Page 59 of Friends Don't Kiss

“Like little firecrackers. Rat-tat-tat.”

He tilts his head. “Ts’an old car, it’s bound to make some noise.” I know what he’s thinking: that I’m after making a quick buck. Too many people in my line of work take advantage of the ignorance of their clients. In the end, it’s not good for business. But I’m not going to change the mentality of half my industry.

I’m worried about the guy, though. I step back, feeling his wariness, as I say, “Get it checked soon as you get home. Tell them to look for a leaky exhaust.” As I turn to get back inside, I can tell I have the guy’s attention. I add over my shoulder, “And just to be on the safe side… I know it’s cold, but leave a window cracked open when the engine’s on.”

By that point I’m back in the warmth of my office.

The door opens two minutes later. “Can you tell me what noise you’re talking about?”

Back outside, he starts the car and stands next to me. “You hear that?” I ask him, tilting my head to the engine. “Like a machine gun in the distance. You hear it?”

“Yeah,” he says, “like drumsticks calling a beat?”

I nod. “It’s exhaust gases coming out from where they shouldn’t.”

“Is that dangerous? You said to leave a window open.”

“It can be, if the exhaust gases make it into the cabin. You won’t know until you get it checked.”

“Can you check it for me?”

“Sure can. But depending on what I find, the repairs can take a couple days. More if I need parts. Let’s check to see what we’re dealing with, then we’ll decide on your best course of action.”

I get the car on the lift, then pull out my smoke machine and attach it to the tailpipe. “I’m going to turn this on. It’ll fill the exhaust system with smoke, and we’ll see it coming out where the leaks are.”

Within a few minutes, just like I thought, smoke comes out from the exhaust manifold. “See here?” I show the guy. “That’s one leak. There might be more.” Straightening, I take a peek inside the cabin. “That doesn’t mean you’ll have gas in the cabin, though. Might need another minute or so to be sure… Hell no. Here it is. See here?” Smoke is slowly seeping in from the cabin floor.

“Shit,” the guy mumbles. “Fuck, man. I been driving this?”

I tilt my head. “You got lucky.”

“No one ever told me. So what now? Can you fix it?”

I leave the car on the lift. Looks like the owner is reasonable and I’ll be doing repairs. I’ll need to take my time identifying all the leaks. “How long are you in town for?”

He spreads his arms out and grins, his eyes dancing under his Patriots cap. “I just moved here. I have all the time in the world.”

I eye him top to bottom. I like this guy. “Oh well, welcome to Emerald Creek.” He looks vaguely familiar too. He might have come on vacation, rented a house. That must be it. It’s how a lot of people who move here started out. “Do I know you from somewhere?” I ask as we walk to the office.

He tilts his head. “Nah, I just have that kind of face.” I think I see a twinkle in his eye, but it’s gone in an instant. When I look up from our scheduler, he pulls his cap tighter down over his eyes. “D’you want to leave her now? I can get you a loaner.”

“Loaner would be great, if it doesn’t put you out. Or else just a ride home.”

“I can arrange a loaner. It’s free, by the way.”

He smiles and says, “Appreciate it.”

“You sure you’ve never been here before? On vacation, maybe?” I ask again as I give him the keys to the Subaru.

“I’m sure, mate.” He turns around and sets his hand on my shoulder. “Hey, I owe you one. Really.” His eyes mist a little but he catches himself and flashes me a big grin. “It’s a nice change to be with good people. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you. I mean it.”

Inspiration strikes me after he’s rounded the corner and is out of my sight. I have something he can do for me, sooner rather than later, so I get on his car right away.

I end up finding three leaks, and one of them requires welding. Thankfully, I have the parts to replace, so the only time I need to put in is my own. No waiting for a shipment that may or may not arrive in the next week.

When I’m done repairing the leaks, I patch the cabin. I end up putting ten hours on the Mustang, but when I test her at the end of the day, there’s no leak and no sound.

I take her for a spin downtown for good measure, appreciating how she purrs nicely. It being Saturday, I half expect to see the Subaru on The Green or whereabouts, with the guy having dinner somewhere, but I don’t. When I get back to the garage, I call to let him know his car is ready.

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