#7 Thursday Morning, nothing ever happens in this town

Thursday Morning 

At around 5 am, Destiny had enough of being cold and cramped up in the back seat of David Lee's car.

She gathered up her soft sided bag, and her purse, made double sure that all of her personal stuff was accounted for.

Destiny reached over to ever so quietly pull the inside door handle.

There were a few early morning birds chirping to each other in the trees. Most of the mechanical click of the door was muffled.

Destiny stepped out into the cold morning air, making sure not to make too much noise on the gravel.

For the second and last time, she closed the car door with two hands, slowly, holding her thumb on the release button. Destiny pushed the door a bit with her hips to get the door tightly latched without making any extra sounds.

She scanned the bootlegger's house for any signs of movement, any hint that someone might be watching.

All clear.

Destiny stepped on to the grass at the edge of the gravel driveway and started down the driveway and on to the road towards town. It was bone chilling cold.

Inside the bootlegger's house, the only thing that stirred was the old dog.

Curled up on the floor, the dog faced the door. He heard that small, dull click of the car door. The old dog listened intently, but decided to not bark and sound the alarm.

Having learned from experience, that barking at this time in the morning just results in a swift kick to the ribs by Porch Man, the old dog just watched the front door for a bit before dropping off back to sleep.

In downtown Beetlebottom, the first person on the street was Lili Swivelhips going to open up the HazBean Cafe. Lili flicked all the lights on, and turned the heat up.

Next was getting the first round of coffee going, so that she could pour the first one for herself.

It was chilly this morning, Lilli kept her jacket on until the furnace got some heat pumping out.

Lilli turned up the burners on the big black cooktop, and pulled the pancake skiddle and fry pans from the shelf.

The usual customers were gonna be rolling in any time now, ready for coffee and morning gossip.

Sure enough, two truck drivers rolled in, their tires crunching on the gravel when they pulled in.

Every morning, they tried to charm Lilli with some lame compliment that rarely varied from week to week.

Every day, they sat in exactly the same seats, looking out towards the street, and facing to the entrance door…so that they could throw good natured insults at whoever came in.

Everyday, they ordered the same coffee and muffin each. Each time, they felt compelled to announce that the muffin was part of the new health kick.

Lilli always complimented their commitment, while observing that they both were fat enough to be carrying twins, and had been for a least the last ten years.

Next to arrive, right on que, was Always Right Rose and her sister Paula Pissypants.

The sisters were heading to work. Rose would drop Paula at her job, and then drive over to open up at her office building.

But first, the girls needed to sit in the far corner booth, and wait for their three sugar, three cream coffee to get plunked down on the table.

Every week day morning, Lilli would deliver the two cups of coffee and then take the sisters thermos jugs to be filled.

The routine was set. All was well. Predictable. Solid.

And then.

One of the round bellied truck drivers saw something outside that got his attention.

 He had been scanning for the next customer to pull in…so he could prepare his smart ass comments and harassment.

But this was different, unusual. Foreign.

“What the godamned hell is this?” The truck driver craned his head over closer to the window to get a better angle.

The other trucker was so fat and stubby, that he had a hard time turning his head around to check out what was going on.

Lilli heard what he said, but was busy making lunch sandwiches, and didn't look up.

Paula and Rose heard the men clucking about something, but were deep in debate about last night's tv shows.

The second trucker got his head cranked around enough to see.

“ What is that?” Genuinely perplexed. ( Note, this guy doesn't know what “perplexed” actually means. If you asked him, he would say that a perplex is a big building were people go ice skating.)

“ That”....was Destiny walking into town, in the early morning hours, large canvas bag one shoulder, long strapped purse on the other, and a long cigarette hanging from her mouth.

Destiny was making her way directly at the entrance to the HazBean Cafe.

Long legs in tight well worn jeans, scuffed black army boots, a woven large coat over her leather jacket.

Large pile of blonde curls pulled back into a ponytail.

“ Jesus Christ,... Lilli have a look at this”

“I'm busy boys, do you want your lunches made or not?”

“Nah, you gotta see this, this ain't right “

Lilli came around the counter and over to the large front windows.

She turned towards whatever had these guys interest.

And yup, sure enough, Lilli just came right out and said, “ Well, what in the Sam Hell is that?”

Destiny stepped up outside the door of the HazBean Cafe, took one last pull on her cigarette, and then stomped it out on the ground.

She looked up and at the front window, and met the unrelenting stares of two truck drivers and a waitress.

Destiny locked eyes with them, and for a moment just looked right back at them.

The difference was that the people inside, didn't know what they were looking at…and Destiny, outside, looking in…very much knew what she was seeing.

Destiny stepped through the door. A jingly little bell above the door rattled it's tune.

Destiny went to the first booth by a window, and tossed her bag and purse on the bench.

She stood tall and lean, facing Lilli , who was standing beside the truckers table. The one fat, red faced trucker did everything possible to turn himself around backwards to see.

The other guy, sat facing her directly with an open mouth , non blinking stare.

Destiny made a few quick calculations, looked around the cafe and saw Always Right Rose look up at her.

Rose leaned out of her booth, and looked Destiny up and down from boots to blonde curls.

“ Paula…Paula!... Jesus…look at this. Look!”

Paula turned as best she could turn her fat ass around to have a look behind her.

“ Oh my god “ she said out loud, so that everyone could hear.

Destiny took the whole scene in without any reaction.

Destiny turned her eyes to Lilli and said.  "There's a bus stop across the street, what time is the first bus out of town?”

“ Bus?” Lilli was caught off guard.

“Yeah, that's a bus stop over there right? What time does it come through?"

