Raving Moon, Lords of the Night Book One

Chapter 15: Ground Beef

I would have forgotten my lunch date with Ariane if she wasn't waiting for me at the entrance. Initially, I'd wondered how she'd known where to find me. Then I remembered the other exits were magnet sealed and warded. I caught myself before I asked a stupid question. She smiled as I approached and my mood brightened despite everything on my mind.

We left headquarters and entered the diner through the door at the back of the establishment. The place was packed with business professionals looking for a bite to eat. There were no tables open and the stools were all taken. People waited impatiently in line to order. I could barely hear Ariane talking as we eased our way through the crowd. Outside, her voice carried far better.

"Wow, I've never known that place to be so loud. They make good omelettes and a fantastic milkshake."

"I prefer the evening cook. His steak and baked potatoes are easily the best thing on the menu."

"Ohhh, a steak would hit the spot right now,"

"Yeah, or a burger with an extra helping of fries on the side."

We'd been walking for a while with no real destination in mind. We reached the corner and halfway down Main Street was a burger joint called Maude's. Maude's had great burgers, decent fries, and an assortment of homemade pies that blew away even the toughest critic. I guided us towards the restaurant with a powerful craving for a beef burger making my mouth water.

"You know, if you're up for it, this place has great food," I said with a casual gesture.

"Maude's? I love this place!" She gave my arm a light squeeze.

"Me too."

The lunchtime rush was in full swing in the burger joint too. However, where the diner's patrons were the suits and ties who ran the business district, Maude's were the blue collars who kept everything running. We walked in just as a crew of construction workers walked out. They gave her appraising looks, but kept their comments mostly civil. We managed to grab a pair of checker patterned seats by the window.

"Afternoon. You two know what you want?" asked a skinny waitress as she pulled out a notepad. She smelled of cigarettes and tanning oil.

"I definitely want a slice of apple pie," Ariane said as she took a quick glance at the menu. "I'll also have a double bacon cheeseburger deluxe with extra bacon on the side."

"Whoa, honey. Did you miss breakfast or something?" the waitress rasped.

"No, first day at a new job so I'm eating light."

"What?" I chuckled.

"No worries, kid. The women of this city eat more than anywhere else I've ever worked and I've been doing this for years."

I nodded my understanding and glanced at the menu, though I already knew what I wanted.

"I'll have a cheeseburger, medium well with pickles and onions, large steak fries, and a strawberry soda."

"Coming right up!"

She rushed off to place our order and tend to her other tables. Looking out the window, I watched the people pass by. I needed to find that gun if I wanted to save Carl and keep even more people from getting hurt. A few questions needed to be answered: who had access to the gun and who was at headquarters during that window of opportunity. Once I narrowed it down then my search could truly begin. I had to keep my investigation quiet and I didn't know who I could trust. It complicated things quite a bit.

"Wow, someone sure made your shit list," Ariane said, bringing me back to the present. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Oh. There's a lot on my plate right now. A friend is at The Doc's, I have a few pressing cases to solve..."