Flesh and Bone Page #4

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How's it look?

I've seen worse.

Yeah, I guess

my whole life's back there.

A good portion of yours too,

huh, son?

Be glad it's just bird seed

chasing you this time.

Not like that night in Kilgore, huh?

Hell, come winter...

it get cold enough...

the pinch'll get somethin' fierce.

Sometimes you can't get it all out.

Sometimes you got to

carry it with you.

Now, don't get me wrong.

You was always a good boy.

You always did what you was told.

Well, most of the time.

I managed to raise the night man,

and I have a key...

Sh*t!

Shouldn't we get a doctor?

Little darlin', I don't believe

there's a pill peddler alive...

got a better touch

than my boy here.

And best of all,

he don't ask no questions.

Practice makes perfect.

You got an injured man here, boy.

Easy, easy.

That's nice.

That's nice, that smell.

You've got the smell

of love on you, boy.

Tell me...

does she taste as good?

Come here, boy.

Get your father's boots off.

That's the least a son can do...

till he's ready

to wear them himself.

Get yourself out of those clothes

before you catch a chill.

Don't worry yourself.

I never caught anything in my life.

Everybody catches something.

Not me.

Well, I broke a finger once...

but I don't figure that counts.

Sh*t.

This is too f***ing weird.

Wish I could say the same.

I'm always catching a cold.

Had one just last month.

I'm sorry to hear it.

You can't sleep in those.

Find yourself something of mine.

I'll hang yours up to dry.

Come on.

What's your name?

Ginnie.

With a J or a G?

You plannin' on writin' me a letter?

All right, keep it a mystery.

It's a nice name either way.

Yeah, well...

I'm not a nice girl.

But I'll bet that you are,

aren't you?

I'd like to think so.

And the guy

who did that to your face...

did he think you were nice?

Not at the time.

But you stay with him anyway,

don't you?

Who, Arlis?

He didn't do this to me.

He's not like that at all.

Don't kid yourself.

Eventually,

they are all like that...

evil.

But once you know that...

you can turn it back against 'em.

Use it.

Arlis doesn't have

an evil bone in his body.

But...

What?

I don't know.

I get the feeling...

he's been close to it,

felt the heat of it.

I think that you're the one

that's felt the heat of it.

And not too long ago at that.

There's a pretty cotton nightshirt

in there with tulips on it.

I know you'll love that.

You don't exactly travel light,

do you?

Long story.

Take anything you want.

Well, how about this?

That was my mother's.

I'm sorry.

This her?

She's pretty.

Yeah, I guess she was.

F***.

You lookin' for something?

Three guesses.

I had some serious sh*t

in that car.

- Your sh*t's still in it.

- You mind telling me where?

Across the tracks over there

in Mesquite.

You mind telling me why?

Anybody see you last night?

Last night? No.

- You sure?

- Yeah.

You sure?

Are you deaf?

Yeah, I'm sure.

Then whose pepper was I pickin'

out of my father's shoulder?

That?

Some half-wit pump owner...

stumbled onto us in the rain,

took a wild shot and hit something.

It was fluke luck.

Nobody saw the car.

I guess I just wasted my time.

I guess you did.

I'm his kin, you understand?

I got no choice.

So don't think this is some game

that you're playin'.

Last night, it could have just

as easily been you out there...

bleedin' in the rain.

Only difference is,

he'd have left you behind...

or finished the job himself.

Well, sh*t.

No wonder old black eyes loves you.

You wouldn't have the balls

to shoo a fly off a steak.

Warm you boys up?

Is that one at a time

or both together?

You're a little devil, aren't you?

I'd damn sure put the curl in your

hair if you'd give me half a chance.

I don't need a man for that.

- There you go.

- Thank you, ma'am.

Oh, my God.

Where you from?

Why do you wanna know that?

Who gave her that mask?

Does it matter?

I suppose you're right.

People get what they deserve.

What do you want?

- If it's money, l...

- Money?

Money? Hey, boy...

I don't need your money.

Well, why are you here?

I got shot. You fixed me up.

I'm havin' some eggs.

Does that seem strange?

Just like old times, huh?

Just coincidence.

I had a loose end to take care of

up north Oklahoma way...

around Ardmore, them parts.

An associate of mine...

got a little greedy.

Started threatenin'.

Started to weigh on me...

stole my sleep, and you know

how I feel about loose ends.

Being one myself.

That's true, isn't it, Junior?

He bought me lunch, and...

he bought me a pack of cigarettes.

After Oklahoma, I was working north,

drifted on down...

and run into this little girl

over here.

And I saw her...

switching tickets at this diner

in Cherry Spring.

She had a full rancher's breakfast,

and she pulled a switch...

with this little old lady

had coffee and a piece of pie.

Little low-rent for you, ain't it?

Well, it was the way she did it.

Smooth as glass.

Real nerve.

Well, at least you won't go hungry.

Well...

she's a little bigger than that.

The last couple months, she's been

runnin' this slick little game.

Thing of beauty.

She steals from the dead.

She's been sloppy about it,

of course.

Would've got caught

if I hadn't come along.

But she's got grit in spades.

I'll have to watch my back

with this one.

Heart beats about twice a minute.

At least it beats.

Don't you kid yourself, Junior.

You see, you and me...

we're flesh and bone.

The same blood

that runs my veins...

runs yours.

- You seen my duffle?

- Maybe in the truck.

What happened last night...

with your father?

He just has a habit

of puttin' himself...

at the wrong place

at the wrong time.

What's all that?

She hardly has a thing to wear

from what I gather.

Lord knows I got enough.

Besides, most of these

are full of bad memories.

Not too many spring picnics here.

This may not be

none of my business, but...

I run into that

little scarecrow you got...

runnin' that north territory

up there.

- Did he mention that?

- He mentioned it.

Yeah.

- His name Eddie?

- Elliot.

Elliot, right.

He's a nervous little

son of a b*tch, ain't he?

Got a real strange way of walkin'.

Them ankles so close together.

You ever notice things like that?

What's your point?

Well...

it might not be my place.

It looked to me like

he's stealin' from you, son.

Elliot's an honest man.

You sure know him better than I do.

But it's just that, you see...

I watched him at this fillin'

station outside of Paint Rock.

This one afternoon,

he had him two sacks...

and he was runnin' quarters

in the both of them.

I guess it don't take

no great genius...

to count Clark Bars and

figure out that you're short.

He has been short, hasn't he?

Short don't mean he's stealin'.

No, I guess not.

But then again,

what else would it mean?

Bye, y'all.

You sure you're fit to travel?

Hell, this ain't nothin', darlin'.

I'm what you call a quick healer.

You ask Arlis there.

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