Lilli looked across the street.

There had always been a bus stop there. The bus comes in every day. 

Lilli strained to recall what time that bus was going to come in, like it did every day for years on end.

Every eyeball in the the HazBean Cafe was looking at Destiny standing there when Lilli finally came back with…"Seven, the bus arrives at seven"

“Thanks” said Destiny.

“ Could I have a coffee and a menu , please?”

Lilli didn't move, her eyes looked Destiny up and down.

Destiny repeated calmly, “ coffee and a menu,...please?”

Lilli, snapped out of it. “ Yeah, sure, of course , coming right up”

Destiny sat down and pulled her bag close in to her. In her purse was a folding six inch toad stabber knife, and inside the big bag was a loaded 357 snub nose revolver that was only slightly hidden inside an old brown paper bag.

Lilli brought the coffee over and placed it in front of Destiny. 

 Lilli looked at the red fingernails, the tattoos on her hands, the remnants of last night's lipstick and the bleached curls that were pulled back into a ponytail.

Lilli had never seen anything like the woman that Destiny was.

Destiny had seen a thousand women like Lilli.

Destiny saw the judgement and hint of disgust on Lilli's face.

Destiny asked, “ Could I please have eggs over easy and whole grain toast ?”

There was silence and no reaction.

Then..” We don't don't have multi grain, never have. I've got sourdough, will that do?”

“That'd be just fine, thank you.” Destiny replied with a half hearted smile.

Two more men came in. The jingly door bell rattled.

The men walked past, the booth that Destiny was at.

They both turned to look. One said, 

“Well, looked what the cat dragged in” loud enough for everyone to hear.

As the men moved to their favorite booth, one said to the truckers “ Does that thing belong to you boys?”

“ Screw you, Bob, I have no idea about what that is”

“ Yeah, well maybe a spaceship just dropped it off, yeah, that seems bout right.”

Destiny did some quick adding up, sure enough, she had enough bullets for all of them, plus a few extra for good measure, in case they were still wiggling after she shot them all in the face 

Lilli went into the back of the HazBean Cafe to where a single small table and a wooden chair represented the office. Lilli picked up the black handset of the rotary phone and dialed up the home number for Sheriff Hoodsdigger Fussfutter.

Hoodsdigger was asleep in his chair when the phone rang. 

Hoodsdigger had been up for most of the night with getting Lanky Pete up off the ground and into his car…then trying to round up the drunk veterinarian and get him into the front seat.

Hoodsdigger dropped of the vet at his house, and made sure he got inside safe and sound.

Then the sheriff drive over to the doctor's house to wait for him and his wife to return.

It was 1 am when the doctor’s car pulled in.

The old Doc thought to himself that Hoodsdigger was worried about Abe and wanted news.

True enough to be sure, the sheriff did want the update on Abe, wanted him to be ok.

The doctor and his wife stood out in the cold night air in amazement at the story that Hoodsdigger unfolded.

The Sheriff opened up the back door of the patrol car …and again…for the second time in a very short span of time, was an injured young man laid across the back seat.

Lanky Pete was out cold. Whatever kind of horse tranquilizer that the vet had shot into him, was still working. Lanky Pete was so far gone, that the Doc had a hard time finding his pulse, and his breathing was almost nonexistent.

The Doc had a serious look on his face when he came back to face Hoodsdigger.

“ What's going on in this little town of ours, how come we got two injured boys back to back?”

Hoodsdigger didn't have the answer.

“We're gonna have to get him into the house” Doc said.

Doc's wife went inside to prep the spare bed for Lanky to get examined and treated as best as possible.

Luckily Lanky Pete was completely and totally, deeply unconscious when the Doc and Hoodsdigger dragged him out of the car, and to the house.

They got Lanky laying in the bed, propped mostly on his side, so that the Doc could pull glass out of his back and ass cheeks.

The Doc told Hoodsdigger that Abe was in good care at the hospital, but was going to need several days to come around.

Hoodsdigger got home at about 3 am and passed out while sitting in his front room chair.

His phone rang in what seemed like minutes later. The ringing was distant and dream-like. Hoodsdigger was sure that somebody would answer it.

Out of the sleepy haze, the sheriff finally figured out, it was his phone, in his house…and he needed to answer it.

Hoodsdigger expected the doctor's voice, but Lilli spoke instead.

“ Hoods, you gotta come down here right away. Something ain't right, you gotta see this”

Lilli? Is that you? You got a bear in the garbage again?...it'll be fine, it'll wander off in a bit “ Hoodsdigger offered his best advice to the usual problem.

“ No, not a bear, something else, you gotta come down.” Lilli pleaded.

“ Yup, sure thing, on my way.” Hoodsdigger hung up the phone, went back to his favorite chair and fell asleep almost instantly.

The old mechanic stepped into his shop. It was so cold in there that he could see his breath.

The mechanic had a pot belly woodstove in the corner of the shop, and a good pile of dry firewood stacked beside it.

He took some old newspaper and kindling wood, and got a good fire, ripping hot , before adding the larger chunks of wood.

The shop has room for two cars inside. It was empty this morning, after putting Mrs Henderson's transmission back into her Pontiac yesterday.

The mechanic was going to clean up a bit himself. He'd heard from the sheriff that Abe was hurt bad, and wouldn't be in for a while.

The mechanic pondered Abe's situation for a bit, as he swept up.

“ Something not right about that whole thing” he muttered…. being totally unaware of the Lanky Pete drama.

When the floor was clean, and the woodstove was producing good heat, the mechanic opened one of the shop doors to bring in the next vehicle.