for her money, unlike some of the migrants that passed through this place over the years.

"We all good back here?" Clara announced herself.

"Yeah," Daisy answered. "Short **** had things soaking already." she smiled.

"Where is she?" Clara glanced around.

"Back at the break table eating. We told her go ahead."

***

The three egg omelet was slowly disappearing as her eyes scanned over the want ads in the local paper. Four days a week was fine. From 4:30 AM to 11 she worked the diner, not counting the hour's worth of walking to get here and back, but perhaps there was something in the afternoon as well she could tap into to go with it. The remains of this week and the next, and they would be on the move again. This was one of the 'stable' stops the group made in their migrations, so they all tried to make the time count. Mary had found the plum job in her view. It allowed her to ride in with others who were working in town and be done in time to catch a ride back. She had the face and the skills to be a blessing to the small clothing store three blocks down from the diner. Shira was working the hardware store and she too had to walk to get to town, but her trip did not begin till an hour after Angela left and the hours they worked her let her catch a ride home. Angela's job left her with a choice. Either walk back to the camp in the heat of mid day, or try to hang out the rest of the day to get a ride. Neither was acceptable, especially after hearing what the local law was planning on doing now. Someone among them jumped the shark and started early and people were noticing. Case the place the first week, then grab things on your way out the door the second week is how she had been taught.

It was part of their lifestyle. She felt no guilt or remorse in such things. Survival was survival, but why were some of their number breaking the patterns was a question she would like an answer to. Her own forged ID would not hold up to a background check of any real depth and neither did any of the others, so why were they getting stupid when there was so much time to go?

"Hey, mighty mite."

She looked up at Clara and smiled, then made a circular sweep with her hands and then followed with an okay sign and a question mark drawn in the air.

"Everything is great." the woman sat down at the table to join her as Angela shoved a couple more bites into her mouth. "So how you enjoying this so far? The job I mean." The girl took a drink of her coffee and gave the double thumbs up.

"Good. Listen, I don't want you to feel like I am gonna tell Carl who you are." Clara watched the confused expression on the girl's face and frowned. "Don't give me that crap, Shelly." She glared at the girl whose name was Michelle Rodgers (according to her ID) "This place could be in the middle of an earthquake and someone could whisper your name and you'd hear them. I know you heard us talking at the counter."

The girl dropped her eyes to her plate and nodded. "Shelly, I have zero problems with you. You got a job here as long as you want it, but stay out of trouble outside of this place if you can."

The girl picked up a notepad and wrote quickly. Need more hours.

"Hon, I'm sorry. I got my nights covered cooking wise."

I can bus or wait tables too.

Clara bit her mental tongue. How would the locals react to a mute waitress? She had no doubt the girl could do a good job of it but would the people be patient enough to get to know her and work with her. "Let me think about it and I will let you know tomorrow."

The girl nodded and glanced at the clock. It was close to 11 now. Angela/Shelly gathered up her dishes and took them to the sink. "I got those," Daisy smiled. "See ya tomorrow, Shell." The girl smiled back then punched out on the time clock, hung up her apron and grabbed her back pack. A quick stop at the freezer to retrieve a water bottle she had put in there two hours ago to chill and she was back in the break room.

"Hey, before you go," Clara pulled out several bills from her pocket. "Curt liked your eggs, and the girl's have started giving you a bit of their tips." The girl quickly counted the small bonus and smiled and nodded her thanks.

Angela/Shelly slipped out the backdoor into the furnace waiting outside. She slipped on her sunglasses as she ducked into the illusion of shelter from the heat into the shade. The trek 'home' was simply too much on a day like this. Once out of town it was nothing but open land that offered scant cover to rest in. She debated her choices now. Hanging out with Mary at the shop was not good. Not that her blood sister would not welcome her company, but the owners and customers would frown on the fact. Angela had no desire to get Mary dismissed from her job. She turned north instead and made the short trek to the hardware store. The people Shira worked for seemed more understanding and less uptight about everything.


TBC

[Zodiac]

"They going to do what?"

The two girls sat on some sacks of seed that sat in the corner of the small warehouse building next to the hardware store. Shira was enjoying a break while they both hid in the shade.

