The Spitfire Grill Page #5

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All right. That's it.

You're all so worked up about

this damn contest, be my guest...

...jump right in.

I got more reading here than I can

get through in a month of Sundays.

Here, you take those.

Effy, you're always reading

everyone's mail anyway.

There.

Meeshack, get back to me

with the best of this...

...and then maybe, just maybe...

...I might put up with

your smart-ass remarks.

It answers one thing.

What's that?

What that Percy Talbott

really came here for.

Ain't that dog died yet?

Shelby told me this whole thing

was her idea.

Who's to say it's not a scam she

cooked up with her prison friends?

If it'll make you feel any better,

I ran her records.

There's no history of fraud or robbery.

She went to prison for manslaughter,

didn't she, Gar'?

She paid her debt.

It's all said and done.

There's got to be...

...over $200,000 in Hannah's

safe by now.

I hope I'm not the only one

to take that seriously.

Bring this meeting to order.

I say it's Hannah's place

to do with as she pleases.

It'll ruin this place.

Ruin it? From what?

We got strangers crawling all over

us now and more coming every day.

Hey.

Their bark's a lot worse

than their bite.

It's not like I came here

looking to start trouble.

I know, but...

...they're just not used to change.

It scares them.

They'll shout it all out

and that'll be that.

It's not like there's a law that you must

stand round and listen, is there?

No.

No.

You want to get out of here?

Sure.

Yeah.

What do you want to show me?

These.

- Your worthless trees?

- Maybe not anymore.

I come upon this fellow out here.

Turns out he's a research scientist.

He said he looked all over the north

for this medical compound...

...that can only be found

in the bark of trees.

He figured it had to be in first-growth

trees but he couldn't find it.

Then he saw these.

Turns out this compound only happens

in stump growth like this...

...when a tree tries

to regenerate itself.

He said he could kick himself

for being so stupid.

Hold on. This scientist fellow.

What's he look like?

A beard, sort of scrappy looking.

- Driving a tan compact car?

- That's him.

I seen that guy!

Sniffing on trees

and chewing on their bark.

- Thought he'd gone clear off his rocker.

- Lf he has, I'm going with him.

He works for this

drug company.

He wants to set up a project out here,

to harvest all the bark...

...and stimulate more stump.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

You know, it's all still in the

talking phase, of course...

...but if the numbers they talked

about add up by half...

...this could keep Gilead on the map.

I'd call that real good

news for y'all.

Real good news.

Yeah, and...

...maybe it could be

good news for us.

Us?

Yeah, now, don't ask

me to explain...

...but that first night

when you come into town...

...I had this feeling something

really good would happen...

...and I'll be damned if...

...it isn't sitting next

to me right now.

- I don't know what crazy talk...

- No, listen.

Listen, there's these trees here

and this land.

You're a big part of that now.

What do you mean?

I don't know.

How about you and

me getting married?

What?

You don't want to be

marrying me, Joe.

I don't care what people think.

It's not that.

Well, what then?

Will you want kids?

Well, hell, yes.

Hell, yes.

As many as you want.

I can't have kids no more, Joe.

I...

We don't need to have...

Please.

There's a woman that's meant

to be your wife. I know it.

It's just not me.

Johnny B!

You there?

This is where you live, ain't it?

Can I go in?

You know,

you should have told me.

I'd have made you

something special.

I can bake a cake now.

Look at all your birds.

You there?

"There is a balm in Gilead

"To make the wounded whole

"There is a balm in Gilead

"To heal the worried soul

"There is a balm in Gilead

"To make the wounded whole"

Sorry I'm late. I went out,

lost track of time.

Where you been?

- I just went for a walk.

- What for?

Nothing.

You don't go sneaking off

at the crack of dawn for nothing.

What were you out there for?

Went for a walk with Joe.

You liar!

I just sent Joe off not

ten minutes ago.

You were chasing him!

It's not like that.

Shut up!

You just shut up!

I should've known...

...not to trust a piece of

lying trash like you.

I've done nothing bad.

You scared away

the only hope I had.

Damn you!

If you choose to live

with that hope...

Shush!

I lost my son!

You think I chose that?

You got no idea what that's like.

How the hell would you know?

You didn't kill your boy, did you?

You didn't let your baby die!

You don't know nothing!

It's time you stopped

working at the Grill.

But I like working there.

Anyway, this is really

about Percy, isn't it?

You've had it out for that girl

since she got here.

Because she has no business here.

Never did.

She may have pulled the wool

over your eyes and Hannah's...

...but others can see

what's going on.

You think she helped fill that safe...

...from the goodness

of her heart?

For your information...

...Percy is taking Hannah into

Lewiston tomorrow morning...

...to put the money in the bank.

Good God!

What?

Good God!

Will it take finding Hannah

dead in a ditch...

...for you to see the truth?

Don't you know that girl

went to prison for murder?

Her coming here has been

a godsend for Hannah.

And for me.

That's the reason

you can't stand her.

You best watch your words.

No, I won't watch my words.

Why should I watch my words?

You have got that same chip

on your shoulder now...

...that you did when Eli was alive.

The whole town

looked up to him...

...and now that anybody sees

that same thing in Percy...

...you hate her for it

the same way you hated him.

But she is doing something

that you could never do.

You are just plain

jealous of that girl.

God.

Gary!

Okay.

'Morning.

What's wrong?

It's gone.

I went to get it out of the safe,

it's all gone.

Where's Percy?

No...

...I checked her room.

All around the house.

She's gone too.

No. I don't believe it.

Something must have happened.

What could have happened?

Don't matter now

what happened.

Just what's left to be done.

What do you mean?

What are you going to do?

Where are you going?

You here or there now?

I came back to get the car.

What goes on?

Sorry to barge in so early, but Hannah

tells me the safe's been cleaned out...

...and there's no sign of Percy.

What's going on?

None of your concern.

Go to your store.

- I'll go when it suits me.

- I don't care what it looks like...

...she didn't take that money.

This is past you.

Stay out of it.

No, not this time.

So help me, Nahum...

...if you condemn that girl without proof,

I'll quit you for good...

...I swear.

When I was out walking last night

I saw Percy...

...bring a sack out on

the back porch...

...then sit there like she

was waiting for someone.

This morning the sack was gone and

I saw fresh tracks leading into the woods.

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