14 hours

12. Room of oblivion

It was loud in Primrose Town. But Bill and the others didn't pay much attention for the full lighted city in the night. The stores had closed, but now the most people were in the saloons, hotels and clubs. Usually the four gunslingers had gotten involved in that nightlife. But tonight, they were relatively quiet. Even not the fantastic piano music couldn't cheer them up which pervaded through the air outside to them. Slowly they made their way through the busy night street until they reached the main entrance of the wellness club. Kinski stopped his roadrunner and climbed down.
"What is it?" Stump asked with surprise.
"Well, I think, I should tell Blacky Mary, that Jeanny Thomson will never make a gift to her."
"Should I bring you your costume?" Stump chuckled.
Kinski gave him a venomous look, but he was too tired to bring forward an argument.
"I will go through the main door. If you want to stay here, then stay there."
With raised nose, he walked away.
Bill and the others followed him with their eyes until Bill waved his hand.
"I could need a strong drink now."
They leaded their roadrunners to a freestanding place and tied them up. Then they went the way which Kinski had gone, who was waiting for them because he had guessed that they would come after him.
Together they went to the main entrance where a big blackboard stood for bargain offers, drinks and other services.
They opened two glass swing doors and entered a big vestibule with big carpets. A man in a black tuxedo stood behind a little table and nodded at them politely.
But before the four friends could walk on, a concierge called them back.
"Gentlemen."
They looked at a slim rat who observed the checkroom and waved his hand.
"Your weapons."
With sighs, they obeyed and put their guns in a box.
"Ehem...," the rat cleaned his throat. "Knifes, too."
After Bill had actioned the request, they got the permission to enter.
They came to the main entertainment room, which had some similarities with a saloon. Over the whole room stood little tables and chairs, but with white tablecloths. Ladies were dancing on a stage and some other ladies sat on the laps of some men and monkeyed around.
Kinski looked around until he found a familiar face.
"Huhu," a female voice cried after she had realized him. "I wasn't expecting you so soon again."
The vixen fluttered a kiss on the rabbit's cheeks.
Kinski blushed under his fur until he turned around to his surprised friends.
"Uh... that's Foxy... uh... Roxy," Kinski stuttered, pointing at her.
She laughed. "You are a funny one."
Quickly Kinski shook his head. "Uh, is Blacky Mary here?"
"Why do you want to know?" she asked.
"I have to tell her something... not what you think... it's just... she will know what I mean... I mean..."
"Mm, she is busy at the moment," the fox girl said. "But I will tell her that you are here. In the meantime, you can amuse here."
With that, she walked away, but without to forget to wave at them.
"Nice girl," Stump said.
"Yes, she is," Kinski muttered and cleaned his throat immediately again.
"Alright," Bill said with a monotone voice. "Let's go to the counter."
He pointed at a long bar which seemed to have a wide choice of drinks.
"Take a drink," Kinski said and made some steps backwards. "I will take a sauna session to get remove that reek."
Stump chuckled. "I thought you like the smell of girls."
Snarlingly, Kinski left them.

With a big towel around his waist the rabbit left the changing cubicle and went his way to the sauna room. He entered a big wooden room with a block of benches. Dense water vapor lay in the air. The room wasn't full and Kinski sat down on a bench where he could be for himself. He stretched his elbows, leaned himself back, closed his eyes and tried to forget everything. He breathed in the hot air. For a while he had still the bad feeling in his stomach after that disappointed day, but with every minute he felt more and more relaxed.
"Hey, you look familiar to me."
The rabbit opened his eyes wide with horror.
That voice...
"Yes, you."
With disbelief, he looked at the rodent man whom he had met naked in the room in his women costume in the afternoon. Now he sat not far away from him, again a towel around his hips.
"Does that guy never wear clothes?" Kinski thought.
Suddenly the rodent stood up. He went over and sat down next to him.
Kinski thought to vomit every moment when he smelt the strong men's perfume again.
"Did we meet before?"
Kinski swallowed heavily.
"Maybe... you met... my sister," he replied with hoarse voice.
The rodent narrowed his eyes skeptically and took a closer look.
"Mm.... Oh! Yes, what a striking similarity."
He laughed.
"The similar hair, the similar eyes."
Kinski held his breath when the man was inhaling.
"And the same smell."
He gave him a gentle push and smiled at him with glee.
"Hey, your sister is a really hot thing. A little bit too shy, but a hottie."
Kinski blushed deeply under his fur while the rodent man continued.
"Could you be a friend and give me her telephone number? Oh, no, better her address!"
As fast as Kinski could he ran out of the sauna room. With big surprise, the rodent looked after him.
"Mm, shy like his sister. It must be run in the family."

