Suzie’s House 442 : The Money In Hand

Normally Bruce would have been sneaking looks at Gene all through the practice session because of that missing money. This time he got so caught up in writing a song with Emma that he almost forgot. Almost.

“That was great!” Emma glowed. “I can’t believe everyone in the band helped me like that.”

“Well, sure.” Kate patted Emma on the shoulder as she headed out the practice room door. “It was fun. You coming, Justin?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He put his cow bell away and scrambled to catch up with Kate as she left. “How about you, Emma.”

She hesitated like a dog told to sit when he wants to go for walkies. Her unsteady smile turned almost tearful. “A-a-a-all right.” There was nothing abrasive about the way she was acting, but Bruce wanted to smack her anyway. Maybe it was just as well she let her run out the door. After all, Kate was her so called best friend anyway. With Kate and Justin going steady it should be all right.

“Hey. What did you do with that money I gave you?” Bruce got up in Gene’s grill as the guy tried to slip out.

“Look, dude. I have been to every pawn shop in town. Nobody has a cheep electric guitar right now. I got the money on me. Here. Take it back.” Gene shoved his hand into the front pocket of his jeans.

“No!” Bruce put his hands up and took a step back. “No, no. Hang on to it. Something’s got to turn up soon.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve been everywhere. There aint any pawn shops left in town for me to check.”

Bruce stared at the hundred in Gene’s hand. He reached out for it, but his hand was unsteady, and he let it fall. “If I take that now, there’s no way I’ll ever get my hands on it again. Once we get the guitar, there’s no way he’ll be able to do anything about it. He’s got no proof anyway.”

Unless Bruce took the money back. If he had the money, then all Uncle John had to do was shake him down, which he’d probably do anyway just on general principles.

“What are you talking about?” Tracy joined them. She had her bass guitar in a soft case slung across her back.

Gene didn’t say anything, but he was looking at Bruce through narrowed eyes.

“The money I gave Gene to buy you a guitar. I stole it from Uncle John.”

“What?” Tracy’s eyes went wide and she put a hand up to hide her grin.

Gene started laughing. It wasn’t like Uncle John didn’t owe them a lot more than that for all the gigs they’d done where he took off with everything they’d made.

“So either we gotta get a guitar fast, or he’s probably going to make me hand it over. Actually, maybe we should use it to pay the rent on the practice room. We’re already a month overdue anyway. But there’s not point in practicing until you guys get the guitar vs bass thing switched around. So…”

“Actually, I’ve been working on that. Right?” Tracy looked from on to the other of them. “My Mom said she’d send me some money. And then my aunt said she’d loan it to me while we wait for Mom to send it. So…. We could go shopping today.” She looked pointedly at Gene.

“Great!” Bruce clapped Gene on the shoulder. “I know just the music store. But I can’t come along today. Uncle John is expecting me.” He went over to his stand and took his sound synthesizer off to put it in its case. “Oh, Tracy, about the money. I gave it to Gene because I ran into him right after I took it from Uncle John. I’d have given it to you instead if I wasn’t afraid he’d catch me.”

“That’s okay. What I want to know is why you didn’t say anything to me?” Tracy gave Gene a hard look.

Gene just shrugged. Now that Bruce thought about it, wasn’t it just like the closed-mouth bstrd to keep something like that to himself? Bruce should have realized he wouldn’t just steal the money. And wasn’t that just poetic justice.

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