The Bar Code

By Donna Wood

Dale Pender runs into Miles Jackson at a gas station in Seattle, Washington. The two haven't seen each other in fifteen years. Dale is an all-around good guy, down on his luck, trying to make a living as a master carpenter. He lives with his parents and daughter. Miles, on the other hand, was not raised with a lot of love. He has been on his own a long time and looks out for "number one". Neighbors would say he's a good looking Black Dude who has "made it". Miles is very happy to run into

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781681390673

Book preview

Characters 

Dale Pender 

Father, Vietnam vet., mechanic, handyman, woodworker, fisherman. Dale Pender grew up in Seattle. After high school, hitchhiked across country for Woodstock. He was drafted for Vietnam, with his girlfriend pregnant at the time from his stay at the commune in New York. Came back from Vietnam to find his daughter with his parents in Seattle. His girlfriend was nowhere to be found. His parents gave him a nice trailer to live in with his daughter behind their house on Route 4. Dale survived on odd jobs. He drove to the town bar and dance hall every Saturday night for company and if lucky spend some time with Nancy the bartender. Where is he going to get the money for his dad’s upcoming long-term Alzheimer’s care?K 

Starlight Pender 

Daughter was born in a commune. Beautiful, twelve years old, blonde hair, light blue eyes (looks like the mother). Starlight is a tomboy, likes sports, especially soccer and rock climbing. Good student, loves her dad and grandparents. Babysits for extra money. She prefers jeans and T-shirt to school. Well liked by all the kids. Very sure of herself, not into cliques. 

MiMi Pender 

Stay-at-home mom. Good homemaker. Neat, well-maintained, small, two-bedroom house. Dale is her only child. Knits, sews (teaches Starlight). MiMi likes to help out in the community, Catholic Church. Meals on wheels, chickens, vegetable garden. Quiet. 

Bob Pender 

WW2 vet. Retired maintenance road worker for the state. Takes care of the church and rectory property and cuts the lawns for the elderly in town. Small pension, social security, develops Alzheimer’s. 

Miles Jackson 

Vietnam vet (black dude), drug dealer ’60s and ’70s, named after Miles Davis (parents were into jazz), piano player, intellectual, good-looking player, street-smart, San Francisco. 

Loretta Camp 

Graduate of the University of Washington, graduate of the FBI Academy, stellar student, grew up in Seattle, happy to be assigned back in her home city, thirty-five, single, devoted to her job. On her way to work when she first sees Dale. 

Chapter One 

The old black pickup rumbled down the country road. The driver looked half-asleep with a cigarette in his left finger out the window. Beside him sat a young girl with a long ponytail staring straight ahead. The man was probably dropping her off to school, I thought as I drove by. Little did I know that I would be seeing this man again in the future. It was just a glance, but I would flash back to it during the day as I tackled my Inbox. My name is Loretta Camp. I work as an FBI Special Agent, but I don’t identify myself as FBI. It’s just the job I do. Nothing can kill a Match.com moment quicker than to tell your date what you do for a living. Thirty-five is fast approaching, and I still haven’t found Mr. Right. I’ve found plenty of Mr. Maybes, but I admit I’m a little gun-shy after Louis called off our wedding and ran away with the wedding planner. It’s just as well, though, since I have been assigned to narcotics in Seattle, where anything can happen and usually does. 

I have been assigned to a team that is working with the office in San Francisco investigating a big shipment of cocaine coming in from Columbia. Where and when, we don’t know. 

Chapter Two 

Dale was not working on all batteries as he said goodbye to Starlight and pulled out of the school parking lot. The fall air blowing in the pickup window woke him up a bit. Maybe some breakfast in town at Belle’s diner would help. Belle made blueberry pancakes that are to die for. The parking lot was full which meant he would have to sit at a counter stool which he hated… hard to read the paper at the counter. Belle herself served the counter. She asked Dale what he wanted since he knew the menu by heart. Belle and Dale went to high school together. She bought the diner after her divorce from the high school football star, still talking about the glory days. Dale always left Belle a two-dollar tip. He couldn’t afford it, but he hated people who left nothing. You might know, Dale said to himself as he looked at the E on the gas gauge. Twenty dollars wouldn’t even get to one fourth of a tank, but that’s all he had. He was putting the pump back when he noticed a beautiful black Mercedes coupe pulled in behind him. Out stepped a tall, handsome, well-dressed black man who was definitely not from around here.