Page 19 of Grave Stone

“Is this about the cremations?” I asked. “Because everybody knows about that.”

“Everybody knows what?”

“Everybody knows y’all cremate people … like Glenn.”

“Who’s everybody?”

“The people you do business with,” I said carefully. “And the enemies of the people you do business with.”

“Which one are you?”

I couldn’t lie because he knew they didn’t do business with me, but saying I was an enemy—albeit an unwilling one—didn’t seem like a smart move. “Neither. I listen to rumors and repeat them when I shouldn’t. I don’t know anything.”

“I know you know nothing from when you were at the crematory, but I don’t know what happened before you got there. I don’t care about anything except what happened from a few minutes before you entered the bag to when you arrived at my location.”

Fuck it. It was hot as balls outside, and my arms were aching from holding the shotgun. I was going to tell him. If he didn’t react favorably, I could shoot him.

“I met Glenn for lunch, and he stole my wallet. I got in my car and followed him across town to get it back. I went inside the store he went into, we argued, and that’s the last thing I remember until I woke up zipped in a bag. I can speculate all day, but I can’t say for sure who put me in the bag.”

“Fuck,” he groaned. “I need proof that the Wood brothers did this.”

“Did what?” I asked, confused.

“Put you in the bag with Glenn,” he said slowly.

Asshole.

“What are you missing? They sent Glenn to you. I was there with Glenn, and then one of us woke up at your place. It’s not hard to figure out who put me there.”

“Proof,” he repeated. “I need proof.”

“Then what? What happens once you have proof?”

“The Wood brothers wronged us. If you can help us prove that, we’ll make sure they aren’t a problem for you. As long as you can keep your mouth shut, I can guarantee your safety.”

“Cut the shit. If I help you, you’ll kill the Wood brothers and leave me the fuck alone. Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying no one will hurt you. You can go home and pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Or I could shoot you and pretend that didn’t happen.”

“But then you’d have a body to deal with, and I’m the guy they call to deal with bodies, so that’s not the route to go.”

I was ready for our awkward standoff to be over, so I told him the truth. “I have proof, but I don’t have a reason to trust you.”

“I can give you two things to change that, but I’ll have to move my hands to get them.”

“What are the things and where are they?”

He turned his right hand around and wiggled his middle finger. “This ring is part of a set. The matching one is in my wallet. As long as you have that ring, you’ll have the club’s help for anything you need.”

“You can use one hand to get your wallet and throw it to me. Slowly. Keep the other hand in front. I will absolutely shoot you if necessary.”

“I have no doubt,” he said and carefully reached into his back pocket. Retrieving his wallet, he held it up for me to see before he tossed it across the porch.

I glanced at the wallet lying directly beside my foot. I couldn’t get it and retrieve the ring while keeping a steady aim on Stone.

“What was the other thing?” I asked.