said, “You push this thing any further, you’ll get people riled.”
“What if more innocent people get hurt?” Steve countered.
The man took a large bite of the sandwich and chewed for a moment before remarking through the wad in his mouth, “Ain’t nobody innocent.”
“Listen. The man who was killed was my brother!”
That registered. The man’s eyes narrowed as he looked away and muttered, “Hoo boy, we’re in trouble now.”
Slap! Steve felt a powerful hand on his shoulder, twisting him around.
It was Doug. “I don’t think he wants to be bothered.”
The bearded man protested. “Doug, I can speak for myself.”
“Not to him, you’re not.” Then Doug said sideways to Steve, “You don’t want to talk to him. He’s the town’s nut case.”
The man put down his sandwich and placed his ham-sized hands on the table, ready to get up. “Well, maybe he’d like to be the judge of that himself.”
Steve stood, as tall as Doug if not taller, and this time he invaded Doug’s space. “Hey. I’m not looking for trouble. I just need information, that’s all, and I’ll thank you to let me go about my business.”
Doug had found his excuse. He grabbed a fistful of Steve’s shirt and backed him up against a post, knocking a picture to the floor. “I’ll give you information, Professor!”
Now the pool players were watching again, and Paul turned completely around on his bar stool.
Steve’s arms came from somewhere Doug wasn’t expecting and restored a comfortable distance between them, landing Doug across a table.
Doug was startled. But he got up from the table slowly, looking about, wanting to be sure the other patrons had seen it all. They had. The mood of the place shifted like the flipping of a channel.
The stranger had crossed the line. The pool game broke up as the pool players moved in, their cue sticks in their hands.
“Hey!” hollered Charlie, running from around the bar. “Now hold on, everybody!”
Doug righted himself but didn’t charge. He was waiting for the reinforcements to gather.
Steve looked the pool players over, now standing with Doug, their faces full of confidence and malice.
“Now listen, there’s a proper way to settle disputes,” Steve said coolly.
The biggest pool player exchanged an incredulous look with the others. “I think he’s telling us what to do.”
Now Kyle joined up. Five to one.
DOUG ADVANCED to give Steve a shove, but Charlie stepped in. “All right, now, let’s break this up.”
Doug pushed Charlie away. “Stay put, Charlie. We’ll be done in a second.”
Steve braced himself, estimating the force of their weight against his own. He figured he would most likely lose—and it would hurt, too.
“Told you,” said the big bearded man, coming alongside to stand with him.
“Stay out of this, Levi!” Doug warned. “This isn’t your fight!”
Levi stood his ground, his big arms loose and ready. “Five to one is no fight at all, Doug.”
Just then, the cowbell over the front door jangled as the door opened and sunlight entered the room. Doug didn’t charge, and neither did Kyle. The pool players lowered their cue sticks, disappointment clouding their faces. Steve had his back to the door, and he wondered who they were staring at. But he wasn’t about to turn and find out.
Then Steve heard a familiar voice. “Can’t you boys play a little more quietly? For a minute I thought I heard some trouble in here.”
Steve stole a glance toward the door. There stood Deputy Tracy Ellis in a casual pose, her hand on the latch of the open door, the sunlight from outside illuminating her olive uniform, her gleaming badge, and that gun on her hip.
“Hey, Tracy,” Doug greeted her, his tone suddenly civil. “Buy you a beer?”
Her eyes went cold as she looked at him. “No thanks, Doug.” She looked at Charlie, who had gone behind the bar again. “These guys giving you trouble, Charlie?”
Charlie looked at his regular patrons and
“What if more innocent people get hurt?” Steve countered.
The man took a large bite of the sandwich and chewed for a moment before remarking through the wad in his mouth, “Ain’t nobody innocent.”
“Listen. The man who was killed was my brother!”
That registered. The man’s eyes narrowed as he looked away and muttered, “Hoo boy, we’re in trouble now.”
Slap! Steve felt a powerful hand on his shoulder, twisting him around.
It was Doug. “I don’t think he wants to be bothered.”
The bearded man protested. “Doug, I can speak for myself.”
“Not to him, you’re not.” Then Doug said sideways to Steve, “You don’t want to talk to him. He’s the town’s nut case.”
The man put down his sandwich and placed his ham-sized hands on the table, ready to get up. “Well, maybe he’d like to be the judge of that himself.”
Steve stood, as tall as Doug if not taller, and this time he invaded Doug’s space. “Hey. I’m not looking for trouble. I just need information, that’s all, and I’ll thank you to let me go about my business.”
Doug had found his excuse. He grabbed a fistful of Steve’s shirt and backed him up against a post, knocking a picture to the floor. “I’ll give you information, Professor!”
Now the pool players were watching again, and Paul turned completely around on his bar stool.
Steve’s arms came from somewhere Doug wasn’t expecting and restored a comfortable distance between them, landing Doug across a table.
Doug was startled. But he got up from the table slowly, looking about, wanting to be sure the other patrons had seen it all. They had. The mood of the place shifted like the flipping of a channel.
The stranger had crossed the line. The pool game broke up as the pool players moved in, their cue sticks in their hands.
“Hey!” hollered Charlie, running from around the bar. “Now hold on, everybody!”
Doug righted himself but didn’t charge. He was waiting for the reinforcements to gather.
Steve looked the pool players over, now standing with Doug, their faces full of confidence and malice.
“Now listen, there’s a proper way to settle disputes,” Steve said coolly.
The biggest pool player exchanged an incredulous look with the others. “I think he’s telling us what to do.”
Now Kyle joined up. Five to one.
DOUG ADVANCED to give Steve a shove, but Charlie stepped in. “All right, now, let’s break this up.”
Doug pushed Charlie away. “Stay put, Charlie. We’ll be done in a second.”
Steve braced himself, estimating the force of their weight against his own. He figured he would most likely lose—and it would hurt, too.
“Told you,” said the big bearded man, coming alongside to stand with him.
“Stay out of this, Levi!” Doug warned. “This isn’t your fight!”
Levi stood his ground, his big arms loose and ready. “Five to one is no fight at all, Doug.”
Just then, the cowbell over the front door jangled as the door opened and sunlight entered the room. Doug didn’t charge, and neither did Kyle. The pool players lowered their cue sticks, disappointment clouding their faces. Steve had his back to the door, and he wondered who they were staring at. But he wasn’t about to turn and find out.
Then Steve heard a familiar voice. “Can’t you boys play a little more quietly? For a minute I thought I heard some trouble in here.”
Steve stole a glance toward the door. There stood Deputy Tracy Ellis in a casual pose, her hand on the latch of the open door, the sunlight from outside illuminating her olive uniform, her gleaming badge, and that gun on her hip.
“Hey, Tracy,” Doug greeted her, his tone suddenly civil. “Buy you a beer?”
Her eyes went cold as she looked at him. “No thanks, Doug.” She looked at Charlie, who had gone behind the bar again. “These guys giving you trouble, Charlie?”
Charlie looked at his regular patrons and
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