Local cop is gonna run ID's to see if we are who they say we are. Angela signed before taking the cigarette the pair of them had been sharing from Shira's hand.

"Didn't they tell us not to start till next week?" Shira asked, and Angela nodded. "Now somebody jumped the gun and now we all hanging out in the wind. Idiots!" She glanced around to be sure they were alone. "I got this place cased and the patterns down to grab and be gone like the wind, but no-someone had to piss off the local law." she spoke softly now.

You think you got it bad? He has the hots for my boss. Comes in every morning for breakfast. Glad, for once, I am short. If he got a good look at me, he'd be dragging me out of there.

"What a mess," Shira grounded out the remains of the smoke, then lit another. (A habit she had when something was upsetting her) "We need to get some answers when we get home." Angela nodded in agreement and pulled out some of her tip money from her pocket. She offered Shira a dollar and pointed to the soda machine, then to the both of them, finishing with a question mark in the air. The girl grabbed the dollar as Angela grabbed the cigarette. The girl stayed where she was while the other went to get the sodas. The owner of this place never minded Angela stopping in like this, but had made it clear she did not need to be poking into every corner of the warehouse either.

"Thanks," Shira handed the girl a cola, then opened her own lemon-lime. "I keep forgetting you get fresh money every day."

Trust me, I work for it. she handed back the smoke.

"You think I don't? Mr. Boss man and his buddies keep betting if I can get some of the small engines that come in here running again or not." Angela smiled and made a gesture in the air. It was not ASL, but one of the 'homemade' ones they shared and knew easy. Suckers!

"You got that right. Mr Man has made some extra cash off of me."

You get a cut?

"Sometimes, but he isn't a slave driver either. When his wife comes down to bring him lunch they feed me too. Is not so bad. I keep them happy and they ignore me in the process, which is good for other reasons."

When do you get to go home?

"4:30."

Angela's eyes rolled in frustration. Even if the owner would let her, she did not want to sit there for over 4 hours waiting on Shira.

"I keep forgetting you got that **** schedule." the girl knew what was going through Angela's mind. Even the short ride home in the back of a truck was brutal, let alone walking for over an hour.

I need a parasol or something

"A what? Hey, hang on a bit." Shira excused herself and walked to a door that led into the store itself. After nearly twenty minutes she returned with a deck umbrella over her shoulder. "Some guy managed to break the pole on this thing and brought it in to be fixed, then changed his mind and bought a new one. I needed to check for sure if the guy had forgot this or left it as trash." Where the break was, the girl had put a makeshift handle where it could be held. "Try this out."

Angela stood up and opened the umbrella and leaned it against her shoulder. The weight was not all that bad.

"You keep a grip on that and sit down to take a break you'll be like a turtle hiding in its shell." Shira laughed.

Thanks! I like it! Angela was already thinking of ways to personalize it. I better get going before you get in trouble. I get home I gonna start asking questions. Get Nana on the case. They might lie to me but they wouldn't dare lie to her.

"Good plan." Shira frowned when her 'blood sister' made a gesture for a couple of her cigarettes for the walk home. "Hey, you got fresh money. Go buy your own."

Fine! I will!

"Good. Now get home. I expect my supper waiting on me when I get there."

Angela's jaw dropped in shock as Shira laughed. Anything else, dear? Laundry done? House cleaned? Your paper and slippers waiting for you?

"Now you sounding like a good wifey." she smirked.

Angela considered her words for a moment before extending Shira the middle finger salute. Both began to laugh in their own ways.

"Seriously? You take it easy going back. You get tired, take a break. You got water?" Angela tapped the side of her back pack where the half frozen water bottle was already sweating. "Alright, I see you later then. Break time is over for me."

Angela nodded her thanks and balanced the large umbrella on her shoulder after putting her sunglasses back on. Shira followed her outside and watched as large bright bit of blue and white umbrella bobbed along as the girl walked. "You look silly like that!" she shouted, only to laugh when a second salute was given in reply.


