Flamingo Road Page #3

- What?

I'll bet you're a lousy sheriff.

Mmm.

- Boatright, hurry up!

- Yes, sir.

- Did you find Field?

- Yes, sir.

He's eating breakfast at the Eagle Cafe

and he's had six cups of coffee already.

Hello?

Oh, yes, Sheriff, he's here.

Hey, Field! Field!

- Yeah?

- It's for you.

Hey, bub, it don't look exactly right,

my deputy spending so much

of the taxpayers' time drinking coffee.

Get shined up,

pick me up at the hotel at 7:00.

Keep this evening free.

That was the Sheriff.

I got to see him tonight.

- I'm sorry about our date.

- So am I.

- Tomorrow?

- Sure.

Good.

- Well, Pete, how's she doing?

- Fine. Okay. She's the best I ever had.

I had to slap him a couple of times.

Outside of that, he bored me stiff.

- How about going out with me tonight?

- Well, I...

- What time will I pick you up?

- After 8:
00.

I'll take it.

Hey, if you're gonna be

free tonight, want to go on a double date?

I'm going out with Tunis Simms.

We could get his brother Johnny for you.

Awful nice boys.

Thanks, Millie. I don't think so.

Oh, honey, you can't sit home

like a dope every night

waiting for Field

to get around to seeing you.

Some other time, maybe.

You sure seem to know all the answers,

but I'm afraid

you don't understand the questions.

How's a fellow supposed to appreciate a

girl if she ain't popular with other fellows?

Look, baby,

people like Field live on Flamingo Road.

People like us live on River Street.

And on River Street,

the Simms boys are awful nice.

Oh, so that's what makes

the difference in Boldon?

- Living on Flamingo Road?

- It sure helps.

Well, maybe one of these days,

I'll get a place on Flamingo Road, myself.

Well, when you get there, honey,

save me a room and bed.

Can you break down now

and tell me where we're going?

How are you and Annabelle

getting along these days?

Same as usual, I guess.

You two think about getting married ever?

You know I can't do that on my salary.

Maybe we can straighten that out.

I told you I had plans for you.

Plans that don't include you getting mixed

up with that stray cat from the carnival.

How would you like to be a member

of the State Legislature?

I'm no politician.

I don't think I could get 10 votes

from my own home town.

I didn't ask you

how to get elected senator.

I asked you if you wanted to get elected.

Do you or don't you?

- Well, yeah. I guess anybody would.

- You catch on fast.

Now, all you need to know is two words,

"yep" and "nope. "

You can't go wrong

if you say "yep" to the right people

and "nope" to the rest of them.

It might be a good thing, bub,

if you was to get married.

Man going to the Legislature's

got to have a heart of gold

and a respectable wife for voters to see.

Gives folks confidence in him.

Never been able to figure out why.

Yep, Annabelle Weldon would be

just about right.

You see, bub, I am planning

to skin me a big bear one of these days.

Step on it. It's after 7:00.

Sure don't want to keep

Dan Reynolds waiting.

Dan Reynolds?

- Pinch its ear, bub. I like to hear it squeal.

- Good evening, Sheriff Semple, sir.

- Evening, Wade.

They nominating senators here

this evening?

There are a lot of senators elected

at Lute Mae's place.

And governors, too.

Come along, I'll show you

and everything's going to be all right.

You'll meet the right people.

Hurry up, Gracie. The well's going dry.

Where do those big shots put it all?

Well, Titus, you old blimp, you!

How are you?

How are you, Lute Mae?

I didn't expect to see you

in my place again.

I don't get around like I used to.

Meet Field Carlisle.

- How are you, Field?

- Howdy, Lute Mae.

I knew your father, the judge.

You look some like him.

And I always said there was never

a handsomer man in the state.

- Thanks.

- Your friends are upstairs.

- Yeah, I reckoned they would be.

- Go on up. Meet the big boss.

No matter how many times you see it,

you just can't believe it's real.

Go up. Don't keep the boss waiting.

My old man, rest his uneasy soul,

once said that the only time to raise

was before the draw.

I always believed him after he took a club

to the back of my head.

Raise.

I'm in.

- I'll stay.

- Out.

- I think I'll take a test card.

- Let's have some action, boys.

I'm just a man who doesn't know

his own weakness.

That's possible.

- Maybe it could be you, Gracie.

- Could be. There.

- Thank you.

How many for you, Dan?

I think I'll just play those.

Come on, baby, let's watch this.

Two to the dealer and check.

Check.

Check.

- Check to you, Dan.

- Okay. Here you are.

Growl over that.

I can't match that.

I think you're lying, but I haven't

got nerve enough to find out for sure.

Thanks, boys. Easy come, easy go.

Come on, Gracie. Take a handful.

- Help yourself.

- Thank you!

Look at that, a pair of deuces.

What a bluffer.

Still pushing 'em.

- Oh, boy!

Hello, Dan.

Well, this is a surprise, Titus.

I didn't think you could make the stairs.

I usually manage one way or another.

When it's worth your while.

- How are you, boys?

How are you?

I'd like you to meet my deputy,

Field Carlisle. Dan Reynolds.

- How do you do, sir?

- I knew your father, the judge, slightly.

He did his best once to put me in jail.

Come on over and meet the boys.

This is John Shelton from Brenton.

- Mr. Shelton.

- How are you?

Link Niles from Marlack County.

Very, very shy.

- Glad to meet you.

- How do you do, Mr. Niles?

Here's one of the best.

This is Ed Parker from Trondo.

- Mr. Parker.

- How are you, Field?

Les Mitchell, Kentara County.

- How do you do, sir?

- Glad to know you, sir.

Tom Hill from Lodge View.

- How do you do, Mr. Hill?

- How do you do?

Oh, yes, and Gracie. Gracie!

Where are you from, sugar?

- I'm from Paducah.

- There we are, Gracie from Paducah.

Never would have guessed it.

I figured on finding all you boys

getting up a weekend frolic.

So I just came down to tell you

how things is in my district.

- How are things?

- Well, when Lockheart died,

it sort of left a hole in the Legislature.

I figured to help you plug it up.

We were half-thinking of Ed Morgan

taking the vacancy.

Yes.

- Well, you can stop thinking now.

I've done it for you.

Since it's my district, I'm going to

put my deputy, Field, there.

That's all right, Sheriff.

Sure.

And now, Senator Carlisle,

you understand with what difficulty

a great public servant is born.

How do you feel?

- Well, like the tail on a runaway kite.

- What you need is a drink.

I didn't come up here to talk politics.

- Let's get on with the game.

- I'm ready.

Here.

- Is this all there is to it?

- That's all.

Oh, now and then

we have to help cut each other's bait.

- You mean I'm Titus's minnow?

- Not exactly.

- It could turn out that way if you let it.

- I figured you'd see things my way.

Now I want to do something for you, Dan.

I've got some fine convict boys out

to my county farm.

You could get them cheap

for that road job you're building.

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