" Oh, stupid." "Go kill something." " Can I help you, miss?" " I'm waiting for the sheriff." " I'm the sheriff." "Name's Windgate." " You're not wearing a uniform." " I rarely do." " Then how do I know you're the sheriff?" " Well, I don't know what to tell you, miss, you can wait out here as long as you like." "Maybe another Sheriff'll come along." " Wait." "Wait!" " Whatcha got there?" " My mother's cat." "Mine, since she passed." " Oh, my god." "What happened?" " He cut her off." " Who?" " This guy." "Blackway." "I don't..." "I don't know his first name." " Richard." " You know him?" " Oh, yeah, most around here do." "I'm surprised you don't, actually." " I'm not..." "From here, originally." "I mean, I was born here, but..." "That was a while ago." " So, what brings you back here?" " My mother died in June." " You're Betsy Warren's daughter." "My condolences." "She was a fine lady." "So, how long's Richard Blackway been bothering you?" " I think this goes way beyond "bothering me."" " Harassing." " He attacked me." " When was this?" " Last week, after work." " Where?" " Sullivan's." "I waitress there, a couple of nights a week." " Why didn't you report it then?" " I didn't think that I was ever gonna see him again." "I thought he was just passing through." "But now he's everywhere I go." "The grocery store, the gas station..." " Well, it's a small town." "You run into the same people..." " no, no." "He's following me." " Well..." " watching me." " 'Fraid there's not much I can do for you." "If you'd come in, last week, after the alleged assault..." " "Alleged"?" "There were witnesses." " Let me ask you something." "Did your mother leave you the house?" " Yes." " Well, my advice is, you unload it for whatever you can get for it, and catch a bus back to wherever it was you were living before Betsy passed." " Can't you do something?" "Call him in for questioning or something?" "I..." "Just get him to leave me alone." "Give me a restraining order, something." " It's just not the way it works around here." " How do things work around here?" "You sit on your asses until he breaks into my house and does god knows what to me?" "Huh?" "Fuck it, whatever, I don't even know why I bothered." " Miss Warren." "You know the saw mill, the other side of town?" "Big place, by the side of the road." " Uh huh." " Maple lake timber." "You might try going out there, and see if Scotty's around." " And he can get Blackwell to leave me alone?" " Well, he will if Whizzer asks him." " Who's Whizzer?" " Whizzer's the boss, he, uh, he runs the place." "You go see him, go see Whizzer." "Oh, and if you want, you can leave your cat with me," "I'll make sure she gets cremated." " No, I got it." " 'Night, Lillian." " Fuck you!" "You say "fuck you" again, one of these nights, I just might." " Stop." " Get down, get down." " I can't hear you." "What?" "Want to get a coffee?" " Get out of here, go on." " Lonely old timers took me out back, to the log bunkhouse, to show me a big Douglas fir, they'd left standing." "And I'm not just talking about an ordinary pine," "I'm talking..." "This, this one was special." "It's what, uh, old wood choppers used to call a "wood's wife."" "Um, had a knothole in the trunk, about yea high." "And what you did, the mood strikes you, you got yourself a hand full of lard, for the kitchen." "And you greased up that knothole, real good." "And, then, uh..." "Well..." " You're shitting me." "God's truest." "What do you think goes on up there, huh?" "50 loggers stuck up there in the woods, all winter?" "No women?" "There's just so much checkers a man can play." " I'll be damned." " Some folks call 'em "pussy pines."" " You screwed a tree?" "Still picking the splinters out." "Hey, what's up?" " Lady in a little car." "Recognize her?" " Yeah, I seen her waitressin' over at Sullivan's." "Helps out with the kids at the elementary school, too." " Which one of you is Whizzer?" " Help you?" " Guy named Scotty work for you?" " Who told you that?" " The sheriff." "Scotty ain't here." " He's upstate, went to white river." " He got a brother up that way." " It's not his brother, it's his uncle." "It's his brother," "I played pool with the guy." " What do you want with