TBC

[Zodiac]

(Next day. 6:45 AM)

"Damn, Shell. You got this down to a science." Daisy laughed as she helped the girl get a sudden surge of orders up and ready. The gypsy had the area around the grill set up to allow her quick access to anything she might require. Side meats prepared earlier waited to be added back to the grill to heat up along with hash browns and home fries. Breads, biscuits, and muffins ready to hit the toaster and a line of bowls with omelet fixings her experiences so far told her would be in demand the most.

*Ding!* Angela snatched the ticket and scanned the info quickly. Sausage and home fires on the grill as two pieces of wheat bread dropped into the toaster, leaving only the eggs to be freed from their shells. Three eggs hit the grill, followed by a dash of her seasoning mix while Daisy got several orders of pancakes sorted and up. Making such a maneuver look easy, the girl scooped the eggs up in one swipe and turned them on the grill with one hand while snapping down the bread to toast with the other hand. Meat and potatoes flipped and stirred as a plate was sat waiting for the end results. In a few seconds, meat and potatoes were placed neatly along with the eggs and a slice of orange just in time for the toast to pop up. Buttered and cut and sat on a smaller plate, the two plates and ticket was returned to the window just in time for another to arrive on the other side with a new order and the process continued for another hour or two. In the few down moments along the way, items were restored or prepared for orders to come. Occasionally another of the girls would come back to give her a break which normally amounted to a few gulps of coffee or juice and a few puffs of a cigarette.

"How the hell can you keep up the pace, girl?" Daisy asked during one lull in the storm. 'Shelly' just shrugged and gave her a smile. Her eyes settled on the clock again for a second. She was off for two days after this but she was not counting the minutes to freedom. Rather she was waiting for the morning appearance of the Sheriff, as was his habit, so she could be sure to be in place to listen.

***

(8:30 AM)

*Ding!*

"There ya go, dear," Clara sat Curt's order in front of him.

"She tell you what she puts in these eggs?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Want me to drag her out back and beat the secret out of her?" He said with pure humor in his voice as he dug in.

"She told me if she gave me the secret she would be out of a job,"

"Well, can't argue with that."

"Any more problems yesterday?" Clara topped off his coffee.

"Billy at the gas station reported some stuff come up missing there. Auto parts mainly." he admitted.

"I thought Billy refused to hire them when they came to town."

"He still does," Curt took a sip. "Unless they pull up to his gas pump and show him cash, he refuses to let them on his lot, much less inside his shop."

"So how did they case the place?"

"That is what has been chewing on my mind most of the night. Also, what kind of parts that was stolen doesn't add up right. That freak show travels in trucks, vans and RVs. Parts that came up missing were for cars."

*Ding!*

"Why steal something they can't use?" Clara was confused now.

"Exactly. I was going over the list of other things that have vanished as well and some of those don't fit the normal pattern either. Now maybe they have buyers for this stuff elsewhere down the line, but normally it's a snatch and grab of things to keep them going and not becoming a traveling flea market. If it isn't them, they are the perfect scapegoat to blame this all on."

"So what can you do?"

"I'm still working on that one."

***

(11:45 AM)

"No way!"

Yes way! That's what I heard the sheriff talking to my boss about.

Shira swore as Mary sat with her mouth hanging open in surprise. The three of them met at small hot dog stand to compare notes once Angela was off shift.

"It actually makes sense," Mary admitted.

"Hell yes it makes sense. Now what do we do about it?" Shira replied.

"Keep our eyes open and be careful."

"And then what? Say we did catch one of them. Who is the cops gonna believe? The local citizen or the gypsy trash? By the time they are done spinning things we'd be in a jail cell and the local would be free to do some more damage."

Well this screws up any plans we have been making.

"You think?"

"Quit talking so loud!" Mary admonished Shira. "And loose the attitude! It's no ones fault here this is happening."

"I know, I know. We just had to camp in a place where the hicks were just waiting to prey on each other. How messed up is that?"

Plenty messed up. Nana asked around yesterday. None of us are jumping the gun.

"Our worry now is getting tagged and having our ID's checked." Mary took a final drink of her soda and tossed the cup into the trash. "I got to get back to work."

"Likewise," Shira agreed. "You watch your *** going 'home' mighty mite."

I know. And have your supper ready when you get home.

"Good wifey!"

You couldn't handle me.

TBC