Circles in the Sand (32 page)

When he was through narrating the events in the Boar Pen, a local stringer for the Glasgow paper asked, “Why do you think Fritz was so mad at you?”

“Well, after he killed his son and mother, much less Basil, he had to be crazier than a two headed cockroach. He seemed to think my coming here started all his problems. Seems far-fetched to me, but he was nuts, so hard to follow his thinking. Perhaps underneath it all, was his loss of power, a big comedown for a man who thought he was king of the hill.”

After he answered a few more questions, Clint said, “Hey folks, I’m about all talked out. That’s enough of it for me. Sergeant Patton says he owes me a drink for helping to remove one of our obstacles, so we’re heading for Chet’s now.” Before leaving he said to Dorris, “I’ll be back to talk to you later.”

“Don’t be too long, Clint.”

As he and the troops filed out, Lilith followed them, and said, “Maybe you need some rest after that terrible time.” Clint didn’t hear her, but a frowning Dorris did.

Later that night sitting in Dorris’ living room she asked, “So what happens now?”

“For me and the job, I don’t see any change. We’ve got a lot to do and this Fritz calamity doesn’t change anything.”

“After all that happened earlier, don’t you feel you need to rest?”

“Not particularly, why?”

“Lilith asked the same question as you left.”

Clint shrugged. “I didn’t hear her…no way I would have gone with her. She scares me.”

Doris sat in his lap and put her arms around him. “I’m glad of that, she angers me.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna have to move out of the McCunes.”

“So where are you moving to?”

“In another circle. Back here…to live in sin with you.”

Dorris looked into his eyes. “Is that right? You think if I have the reputation as a loose woman, I might as well enjoy it?…”

Clint merely raised his eyebrows. Dorris said. “Sounds good to me!”

THE END