Scotty?" " This guy's been bothering me." "He killed my cat." "He trashed my fucking car." "I need someone to help me..." "Talk to him?" "I don't know, threaten him, if that's what it takes." "The name's Blackway." " You tell sheriff Windgate about Blackway bothering you?" " He said there's nothing he can do." "He said to come here, and ask for Scotty." "He said Scotty would know what to do." " He'd say, "get another cat."" " There you go." " Or leave town." " I am not leaving." " Why not?" " Because, this is where I live now." " A pretty girl like you could live plenty of places." "Where were you before this?" " Seattle." " Seattle's nice, go back." " You know where else is real nice?" " Portland." " What is wrong with you people?" "I grew up here." "This property's all I got, and I put a lot of work into it." "I will be damned if some asshole is gonna run me out of town." "So I will ask you one more time." "How do I find Scotty?" " I'm sorry, miss, Scotty's not here, and I can't help you." " Pathetic." " Fuck!" "Ugh, damn it!" " Anybody wants to go with her, I'll pay ya a week's wages and cover your funeral expenses." " Yeah, I'll do it." "I'll go with her." " What's that, Les?" " I said, "I'll go with her."" " You, you gonna go find Blackway?" " Sure, why not?" " You're not..." "Seriously thinking of taking on Blackway by yourself?" " No, I'll take Nate with me." " You think he's up to it?" " I can ask him." "Nate?" " Whaddya say, Nate, you wanna go with Les?" " I d-d-don't mind." " You know who Blackway is, dontcha?" " I seen him." " Think you'll be up for it?" " I guess." "He's kinda old, ain't he?" " Yeah, like me." " You sure about this, Les?" " Yeah." "Mm." " This ain't your fight, you didn't go asking' for this." " No, she didn't, either, did she?" " Maybe so." "But, sure as hell would be better, for everyone involved, if she just left town." " Yeah." " Well." " Ok, um, I'm leaving this here." "Don't you touch it with that thing on your lip." "Come, let's go." "Come on." "Hey." "Trouble?" " Damn thing won't start." " I'm not surprised, your battery's screwed up." "Terminal's corroded." "Useless." "Ok, we'll, um, use Nate's truck, ok?" " For what?" " What do you think?" "To find your friend Blackway, isn't that what you want?" "Scotty's not gonna help you, he's as scared of Blackway as everyone else is." "My name is Lester, by the way." "That's Nate." " He's like 100 years old." " Close." " Shit." "You don't have any friends who could help me?" " Pickup only seats three." " Give me the keys." " It's my truck." " Give me the keys, come on." "Get in the truck." " You think Whizzer's serious about paying us a week's wages..." " no." " I can pay you." " Yeah?" " I've got some money from my mom's..." " we don't need your money." "Get in." " We d-d-don't want her money?" " No, we don't." "Get in." "Ok." " Girl is a piece of work, ain't she?" "Callin' us pathetic." " I'll tell you who's a piece of work." "Windgate." "Sending her to us because he's too chicken shit to do his job." " Yeah." "He's still thanking his lucky stars" "Blackway got bored of being a deputy." "Moved onto bigger things." " Badder things." " I don't know what Les is thinking." " I'll tell ya." "He's thinking, he sees a young girl in trouble and needs help." "Could be any one of our daughters." " Nate didn't seem to scared by Blackway." " He don't know better." "What about Lester?" " Lester's scared of Blackway, all right." "If he ain't, he should be." " Ok, quick stop for supplies." " Can I use your bathroom?" " Want to take a bath?" " No." " You want the can?" " Yeah." " Then say so." "Inside." " What's all this stuff?" " Oh, whirligigs." "He makes them." "His wife used to, to sell them." "D-d-don't know why he still makes them." "She's long gone." " She died?" " She left." "Ran off with the d-d-dentist." "That's what I hear, anyway." " Les lets me crash here when my mom and I aren't getting along." " Oh, yeah?" "Where is the bathroom?" " Up the stairs." "You gotta jiggle the hand-d-d-le after you flush." " You go to Mckinley?" " Nah, I was home schooled." " Don't play well with others?" " Mom's real religious." " What happened to his daughter?" " Killed herself." "Over the g-g-ghost