The Dust of Death

Chapter 27

Phalen was glad to see the HOUR Gas man sitting outside of his station on the little bench when he pulled up to the pump. The buckets had been moved and were sitting on the ground at the back of the building. Other than that, not much had changed since his last visit.

A train was rolling down the track behind the tiny hut. Phalen let it pass.

"Hello," said Phalen, smiling at the man who had thrown up his hand in greeting.

"Mr. Deaks," Phalen said, "if my memory serves me correctly."

Edell wiped his grimy hand down the dirty pant's leg.

Phalen got out of the car and shook Edell's hand.

"Good to see ya'," Edell said. "Yep, sir. Always good to see repeat customers."

"How are you, Mr. Deaks?" Phalen asked. "You're looking good."

"Edell, sir. Just plain Edell. The only Mr. Deaks in these parts is my pap," Edell said.

"Well, Edell, can you fill me up?"

"Yep, sir. Sure thing," Edell said.

Edell stuck the nozzle into the gas tank. He stuck his hands in his pockets, throwing his hips forward and accentuating the bowed hump of his shoulders even more.

"Mighty fine machine you got there, Mister," Edell said. "Mighty fine. Must a cost you a pretty penny."

"Phalen. My name is Phalen. And thank you. I like it. Some of my friends think the color is a bit garish, but I have grown used to it."

"Why, ain't nothin' garish about this car. Nope, sir. Nothin a'tall. A dandy machine like this oughta have some peacock color to it. She's a real beaut. Mind if I take a little look see under the hood?" Edell asked.

"Not at all," Phalen said. "Help yourself."

Edell wiped his hands fiercely on his grimy pants. He gingerly lifted the hood and his eyes popped at what he saw. He made a wet noise that vaguely resembled a whistle, but it was hard to tell for sure with all his missing teeth.

"By granny! You got yourself one hot tomato, Mister Phalen. This one is the berries. Bet she purrs when you floor the gas pedal, don't she?"

"Thanks, Edell. Yes, she purrs like a kitten. Never given me one minutes trouble since the day I bought her."

"That says a lot. Not like my old lady at home! Ha!"

"I hear you. Uh, Edell, you mentioned the last time I was by that you lived here all your life."

"That's right, Mister Phalen. 'Cept for a little vacation the gov'ment give me overseas, I lived all my life here."

"Umm. Know a lot about the area, then, I suppose."

"Oh, yeah. Things don't change much, 'round here."

Do you know the Benjamin family? I'm looking for a Carrie Benjamin. Used to know her. We went to school, together." Phalen lied.

"Carrie Benjamin!" Edell said. "Oh, yeah. You one of the school fellows? Well, I guess you are. Anybody drives a fine car like this has to be, heh, heh."

"Well, Edell, you know her, then," Phalen said.

"Course I know Carrie Benjamin."

"I was afraid she might have married and changed her name," said Phalen. "It's been a long time, you know."

"Oh, since you was in school! Ha! Ha! Me, too.

Course I didn't go no further than the third grade. Huh. Didn't hafta. Why bother with schoolin' when I knew I could take over this place here."

"It's a nice set up," Phalen said.

"It'ull do. Keeps me from starving, I guess. My daddy owned this place. I helped him build this shed and ever' thing. After he got hurt in the mill, it was. Course, at the time, I figured I'd go to work in the mills, like my daddy, and I did for a time. Made good money in the mill, I did. And I was just a snot-nosed kid! Then, my daddy got hurt, like I said. Came here and set up this station. I was older. Daddy cut a deal with the Hour gas company. We have run this place ever day 'cept Sunday, since then. I was more 'n happy to get outta that mill by then and help my pappy all I could. Yep, sir. Been here a lotta years, now."

"Really."

"That 'ull be eighty-seven cents, Mr. Phalen."

"Here's a dollar. Keep the change."

"Thanks."

"Edell, how is Miss Carrie, these days?

I was thinking about dropping by to see her, you know. Let her know what happened to me, but I was wondering if she's still doing well."

"Don't see much a Miss Carrie. She don't drive. But, Miss Carrie's a battleship."

"A battleship?"

"Yeah," Edell said, "that woman's got the constitution of a battleship."

"Oh. She's doing well then."

"Yep, sir."

"Well, that's good to hear. I was afraid after all this time, she'd moved away."

"Carrie Benjamin! The only way that old maid will ever leave that house is when they carry her to the graveyard," said Edell.

Edell gently replaced the hood of the Stutz.

"Mighty fine automobile. Yep, sir. Mighty fine."

"Thanks."

"And when they do," Edell said, "Miss Carrie's gonna have a lot of company, out there.

In the graveyard, I mean.

Her sister and her husband. The two boys never came back from France. Shame, that was. Mighty sad shame. And Tom, Miss Carrie's nephew, why he left out years ago. A priest, you know. Got a church in the city."

"Umm," Phalen said.

"But Miss Carrie, she stayed right here," Edell continued, "Yes, she did. Teaches her lessons. Lives a quiet life. She rooted herself down right here."

"Miss Carrie," Phalen said, "was a beautiful girl. I can't imagine why some nice fellow hasn't been swept off his feet by her."

"Miss Carrie!" Edell snorted. "I guess Miss Carrie ain't the marrying kind. Some women are. Some ain't. Go figure."

"Well, Edell, when it comes to women, I am afraid I am left completely in the dark."

"Me, too," said Edell. "And I been married to one for over twenty years!"

"I seem to remember Carrie saying something about her nephew, Tom, suffering some kind of accident," Phalen said, rubbing his chin and appearing to be in deep thought.

"Yep, sir. That crazy fool chopped half his dab blame foot off."