Chapter 5, Part Three

No Honor - Ch. 5 Pt. 3: Echo;

There's a doorway behind the bar, that leads to a break room. I've thanked myself, many times over the years, for puttin' it there. You can slip into the back so fast, the patrons don't even see you go, and there's a door in the break room, that leads to freedom. I sat in there, and supped, and thought about things, and I kept lookin' at that door to the outside.

Don said I might have to leave. That it might be too dangerous to stay around. I'd actually be forced to go somewhere with a Sheriff, and a court, and some law, and some normal people. I tried to imagine getting on a horse, and riding off to someplace else, but I just couldn't believe it.

I came to The Station straight from jail. I had nothing in my pockets back then. It took a good amount of risk,  and a whole lot of luck, to get the bar built, and to make enough money to live on. What was I gonna do, start over again? I could try it, but I doubted it would work.

After my meal, I only had a half hour left. Dave told me when ten o'clock struck, and I put my coat and my hat on, to leave. My big mistake that night, was fixin' to use the front doors, and gettin' myself seen.

Marco said, "Wayne! Wayne, hold up... Jus' a minute there, buddy."

He jogged up to me, and then he pulled me to the side.

"I wanted to let you know, right away what's going on, because, I guess there's been some kind of mix-up, or mis...communicacion or somet'ing, and I know it isn't your fault, like, I know you're straight-up with me, but... I can't have dis no more."

I said, "What're you talkin' about?"

"You're still short", he said, "from last month. I got de money for dis month fine, but we gotta get you caught up here."

"What? No... I gave Wendy that money. I'm not short on anythang."

"Did you get a receipt?"

"I never had to get no receipt! I pay that money, every month, on the day, and I never missed out on one, ever. Not ever!"

"Okay, calm down, calm down", he said. "I understan' dis is upsetting you, I get that, okay? But si, I don't have it en de books, and you don't have no receipt to show me, so... y'know, what can I do? Hmm? Go down, call Wendy a liar?"

"Marco, she wrote it down, in the books, right in front of me."

"We don' have it", he said. "Believe me. I checked and she checked twice. Look, lissen, I understan' now, dis is a surprise. You didn't know, okay, but,  wit'out no receipt... No receipt, I can't back you, cause everyone would want... de same. Right? So, I'll say dis. Twenty next month. Not twenty-four. Twenty... Twenty and I'll say fair. Okay?"

I didn't answer. He went on and on about how sorry he was, and how he'd help me with some receipt, and how important the money was, for Indians, and for this and that. I had to leave soon, or I'd hit him.

Standin' there, with my back to 'em,  I felt the eyes of Wally, and Dave and Don, and Millie, and the whole bar besides. How many of them were in earshot? How many were seein' the boss and owner of the bar, the goddamn Station elder, bein' robbed and humiliated? I was so furious, I didn't realize Marco was still talking: he patted me on the shoulder, said somethin' about Twenty again, and then he turned away.

I walked straight out, into the rain. It was pourin', but I was in no hurry. I spent most of my time walkin', tryin' ta talk myself outta goin' back behind the bar, and gettin' my shotgun. I knew if I did that, I wouldn't leave the place alive.

It took a good few minutes, to think about maybe goin' down to the Receiving Office, the next day, and demanding to see the books. I knew that was pointless, right away though. Wendy was smart enough to misplace those books, and any one I could get would probably have the key page ripped out.

With everything, I was madder'n hell at myself. I never saw that coming and I should've. I really should've.

While I was walking, I did notice two or three fellas riding horseback, through that mess of a storm. I say 'noticed', but I really couldn't place 'em, and I couldn't say how many for sure. I did find out quite a bit about that group, later on though.

I know they met up, with a friend at the bar. I know they stayed late, and drank heavy. And I know that, on that same night, they were fixin' to murder someone.

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