CHAPTER TWELVE

   Calamaro walked downstairs. Kersey was standing behind the front desk, shaking his head. “Those gunshots I heard?”

   “Yeah,” Calamaro said.

   “What the fuck for?”

   “It was unavoidable. A man upstairs was knocking around a lady. You probably saw her running out, didn’t you? Well, her man didn’t like me interfering and so he started something I had to finish.”

   Kersey sighed. “Yeah, should’ve known that Merrick bastard would go and do something like that. I don’t know why I even let him stay here.”

   “I take it the sheriff will want to talk to me,” Calamaro said.

   “Yeah, probably but that’ll cause me just as much trouble. I’ll see what I can do about sorting it all out.”

   “Much obliged.”

    “Just make sure you don’t make any more enemies in here, okay?”

   “I’ll do my best,” Calamaro said. He took a step towards the door but then turned around. He said, “There a good place to eat around here?”

   “If you want a hot meal, your best bet is Tom Duma’s place. He owns the General Store but Mrs. Duma also cooks meals there, too. Of course you could also try the brothel but the food isn’t too much to my liking. I figure that’s on account of the fact that people go there for the women not the grub.”

   “I guess I’ll try the General Store. A hot meal would be good.” Calamaro walked out of the hotel. He walked down the street and saw a short, bald man punching a horse.

   As Calamaro passed, the man said, “Hey you.”

   Calamaro stopped. “Yeah?”

   “You got candy?”

   “I look like a child to you?” Calamaro laughed.

   The man’s eyes glazed over. “You’re a funny guy, huh?”

   “If you think so,” Calamaro said. He looked into the man’s eyes and for the first time in his life, he got goose bumps. The man’s eyes were milky and cold. They belonged in a dead man’s skull. Calamaro didn’t want to spend anymore time looking into them so he nodded and walked away.

   From behind him, the man’s voice said, “If I see you again, you better have some candy. Some hard candy.”