A Single Shot Page #5

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This ain't you.

Ira and Molly was supposed to be

gone that night.

At a fireman's dance

or some sh*t.

I ran into Obadiah

at the pink lily over in Raburn.

Now, that had to be

'bout three, four years

after Ira sh*t-canned him,

and he claimed

he'd been holding on

to Ira's safe combination

all that long while,

and all we had to do

was just walk right in

and open it.

I figure,

there's a safe in it at all,

all that's gonna be in there's

the two weeks' wages

Ira shorted me.

I tell you, God's honest truth,

Johnno, the drunker I get,

the more reasonable

the most un-f***in'-reasonable

things seem to me.

We walk in through

the front door,

whistlin',

except that hen can't crack it

with the number

he got writ down.

So he says "f*** it,"

he is gonna run upstairs

and grab some of Molly's jewels,

make the trip worthwhile,

and I ain't real happy

about him ransacking the place,

so I stays right downstairs,

go over to the fridge there

and grabs me a beer,

sat down and watched some TV.

15 minutes don't pass

and here come Obadiah down,

covered in blood,

talkin' 'bout how Ira'd

straightened him out

on them numbers,

and I runned upstairs,

and Molly's dead, thank God...

But Ira's still breathing,

bleedin' like

Jesus stuck on the cross,

and staring at me with a look

that'll follow me

into the ground.

I finished him off...

Just like I would

a wounded deer.

Ira treated you decent.

Molly too.

Oof.

Old Ira weren't bullshittin'

all them years

about being

a rich man neither...

But that much you know,

huh, Johnno?

Hen said it best we split up,

him taking the cash

back through the conservancy,

and me winding down

through the hollow,

to where my car was at.

I reckon he'd planned all along

to stash whatever we took

till he got out.

Now he's out.

Don't take that little

pencil-dick Cornish

just for bluster, Johnno.

Well, he's dead now.

Got his throat slit.

Should not've done that, Johnno.

Even if he did

have it comin' his way.

I didn't do it.

Your friend did.

I don't got no friends, Johnno.

Except you.

Well, you got

a queer way of showin' it.

I wasn't gonna let

him hurt you, John no.

Wasn't gonna let 'im hurt you.

It's just the money they want.

What'd you take that

money for, Johnno?

What'd you take that

money for, Johnno?

What'd you take that

money for, Johnno?

You stupid bastard.

What'd you take

that money for...

No.

One bullet'll take

your head clean off, Johnno.

Let it go.

Relax, man.

Hey.

John moon.

What you doin' here, darling?

I brought you

some homemade bread...

Oh!

And fixings for a few meals.

I'm going to make you

the first one myself.

Are ya? I'm lucky.

What you got there?

Italian Hoagies, my speciality.

Oh, your speciality, huh?

Mama's worried, me too, John,

you're up here

fading away to nothing.

Aw, me, I'm all right.

You don't exactly

look all right.

You don't smell

that way either.

Yeah, well, I was

chopping wood up the hill.

I bushwacked down

to get some clean plugs

for my truck.

Go jump in the shower,

John moon,

while I fix you a nice lunch.

Go on!

Make me just one.

Then I want you to get on home,

you hear me?

Hey, Abbie.

Darlin'?

I'll do it.

I'll do it.

Takes a little work...

Finding room for it,

with all that's in there.

I'll do it.

John, are you okay?

Yeah. I'm just...

I'm tired.

Real tired.

It's the wind, John,

against the shutters.

Yeah.

Yeah, I know.

We gonna eat?

Let's get you fed.

Was on the news this morning,

about a murder

in town yesterday,

up at the oaks.

Police aren't saying who,

only that it's a fella

with a long record

and roots in the area.

They see anybody in particular?

Mm, a woman who was

staying in the room

two down from the dead guy,

and a man a maid saw with her

not long before

the body was discovered.

What is troubling you, Diablo?

Jealous, must be.

I sure hope you used protection

with whoever she was

kept you out so late.

Weren't nobody but me

kept me out.

Handsome...

Gentle, but strong,

with a good sense of humor?

All you need to be

a woman's perfect catch,

John moon, is a secure job.

You leave a radio on inside?

Yeah.

Guess I must've.

I'll go turn it off.

You go on home.

What? Why?

Your folks'll be wondering.

My folks aren't home,

no one is.

Plus, I'm not done eating.

You go on home

like I told you to.

I'm not going

anywhere, John Moon.

Please don't hurt her.

Just let her go.

I'll give you the...

I'll give you the money.

Throw your gun down here.

Now!

Throw it down!

Pull your knife out.

Now go get that rope

and tie her up.

Get the rope!

Let's go!

Tie her hands up.

Tie her f***in' hands

up, will ya?

F***in' tie, I said.

Tie tight.

It was an accident.

I took her for a deer.

A deer? Right.

Now get her feet.

Tie her feet up.

Where is she?

I buried her, up in the woods.

I can take you there right now.

No way. Corpses

give me the creeps.

If I could do anything

to take it back, I would.

Did you f*** her?

I found a letter on her.

Said she loved you.

Said you was gonna

take her to Hawaii.

You read my Ingrid's mail?

Jesus.

You take me for

a f***in' idiot?

Alright. Alright.

Where's my money?

It's up the hill, up yonder.

I could

take you there right now.

Just leave her be,

and you and I'll

go up there togeth...

No, no, that ain't how

it's gonna play out.

See, you're gonna go

fetch my money,

and I'm gonna stay here

with... what's her name?

Abbie.

Yeah. Abbie.

And I'm gonna get

real well acquainted,

just like you did

with my Ingrid.

Just leave her be,

and you and I'll

go up there right now.

- Where's your truck?

- Let's you and me...

Where's your truck?

It's up there. It's up...

It's halfway up.

Got a weapon in it?

I ain't got no guns.

You took all my guns, man.

- You swear it?

- I swear.

You swear on your life?

I swear on my life.

Well...

Now, you see, I want to

trust you, John,

but you killed my girlfriend.

I'm gonna find that hard.

You understand that?

Now I need me some insurance.

Yeah.

- John, put your hand out.

- You don't need to, trust me.

Put your hand on the table now.

Ass-backwards,

you cow-dumb

son of a b*tch.

Your gun hand.

Think I'm f***in' stupid?

You don't have to do this.

I was talkin' about...

Open your mouth!

Put your f***in' hand

on the table now!

Sick of the sound of you.

Now, bite down, real tight.

See, now I trust you, John.

Now go get my money.

Aw, Jesus.

Alright, go inside,

get yourself a band-aid

or something.

Go on.

Your boyfriend

ain't made of much.

It's gonna be alright.

You're a pretty little thing.

You might wanna hurry on back

and get yourself a piece.

John!

John!

Gimme a holler, John!

Where you at?

Check in with me.

I'm at the truck!

You got the money?

I gotta dig it out first!

Take a few minutes.

I'm coming as fast I can!

Don't die on me out there.

Hurry up, John!

Abbie!

Abbie?

Abbie!

Easy, darlin'.

Easy, darlin'.

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