of something." "He never talks about her." " What's that?" " Hittin' rods." " Bullshit." "I don't want guns in this." " Uh huh." "How do you think we're gonna get Blackway to leave you alone?" " I don't know, I haven't gotten that far." " Gonna reason with him?" "Do you think he's a reasonable man?" "If you don't want to do it, if you don't want to go through with this, say the word now," "I'll drop you at the bus station, and, uh, get the next bus out of town." " We threaten him with that?" "And he'll leave me alone?" " I don't know." "Your guess is as good as mine, kiddo." " Better know how to use it." " Fasten your seatbelt." " Afternoon, ladies." " Scotty!" " Hey, just been talking about you, Scott." " Oh, yeah?" " Yeah." "Girl come in here this morning looking for you." " Blackway's been following her." " Bashed in her window." " Killed her cat." " What's that gotta do with me?" " Well, Windgate sent her to find you, he, uh, said you, you'd had dealings with Blackway in the past, and might be able to help her out." " Why?" " Might have figured you'd want to even the score." " Yeah, how many other ones you went against him, that time at the fort?" "I seem to recall it being three." " Don't remember." "Made my peace with Blackway." "I've got no score to settle." " You got anything else to say, Scotty?" "I didn't think so." " Fitz." "Fitz." "Hey Fitz, it's Les." "Fitz, come on, open up." "Can we talk?" " Shut up." " We're looking for Blackway." " Why?" " Well, we'll just looking for him, that's why." " He was here." "This was, uh, my uncle Joe's." "You remember him?" " No." " He's been dead, 20 years." "I'm not sure if it even fires, anymore." " What happened with Blackway?" "What happened with Blackway, Fitz?" " It was a business thing." "Blackway came in with a job." "A piece of land, over near the key mountain." "Woman lives in Portland." "Blackway's got his side contract." "So many feet, downs, roads, you know how it works." "Looks ok." "So, we give Blackway his broker's fee, and away we go." "Shut the fuck up!" " Hey." "Shh." " Sorry." "Not even my dog." "Anyway, we were in there, the house, six weeks." "One day, I get a call from the job boss." "Seems he's had a visit from the owner." "And the sheriff's deputy." "The owner was pissed." "He doesn't know anything about any logging jobs." "He doesn't know anything about contracts." "What he does know, is that he's got about 40 acres less woods." "Than he thought he had." " I, uh..." "Blackway forged the owner's signature." " Yep." "Yep, says, I'm, um, gonna be hearing from his lawyer." "I expect I will." "It was Monday." "The next day, I was gonna see the sheriff." "Tell him about Blackway." "That night, Cynthia and I, are in bed, sound asleep, I wake up." "For a minute, I don't know why." "Then I do." "Somebody's sittin' there." "By our bed." "Just sitting there in the dark." "Got our little girl." "Heidi." "I reached for the light." ""Leave it," he says." "It's Blackway." "And, Cynthia, she's up." " Who is it?" "Who's there?" " He says, "shush her."" "Blackway, he doesn't pay her any attention." " Hey, Fitz." "Heard you were thinking of talking to the sheriff about that situation at McKay." " Maybe." " Maybe?" "Why would you do that?" "Haven't we made a lot of money together, Fitz?" "Haven't we?" "I put a lot of people to work in this town." "Don't disappoint me, Fitz." "I have to come back here again, you're never gonna see her again." " Well, he gets up, he's gone." " So, you didn't go to the sheriff, then?" " He's serious." " You know where Blackway is, Mr. Fitzgerald?" " No." "Why?" " He's been causing trouble for the, um, girl here." " Where would you go to find him?" " No place." "I'm sorry." " I know Heidi." "I substitute at her school sometimes." " You know my daughter?" " She's a real nice girl." "My name's Lillian." " She's, uh, mentioned you." "Yeah." "Um..." "You might want to try diamond mountain." "There's, um, a logging crew getting finished up." "If Blackway's not there, don't know where he is." " Ok." "Thanks a bunch." " You see him?" " No, not yet." "Nate, go out, and, uh..." "Ask if they've seen him." " Sure." " Help you?" " I'm looking for Blackway." " Why?" " I need to see