by Bill Crider
“Why?” Dorinda countered.
“Don’t worry,” Burns said. “I’m going to give my money to you, not to him. I was just wondering.”
“All right then,” Dorinda said. “He’s entered. He beat me last year, but I plan to beat him this year.” She held her can out toward Burns.
Burns dug in his pocket for some change and came up with two quarters and a penny. He dropped them in the can. “Good luck, Dorinda. I really hope you win.”
“Thanks,” she said. Having gotten what she came for, she left the history lounge, not even bothering to shut the door.
Burns got up and closed the door himself, giving Fox time to step on his still-smoldering cigarette butt. “You’ve got to get a lock for this thing,” Burns said.
“That woman has no respect,” Fox said. “All I can say is that I feel sorry for the pig if she wins.”
“And what if Elmore wins?”
“Then the SPCA will descend on us in all its fury, and rightfully so,” Fox said. “Because the pig would probably die instantly. Can you believe what he did to Thomas last Friday?”
“After a few years at this place, I’m no longer surprised by anything at all,” Burns said, “but that did seem particularly brutal.” He dropped his butt into the Diet Coke can, which by now was beginning to get quite full. “Time to get a new ashtray. And speaking of last Friday, has anyone been called in for a conference with Elmore? I’m interested to find out what his ‘secret plan’ is.”
“Ah,” Fox said, reaching for the L & M pack. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask. I had my conference this morning. I expect that you’ll be called in pretty soon. I know the whole thing, and I think it just may be the one thing that will surprise you, even after all these years.”
“So tell me.”
Fox lit the cigarette and took a drag. “Well,” he said, “it’s like this . . .”
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