Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[MaineWriter]

A little bit of introspection from our friend Ennis, in Chapter 58:

“Right.” Ennis decided to be cautious and lock the truck, brought the key back in and set it on Nate’s desk before he headed for downtown at a brisk walk. It was warm but breezy… perfect weather for riding, he thought. He should have quit early and gone for another ride… but then he might have gotten stuck with the truck if he hadn’t remembered to have it serviced.

As he walked down Center Street he saw some male pedestrians and one of them waved to him, and he raised his hand in a vague greeting, and felt his chest tighten, and he wondered, suddenly, if all of Laramie was aware, as Nate indicated, that he was queer… just because of his weekly visits to the Red Stallion. He felt suddenly exposed, vulnerable, and wondered if Laramie were really that safe. He would have to ask Ellery about it… because suddenly his protective coloring was gone, and people knew and identified him as queer.

In Nate’s case, it worked to his advantage, but somehow he thought that wouldn’t always be the case. Because if Nate knew – and the denizens of the Red Stallion recognized him as the Saturday night bouncer – then it was quite likely that others, perhaps many others… knew.

This is somethin I am gonna have ta get used to in a hurry, he thought to himself, his anxiety increasing as another man in a cowboy hat raised a hand to wave at him before going into the diner he and Ellery frequented.

By the time he arrived at the station, he felt frankly paranoid, Carol’s friendly smile seemed to betray some hidden knowledge he did not want her to have, and he greeted her with a tight-lipped smile. “Hi there, Carol. Can ya tell Ellery I’m here?”

“You can go on in, he’s got a private office now. He usually likes people ta knock before goin in.”


L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 59:

Ellery whirled around, his face losing all color. “Tell him don’t move, an keep an eye on that truck, an not touch anythin, an we’ll be right over there. Make sure he don’t touch anythin!”

Ennis shook his head, confused, then repeated what Ellery said, into the phone. “You get that Nate? Sorry, we’ll be there in about fifteen minutes or so. Thanks.”

He handed the phone back to Ellery. “What the fuck is goin on? I don’t own any videotape---“ then he stopped.

“Now you understand. Shut off the oven, Ennis, I got ta call Wes an dispatch first before we go. An Amos.”

He dialed the phone hurriedly as Ennis turned off the oven, face pale, and went to put on his hat. “Yeah Wes you know that radiator shop on the corner a Blake an Plum Street, yeah south side. Nate’s yeah. I need ya ta go there an meet me. I think we just found out what Bill was doin over here the other night when he punched Ennis in the face. I’ll be there before you. I think we ought ta roust Amos for this as well so he knows what kinda deal we ought not ta be makin with him. See ya there.” Without pausing he called 911 dispatch and gave them the same description. Then he dialed Amos Marigold at home.

“You son of a bitch, get yer ass down town ta Nate’s Radiator shop because I want you to take a look at just what kind a deal Bill was about ta cut with ya. You know the one, on the south side, always looks like it needs sandblastin. Plum Street, right. An I suggest you leave right now Amos.”

“We ready ta go?” Ennis said, voice quavering slightly.

Ellery nodded, letting Ennis lead the way out the door, but got behind the wheel again himself, driving at his normal breakneck pace, which kept Ennis close to breathless. “Goddamn fuckin Bill. I got the feelin after I die his ghost is gonna track me down in hell an try ta pin some shit on me.”

“Ya mean me, Ellery.”

“Yeah but you know as well as I do that he’s just doin it ta you ta get back at me. Bargainin chip, some bargainin chip.”

L

[mariez]

Good Morning! 

Dang - I missed yesterday - but THANK YOU, Leslie, for the card from Ellery to Ennis - now I know what Ellery's handwriting looks like!!!  Yeah - more minutia!!! 

Hopping back to Chapter 57 ---

The switchboard rang just as she was basking in the compliment and she said “Uh Chief, that’s fer you, some guy named Royal in Austin.”

“Huh, okay. I’m getting there…” and he went back to his office, closing the door. “Cantrell.”

“Hey there, this is Ron at the Lone Star bar, I thought you were gonna show up Tuesday night.”

“So was I but since it wasn’t an appointment I didn’t think ta cancel. You seen my friend again?”

“Yeah, an you will never guess who he was askin after.”

“Tall skinny guy with black hair an blue boots?”

“Bingo. So how does he know you?”

“He don’t.”

“Well I told him I might a seen ya an I might a not seen ya. Have I seen ya?”

“Um. Tell em I sound familiar but you haven’t seen me recently. Did he say why he was askin?”

“Just wanted ta know who you were hangin out with and et cetera. An I got two items of possible interest. One is, he bought drinks that night while he talked me up an tried ta find out about you… an paid with a credit card. But it ain’t the name you gave me.”

“What’s the name?”

“Robert Petrie.”

“Son of a gun. An you are sure it’s the guy.”

“Blond hair, six foot two three, dark brown eyes, slender build but not as skinny as you, they don’t grow on trees around here ya know.”

“Yeah yeah.”

“I checked it against the photo ya left.”