Deep in thoughts, Chorizo stirred through his drink. Everyone was talking, but Bill, Stump and Chorizo constitute an exception. Silently they sat at the counter and stared into space.
It didn't go unnoticed and some people thought they were lovesick.
The barkeeper bent over to them. "You're looking like you need something encouragement."
With these words he poured in his "encouragement" into three little glasses.
Bill eyed the red-green-yellow drink and drank it out with a callous gesture. Then he put it on the table and continued staring.
"All because of a damn letter," he muttered.
At this moment Stump realized Kinski's fast footsteps behind.
"How was it?" he asked.
But instead of an answer, Kinski gave him a push and finally a hard push against the Gila monster.
"That's all your fault!" he growled. "Because of you, I can go nowhere without having similarity with my sister."
Chorizo rubbed his forehead with confusion. "I didn't know that you have a sister."
Kinski didn't reply. With a very deep sigh, he sat down on a barstool and ordered: "A double vodka with a large portion maleness."
The barkeeper had no idea what the rabbit meant and added a dash of absinthe.
"Oh, here you are."
The four men were flabbergasted when they were surrounded by four ladies. One of them was Roxy.
"Hey, I think the bad boys need a little encouragement."
Kinski winced when a young rabbit lady sniffed at him.
"Uh... is that..."
"No!" Kinski screamed and jumped up. "I'm a MAN!"
It was quiet in the room. Even the music was gone.
Everyone looked over to the rabbit who stood there like frozen.
Suddenly a loud cheer floated through the tables. Everyone raised his glass and waved at Kinski. Some others clapped their hands. The music continued.
Sobered, Kinski sat down again.
"Wow," the rabbit girl said. "I like men with a steadfast opinion."
She reached out her hand to him. "I'm Linny."
Kinski ducked his head and nipped his glass.
Roxy took a seat next to him and stroke his arm. "This special smelling is explained very quickly."
She chuckled. "Sometimes he works undercover."
"Oh, like agents?"
The other ladies, a cat and a squirrel, were impressed.
"That sounds very exciting."
The squirrel walked behind Stump and massaged his shoulders.
"Oh, please, tell us something."
"Yes, tell us," Linny begged.
Stump didn't know what to say, but then he took his glass and sat as straight as a pole on the barstool.
"Well, well," he began masterly. "Sat down and I will tell you, little child."
With a swinging movement the squirrel sat down on Stump's lap and put an arm on his shoulders.
"The first thing what you have to do is to watch out for details."
Bill sighed and covered his face with his hand.
"What about you, bad boy?"
But Bill pushed Linny away. He was in no mood for flirting with a girl.
"You look better without your dress, bunny boy"
All turned around and looked at the smiling face of Blacky Mary.
Even Bill was impressed. Especially about her short red-black dress which emphasized her figure and her free long black legs.
"Is this the one which you met in her private room?" Chorizo's voice was hoarse.
Kinski swallowed, but he found back his self-control immediately and waved his hand.
"Hi."
Blacky Mary smiled. "So, and these are your friends? Girls, don't harass them too much."
With grumble the four ladies kept a little bit more distance of the gunslingers.
Meanwhile, Mary had positioned herself between Kinski and Chorizo and leaned with her back against the counter. She gave Chorizo a gentle smile, the mouse smiled back, with big confusion, then she paid attention at Kinski.
"So, Roxy said, you want to talk with me. About what?"
Kinski's joviality disappeared from his face. Politely he stood up and pointed at the barstool.
"Take a seat."

