The Driftless Area Page #3

Do you have weapons?

I have a 12-gauge and a rifle...

but I don't really think

of them as weapons.

Oh, and also a knife

that somebody found at the bar.

It's called a butterfly knife,

but it really looks nothing like a butterfly.

This is a serious thing.

Why do you take it so lightly?

What am I supposed to do?

Kill him?

People die for less.

At weddings, sometimes.

Things get out of hand.

You don't know what will happen.

I would've killed him.

I was so mad.

I was outraged.

Tore up the rosebush.

We could plant it.

It will grow.

We took care of your car.

Thanks.

Ned said to come tell you.

Noted.

And see if you want anything else.

I'm all set.

Any old thing.

What kind of place is this?

It's Nedland.

You wanna get laid?

I'm all hyper.

You don't have to. Ned isn't anything.

- He's my boss.

- Where?

The Rent-A-Car. You mind if I smoke?

No, go ahead.

What would you do

if you had to find someone?

First, analyze the information.

Name is Pierre.

He's deceptively simple-looking.

Lives up north.

Has a girlfriend who likes roses.

Not much to analyze.

However, there ain't

a ton of Pierres around here.

I'm finding him.

That will happen.

Well, I'll sleep on it.

Stay a minute.

Yeah, why?

I want you to sit on my back.

Is that a sexual thing for you?

No.

I think I hurt it

when I ran my truck off the road.

Okay.

- This is a very good seat.

- Much better.

Can you hear the lake from here?

Sometimes.

Do you hear it?

I don't know.

Can you hear what I'm thinking?

You don't want the night to end.

What else?

Too many things.

What do you do for Ned?

Various things.

Last job, I burned a house down.

Insurance bid?

No, it was some couple who got divorced.

She got the vacation house. He was bitter.

Tale often told.

It was supposed to be empty...

but...

it turns out...

there was somebody there.

Yeah.

And what do you do for Ned?

Nothing.

I just bump people up.

What's that?

They come in, they want the economy car...

and I...

And so, what happened?

To the person in the house.

She died.

Jesus.

Haunts me to this day.

It was not supposed to be that way.

What were you saying?

"They come in..."

I just...

bump them up to something

more expensive than they want.

Different car.

How do you do that?

It's easy.

I just talk low and slow...

and wear a gold necklace

with my shirt open a button too many.

And then what?

That's it.

Just in the appearance?

Yeah.

Most people in the industry know that.

I think most people kind of

wanna be bumped up anyway.

Do you know when it will be?

Depends on how smart he is.

What do you know?

Everything that needs to happen

is gonna happen.

I wanna do it.

Well, you can't.

I'm strong now. I'm feeling great.

I don't mean you're not strong.

- I mean, why shouldn't the kid do it?

- He doesn't know.

It isn't fair.

Fair to who?

He could get hurt.

Well, I suppose you could tell him.

I want to tell him.

He won't believe you.

He would.

I feel he would from me.

It would still happen.

Hi, is this bad timing?

What can I do for you?

Well, it's a little awkward.

Maybe I shouldn't have come...

but I'm Carrie Sloan,

I'm a friend of Pierre's.

You're Carrie.

He speaks highly of you.

Oh, wow, that's nice. Well, you

don't have anything to worry about.

You know, him and I

are like brother and sister.

When his parents died,

he didn't really have anyone...

so I kind of took him under my wing.

Or he took me under his wing, you know?

There was... There was wings involved.

That was kind of you.

I know that, you know,

you're very special to him.

You are. Did you know that?

And I just wanted to say because,

you know, I've been hurt before...

but I'm not gonna bore you with that.

I just...

I really don't want that for Pierre.

No.

I understand.

Okay.

Are you all right?

What are we doing to Pierre?

You saved his life, Stella. You know that.

All this has been extra time for him.

Christ, there'd be grass growing

on his grave right now...

if it wasn't for you.

- Don't say that.

- I'm sorry. It's true.

I thought this was what you wanted.

I did too...

but I don't know.

Well, if you talk to him,

and I see that you will...

there's a place for it.

Where?

It's an orchard.

Hey, reverend.

You need anything else?

You know that little green convertible

your dad used to drive?

The MG.

Sure.

It went in the house auction.

Dad wasn't very good with money.

I think I saw it the other day. It was

up for sale where they work on my car.

Yeah.

You know, he rebuilt it himself.

The man knew stuff about cars.

Come outside.

Are you serious, John?

What did you give for it?

Not much. I baptized the guy's kids...

so he cut me a deal.

What are we looking at?

This is my dad's car.

Well, it was.

It's yours.

Oh, man. You can't do that.

It should stay in the family.

Hey, Keith.

You ever have anyone after you?

After me?

That wanted to hurt you.

One time. Yeah.

There was this friend of mine...

we were in a bar in La Crosse.

Somebody was giving him

a hard time about something and....

So I tell the guy to shut up.

Not my friend. The other guy.

And he did.

But then, him and his friends

ran across me...

a few weeks later at another bar...

and they...

beat me up pretty good.

So don't do what I did.

I did nothing.

That was a mistake.

So I got it figured out. I think

you should call the fire departments.

Why?

Firemen know everything

in these little burghs.

And say what?

You gave this kid named Pierre

a ride, right?

- Yeah.

- You did.

So he left something valuable

in your car...

and you're trying to be a Good Samaritan.

Valuable? What would be...?

Money is valuable.

Not credible. You would keep it.

True.

Something valuable to him.

How about a harmonica?

- I had a harmonica once. Yeah?

- I like that.

And it's, like, fancy,

not some dime-store sh*t.

I printed out a list of fire departments.

I'm Mr. Bromley.

I just got in from Milwaukee.

I should have a Malibu reserved.

Why, yes. Here you are, Mr. Bromley.

I'll just need a license

and a credit card.

Hi, is this the Arcadia Fire Department?

Yeah.

- No. There's no fire. I can hold.

- Is something wrong?

No. I'm sorry. I'm just confused.

You look so much younger in person

than you do in your photograph.

- Hey, funny story.

- I hope you don't mind.

- Security and all.

- Picked up this young fellow...

I can understand that.

I'm in the security business myself.

Well, thank God someone is these days.

When he left, he forgot

his harmonica in my truck.

It's a beautiful instrument,

all gold inlay and such.

- He said his grandfather....

- By the way, we've got a special today...

on the CTS, it's a Caddie.

Not trying to force it on you or anything,

but a lot of businessmen...

like to know

because it's just a little bit nicer.

But the Malibu's on the lot?

- Sure is.

- Name is Pierre.

It's back by the fence.

Supposed to be very peppy.

What I'm wondering is, do you know

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