“Somethin tells me he watches too many comedies on t.v.”

“Pardon?”

“Robert Petrie. You ever see the Dick Van Dyke show Ron?”

“Oh. OH. Ain’t that something, never occurred ta me. Now if he’d walked in with his wife Laura…”

“You woulda kicked em out a the bar.”


... just because I love the Dick Van Dyke Show reference!!  Always love catching re-runs of that show when I can - one of my favorites!!

Chapter 59:

Ellery whirled around, his face losing all color. “Tell him don’t move, an keep an eye on that truck, an not touch anythin, an we’ll be right over there. Make sure he don’t touch anythin!”

Ennis shook his head, confused, then repeated what Ellery said, into the phone. “You get that Nate? Sorry, we’ll be there in about fifteen minutes or so. Thanks.”

He handed the phone back to Ellery. “What the fuck is goin on? I don’t own any videotape---“ then he stopped.

“Now you understand. Shut off the oven, Ennis, I got ta call Wes an dispatch first before we go. An Amos.”

L

Oh - I remember that this had me so worried!!  Fuckin' Bill!

Thanks for the quotes!

Marie

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 60:

“Don’t much blame you, sweetheart. Let’s just get some food in us an do somethin else fer a change, we had enough a fuckin Bill an my fuckin job fer one day.”

Ennis looked over at him curiously. “Never heard ya say that about yer job before, Ellery.”

“You would have if I had seen Amos Marigold as many times as I did today. I think this was an all time record.”

“Why is he such an asshole? What was he talkin about at the station anyhow?”

“Bill tryin ta cut a deal. He calls em from the jail about six times a day with some new idea he’s got ta reduce his time an like an idiot Amos goes over there an lets em stir the pot, an he doesn’t realize Bill is just playin him. Just like this bullshit.”

“Yeah.” Ennis held out an onion ring for Ellery and he accepted it automatically. “Okay so what you got in mind for gettin our minds off it?”

“Well, I don’t know if watchin a video is quite the right approach here, Ennis, if ya know what I mean...”

“I was thinkin maybe you was wound up enough an I was wound up enough I could give ya a backrub. Would ya like that?”

Ellery nodded and smiled. “Now that sounds really good.”

L

[MaineWriter]

And from Chapter 60, another famous line:

“Now what is this about Nate down at the radiator shop, callin you an askin if you was free tonight?”

“Nothin.”

“There ain’t nothin that’s just nothin ta you Ennis.”

He sighed, pausing to put more oil on his hands before he moved lower, into the delicate area of Ellery’s low back. “Well... he winked at me again today an made some comment about havin the time if I got the money an so I asked what it was about an he said... he knew I was queer cause he saw me goin into yer bar an he knows you by sight.”

“Well yeah most a the guys runnin businesses in Laramie know me by sight, I’ve only been in the department for most a the past decade an a half.”

“Yeah okay.”

“Okay so what’d he say, he want a date or somesuch?”

“Well... no, I dunno, I told him I wasn’t lookin for nobody an he said oh that’s cause yer seein that deputy who owns the bar” or somethin, an he wants me ta mention somethin to the guys down there that if they was customers at the bar they could get a discount from em to drum up queer business or whatever.”

Ellery laughed. “Now there is an angle I hadn’t thought of. Not a bad idea actually.”

“Well I wish he didn’t act so bold as brass actin like he knew all about me...”

“Laramie ain’t a big town Ennis. An yer a nice lookin man.”

“Yeah, so he said. I ain’t interested in him.”

“Good thing, or I’d have ta turn ya over my knee an give ya a spank.”

“Spank me huh...” Ennis replied, placing a warning hand on Ellery’s flank. “You ain’t in much position ta issue that threat, Deputy Darlin.”

“That is Chief Deputy Darlin ta you, an don’t worry, I know the right moment ta pounce if you go steppin out on me with some radiator mechanic. I’ll have ta teach you a lesson.”

L

[MaineWriter]

Good Morning! 

Dang - I missed yesterday - but THANK YOU, Leslie, for the card from Ellery to Ennis - now I know what Ellery's handwriting looks like!!!  Yeah - more minutia!!! 

Minutia is good. Have you seen Ellery's business card?



L

[belbbmfan]

Well Leslie, you beat me to it. I was going to post exactly the same quote!  

Good choice!

[MaineWriter]

Well Leslie, you beat me to it. I was going to post exactly the same quote! 

Good choice!

Thanks, Fabienne. The famous "That's Chief Deputy Darlin ta you" line...

L

[mariez]

Minutia is good. Have you seen Ellery's business card?



L

Oh, his business card - I love it!!  He keeps some of those, if I recall, on a small table near his front door at home and, of course, in his wallet (along with about $1,000 cash!!). 

Yes, minutia is good! 

Thanks - Marie

[belbbmfan]

Oh, his business card - I love it!!  He keeps some of those, if I recall, on a small table near his front door at home and, of course, in his wallet (along with about $1,000 cash!!). 

Yes, minutia is good! 

Thanks - Marie

And his ubiquitous notepads, if i recall correctly!