The sheriff shakes his head. “Barely mentions it.” He lowers his voice further. “There might be a way to get more information about what’s going on with that man.”
Nate suspects where this is going, and his heart beats with excitement. He waits for the sheriff to continue.
“We know he goes to his uncle whenever those rich folks come over. They always stay there for hours, and there isn’t any reason I can think of for someone like Will Thomas to hang out with such people. As far as I know, he never visits his uncle without them around.”
“Well, yeah, that’s super suspicious. We both know that Will is bad news. Even before what he did to Joel, I—” The words die in his mouth. “Sorry, boss. So, do you want me to follow him?”Please say yes.
“Maybe. Are you and he on speaking terms?”
“Well… nope.”
“I see.”
“But I can figure something out.” The sheriff has been strict about his people not harassing Will so they don’t get on a collision course with the mayor. The sheriff is the only one who still gets to play with Will from time to time, which isn’t fair.
The sheriff nods, though he seems hesitant. “You can try getting information out of him, but be careful and subtle.”
Nate’s head already spins with ideas. Hell, these ideas have been spinning there for years, waiting for a greenlight. “Sure thing, boss.”
“I found nothing,” Sheryl says as she comes closer, holding her cigarette. She used to dye her hair red, but now it’s mostly black again, with a touch of gray.
“When are they picking up the bodies?” the sheriff asks.
“They should be here soon. Mind if I split? My nephew arrives tomorrow, and I need to buy some groceries.”
Nate chuckles. “Are you gonna play mom, Sheryl?”
“Fat chance. I’ll be keeping him out of trouble for a while, not breastfeeding.”
Nate shivers at the thought of milk coming out of Sheryl’s wrinkly tits.
“You two can leave,” the sheriff says. “Nate, be sure to look into what we talked about.”
Nate salutes. “No need to tell me twice!”
No need at all.
*
Is it weird that Nate knows Will Thomas’s schedule to a T? What time he goes to work, when he visits his sister, when he goes to the cemetery, and when he hangs out at Rodie’s. Yeah, maybe it is a bit weird, but since no one knows about it but him, why should he care?
He’s sitting in the dimmest corner of Rodie’s, making him hard to spot while providing a great angle to spyon Will, Bradley and Esteban. They eat and drink their beers, occasionally stopping to play darts or pool.
It’s interesting seeing Will out and about. A few years ago, he wouldn’t have dared to show his face in such a public place. Maybe he thinks that people have short memories or forgiving hearts, which is false on both accounts. But people do tend to move on eventually, until something happens that stirs the pot once more.
The place is crowded enough to make Nate easy to miss. Some say hello to him in passing, but he’s here on a mission, not to socialize. He’s been sitting at the same place for over an hour, waiting for the right time to execute his plan. It’s one hell of a risk that he’s about to take, but how often does he get the sheriff’s approval to try something like this? Though, if he’s honest, the sheriff would never have greenlit Nate’s plan, but that’s on him for not asking questions.
Hecouldtechnically try to engage Will in conversation before moving on to more risky methods, but Will won’t fall for that.
Nate would have gotten the ball rolling earlier this evening instead of sitting like a dummy, but that would have seemed suspicious. By now, Will has drunk two beers and one shot of tequila, making it the ideal time for Nate to act.
“Yo, Bill.”
The bartender, who is also the owner, comes over, a towel on his shoulder like in the movies, though no onewould cast Bill for a movie with how plain he looks. Nate reminds himself not to judge people by their looks. With his large front teeth, narrow face, and pale complexion, he’s far from being a catch. Plus, he’s short.
“What will it be?” Bill asks.
Nate reaches for his pocket and pulls out a vial. “I need you to bring another round of drinks to Will Thomas’s table—on the house. Make sure to add this to Will’s drink.”
