Mystery and brisket

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas I remember a strip mall bookstore that used to be part of an independent chain. I heard that they were bought out by Barnes & Noble, but in the early 90’s the store already had very much the same feel as a B&N. For some reason that place makes me think of night and lights and film noir. I am sure that I never bought a pulp novel there, nor is there any conscious reason why such an association exists. The memory is strange. Sometimes on an evening when the sun sets early, my thoughts tend toward a stylized thriller set in the 40’s or early 50’s. Maybe the loneliness of the place lends itself to such mental connections. If I continue far past this bookstore I may reach The Salt Lick barbeque restaurant in Driftwood, Texas. I probably visited there even fewer times than I visited that bookstore, yet I have a slight yearning to travel that road again.