The Funeral of a Good Girl
By – TempestRaces
Chapter 69 – Of Bittersweet Goodbyes and the Beginning of the End
The day was sweltering, and the hard work of stripping the intake off the Grand Am soon saw Tempest dripping sweat.
Looking up in the middle of stripping the water pump bolts off the side of the little four banger in the Mazda, Vince caught sight of her in his peripheral vision. The glimpse he'd caught was enough to have him drop everything he'd been doing just to stare. She'd stopped working for a moment after setting the upper plenum on the workbench beside her to have a pull of the Pepsi she'd insisted on bringing back from the cafe with her. Her neck arched back gracefully as she tipped her head back to drink. The cold bottle was sweating in the heat, and after taking a long drink, she rubbed the wet plastic across her shining forehead, her eyes closed in pure bliss as she felt the cool water drip down her overheated skin. Perspiration made the newly dark skin of her bare abdomen glow.
She was perfection. Even in cut off denims and Caterpillar work boots that were hanging open at the laces, and scuffed in the toes.
"You can tell her you want her to stay any time you want to you know," Dom's deep baritone gravelled out into his ear, shocking him out of his moment.
"Who says I want her to stay?" Vince growled, not happy to have been so transparent to his friend.
"You were standing there thinking she looks hot in a stained undershirt and wool socks with work boots and shorts," Dom arched a brow to add emphasis. "No one actually looks good dressed like that. You want her to stay." He didn't wait around to talk about it more, or hear any retorts, just walked away, having reluctantly given his blessing to something everyone knew he didn't really want.
Vince felt the panic mounting. Dom didn't want her around. It was like a fate worse than death. So what had he seen that had seen him actually humble himself to make that offer? It didn't matter. It wasn't happening. He'd made up his mind. He was not begging her to stay on his behalf. If she wouldn't offer to stay on her own, she could go home.
He glanced back at her, and found she was now watching him with a puzzled look on her face.
"What?" she mouthed.
He only shrugged in answer before forcing himself to go back to the engine of the Mazda. One thing was for sure. He was going to have to execute some damage control. And if Dominic was convinced he was in love with Tempest, it was going to have to be sooner than later.
Tempest went back to pulling the heads off the Grand Am with a shrug of her own. Lord only knew what was up with Vince. She wasn't going to figure it out if he wasn't going to tell her, that was for sure.
The air ratchet buzzed as she reversed the long head bolts out of the engine expertly, setting them aside even though they were torque to yield and couldn't be reused, they would need replacing. She was almost positive that the intake was the issue. But Dominic had told her she may as well do the heads while she was at it. He apparently didn't care that the difference was measured in hours she didn't have to give and money she wasn't sure some customer needed to spend. The first head came loose and she lifted it off, flipping it over onto the bench to see the underside, and the faces of the valves.
None of them looked burnt. She figured she'd check if it needed to be planed before she went any further. Something was causing the uneven compression. And that was when she found the crack. Cracked head, this car was not going back together anytime soon. She bit back a groan when she realized that meant she'd actually have to go seek out speaking to Dom. Her feet dragging she headed over to where he was working. "Grand Am needs at least one head," she mumbled.
"Fuck," Dom muttered. "You sure?"
"Unless you know how to make them work with a crack between 1 and three, then yeah I'm sure."
"Ok, never mind. He set his own tools down before calling into the shop, "ok people, might as well be quitting time. Get your own shit ready."
Cars in a fit state to be moved were put outside and the team's own rides were brought in. Tempest really had nothing to check. She didn't figure on racing anyway, and her car had just been gone over with a fine tooth comb after her stunt race with Dominic. She pulled it in anyway and put it up on a hoist, checking over the suspension and tires for something to do. Everything was fine, and she settled the car back down onto its wheels. Kicking the hoist arms out from under it, she puzzled what she could do to kill time until it was time to leave. There was no point in doing anything with the Grand Am. Dom would need to tell the unlucky owner he was buying at least one new cylinder head and get it ordered up before they could do anything further.
She decided, on a whim, to drive down to the Racer's Edge and get her nitrous bottles filled. Maybe it wasn't likely that she'd get to race, but she should be prepared to say yes if she was asked. Because of Vince's strange mood, she decided she would only tell Jesse what she was doing and wandered toward where he was changing the oil in his Jetta. "I'm going to go get Harry to fill my spray. You want I should come back here after, or just meet ya'll at home?"
Jesse checked the time. "Meet us at home by the time you drive there and back again."
"Kay, see you in a couple hours then." Tempest walked away from her cousin with a wave and walked back to the Skyline. She opened the trunk and pulled a pair of flip flops out, chucked them on the shop floor and pulled her feet out of her heavy boots. She chucked the boots and her heavy socks into the trunk before slamming it shut and sliding onto the cool suede seat of her car. Once she was seated and belted in, she promptly kicked the flip flops off, preferring to drive bare foot than in sandals.
