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 New Gabe Bergeron Mystery!

Mechanic's Child

Second in a series of short stories. Read it for free: Friday through Sunday, 4/8, 4/9 & 4/10

(Note: New full-length Bergeron Mystery will be published in July)

 

Stan Abramowicz had been his mechanic for ten years, and he was Stan's accountant. They were sort of friends. Not that he'd invite Stan to go out to a bar for a beer; even if he drank beer or frequented bars.

Stan's garage in West Philly had been moderately profitable for all of that decade. Until May. When Stan's revenues nose-dived. Or so it appeared.

It was now August and hotter than the hinges of the gates to Hell, and he was standing in front of Stan's garage, imploring Stan to tell him what had gone so wrong.

But Stan was intent on deceiving his accountant/friend, Gabe Bergeron. This was not nice of Stan. He expected this sort of behavior from Marge Swank of the Montgomery Gallery. He couldn't trust a single figure which Marge vouchsafed him. Not one.

And Stan's business hadn't fallen off; he was busier than ever to judge by the cars he was currently repairing. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes. “What's wrong Stan? Maybe I can help?”

But Stan had locked the door to his grimy office and vanished silently into the dim interior.

He may have yelled at Stan. Well, at the locked door. He may have told the door that it could find another accountant, and that Gabe Bergeron wasn't signing any fraudulent tax returns.

The door was indifferent, but he liked Stan, and he wanted to help. He might be wrong, but he thought the root of Stan's problem had to do with his son, Marek, the scion of the house of Abramowicz, but an unprepossessing youth.


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