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‘That, too’

‘Great’ Nick pulled out his wallet as the old guy screwed the cover back on the gas tank ‘If you have soed’

‘Well, at least you’re not a fool, young man, wantin’ to buy ice in Decembah’

Nick laughed ‘No, sir No ice Just the gas, the sand, the candles… Better safe than sorry, isn’t that what they say?’

‘The soin’?’

‘Yes To North Mountain’

The old asoline can in each hand, and looked at Nick as if he were demented

‘Ain’t been a soul coh here in months, headin’ for that mountain, and now there’s two of you, in one day’

Nick frowned ‘Somebody went up to the cabin?’

‘I suppose Couldn’t tell ’e everythin’ Didn’t have no business on that mountain, I tell you that’

That was for sure, Nick thought gri better to do than go joy-riding, could get into trouble in country this isolated

On the other hand, vagrants didn’t drive cars, and kids around here had more sense than to be out in this kind of weather

‘Hunters, maybe?’ he asked

The old uffawed ‘Hunters? Naw I don’t think so’

Nick slid behind the steering wheel of the Explorer ‘How uys were there?’

‘Jest one, but—’

‘Thanks,’ Nick said He waved, checked for the non-existent traffic, and pulled out onto the road

‘But it weren’t guys a-tall, Mister It were just this one pretty little woman…’