him." " He ain't here." "Who are they?" " They're looking for Blackway, too." " Hey, good morning." "How you doing?" " What's that, you got there?" " Curtain rods." " Bullshit, curtain rods." " Well, you'll never know, will you?" "Has Blackway been here, this morning?" " He was here." "Might be, he's gone to the fort, to check in with Murdoch." " Why don't you shut up?" " Why don't you?" "Blackway never said nothing about telling nobody where he was." " Thanks, I'm much obliged." "Go back to work now." "Go on." "Thank you." " When you find Blackway, you're gonna wish you hadn't." " Whatever you say, pal." "Whatever you say." " D-d-did you see that dog?" " Yeah, he was big." "Didn't know whether to ride him or milk him." " You want to milk him, you're on your own." " Sure as hell looks like a gun." " Uh huh." " You tricked him." " She doesn't like tricks." " I guess she prefers fights." " Yeah, like my ex-wife." " That's not gonna scare Blackway." " You never know." "You never know." " I don't see his truck, anywhere." " See the Harley at the door, there?" "That belongs to his bookkeeper, Murdoch." "Ok, let's go and see what's inside." " I'll pay you back on Friday okay..." "Hey." "Got you a beer." " I know you?" " I'm your new parole officer." " The fuck you are." "What do you want?" " Looking for Blackway." " "Blackway."" " Yeah." " Who's "Blackway"?" " Well, he's been, kind of, messing with that young lady over there, you know, giving her trouble, and I thought, perhaps, you could help me find him, you know." "You really think this old fuck and his boyfriend are gonna be able to help you, sweetheart?" " Don't call me that." " Hey, Nate, lighten the fuck up." "We're just having a friendly talk here, what's the matter with you?" " You know, my advice to you, sweetie, is, do whatever you can, you know, for Blackway." "You know what I mean." "Yeah, maybe, maybe get on your knees, huh?" "Appeal to his better nature?" " You say that again, you're gonna need a d-d-doctor." " Oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna need a d-d-d-doctor?" " Nate." " Son of a bitch!" " Hey, boss!" "Knife!" " Oh." " Ow." " Leave him alone." " He's hurt." " It's his fault." " Why is it my fault?" " Just is, that's why." " He start-t-Ted it." " He didn't, you started it." " Stop the car." " Gonna throw up or something?" " No, I just need to get out." " What's the problem?" " This is my fight, ok?" "Not yours, hear me?" " Well, it seems to be ours, now, doesn't it?" "Why are you doing this?" " Needs to be done." "Needs to be done." "Hey, Sam, how are you?" " Hey, guys." " Good." " How's it going, man?" " Good." "Hey, Dottie, beautiful." " Oh." " Where do you want us to sit?" " Oh, you can go to hell." "Uh, your friends can sit wherever they like." " All right, thanks." " Want your coffee?" " Yeah, some water for my pill." " What's that for?" " Huh?" " Your heart?" " No, down below." " Viagra?" " No." " It helps him piss." " You have to take a pill to piss?" " No, I have one stop pissing." " Here's some water." " Thanks." " Ok." "Ok." " Just coffee, thanks." " Omelette and toast for her." " Ok." " But I'm not hungry." " Gotta eat, shut up." "An omelette and toast and..." " Can I get a hamburger, a Philly cheese steak, and a side of onion rings?" "Oh, what's your soup of the day?" " Give him the same as her." "Ok." "Thank you." " Cover your face." "Back in a minute." " Les." " Hi, Chris, how are you doing?" " I'm, I'm doing good." "Listen, I'm sorry I never made it to Amy's memorial, but I..." " That's ok, you were inside, you couldn't." "When did you get out?" " A couple of months ago." "I'm 83 days clean and sober now." " Good." " Hey, are you ok?" " Yeah." " Let me see." "Tough guy, huh?" " It wasn't so bad." " That's not what you think." "I used to work in a restaurant." "I was baking muffins." " Looking for Blackway." "Where can I find him?" " Didn't you just hear me?" "I'm clean now, 83 days." " So?" " So, the last thing I need to know is where Blackway is." " You used to work in a restaurant?" " Yep." "I was even gonna open my own place someday." "Until the asshole that I was with snorted up all our money." " What kind of food was it gonna be?" " Just, something