“Yeah, well, I guess if he comes out the other end clean, all this will have been worth it.”
Except it’s rare that addicts of any kind stay off the juice or the drugs when sobriety was forced on them.From what I understand—and I’m sure Clem knows this as well—the one most important ingredient in successfully kicking addiction is making that choice to get clean.
“Have you been here the whole time?”
He shrugs.“Pretty much.Not like I’ve got anywhere else to be.”
My heart goes out to him, he sounds pretty defeated.
“What’s happening with the shop?Did you hear from your insurance company?”
He scoffs, “Yeah, they sent by an adjuster, but nothing will happen in the short term.They already know the fire was arson, per the fire inspector’s report, so they’ll likely wait for the outcome of the investigation to make sure it wasn’t me or my brother setting it.”
I was afraid of that.My guess is damages would total well north of a million—there is nothing but an outside shell left—and I bet they’re not in a hurry to pay that kind of money.Damn insurance company will likely stall as long as they can.
“That’s tough, my friend.Are you looking for a temporary place to set up shop?”
He shakes his head.“Nah.I mean, I could get by for simple jobs with the tools I have at home, but I only have a single garage and I doubt my neighbors would appreciate me trying to run a business from my home.”
True.Most folks in Silence would be neighborly enough to overlook the inconvenience of vehicles and noise for a little while, and I’m sure the sheriff’s department could ignore the various bylaws it would break for a short period of time, but after a few weeks that collective goodwill would surely run out.
Thinking about it, there aren’t that many places in or around town that would suit his needs.I mean, there’s the old warehouse heading out of town toward Watts Lake, but it’s so run-down, I’m surprised it’s still standing.I think the fire department has used it a time or two for exercises since they built their new fire station on the outskirts of town.The old station behind our office was getting too small, with only two bays…
Wait.
“What about the old fire station?”I suggest, the solution suddenly clear in my head.“It’s got two massive bays with doors front and back, loads of storage, an entire upstairs level for offices or whatever, bathroom, kitchen.Oh, and a fuck load of parking space.”
I see the wheels start turning as his head slowly bobs.
“Doesn’t that belong to the town though?”
“It does, but it’s been empty for almost a year.I haven’t heard of any plans for it, and I’m happy to check into it for you.”
“Yeah, for sure.”
Glad to see a little more life in his eyes at my suggestion, I get to my feet.Ragnar, who was exploring as far as his leash allowed, is instantly by my side.
“I’ll let you know what I find out.Before I go, is there anything I can get you?Maybe something for dinner?”
“Thanks, but I’m good.Bess sent over some food earlier, enough for dinner as well.Only an idiot would pass up on a good woman like that.”
He delivers those wise words with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
I chuckle and shake my head.
“Guess it’s a good thing I’m not an idiot.”
Bess
What a day.
It wasn’t even one o’clock when I ran out of my white chicken chili, I had to bake two extra batches of cornbread, and I just closed the door on my last customer at four forty-five.
I’m not sure what brought everyone out in droves, but it feels like the entire town was coming through Strange Brew today.I even had people sitting outside at the two small tables that make up my little patio.
Maybe it was the weather; it felt like the first day of spring with still a little nip in the air, but the skies were blue and the sun warmed things up nicely.Not that I spent much time outside, other than to carry the occasional trash bag to the dumpster in the alley, but the few minutes with the warm sun on my shoulders felt good.
Silence hits me when I walk into my apartment.I miss the click of nails on the floor and the happy whimpers and pants of Ragnar greeting me.It’s amazing how fast you become accustomed to having another living creature around.
