Les Norton and the Case of the Talking Pie Crust Read Online Free

deported her back to Australia. Back home, she got into modelling and a little acting and somehow finished up with Bodene. Barbara was likeable enough and honest when she worked at the club. But she wasn’t over-endowed with smarts and no one had been surprised when Beauty Spot got busted with a stack of forged traveller’s cheques.
    As he got closer, Les checked out Bodene and his party. Menjou was wearing a pair of dark slacks, a black polo shirt and oxblood loafers, and Barbara seated on his left, looked relaxed in a denim skirt and red top, her blonde hair stacked on top of her head. The girl onBarbara’s left, wearing a lacy pink V-neck top over a pair of white jeans, was an attractive green-eyed brunette and had fox written all over her. And seated on Menny’s right, the Slavic-featured man, wearing a pair of shin-length black shorts and a black and white checked shirt, was a monster, with a jaw like an iron gate and a big domed forehead beneath a crop of thick black hair. The way he was crammed into the fold-up chair made it look as if it was ready to collapse under him in a pile of torn canvas and twisted metal. Les couldn’t remember seeing the bloke before, but he felt he’d seen the girl somewhere.
    Menny looked up as Les appeared in front of them and an unusually warm smile spread across his face. ‘Les, my good friend,’ he said, standing up and offering his hand. ‘Thank you for coming down.’
    Les shook Bodene’s hand. ‘That’s okay, Menny,’ he replied.
    ‘And how are you?’
    ‘I’m good, thanks Menny. How’s yourself?’
    Bodene gestured. ‘How is it, you Aussies say? Wouldn’t be dead for quids?’
    ‘That’s good, mate,’ smiled Norton.
    ‘Les. You know Barbara.’
    ‘Yeah. How are you, Barbara?’
    ‘Fine, thanks Les,’ nodded Barbara. ‘And this is Topaz.’
    Les offered the other girl his hand. ‘Hello, Topaz. How are you?’
    Topaz shook Norton’s hand and gave him a very heavy once up and down from behind a pair of cool, green eyes. ‘I’m really good, thank you, Les. What about yourself?’ she purred.
    Les nodded to Menny. ‘Like Bodene said. Wouldn’t be dead for quids.’
    ‘And this is Lasjoz.’
    The big man lumbered to his feet and Norton barely came up to his chin. ‘Hullo Les,’ he said in a friendly growl as he offered his hand. ‘Bodene tells me many things about you.’
    ‘All good I would imagine,’ smiled Les, shaking the big man’s hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Lasjoz.’ Les noticed a couple in black berets and sunglasses getting up from a table in front of the restaurant. ‘I’ll grab a seat.’
    Les picked up a chair and sat down in front of Bodene as Lasjoz squeezed himself back into his. At the same time, a dark-haired waitress walked over in a pair of black jeans and a white T-shirt with a piccaninny’s face on the front saying BUCKWHEAT.
    ‘Can I get you something else?’ the waitress asked, picking up their empty cups.
    ‘Yes. The same again,’ said Bodene. ‘Les?’
    ‘Yeah. I’ll just have an Al Pacino thanks.’
    ‘No problem,’ said the waitress and walked off with the empties.
    Les watched her for a moment then turned to Bodene. ‘Okay Menny,’ he said, dramatising a little. ‘We’re both busy men. Let’s get down to cases. Warren tells me you had a film script knocked off, and you think I might be able to find it.’
    ‘Maybe yes. Maybe no. Maybe I dunno, you know. But you were very good before,’ said Bodene.
    ‘And you were very generous,’ said Les. He nodded towards the Rex Hotel. ‘Not far from here, either.’
    ‘Not far at all,’ nodded Bodene.
    ‘So where did this happen?’ asked Les.
    ‘Outside my pizza shop,’ said Bodene. ‘It was in bag in the back of my Mercedes.’
    ‘Right,’ nodded Les. Just then two cars started bipping each other and another concrete mixer rumbled up spewing diesel fumes everywhere. At the same time a little white dog under a table started yapping at a bigger one passing