simple." "Breakfast, lunch, coffee." " Where is he, Chris?" "Where is Blackway?" " What I hear is, he's up at that old motel he owns, out on route 40." " The Hylatt?" " Yeah." "Listen, just watch yourself." "I hear he's into all kinds of heavy shit now." "Meth, hillbilly heroin, all kinds of stuff." " Oh." "Who he's got working for him?" " I don't know their names." "I don't know." "They ain't from around here." " You should open up a place like that in town." "We could use some good coffee." "And good anything." "Oh, you should, uh, let Roena deal with that." " Shut up, Les." " Who's Roena?" " No one." " Shes little honey pie, his girlfriend." " Shut up, Les." " She works over there at the clinic." " A nurse?" " She's a technician." " That's not what I heard." "Ooh." " Well, you heard wrong." " Rowen-n-na I l-l-love you." " Shut up Les you're not funny." " What are you doing with her, Les?" " Who?" " Her." " Helping her out." " Shouldn't get involved." "Don't get in his way." " That his truck?" " No." "He drives a silver monster truck." " Quite a big operation, going on here." "Plenty of parking space and, uh, lots of rooms." "Lots of young girls, probably." "Their just kids." "Bastard." " No, it's good." "When the sheriff sees this, he'll have to do something." " Oh, yeah?" "He's not going to cross Blackway, that's why he sent you to see that, uh..." "What's the guy's name?" " Scotty." " Scotty." "The only one that's gonna get this pig is, somebody he cannot buy off." "Ok, I'm gonna see what's going on." " Then I'll come with you." " Stay here." " You're gonna spill it!" " Bitch, you spill it!" " Give it to me!" " It's all your fault, you did that." " Come on, I need some!" " Shut up!" " Did he say who they were?" " I don't know, some old fuck, and, and, and his kid." "Might have been his son, Murdoch wasn't sure." "Said he hadn't seen him before, or the girl." " Girl?" " She's the one looking for you." " What girl's looking for me?" "For what?" " I don't know." " You the dead girl's grandfather?" " Her father." " Wouldn't blame a man for having a few drinks after burying his daughter." "Put your window down." "Where you going in such a hurry, old timer?" " Home." " You've been drinking?" " No." " You sure about that?" " Yeah." "Just get on with it." " What did you say?" " Just write the goddamn tick..." " get out of the truck." "Get out of the truck!" "Now!" "Where you coming from, all dressed up?" " Been to Morrison's." " Funeral parlor?" " Yeah." " You the dead girl's grandfather?" " Her father." " You're her father." " Yeah." " Well, wouldn't blame a man for having a few drinks after burying his daughter." " I haven't been drinking." "I won't say it again." " You gonna say it as many goddamn times as I want you to say it." "Let's go, this way." "The old sobriety test." "I don't have any kids, myself." "At least, none that I know of." "Gotta be pretty fucked up, though." "Watch your only kid running wild." "Hanging out with the bad crowd." "Getting mixed up with drugs." "Let's go, let's go, let's go, walk, pop, walk." "Wondering, "was I a good dad?" ""Was I a bad dad?" ""Was I too strict?" ""Not strict enough?"" "Let me put your mind at ease, old man." "In my experience, from what I've seen, nothing you could have done." "A girl like Amy." "She can't be contained." "You sure as shit ain't gonna change her." "You were probably just a bad dad." "You're done." " Did you just hear that?" " Just the ice machine." " All right." "Catch ya later." " Aright, see ya" " shit." " That was his motorcycle, what happened?" "Did you talk to him?" " Yeah, sure, we sat down, had a cup of tea, talked about the weather, the movies, and everything." "What the hell do you think I did?" " So, what now?" " We just have to find out, that's all." " Can you give him a message for me?" "Tell him "Delphine says, 'hey' and, he should call me."" " Fuck am I, an answering service?" " Tell him." "" " Good afternoon." "God, it's cold, isn't it?" " Who are you?" " So, we're looking for Richard Blackway." "Do you know where he is?" " He ain't here." " Well, we've been trying to find him." "But, uh, where is he?" "Do you know where he went?" "Are you..." "Where did he go to?" " Why