She started the car, backed it around and pulled out of the shop, the large bay door having been left open to try and scoop in some air that wasn't superheated into the interior. It hadn't worked but it was common practise in shops in summer, and she was glad for it. It meant no getting out of the car, no being asked by Dom or Vince where she was off to, just a clean escape. Something was up between Dom and Vince and just with Vince in general, and she had an instinctual feeling something involved her. She just wanted to be free of the drama for a while.
When she hit the parking lot, she turned the stereo on and up loud, Freak Nasty's Da Dip blasting out of the multitude of speakers fitted to the Skyline's sleek interior. She pushed her sunglasses up her nose and pulled the elastic out of her hair before she turned out of the parking lot, headed for the Racer's Edge, and already looking forward to its cool, air-conditioned interior. She drove competently there, having become familiar with the route, and the roads, even in her 'backwards' ride. She was oblivious to the looks her car commanded flying down the city streets, lost in her own thoughts.
When she arrived she parked her car up out front of the store, chuckling at the red car hanging off the roof. She lifted the rear seat to reveal the two pressurized air tanks. She'd already made sure the system was shut down, but she checked the pressure readings on the tank gauges again, just to be sure, before using the wrench attached to the lines to crack the fittings loose and unscrew the tubes from the bottles. She then popped the canisters out of the cages holding them in place and hauled them out of the car. She slammed the door closed with her foot, carefully making sure her rubber soled flip flop connected with the rubber trim near the bottom, not the intricate paint.
She had to set one tank down to get the door open and clicked her doors locked while her hand was free. She then struggled through the door, carrying two 10 pound canisters not the hardest thing she'd ever done but still rather awkward. She was looking down to make sure she didn't trip when she found herself relieved of one of her burdens. She looked up in shock to find Jim smiling down at her.
"I never expected to see you again!" he chuckled. "So what're these?"
Tempest grinned. "My nitrous bottles."
Jim grinned back. "Bet you're finding this uncomfortable." It was clear he found that amusing.
"Maybe a little. What're you doing here? I can't imagine that there's much call for SWAT officers inside an auto parts store."
Jim started back toward the counter where Harry stood waiting, with her trailing him, before he answered. "I'm doing some routine investigation work today. Shipments of high end tuner kit are going missing and I was asked to start asking around the local racer supply stores. Harry here was just telling me he didn't know anything about it." Jim looked at Tempest, his skill at reading people kicking into over drive. "Maybe I should be asking you if you know anything, aye?"
"What could I know? You've seen my licence. I'm small time and not from around. Just here to get my bottles filled Harry," Tempest said, looking at Harry instead of Jim in the hope a break from his penetrating gaze would help her get her bearings back. Harry was clearly looking for an escape route.
"I'll fill 'em for you, won't take ten minutes," Harry answered, taking the blue bottle from Tempest as she passed it across the counter.
"Can't someone else do it?" Jim asked. "We're not done talking."
"Wouldn't trust anything to do with that car to anyone else, not even something as simple as this. I'll be right back." Harry took the second bottle from Jim and headed into the back.
"You're something of a minor celebrity here, small time or not, aren't you? How'd you get to know Harry so well in such a short time?"
Tempest could tell he was suspicious of her, and she had only herself to blame for getting momentarily flustered over the stolen auto parts statement. But when he's said they were onto someone stealing auto parts, and she'd known 'someone' was Vince and Bryce, she'd panicked a little before she could catch herself, remind herself that of course the stolen shipments were reported, and of course it was being investigated, but Vince and Bryce knew what they were doing. But the thought of proud, headstrong Vince in prison just made her feel sick. How would someone like him ever survive it? "I'm just grateful to him is all. He helped my cousin arrange all the sponsorship for my car, gave us the parts to finish the build. Its why the name of the store is on the front bumper. 'Sides, he just don't want someone else to screw up and end up screwing my car. He can't afford to replace it."
"So your cousin and his friends, they know Harry pretty well then?" Jim was obviously in full on cop mode, despite casual jeans and polo shirt being his attire of choice.
"I wouldn't say they know him. Dom does a lot of business here with Harry. It's more a business thing than a friendship." Tempest was glad her voice held steady now, that she was able to stay casual. She leaned onto the counter. "You know, like maybe you know the guy you buy your ammo from, and you'd say hi to him on the street and stuff, but he's not really your friend. You just do a lot business with him, enough to know him to see him."
Jim nodded. "Since that's going to take at least another five minutes, come say hi to someone with me." Jim led her out of the store, and when they stepped out into the sun, Tempest realized that his truck was a mere two parking spots down the row. If she hadn't been caught up into her own little world she might have realized. As they walked up to the vehicle a huge furry head immerged out of an open rear window.
"You brought your dog! And left the poor thing in the car in the heat."
"I left the windows down! He won't jump out!" Jim was quick to defend himself.
