The Barber Page #4

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Excuse me.

Here we go.

Hey, mister. Do you know

if this is the way to the Vagabond?

I'm totally turned around.

Boy, you sure are. It's east

about a mile and a half. Want a lift?

Oh, no, it's okay.

I don't mind the walk.

Thanks, though.

Come on. I'm headed that way.

Really, it's okay.

Suit yourself.

Sure it's cool, tiger?

No trouble at all.

You should wear your seatbelt.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Can't be too careful.

Thanks for picking me up.

I don't know anyone here.

I sure don't mind

making new friends, though.

You get lonely out here?

Where we going?

Well, I know a shortcut.

You know, we don't have

to go straight to the motel.

We can go wherever you want,

and I'll make you come real fast.

Today is your lucky day, young lady.

- And why is that?

- Because I picked you up.

Well, let's get lucky then, tiger.

You listen to me.

You're a pretty girl,

and this is a nice town,

but that don't mean bad people

don't live here.

You really should be more careful.

Okay?

Look like you had a fight

with a grain thresher.

Luis have anything to do with this?

Why would he?

Is there something

you should be telling me, John?

- What did he say?

- That he had something to show me.

Know what that was?

Luis is full of sh*t, Eugene.

If he really had something to show you,

why didn't he show up this morning?

Why would he say those things?

He thinks that I'm here trying to steal

his job. Did he tell you that?

No. Right?

See, I have been on the up-and-up

with you since day one.

How'd you do in the fight?

I held my own.

- Can you drive?

- Yeah. Yeah.

You'll come to my place tonight.

You can't take care of yourself here.

No, no, no, no. I'm good.

You don't have to do that.

No. I won't take no for an answer.

I've got a vacant room

in a big old house

with nothing but...

dandelions and dust bunnies

taking up residence.

Oh, no, no, no. Don't... Don't worry.

I'll grab my stuff. It's okay, really.

Let's go by the shop

and get you cleaned up first.

You've become like a son to me.

Have a seat.

Did your father teach you how to shave?

It's one of the few lessons in life

reserved exclusively for sons.

You never watched him?

He wasn't really around.

Preparation is very important

in shaving, son.

The lather should always be thick,

never foamy,

and always go on...

light,

never...

heavy.

You sure you want to get into this?

I'm here, aren't I?

Yeah. Yeah. All right.

There was...

There was this detective once who...

got it in his head I was the guy

for a case he was working.

Couldn't let it go. Head back.

So one day,

he shows up out of nowhere,

hauls me in, and starts

grilling me about some phone calls.

Apparently this detective

had been getting calls from some...

phantom caller

claiming he'd abducted a woman,

buried her alive. Relax your face.

So he showed me the transcripts

of these calls, right,

see how I'd react to 'em.

And this guy would say things like,

"I took another one, Tom,

told her not to panic.

"If she stays calm,

you have at least two hours."

Every time another girl went missing,

he'd get another call and just...

go into this frenzy, trying to piece together

clues before it was too late.

This guy would ask him,

"Is that enough time?

You have all the time you need."

I never seen anyone so angry.

And there was this one thing

I'll never forget.

He says, "You lost another one, Tom.

"You never could figure out how to put

your ear to the ground and...

really listen.

And the girls,

they never really could stay calm."

I guess they went...

back and forth like that

until this cop couldn't take it anymore.

He knew there was something odd

about me, and I told him

I didn't know anything about the calls

or the girls, but he didn't believe me.

He was so sure.

'Course they had nothing hard on me

and had to release me.

By that time...

some photographer had made me famous.

And that was when I decided to...

move up here,

start over fresh.

Out with the old...

and in with the new.

Would you look at that?

There's a handsome young man

under there.

You know,

there are a few things

that a man needs in life...

and a good razor's one.

- No, I can't... I can't take that.

- Please.

- No, really.

- Please. I really want you to.

Thank you, Eugene.

Don't mention it.

So...

it's not the Ritz.

It's home.

It's just some stuff I had

and stuff I saved.

You hungry?

No. Thank you.

Need anything? Glass of water?

Only thing I need is

what you keep not giving me.

Well, then,

maybe you should boil it down

to what it really is you're looking for.

They arrested you,

turned you upside down,

and you still walked away. That's it.

That's... That's all I'm after.

I need you to teach me

how to get away with it.

Okay.

But not until you get some rest.

- No.

- Okay.

John, I'm really glad you're here.

Here for Thanksgiving.

Yeah.

- Eugene.

- I need to talk to the Chief.

- Everything okay, Eugene?

- I want to report an assault.

Damn it, Gene.

Are you talking about that punk again?

Yeah, we had a call last night

about a fight over at the car wash.

You know, maybe that greaseball Luis

didn't start it. You ever think about that?

Luis didn't start it. I did.

Luis was jealous as all hell.

I don't want anything

to happen to him, to Luis,

but I want it on record

Luis assaulted John first.

Okay. Okay.

We'll take care of it.

So...

where's John now?

What?

You're sitting there, telling me

you don't know where he is?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying, Gary.

I just got a phone call from Sheriff Pullman.

He's over in the next county.

They found the body of a female torn apart

by coyotes over at Petenwell Lake.

They're still working on a positive I.D.,

but if that turns out to be Kelli,

I'm gonna be doing a whole lot more

than talking to your friend.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

- Oh, my God.

- I'm...

Wait, wait.

What the f*** are you doing here?

What do you think I'm doing here?

Have you lost your mind?

Do you know whose house you're in?

This is Visser's house.

Yeah, well, then I'll say hello,

because I was with him this morning.

- What?

- Yeah. I hitched a ride.

- I gave him every opportunity to kill me...

- Are you...

...or f*** me or whatever,

and he took offense, John.

He took offense because he doesn't act

on impulse like that.

He stakes them out.

He plans out every yummy detail.

Listen to me.

I've read the homicide files, okay?

They cut him loose for a reason.

Yeah, because they didn't have any idea

who they were dealing with, just like you.

They had no motives, no prints,

no DNA, nothing.

Because he's too smart for that sh*t.

He's too clever.

Okay. So what are you gonna get him on,

what, the candlestick in the library?

I've got him convinced that I'm a killer,

too. He's been teaching me.

- I've had to do things.

- Oh, my God.

I got him this close

to telling me everything.

He's lying to you.

Baby, he's not lying to me. I'm lying to him.

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