Read Online Two Bits Four Bits by Mark Cotton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Cotton
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playing it wasn’t
even funny.”
“Uh oh. I’m sorry about
that. We were doing the best we could.”
“I know goddammit. That’s
why I lost. I was betting against y’all!” he roared, erupting into
a wheezing laugh followed by a fit of coughing that turned his face
purple.
“Well, you probably made
up for what you lost after the game with what you charged us for
those cases of warm beer.”
He nodded as he regained
his breath.
“You’ve probably got me
there,” he said. “What have you been doing since then? You still
live here?”
“No, I’ve been living in
Austin. I just came back for a class reunion.”
“Well, y’all need some
beer to celebrate with? I can fix you right up,” he said, with a
mischievous wink.
I laughed. “No, I think
we’re doing okay. It’s been sort of quiet to tell you the truth.
That fella who got shot, Russell Chilton, he was married to one of
our classmates. You heard about that didn’t you?”
“I sure did,” Benny said,
shaking his head, his expression one of sad amazement. “That was a
terrible shame. He was president of the bank, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” I said. “I
only met him the night before for the first time, but he seemed
like a real nice guy. Did you know him?”
“Only to say hello to on
the street, really,” he answered. “We didn’t exactly run in the
same circles, if you know what I mean. All my businesses take care
of the working man, and his tended to take care of the upper
class.”
“What kind of businesses
you got?” I asked. “Still got that pawn shop you had back in the
80’s?”
“Yeah, it’s still open but
my wife’s nephew runs it now. I’ve got an employment agency and a
furniture rental outfit that keeps me too busy to write pawn
tickets. Say, didn’t you get a scholarship to play ball at UT or
something? Seems like I remember something about that.”
“Oh, yeah I was all set
until I got hurt during summer practice. They dropped me like a hot
potato and I had to tend bar to pay for the rest of my
school.”
“Hey, nothing wrong with
the liquor business,” he said. “It’s been pretty good to
me.”
“Yeah, me too. I can’t
complain about the way things worked out. Bartending taught me a
lot about people, which came in handy later on.”
“So, what did you go into
after college?” he asked. “Sales?”
“Something like that. Who
do you reckon would want to shoot Russell Chilton?” I asked,
draining the last of my beer.
“No idea. Like you said,
he seemed to be a real nice guy. Real civic-minded.”
“I guess you never really
know what people are really like, though,” I offered. “Down deep
inside I mean. He may have been up to his eyeballs in meanness for
all we know. Might have just been a crook in a three-piece
suit.”
“Might have been,” Benny
answered, nodding. “He wouldn’t have been the first one around
here. It’s the ones wearing the suits you’ve got to watch out for
the most.”
“I hear that,” I laughed.
I stepped to the desk and offered my hand again.
“Well sir,” I said. “It
sure was good to see you again. I’ll run along and let you get back
to your game.”
“Aw, don’t worry about it.
These bastards don’t get a run pretty soon, I’m gonna switch over
to The Home Shopping Network, or some other damn thing.”
We shook hands and I
exited the office, stopping to set my empty bottle on top of the
twenty that I’d left on the bar. The bartender looked up from a
magazine she was reading as I started away.
“You want some change,
honey?”
“No, you keep it,” I said
as crossed the room.
“Well, thank you, sweetie.
You come back any time you want to win the door prize again. You
hear?”
* * * *
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
There’s a saying about
Texas funerals that has been making the rounds via the internet and
e-mail the last few years. It goes: If you’re attending a funeral
in Texas, remember, we stay until the last shovel of dirt
even funny.”
“Uh oh. I’m sorry about
that. We were doing the best we could.”
“I know goddammit. That’s
why I lost. I was betting against y’all!” he roared, erupting into
a wheezing laugh followed by a fit of coughing that turned his face
purple.
“Well, you probably made
up for what you lost after the game with what you charged us for
those cases of warm beer.”
He nodded as he regained
his breath.
“You’ve probably got me
there,” he said. “What have you been doing since then? You still
live here?”
“No, I’ve been living in
Austin. I just came back for a class reunion.”
“Well, y’all need some
beer to celebrate with? I can fix you right up,” he said, with a
mischievous wink.
I laughed. “No, I think
we’re doing okay. It’s been sort of quiet to tell you the truth.
That fella who got shot, Russell Chilton, he was married to one of
our classmates. You heard about that didn’t you?”
“I sure did,” Benny said,
shaking his head, his expression one of sad amazement. “That was a
terrible shame. He was president of the bank, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” I said. “I
only met him the night before for the first time, but he seemed
like a real nice guy. Did you know him?”
“Only to say hello to on
the street, really,” he answered. “We didn’t exactly run in the
same circles, if you know what I mean. All my businesses take care
of the working man, and his tended to take care of the upper
class.”
“What kind of businesses
you got?” I asked. “Still got that pawn shop you had back in the
80’s?”
“Yeah, it’s still open but
my wife’s nephew runs it now. I’ve got an employment agency and a
furniture rental outfit that keeps me too busy to write pawn
tickets. Say, didn’t you get a scholarship to play ball at UT or
something? Seems like I remember something about that.”
“Oh, yeah I was all set
until I got hurt during summer practice. They dropped me like a hot
potato and I had to tend bar to pay for the rest of my
school.”
“Hey, nothing wrong with
the liquor business,” he said. “It’s been pretty good to
me.”
“Yeah, me too. I can’t
complain about the way things worked out. Bartending taught me a
lot about people, which came in handy later on.”
“So, what did you go into
after college?” he asked. “Sales?”
“Something like that. Who
do you reckon would want to shoot Russell Chilton?” I asked,
draining the last of my beer.
“No idea. Like you said,
he seemed to be a real nice guy. Real civic-minded.”
“I guess you never really
know what people are really like, though,” I offered. “Down deep
inside I mean. He may have been up to his eyeballs in meanness for
all we know. Might have just been a crook in a three-piece
suit.”
“Might have been,” Benny
answered, nodding. “He wouldn’t have been the first one around
here. It’s the ones wearing the suits you’ve got to watch out for
the most.”
“I hear that,” I laughed.
I stepped to the desk and offered my hand again.
“Well sir,” I said. “It
sure was good to see you again. I’ll run along and let you get back
to your game.”
“Aw, don’t worry about it.
These bastards don’t get a run pretty soon, I’m gonna switch over
to The Home Shopping Network, or some other damn thing.”
We shook hands and I
exited the office, stopping to set my empty bottle on top of the
twenty that I’d left on the bar. The bartender looked up from a
magazine she was reading as I started away.
“You want some change,
honey?”
“No, you keep it,” I said
as crossed the room.
“Well, thank you, sweetie.
You come back any time you want to win the door prize again. You
hear?”
* * * *
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
There’s a saying about
Texas funerals that has been making the rounds via the internet and
e-mail the last few years. It goes: If you’re attending a funeral
in Texas, remember, we stay until the last shovel of dirt
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