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“How much more valuable is a card if it’s autographed?”
Randy looked up from the Price Guide. “Depends on the card, I guess.”
“As much as twenty thousand dollars?”
Randy wasn’t shocked by the number. “Sure. Still depends on who the player is, though.”
“How about Joe DiMaggio?” Co
“Oh, you’re talking about Teddy Folger’s card, huh? Yeah, that’s an expensive one for sure.”
“You know about it?”
“Everyone knows about it. Everyone in the business anyway. I heard it burned up with Folger’s shop. Too bad. Jerry was bummed out for a week when he heard.”
“Who’s Jerry?”
“He’s the card guy here at Planet X. I’m more of a comics guy, but Jerry knows cards like it was his religion. He could tell you every detail about the DiMaggio card, what it’s worth, all that.”
“When does he come in?”
“He’s at the Other Worlds Sci-Fi, Comics & Collectibles Convention in Montgomery and won’t be back until next week.”
Hell.
Randy said, “I tallied up all the cards. Looks like $810. Half of that is $405. That okay?”
“Yeah,” Co
“You could ask Teddy Folger about it, I guess.”
I could ask. I wouldn’t get any answers.
Randy went to the register and came back with $405, handed it to Co
When Randy said this, Co
“If you still want to talk to Jerry, you can ride up with me.”
Co
“In the morning about nine A.M. We’ll have fun. I usually pack a cooler full of sodas and sandwiches for the trip.”
“How much does this cost?”
Randy said, “If you pay ahead of time, it’s cheaper. At the door, it’s going to be twenty dollars to get in, I think.”
Twenty bucks. Possibly worth the investment.
Randy interpreted the hesitation on Co
“Yeah?”
“Leave it to me.”
“Okay.” Why not?
“One more thing. I should really warn you about Jerry. Some people think he’s a bit strange. He’s really an okay guy, but he’s kind of a nerd,” Randy said.
25
Murder.
It was the thought uppermost in Co
And all the way, the nonstop chatter. Mostly about comics, but the topics ranged all along the big nerd spectrum. For the last twenty minutes, Randy had railed against the new Star Trek series Enterprise, claiming it had not been what the show’s producers had advertised and was merely a watered-down version of Next Generation and Voyager and wasn’t really new or i
“I could give a shit,” Co
“What?” Randy shouted over the music. They Might Be Giants blasted full throttle out of the stereo’s ti
Co
“No problem.”
They took the next exit, pulled into a Shell station right next to a McDonald’s. Randy went next door to load up on McStuff. Co
He stood next to Randy’s Geo, waited for the kid to return from Mickey-D’s.
Co
Randy returned with a bag of food and a chocolate milk shake. “We’re only about forty-five minutes from Montgomery. You want to go ahead and get changed now?”
“Changed for what?”
“Oh, I forgot to show you,” Randy said. “I told you I could get us in for free, remember? Today’s costume day. Wear a costume, and you don’t have to pay the entrance fee.”
“Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say,” Co
Randy set his food on the Geo’s roof and popped the hatchback. He pulled out a tote bag, unzipped it. Within were two sets of clothes: a blue shirt and a pea-green shirt, two pairs of pants. The legs on the pants were short, ending just below the knees. Boots.
“These are modeled on the exact Federation uniforms from the original series,” Randy said. He beamed. “The green shirt is for you. It fastens around the front. I thought you’d be Captain Kirk. I’ll be Spock in the blue shirt.”
“And you really think I’m going to wear that?”
“It’ll fit. The material’s real stretchy.”
“I hate to disappoint you,” Co
“You’ll have to pay to get in then.”
“I’ll think of something.”
“Hey, whatever, man.” Randy grabbed the blue shirt and the pants. “I’m going to change.”
He went into the Shell station, came back a few minutes later. The shirt was at least a size too small. He wore sneakers instead of the boots.
Please not the ears. Please not the ears. Please not the ears.
Randy took the plastic pointy tips out of his pocket, fastened them to his ears. He was now a complete Vulcan.
“How do I look?” Randy asked.
“Great.”
They got back into the Geo and onto the interstate, headed toward Montgomery. Co
The Montgomery Airport Holiday I
Co
As they parked, a posse of Klingons spilled out of a minivan. They barked at each other in a made-up, alien language. Co