acid, and minnows LSD. He didn’t deal with injectable drugs or so he claimed. Stavic had no reason to doubt him—he was the honest sort.
“Actually,” Stavic sighed, “I’m here on another matter.” He lowered his voice. “You happen to know if there’s someone new in town dealing?”
“New?” Charles shook his head slowly. “Not that I know of. Why?”
“Case I’m working on.”
“You talking about those two fellas that got murdered?” asked Fred from down the bar. He was looking ahead, staring at the liquor bottles against the back wall.
“What about them?” Stavic asked, glancing from Charles to Fred.
A shrug. “Nothing I haven’t seen on the news.”
And news it was. It wasn’t often citizens of River Bend died mysteriously. They’d tried to keep it as hush-hush as possible—releasing only the names and mentioned they’d died of unknown causes, but that was all. They’d tried to keep the details as obscure as possible so as not to cause a panic. But, as things were in a small community, people talked and word spread.
“You sure about that? Haven’t heard anything?”
“Nothing but farts in the wind.”
Stavic wasn’t sure if that was true, but he’d let it go for the moment. He turned his attention back to Charles. “What about you?”
“Nah. Same shit as always.”
“Nothing about two bodies?”
“Is there something you’re after, deputy?” Went was more curt than usual.
Stavic had the feeling something was amiss here, something Charles wasn’t telling him. Another look around the room and his eyes fell on the unobtrusive door that led to the basement. Or that’s what people assumed. For those in the know it led to a private section of the bar—a real underground place for those who wanted something more than just a night of drinks. He didn’t know all the details—never went down there. Easier to play ignorant that way.
Stavic looked back to Charles. “Nothing on the other side of the world?”
“I wish I could help. I’ll keep my ears open though.”
“I’d appreciate that.” He wrapped his knuckles on the bar and stood. “You know… maybe I will take you up on that bait after all.”
“Sure thing. Usual?”
“Yeah. I didn’t come prepared today—”
“Let me stop you right there. I know you’re good for it.”
“Thanks.” Stavic stared at the shimmering lake through the back door. “You know, I think I’m going to take in the view.”
“Knock yourself out. I’ll have your bait right here for you when you’re ready.”
Charles excused himself to the back, and Stavic stepped out the back door onto a wooden deck that led to the dock. Ripples glided along the surface, the sound of a motor boat echoed in the distance. Across the way he saw a boat come around an outcropping of trees. That must be what Harold talked about the other day, where the lake joined the Fox River.
“How much do you really know about what happens in this town, deputy?”
Stavic started. Fred had followed him out and stood only a couple feet behind him looking out across the lake. “Enough.”
“More than you know, I’d wager.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know Charles pretty well I suspect which means you probably know he don’t scare easy.” He took a drag on his cigarette. “Everyone gets scared of something. I’ve seen the face of the man that scares him.”
“Who?”
“I’ve only seen him once, the first time he came in here.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I never want to see him again.”
“When was that?”
“The other night.”
“And you’re sure you’ve never seen him before?”
“No.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know, but he’s a jovial fellow, or at least pretends to be. You see… he’s always smiling. But there’s something in that smile that’s unsettling. It’s not real,” Fred said.
“Not real? You mean like false teeth?”
“No. The smile… it’s a mask.”
The door screeched behind Stavic.
“Actually,” Stavic sighed, “I’m here on another matter.” He lowered his voice. “You happen to know if there’s someone new in town dealing?”
“New?” Charles shook his head slowly. “Not that I know of. Why?”
“Case I’m working on.”
“You talking about those two fellas that got murdered?” asked Fred from down the bar. He was looking ahead, staring at the liquor bottles against the back wall.
“What about them?” Stavic asked, glancing from Charles to Fred.
A shrug. “Nothing I haven’t seen on the news.”
And news it was. It wasn’t often citizens of River Bend died mysteriously. They’d tried to keep it as hush-hush as possible—releasing only the names and mentioned they’d died of unknown causes, but that was all. They’d tried to keep the details as obscure as possible so as not to cause a panic. But, as things were in a small community, people talked and word spread.
“You sure about that? Haven’t heard anything?”
“Nothing but farts in the wind.”
Stavic wasn’t sure if that was true, but he’d let it go for the moment. He turned his attention back to Charles. “What about you?”
“Nah. Same shit as always.”
“Nothing about two bodies?”
“Is there something you’re after, deputy?” Went was more curt than usual.
Stavic had the feeling something was amiss here, something Charles wasn’t telling him. Another look around the room and his eyes fell on the unobtrusive door that led to the basement. Or that’s what people assumed. For those in the know it led to a private section of the bar—a real underground place for those who wanted something more than just a night of drinks. He didn’t know all the details—never went down there. Easier to play ignorant that way.
Stavic looked back to Charles. “Nothing on the other side of the world?”
“I wish I could help. I’ll keep my ears open though.”
“I’d appreciate that.” He wrapped his knuckles on the bar and stood. “You know… maybe I will take you up on that bait after all.”
“Sure thing. Usual?”
“Yeah. I didn’t come prepared today—”
“Let me stop you right there. I know you’re good for it.”
“Thanks.” Stavic stared at the shimmering lake through the back door. “You know, I think I’m going to take in the view.”
“Knock yourself out. I’ll have your bait right here for you when you’re ready.”
Charles excused himself to the back, and Stavic stepped out the back door onto a wooden deck that led to the dock. Ripples glided along the surface, the sound of a motor boat echoed in the distance. Across the way he saw a boat come around an outcropping of trees. That must be what Harold talked about the other day, where the lake joined the Fox River.
“How much do you really know about what happens in this town, deputy?”
Stavic started. Fred had followed him out and stood only a couple feet behind him looking out across the lake. “Enough.”
“More than you know, I’d wager.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know Charles pretty well I suspect which means you probably know he don’t scare easy.” He took a drag on his cigarette. “Everyone gets scared of something. I’ve seen the face of the man that scares him.”
“Who?”
“I’ve only seen him once, the first time he came in here.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I never want to see him again.”
“When was that?”
“The other night.”
“And you’re sure you’ve never seen him before?”
“No.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know, but he’s a jovial fellow, or at least pretends to be. You see… he’s always smiling. But there’s something in that smile that’s unsettling. It’s not real,” Fred said.
“Not real? You mean like false teeth?”
“No. The smile… it’s a mask.”
The door screeched behind Stavic.
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