Marty gave her a wink and then strolled over to get the keys.
“Have your girlfriend and you been together long?” Elise asked idly while waiting for Marty to get the key. Honestly, if the man already had a girlfriend why was he acting this way towards her?
“Oh, we’re on and off. She was really keen about six months ago and even wanted to help me around the shop so we could spend more time together. Marlene looks like one of those runway models, but she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. She even asked me to teach her about how the brakes and steering work! I was real disappointed when she dropped me sudden like, but now she’s back again and I ain’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, I’m getting smart. If she can have someone on the side, then so can I.” Once again, Marty winked at her.
Marty and Marlene sounded like they deserved each other and Elise didn’t really want to know any more details about their relationship, but Marty wasn’t done. “Marlene thinks I don’t know that she’s seeing other guys, but I found some men’s clothing in the trunk of that car one time. I figure if she’s going to pull one over on me, I can do it back.”
They’d almost reached the car by that time, when Marty suddenly exclaimed. “Damn! I’ve got the wrong keys. Just wait by the car and I’ll be right back.”
Anxious to be on her way and away from Marty, Elise stood impatiently tapping her foot and checking her watch. She looked around without really noticing anything in particular until her gaze landed on a large truck and two men, who were busily loading a collection of steel drums onto the back of the vehicle. A sign on the side indicated it was a waste disposal company that recycled used motor oil. There were probably almost a dozen containers sitting there awaiting pickup. The men worked from the front of the clustered containers towards the back, their muscles flexing as they heaved each metal drum up onto the truck.
For some reason, Elise studied how the barrels had been arranged and noticed that there were three empty spots near the rear. Circular marks in the soil, and the compressed weeds, showed where the barrels had sat, while scrape marks on the ground showed how they’d been dragged away. That’s unusual, she thought. Why would they load those barrels first or... Could someone have taken those other barrels? But who would want used motor oil? And—she looked up to see Marty approaching with the keys—why did she even care?
She took the keys and started the vehicle, anxious to get to work. Mr. Mancini hadn’t been too pleased with her when she’d been talking to Bryan yesterday, and she didn’t want to give him any cause for complaint today.
As she backed the car out of its parking spot, something niggled her memory. Hadn’t the car been facing forward yesterday? She remembered that she’d seen the front fender, not the rear taillights. Not really sure why it should matter, she quickly rolled down the window, calling over to Marty who was now watching the oil drums being loaded. “Hey, Marty! Did anyone take this car for a test drive yesterday?”
“Nope. It hasn’t moved this week. Why? Is there a problem?” He leaned on the window and surveyed the interior.
“No, I was just...er...curious as to how long it’s been since it was driven.”
“Well, like I said, about a week, but it should still be running fine.” Marty stood up and tapped the hood of the car. “You have a good day and I’ll have your car ready for you by two o’clock at the latest.”
With a nod, Elise rolled up the window and drove off. Turning to the right, she headed towards the Grey Goose, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. Something was bothering her, but what? Thoughtfully, she sniffed the air that surrounded her. The faint scent of perfume—Marla’s perfume—hung in the air and underlying it was the barely detectable scent of another werewolf.
Had Marla been in this car yesterday with another Lycan? But when and why? And why had Marty lied about it? Or did Marty even know? Could it be Ryne who’d been in the car, using Marla’s perfume to hide his presence? That would explain the clothes that Marty had found in the trunk. Ryne might still have a set of keys for the vehicle, so he could sneak it out, use it, and then return the car with no one being any the wiser.
Stopping for a red light, Elise glanced around the interior looking for any clues that might prove Ryne had been in the vehicle. Nothing jumped out at her, just some dried mud on the floor. Hmm... Marla had muddy shoes this morning, but would Marla have keys to the car? Possibly, or—it hadn’t been locked yesterday—would Marla know how to hotwire a vehicle? It didn’t seem like the sort of skill the fashionable she-wolf would cultivate but... Wasn’t Marty’s girlfriend supposedly interested in cars? And her name was Marlene. Marla, Marlene...? It seemed quite a coincidence. But why would Marla go about moonlighting as someone else?