do you want Blackway?" " Well, because we are from the church of the holy spirit, you understand?" "And he won." "Well, I mean, he won the church raffle, it's unbelievable." "He won it." " Won what?" " Well, uh, the fact is..." "He won the toaster oven, you know?" " Christ the red-d-deemer." " Christ the redeemer, god bless him." "Amen, praise Jesus, amen." " Trudy." "Trudy, it's me." "It's Lillian." "We went to Mckinley together." "No, no, no, it's ok, it's ok." "Shh." "We gotta get you out of here." " Well, he won a toaster oven, just like one of these, I suppose, there." " No, he d-d-didn't, he won the gas..." " where are the keys?" "Where are the keys?" " You're thinking of last year." " He won the toaster." " You're thinking of last year." "Denny won the cord of wood." " He doesn't know what he's talking about." "Good afternoon." "What the fuck is this?" " What?" " Who are they?" " They're looking for Blackway." "He won a toaster." " He won a what?" " He won that toaster oven." " No, you're right." "I just didn't, one, two..." "That's right." " Who are you, what the fuck do you want?" " Well, we're from the IRS." "We want to know where Blackway's hanging out these days." "Can you tell me, please?" " Yeah, I know who you are, now." "Fuck you, old man." " What the hell are you doing?" "You're crazy." "What's the matter with you?" "Tell me, where is Blackway?" "I don't know, he's..." " where is he?" "Where is he?" "Where is Blackway?" "Tell me." "You shot me in the foot!" " I'll shoot the other one." "Where is Blackway?" "Where?" " Oh!" " Where?" "You know where he is!" " He's in the town!" " Where is he?" " I don't know!" "He's got a place in the town." " You son of a bitch" " I don't know!" "Old man, listen to me..." " Les, we gotta go." "Les, we gotta go!" " Get the fuck..." "I'm gonna fucking kill both of you!" "You're both fucking dead!" " Did you have to blow the place up?" " Sorry." " Sorry, eh, you're nuts." " I'm gonna fucking bury you" "I'm gonna fucking bury you!" " We're never gonna find him, now." " Who?" " Blackway, Blackway, Blackway!" "What's the matter with you?" "Wake up!" "What the hell do you think I'm talking about?" "Could be anywhere up in the towns, now, anywhere!" "Who's that?" " She's a friend, we went to high school together." " Why is she with us?" " She's coming with us." " Hell, she's not coming anywhere." " We need to get her to a hospital." " Why, what's the matter with her?" " He's gonna kill her." " So?" " We can't just leave her here!" "She needs to see a doctor!" "He cut her in the face!" " Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" "Shut up!" " What's your name, kid?" " Trudy." " Are those freaks up at the motel, did they do this to you, kid?" "Mess you up?" "Blackway, the worst?" " Yeah." " Ok, she doesn't need a hospital, she needs to get the hell away from this place, right now." " Now, if she was... what's her name?" " Lillian." " Yeah, if she was smart, she'd get on the bus with her." " She seems smart." " Yeah, you too." " Thanks." " I meant, if you got on the bus, with them." " Huh?" "Well, we're not gonna find Blackway now, and, uh..." "Next time we see him, is when he finds us." "Gonna hang around for that?" " I hear Portland..." "Is pretty nice." " That's what they say." "Oh, not so smart." " All right, let's go." " Where?" "Blackway's up in the town forest." "As much chance as finding Bigfoot up there." " Trudy said he's got a camp near the old gold mine." " The old noisy creek logging site?" " Yep, that's what she said." "What are you waiting for?" " Ok." " You don't have to go with us." "You know that?" " Sure, I do." " Ok." "Once you do, you're gonna go all the way." "There's no turning back." "You ready for that?" " You mean kill him." " Yeah, I guess so." "Maybe." " Well, if it's not me or Trudy, it will be some other girl." "Right?" " Right." " Let's get on with it, then." " Ok." " Old Lester and me, we got our start in them woods." "Only things that like it up there in the towns are bears, moose, and beavers." "Whatever else it was that got those Canadian fellas." " What fellas?" " Loggin' crew, down from b.C." "Tough sons of bitches." "Now it's April, a couple, three feet of snow