Just trying to be sure Ebo was really leaving? Perhaps he was getting his jollies by watching Ebo drive away with just about every remaining sign of his presence, thus erasing himself from the town.
Oh, shoot, Levi thought. Charlie was crossing the street toward the garage. Levi turned to go inside, hoping Charlie was just crossing the street, that’s all, and wasn’t coming to see him. Even though Levi often ate lunch at Charlie’s Tavern, Charlie never bought gas from Levi or brought his car over to be looked at or gave Levi any business at all that Levi could remember. So why this visit now, and right when Levi was saying good-bye to one of the few friends he had?
Levi made it to his little corner office and sat down behind his desk among the stacks of old tires, crates of motor oil, tools, and shop cloths. He picked up a pencil and a work order from the county, trying to look busy. He hoped Charlie would pass by.
No such luck. Through the grimy window he could see Charlie hurrying right between the gas pumps and toward the door.
The door was open, but Charlie stopped short of coming in and knocked on the doorpost.
Levi worked up some pleasantness before saying, “Yeah?”
Charlie poked his balding head in. He wasn’t all that ugly, Levi observed, but he wasn’t a pleasure to look at either. Either his thick glasses were crooked or his face was, but the two never lined up.
“Hi, Levi.” His smile was a bit crooked too. “Busy?”
No, just trying to look like it, he thought. “What’s on your mind, Charlie?”
Charlie stepped inside and approached Levi’s desk, his hands in his pockets. For a long time he just stood there, and it was easy to see he was having a hard time getting out what he wanted to say. Levi, not feeling too gracious, didn’t help him but just stared at him, waiting. You came to me, pal. The floor is yours.
“So,” Charlie finally said, “how’s it going?”
Levi was enjoying watching Charlie squirm, so much so that he felt a little guilty about it. In answer to Charlie’s question, he just nodded his head as if to say okay. “And how’s the new mercantile shaping up?”
Charlie must have sensed it wasn’t a friendly question. He seemed to be having trouble answering it. “We’re, uh, we’re working on it.”
“Got a grand opening coming up, I see.”
“Yeah. Next week, hopefully.”
“Guess you’ll have to paint a new name on the front.”
Now Charlie looked away. “Well . . . maybe. Not sure.”
“Have a seat. You’re making me nervous.”
Charlie looked around for a chair and finally found an old metal folding chair with Cobb’s Garage stenciled on the back. He pulled it up to the desk and sat on it.
“Levi . . .”
Maybe now we’ll finally get down to business. “Yes, Charlie?”
“Listen, I’m not snooping or anything, you understand—”
“Mmm.”
“But I hear you’ve been sleeping in your camper out behind your house.”
Levi looked over the top of his glasses. He couldn’t see very well doing that, but he felt it gave his response a nice emphasis. “If you’re not snooping, somebody is.”
“Hey, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then what’s it like?”
“Well, everybody knows that once in a while, you—uh—you help people; you take them in, you know?”
Levi set down the paperwork he wasn’t really working on and leaned back resolutely. “Charlie, I’ve already been asked about Maggie, and I haven’t had a whole lot to say to anybody.”
“But I’m not snooping, Levi, I just—”
“I’ve got nothing to say one way or the other, but I’ll tell you this: If Maggie Bly ever came to me because she had nowhere else to go, sure, I’d help her out, which is more than any of you did the other night.”
That stopped Charlie cold. It took him a moment to pick himself up mentally. And boy, was he nervous! Levi thought. “Listen, Levi, I’m not really prying into Maggie’s business. I’m not. But would you have any
Oh, shoot, Levi thought. Charlie was crossing the street toward the garage. Levi turned to go inside, hoping Charlie was just crossing the street, that’s all, and wasn’t coming to see him. Even though Levi often ate lunch at Charlie’s Tavern, Charlie never bought gas from Levi or brought his car over to be looked at or gave Levi any business at all that Levi could remember. So why this visit now, and right when Levi was saying good-bye to one of the few friends he had?
Levi made it to his little corner office and sat down behind his desk among the stacks of old tires, crates of motor oil, tools, and shop cloths. He picked up a pencil and a work order from the county, trying to look busy. He hoped Charlie would pass by.
No such luck. Through the grimy window he could see Charlie hurrying right between the gas pumps and toward the door.
The door was open, but Charlie stopped short of coming in and knocked on the doorpost.
Levi worked up some pleasantness before saying, “Yeah?”
Charlie poked his balding head in. He wasn’t all that ugly, Levi observed, but he wasn’t a pleasure to look at either. Either his thick glasses were crooked or his face was, but the two never lined up.
“Hi, Levi.” His smile was a bit crooked too. “Busy?”
No, just trying to look like it, he thought. “What’s on your mind, Charlie?”
Charlie stepped inside and approached Levi’s desk, his hands in his pockets. For a long time he just stood there, and it was easy to see he was having a hard time getting out what he wanted to say. Levi, not feeling too gracious, didn’t help him but just stared at him, waiting. You came to me, pal. The floor is yours.
“So,” Charlie finally said, “how’s it going?”
Levi was enjoying watching Charlie squirm, so much so that he felt a little guilty about it. In answer to Charlie’s question, he just nodded his head as if to say okay. “And how’s the new mercantile shaping up?”
Charlie must have sensed it wasn’t a friendly question. He seemed to be having trouble answering it. “We’re, uh, we’re working on it.”
“Got a grand opening coming up, I see.”
“Yeah. Next week, hopefully.”
“Guess you’ll have to paint a new name on the front.”
Now Charlie looked away. “Well . . . maybe. Not sure.”
“Have a seat. You’re making me nervous.”
Charlie looked around for a chair and finally found an old metal folding chair with Cobb’s Garage stenciled on the back. He pulled it up to the desk and sat on it.
“Levi . . .”
Maybe now we’ll finally get down to business. “Yes, Charlie?”
“Listen, I’m not snooping or anything, you understand—”
“Mmm.”
“But I hear you’ve been sleeping in your camper out behind your house.”
Levi looked over the top of his glasses. He couldn’t see very well doing that, but he felt it gave his response a nice emphasis. “If you’re not snooping, somebody is.”
“Hey, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then what’s it like?”
“Well, everybody knows that once in a while, you—uh—you help people; you take them in, you know?”
Levi set down the paperwork he wasn’t really working on and leaned back resolutely. “Charlie, I’ve already been asked about Maggie, and I haven’t had a whole lot to say to anybody.”
“But I’m not snooping, Levi, I just—”
“I’ve got nothing to say one way or the other, but I’ll tell you this: If Maggie Bly ever came to me because she had nowhere else to go, sure, I’d help her out, which is more than any of you did the other night.”
That stopped Charlie cold. It took him a moment to pick himself up mentally. And boy, was he nervous! Levi thought. “Listen, Levi, I’m not really prying into Maggie’s business. I’m not. But would you have any
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