Nobody's Fool
careful because they splinter. Each board has a side groove that fits into a slot, and you canât always yank them up without breaking one or the other. Laying them again is slow going. Three days, probably. Then you have to sand and varnish. New wood alone would cost you more than a thousand, though.â
Carl looked at Sully, and both men shrugged.
âLeaving only the issue of collateral damage,â Carl said, âthe unforeseen destruction sure to occur when somebodyâs stupid enough to allow Don Sullivan into his house with a crowbar.â He shook his head wearily. âMy camp is liable to end up looking like this before heâs through.â
âEleven hundred,â Sully said.
âWhat?â Carl said.
âThat insult just cost you a hundred dollars,â Sully said. âAnd Iâll take six hundred up front, since Iâm dealing with you.â
âIâm going to regret this,â Carl reached into his pants pocket. âI can tell already.â
He counted out six hundred dollars from a large roll of bills.
âYouâre right,â Sully said. âI am the dumbest man in Bath. If I had any sense Iâd hit you over the head with this crowbar, take that wad of money, bury you beneath the floor and see if anybodyâd miss you.â
â
Youâd
miss me, snookums,â Carl Roebuck said confidently, giving Sully a pinch on the cheek.
To celebrate, lunch at The Horse.
As usual during the noon hour, the place was crowded with businessmen from up and down the length of Main Street, every table taken. There were three stools at the end of the bar, though, and Sully pointed Rub and Peter in their direction. Clive Jr. and a woman Sullyâd never seen before were just getting up from a table near the window. When Clive Jr. saw Sully, his face clouded over and he looked at the woman he was with almost fearfully, Sully thought.
âI got to go talk to that prick,â Carl said when Sully, Peter and Rub headed for the bar.
âWho? The Bank?â
âIâm hearing things I donât want to hear,â Carl said. âThat goddamn deal is heading south. I can feel it.â
âThe theme park?â
âWhat a putz,â Carl said, eyeing Clive Jr. across the room. âIf itâd been me Iâd have had that Texas big shot laid and then blown and then back on a plane before the ink was dry on the contract. Dickhead over there is just like his old man. The square of all squares. Can you believe that woman heâs going to marry?â
âSheâs not getting much of a bargain, either,â Sully reminded him. âGo ahead. Weâll send the check over when weâre done.â
âItâd be just like you,â Carl Roebuck said.
âSlide down one,â
Sully
told Rub, indicating the next stool.
Rub looked reluctant. âHow come?â
âSo I can be on the end.â
âHow come?â
âSo you wonât swing around on that stool and bang my knee, like youâre so fond of doing.â
Rub moved. âHow come Iâm always the one you boss?â he wondered, settling onto the middle stool.
Sully moved the stool Rub had vacated so he could stand next to it. âWhat? You want me to give Peter an order, is that it?â
Rub shrugged, embarrassed to have instigated open conflict.
âWell?â Sully said.
âI just donât seeââ
Sully held up a hand and Rub stopped. âI just want to know what would make you happy, Rub. If itâll make you happy, Iâll give Peter a direct order. And if heâs smart heâll do as heâs told, too.â
Rub shrugged again, but clearly the idea appealed to him.
âAre you ready?â Sully said. âAre you paying attention?â
Rub said he was.
âSon.â
âWhat?â said Peter, who seemed not to be in the mood for such games. He was still half angry about Will, was Sullyâs guess.
âI want you to stay right where you are,â Sully told him. âDonât get off that fucking stool. Thatâs an order.â
Peter surrendered a reluctant grin. âOkay,â he said.
Sully turned back to Rub. âThere,â he said. âYou happy now?â
Rub was not happy, but he knew better than to say so. Blessedly, Birdie came over and was waiting to take their order. âWe got a new item,â she told them. âHot buffalo
Weitere Kostenlose Bücher