on the ground, logging company hasn't heard from them in quite a while." "So, he sends them in, in snowshoes to hike in there and find out what's what." "When he finally gets to that cabin, he finds the log skidder marked out front." "Inside, their clothes, equipment, old weather gear." "Even plates of food, still on the table." " Just like they was interrupted in the middle of supper." " But of those four woodchoppers, he finds not a trace." "Nor did anyone else, ever." "That's towns for ya." " I used to know some kids from high school that used to go to towns to party." " They're lucky they didn't, didn't get lost." "Hund-d-dred square miles of nothing." "It's like the bermud-d-da triangle, except for fucking trees." " Hey, watch your language, will ya?" "Towns are a weird place." "Long way off the road." "Ok, we walk from here." " It gets cold." " Dewar's on the rocks." " Thanks." " You want to start a tab?" " No." "Here." "Take it out of this." "Keep the change." " That's a really nice tip." " That's a really nice smile." " Thank you." " What, for the compliment, or for the tip?" " Both." "Can I get you anything else?" "Something from the kitchen, maybe?" " No." "Just your name." " Lillian." " "Lillian."" "I like the name "Lillian."" "You're new around here, aren't ya Lillian?" " Sort of." "It's been a while." " What time do you get off?" " In about an hour." " Oh, I can wait." " I can't." " Can't?" "All right, have a seat, then." " That's not what I meant..." " I know what you meant." " I have to get home." " You got someone waitin' for ya?" " Uh huh." " Husband?" " My mom." " Your mom." "Your mom's waitin'." "Well, call her up, tell her you're gonna be late." "She'll understand." "If she's as pretty as her daughter, she'll understand real well." " I gotta go." " Ok, Lillian." " This way, over there." " My offer still stands." " "Offer"?" " For a drink." " I just got off work." " We'll go somewhere else." "We'll go to my house." " Listen, I'm exhausted." "I really just want to go home and go to bed, you know?" "Hey, asshole, I'm serious." "What do you want?" " Same as you, Lillian." " I don't know what you're talking about." " You know exactly what I'm talking about." "You got your shirt on, that barely covers your breast." "You got your best jeans on, to make your ass look so good." "That's right, you got my attention." "Now the question is, what are you gonna do about it?" " Please, please, just let me get in my car." " Under one condition." " What's that?" " Give me a kiss." " Is this a joke?" "If I give you a kiss, will you leave me alone?" " Give me a kiss." " Easy, easy, easy, easy, easy." "Shh shh shh, easy." " Hey!" " Get back inside." " Lillian, you all right?" " Moron!" "Get back inside!" "Now!" " Ok." " My fault." " Huh?" " He seemed like a regular guy." "I didn't know what to do." "I was just trying to be friendly." " Oh, it isn't your fault." "Doesn't matter what you did, what you didn't do." "Blackway's just a piece of shit." "Fuck him." "He'd have found you either way, that's life." "If it wasn't Blackway, it'd be something else, wouldn't it?" "Cancer, car wreck, drugs, dope." "Suicide." "You name it, it's all..." "It's always going to be something." "It's all in the game." "Yeah." "None of us gets out of this life without some bad stuff comes looking for us." "Keep our heads down, hope it passes us by." "Or we can, you know, do what we're doing now." " What's that?" " We're gonna meet the son of a bitch, aren't we?" "Head to head, face to face." "Fuck him." "Piece of shit." "Trash." " So, this is it?" " Yeah." "Got my first work here." "In the woods." "Yeah." "This place was called "Boyd's job."" "50 men working, living here." "Pretty tough." "And, uh, no logging had been done here for, oh, maybe, 20 years, maybe longer." "Jimmy Malla's truck." "Jimmy Malla." "He's dead and gone." "And that." "Wow." "Holy Moses." "Nothing's changed." "Must be Blackway's." "Yeah." "Now, this is his bunk house." "Wasn't here in my day." "He doesn't go in for much housekeeping, does he?" "Hey." "Make yourself useful." "Cut some timber and make a fire." "Make it a big one." "Got a lighter?" " Yeah." " Ok." "Make it a big fire." "You two okay?" " Yeah." " I'm