“So you're saying I should help you because Uncle Art wasn't the best person?” I asked indignantly.
“I don't give a damn if you help us or not,” Fred's voice was flat though he was still looking at me with the same intensity as before. “I would just shoot you and save myself the trouble, I don't like trouble, problem is that it looks like that would cause me even more trouble. Plus that would be trouble with people who I can't afford to kill. I just want to make sure that you don't stab me in the back for revenge when I look away. I can understand standing up for family, my brother and I bring Ma with us everywhere don't we? That's why I'm worried about what you'll do if I leave you alone. If I have to I will kill you and sort it out afterwards.”
“If I was going to kill you I would have tried it before,” I said. Now all of the anger I had had was completely gone. I was tired and depressed more than anything else and I just wanted this all to be over with already. “I don't see any reason to be civil to Uncle Art's killer though.”
“And I see no reason to be civil to the nephew of the man who used to get drunk and hit Ma. The way that I see it we can ignore each other and I can get in touch with a bondsman I've worked with before. I don't like him much but he'll do.”
“Uncle Art wouldn't hit a woman,” I said, but I could feel doubt creeping into my mind. Memories were coming back to me from my childhood, things that I hadn't thought about for a long time. Uncle Art had left when I was young, my recollections of him were hazy at best, but I did remember some things.
“We'll you'd know I'm sure,” Fred said sarcastically, “now that's we've sorted that out I'm out of here.” He turned on his heel and left the office. As soon as I was sure that he was gone and collapsed in the chair behind the desk. Bryan came running into the office like the building was on fire.
“He didn't do anything to you, did he?” he asked, it was more panicked than I had seen him in a long time.
“I'm fine,” I reassured him, though I'm sure that my voice showed how tired I was. “We just talked. He was nothing like I imagined him. Tell me though, was Uncle Art really that bad?”
“Well I don't remember much about him, we were pretty young still when he left,” Bryan said, there was a note of caution in his voice. “I know that he used to drink a lot and that caused problems between him and your father.”
“Yeah, it did. You know, when they kicked him out they never would tell me why, I never did find out the reason,” I was becoming more and more thoughtful. The doubts that had crept into my mind during my conversation with Fred were becoming more well developed.
“Well it's all over now,” said Bryan, trying to change the subject. It was obvious he was worried about the path my mind was traveling down. “I'm sorry for getting you involved.”
“Tell Barker not to go to another bondsman yet. Give me a couple of days to think first. Right now what I really need is a drink and we should get out of here anyway, Sawyer will want his office back.”
To be continued...
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