Tempest opened the rear door of the truck. "Come on sweetheart. Harry won't mind if you come enjoy the air con for a few minutes. I bet I can even talk him into getting you some water."
Jim could only watch as his very well trained police dog followed a practical stranger into the store, following hot on her heals, panting up at her with a happy smile on his canine face. "Ruined him for the work I got him for. I told you this would happen."
Tempest grinned back over her shoulder. "A police man should know better than to leave an animal in a car on a hot day." She walked back up to the counter and the dog sat down beside her. She called into the back of the store, "Harry, you got some cool water and a bowl around anywhere?"
Harry appeared from around the corner and walked over to where Tempest stood, Jim beside her on the other side of the dog. "I have water and a coffee mug. Why?" Harry looked down over his counter. "That is a big dog."
"He's a big dog some big mean police officer left in a hot truck," Tempest answered, looking at Jim not Harry.
"I didn't intend to be here more than a few minutes! How was I supposed to know you'd show up here?"
"A few minutes is too long. He's a police dog. You should have just put a leash on him and brought him in with you. Who was gonna say anything?"
"You didn't even put a leash on him."
"I'm not a cop, I don't have to worry about it."
Jim threw up his hands. "The fact I am a cop doesn't really figure into your world does it?"
"Nope, not really." She grinned. She saw as Harry looked at her speculatively before walking back into the rear area of the store. She started to rub the dog's huge ears, and watched as he closed his eyes in bliss. "You know, you never even told me his name."
"You're just going to get him all attached to you and break his heart when you leave."
"You and I both know Shepherds are a one person dog. He'll be fine."
Jim looked down at where his dog was leaned against her legs with his eyes closed, not even remotely on alert, as he should be, given he was surrounded by strangers. He watched the way the girl's long slender fingers danced over the head and ears of his dog, and was jealous of his dog. He shook his head with a rueful smile, before taking the glass of water Harry had returned with and setting it on the floor. "His name is Sarge."
"Well, that's original." She rolled her eyes.
He watched the dog's pink tongue lap water. "What if you didn't break his heart? What if you stayed here and kept him company?"
Tempest snapped her eyes up to meet Jim's. "Are you asking me to stay here with you?"
"No, I'm asking you to stay here with Sarge. He just happens to live with me." Jim gave her a playful grin.
"I have a dog of my own back home to get back to, a life too. Not that it isn't a great offer, but I can't."
"This over the punk at your cousins?"
"No, its over the fact I don't want to live in America, and have a life of my own in my own country to get back to, a job to do and friends to hang out with. Besides, how you gonna be the cop with a street racer living with him, huh?"
Jim shrugged. "Who needs to know?"
"Everyone if I ever get caught. Besides that, I have to go home. I have an apartment and two more cars and a dog, family."
"So you go home, pack up, do what you have to do, and come back."
"Maybe someday. Won't be any time soon."
"You still have my number, it won't change. If you do come back, let me know? Even if its just to grab a coffee and catch up, aye?"
"Yeah, of course."
Before Jim could say anything else, Harry returned with her nitrous bottles. Before Tempest could grab them, Jim did. "Walk with me and I'll carry these to your car."
"I can carry them myself."
"I've no doubt you can. But why should you when I'm here." Jim started for the door. "Sarge, heel."
The dog got up reluctantly to walk with Jim to the door. Tempest fell into step on his other side. She clicked her car unlocked and took one of the tanks from Jim, before opening the door and fitting it back into the bracket under the seat. She held her hand out for the second tank.
"You got lucky there was room under there for those."
"Yeah, easier to not have to explain them, and I appreciate having a back seat." She pushed the flipped up seat bottom back down to cover the reinstalled and hooked up bottles.
"You still not gonna tell me why I couldn't find your system in the engine bay?"
"And ruin someone else's night? Besides, if you know as little about cars as you let on, you wouldn't understand even if I did tell you."
Jim pulled a face. "So officially, when are you headed out for good?"
"Sunday, Monday at a stretch."
"So no time to meet for dinner before then? I'm certain Sarge could change your mind if you gave him a chance."
"I'm previously engaged tonight and if I stay the whole day tomorrow, I'm sure I'll spend it with my cousin."
Jim nodded. "Well then." He shrugged slightly.
Tempest had no better idea how she should properly part ways. "I better go pay Harry and head for home."
"Ok."
"Ok."
"See you around," Jim finally replied, after a moment thinking what else he could say. There was no right thing to say in such a situation.
"Yeah, see you," Tempest replied, unable to stop the feeling that washed over her, a feeling that told her this was just the first of many hard, bittersweet goodbyes she'd be making. She fought a melancholy feeling, a need call Jim back rather than watch him walk away, and tell him she'd changed her mind. That this goodbye with a man she hardly knew could not be the beginning of the end unless she let it. But in the end she accepted her fate with a sigh and headed back into the shop, unwilling to watch Jim drive away.