gonna have a look around." " What, now?" " What?" " Now?" " Yeah, we got time." "He won't be here for a while." "When he does come, we'll hear it." " How do you know?" " Well, the only way in and out of this place on wheels, coming up the logging road." "And he drives one of those big, stupid, diesel trucks of his." "So, we'll hear him two miles away." " What the hell is that?" " Its a goose gun." "Belonged to my uncle Walter." "Next biggest aid to us is heavy artillery." " Fuckin' thing's an antique." " Yeah." "Still works, though." "I hope so." "Ok, well." " Lester." " Yeah?" " There's something wrong." "We, we need to get out of here." " Too late now, kid." "You've crossed the line." "No going back." "You were warned." "Weren't you?" "Ok." " Have you ever, uh, fired one of those?" " Uh uh." " Come here." "Show me." "Why are you stand-d-ding sideways?" "You're not surfing." "Like this." "Yeah." "Make sure it's not loaded." "Trying to kill me?" "Yeah, same thing." "Use both hands." "Hold it tight." " I am." " Got a recoil." "Line your target up with your sight." "Up." "Squeeze the t-t-trigger." " Ok." " Boom." "That's good." "And now we put the bullets in it." "Can I ask you something?" " Mmhmm." " Why d-d-didn't ya..." "You leave?" "When Blackway was bothering you, why didn't, uh, you run?" " 'Cause that's all I've ever done," " here" " and I'm tired of it." "You know, I'm starting to realize that maybe Lester's right." "Some people are just bad." " What's, uh, Seattle like?" " It's nice." "When it's not raining." "You should go sometime." " Les always says I should travel." " Well, why don't you?" "I thought you always do what Lester says." " Not always." " How'd you two meet?" " Work." "Les says that his d-d-daughter used to be babysit me." "I can't remember." " Hello, sweetheart." "Don't fucking move, Skippy." "Don't move." "Where'd you get this?" "Where'd you get this?" "Huh?" "Where'd you get this?" "Why ya looking so surprised?" "You actually think you could get the jump on me?" "Huh?" "You and your boyfriend, running all over town, asking questions about me?" "Ya burned down my place of business, ya beat up my fucking accountant." "You think I wouldn't find out about this?" "Huh?" "I've been waitin' here for you." "Where is he?" " Who?" " Don't fuck with me!" "Where is he?" " I don't know!" "I don't know." " Where is that old fuck?" " Shit." " Damn it!" " I got you now, you bastard." " Watch this, sweetheart." " I got the old man, he was on the bus." " Keep an eye on him." "I'll get her." "Hey, Lillian!" "Lillian!" "Here, sweetheart." " Lillian!" " Blackway." " That..." "That antique still works?" " Yeah." " Murdoch?" " He's by the skid-d-der." " Is he breathing?" " No." "Come on." " Yeah." "Now, we'll, uh..." "Drag them both off into the woods." " What if somebody finds them?" " Not up here, they won't." "Coyotes, buzzards, foxes, crows." "They'll find 'em first, and, uh..." "Take them to little bits and pieces." "They'll be nothing left of them in a week." " Ok." " He used us as bait." " Huh?" " He used us to draw Blackway out into the open." " Yeah." " And it worked." " Sure did." "It would have worked better if Joe Palooka there, hadn't picked a fight with Blackway and spoiled my best shot." " That was your plan?" " Yeah." "Yeah." "Blackway liked to think he was the worst guy around, and, uh..." "Didn't think anyone would go as far as he did." "That made him sloppy, and predictable." "Yeah." "If the worst guy around makes that mistake, the second worst guy has a chance." " "Second worst guy"?" "That's you?" " Not anymore." " What d-d-do you say?" "Enough light?" " Ahh, lets go, lets get the hell out of this place." " Hey, let's go." " You did it." " Yeah." " What if..." "One of Blackway's men..." " "Blackway."" "Who's "Blackway"?" " Lester..." " See ya around." " You gonna get your girlfriend Roena to take care of that?" " D-d-damn it, I told you, she's not my girlfriend." "Lester just thinks she is because her car broke down once, and I gave her a ride." " Then what is she?" " Roena?" "I d-d-don't know." "She might be my cousin." "What?" "!" "?" "Her stepd-d-dad's my mother's cousin, so what's that make me?" " Full of surprises."