Page 33 of To Die For

“Bus,” said Rose. “Dropped us off couple miles away.”

“You guys had money for that?” He noted they had on the same clothes as the previous night. They also each had a rolled-up sleeping bag and blanket bound with bungies.

Shore said, “Worked the last few days at odd jobs, scrounged up some cash that way. And Dwayne give us some money from before.”

“Where’d you stay in Seattle?”

Rose laughed and held up the sleeping bag. “At the Ritz, man. Leastways behind the Dumpster. They only throw away the best food there. Last night I had me prime rib and Nate had him a real nice chicken parm.”

“So what are you two doing back here?”

Shore said sheepishly, “Fact is, we ain’t got no place to live right now… so’s…”

Rose added, “We got us a key, from Dwayne. We was hopin’ to crash here a few days is all. Till we get stuff straight,” he added, giving Devine a hopeful look.

Devine looked back at the trailer. “Well, I can’t tell you what to do. The police clearly haven’t been here, but they may come at some point.”

“We see the cops comin’, we get out real fast,” promised Rose.

“Realfast,” parroted Shore. “Cops and us is oil and water. We ain’t criminals, but cops look at us, that’s all they see.”

Devine put down the duffel, reached in his wallet, and pulled out some cash. “Here, I don’t know how much good it will do, but it’s all I’ve got on me.”

Both men shook their heads. Shore said, “No way, dude, we ain’t takin’ your last dollar. Shit, we ain’t got much, but we ain’t like that.”

“I can always get some more. And it’s thegovernment’smoney, not mine,” he added. “And they can always print more when they need it.”

Shore slowly reached out, took the cash, and gave half of it to his friend. “Thanks.”

Rose said, “Wish we could print us some money.”

“You can, but it’s called counterfeiting when citizens do it. Now, can I drive you anywhere?”

“We ain’t had nuthin’ to eat today,” said Rose. He held up the cash. “Nice little place a few miles from here. Know the cook, does areal good job. Pride in his food. We can spot you for a meal, on your dime.” He smiled weakly.

“Come on, but it’s my treat. You guys have phones?”

They shook their heads.

At the restaurant in the small town Devine drove them to, both men devoured three appetizers and an entrée each. Devine found a place to buy them a prepaid phone. Next he drove them to a grocery store and Rose carefully selected, and Devine purchased, some food for the pair. He also purchased two food gift cards for them. After that, he dropped them back off at the trailer.

“So, it’s really okay if we stay here awhile?” said Shore with a little shiver and coughing into his elbow. Devine noted that his dirty coat was lightweight and the nighttime temps here would quickly fall below freezing.

“In fact, you can watch over the place. I guess now it belongs to Betsy.”

“Yeah, we look after it for her,” said Rose enthusiastically. “And tell her we say hello.”

“Do you know how they came to live here?” asked Devine.

Rose said, “Don’t know why he picked this place, but Dwayne bought a couple acres. They delivered the whole dang house on a big-ass truck. We was here when it came rollin’ down the road. Barely ’nuff room to get the sucker in.”

Shore added, “It come in two pieces, see, and these dudes just screwed it together.” He grinned. “Like a damn dollhouse.”

“They was real good,” said Rose. “Did the whole thing in a few hours. Boom, boom, boom. Talked to one of the dudes. He say they got trained real good but they don’t get paid shit. And no health care. I mean, what is that about? Man works hard, he should be able to go see the doc and all if he gets hurt or sick.”

“All that couldn’t have been cheap,” noted Devine.

Rose said, “Don’t know how much the land cost, but Dwayne say it cost over a hundred and thirty thousand buckaroos for the house and to set it up and all. Still way cheaper than a regular house,I guess. Don’t know, ain’t never had no regular house. Hell, no house.”

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