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It was a nice jail - if you liked old westerns

Crow’s cell reminded him of every Rifleman he’d ever seen It had a cot, a stool, a chamber pot without a lid, and a door that required the keys to the city to open it

But the deputy was so so special it was alin with, he had a gut Crow considered an anato where the reatness Never in his lifetime (and, he suspected, anyone else’s) had Crow seen anybody pick his nose with such fervor - not to ible results - for soa social slug he was also the town bully During his first hour in the slarovel obscenely to hisoff the crown of so ticket, and sht to keep the hily Ithirandaddy had long ago told hi Bullies like to beat people up" Keeping this in mind, Croorked on a plan for the first hours He decided at last on whining

He whined about being shut up in the jail, about being cheated by all "those rich guys who think they’re such a big deal ’cause they gothe was starving He whined about the taste of the water and the sested a connection

He said his fingers hurt, sucked them loudly and often, held them up to shoollen they were, and demanded to see a doctor

The third time the deputy told him to shut up it was a snarl

Crow’s reply was equally ferocious "Make me, fatso!" he snapped back but dropped his eyes when he did

The deputy sht in hand He stepped around the desk s the weapon rhythmically into his fat pally

Crow took a half-step back from the bars, appeared to catch himself, stepped back up, and declared, "I ain’t scared of you!" in the least convincing tone he couldeyes gleamed as he reached for the keys His yellow front teeth - all three of the to the far wall of the cell But when he opened the door of the cell his raspy fat-punk voice changed froh-pitched scream

Crow bounced him across the desktop

The deputy pulled himself up off the splintered remains of the desk chair and peeked over the desk in shock He couldn’t believe this was happening to him

It was

Crow didn’t hurt hih to make him start to cry Then he put him in the cell

From the middle desk drawer he took an arly at the telephone, wanting desperately to talk to Cat But there was no way of telling ould answer the phone at the motel Hell, he hadn’t heard from the rest of his team the whole time he’d been in the slaet hi help But surely Cat hadn’t listened On the other hand, Cherry Cat had thehiot the idea of calling Best just get the hell away from the damn police station He stuck the autoave the deputy a little salute "See ya, Homer It’s been real"

"Hohimpered the deputy like the blob he was, "did you know hed and eyed the heavens "There is a God," he whispered to hiot a sense of huhts He keyed off the lights in the room, took a deep breath, and put his hand on the door