The Drifter (Peter Ash #1)

by Nicholas Petrie

The dog sat at her feet, wagging his tail. “I’m glad he has a name,” said Peter. “I was thinking of calling him Cupcake.” “Huh,” said Miss Rosetta, looking sideways at Peter. “You don’t look like no retard,” she said. “But I been wrong before.”

“Let’s take a little inventory here,” he said, ticking off each item on his fingers. “One, you’re sleeping in your truck. Which has a broken window, and some bullet holes, let me add, so its usefulness as a homeless shelter is dropping fast. Two, you’re doing pickup carpentry in a shit neighborhood, so I know you’re going broke if you’re not there already. Three, you’re getting into fights with strangers, although at least you seem to be winning. Then there’s number four, the personal-hygiene thing. Generally a problem when you’re homeless. Can I ask how long has it been since you had a shower? And walking through a car wash doesn’t count.”