Silently the skunk lady listened to Kinski's story. After a while she lowered her glance.
Kinski ordered a Bloody Mary and handed it to her.
She nodded thankfully and took a sip.
"I had guessed that something like this could happen, but not so fast."
"He got a nice funeral," the rabbit consoled her.
She smiled sadly.
"Well, he wasn't a bad lover, but not the friendliest man."
She whipped over her hair. "Never mind. Things happen. What about your work?"
At this moment the sigh of the Gila monster sounded next to them.
"Your friend seems to be depressed," Mary commented while looking at Bill.
"It was a failure," Kinski said.
"Oh, I'm sorry for this. Can I do something for you?"
"Not more than before. Could we get a place where we can forget it?"
Blacky Mary furrowed her brows. "Something special?"
Kinski forced a smile. "You don't need to give us a service, know what I mean."
"Something to eat, drink and a massage? Would that be okay?"

"There we are."
Together with Roxy, Linny and the two other girls, named Lilli and Cindy, Black Mary leaded the four men in a room, where a few mattresses lay on the floor.
"Make free yourself," the skunk lady said. "The girls will make the rest."
The girls chuckled. Bill snorted, but he felt a little amused. The others seemed to think the same, but they didn't waste much time and took off their shirts.
Meanwhile Blacky Mary had brought some bottles and glasses and put them on a table.
She smiled at the four men who were standing there with naked upper bodies.
"Lay down."
She pointed at the mattresses. One after another took a mattress and lay down on it. Then every girl took his pick. Lilly sat down on Bill's back, Roxy on Kinski, Cindy on Stump and Lilli on Chorizo.
Then they began their massages on their backs.
Blacky Mary poured alcohol in the glasses and distributed them for every gunslinger.
Bill enjoyed Lilly's movements of her hands. "Yes, there is my tension."
Kinski, who lay next to him, bent over at him.
"What's your plan, Bill?"
"About what?"
"For... next days?"
The Gila monster sighed deeply. "We will keep distance from the town until everything is over."
"And what if they get him out alive somehow? I couldn't stand it seeing him with half body just because of us."
"Then I will shoot him," Bill hissed at him. "Then it's over once and for all."
He took the glass which lay in front of him on the floor and emptied it.
The rabbit watched him sadly. Then he whispered at Mary: "Uh, just in case, if we should be pushy, you have the obligation to knock us out with a hit on our heads."
With that he thrust a coin into her hand.
She chuckled. Nobody knew that she had filled less alcohol into the bottles. The rest was made up with water. If you want to make someone drunkenly, let him believe he is drunken, was one of her wisdoms.
Meanwhile Stump had emptied his third glass. He wanted to fall in sleep before the watch rang midnight. And he really thought he was drunken and muttered words from time to time.
"Could you tell us something about your works?" Cindy asked and massaged the scapulas.
"Details?" Stump muttered. "Mm, yes, details. Well, details are the most important thing. Every little action could be a hint for a crime."
"Really?"
"That's a fact. There are many people who don't watch out for details. For example, like a postman who doesn't watch for his own post. If he hadn't slept, we would know who..."
He swallowed down the next words, when he realized the angry face of Bad Bill.
"Well, some people go through the life with closed eyes."
Cindy stopped a second. "Do you mean Mr. Walden?"
"Don't know."
Stump's words were lost in the glass.
"Well, he is an old desert cat, with white-gray fur, and wears glasses sometimes."
Stump nodded with emotionless mimic.
"Yes, that's the guy."
Cindy chuckled. "Uh, you aren't the only one who is confused about him. My aunt works at the post office. While she was counting the letters, she realized that one letter was without addressor. She was confused, but Mr. Walden the postman said, it would be okay. He would know about it."
"What?!"
Bill was sober at one blow.
"Could you repeat that?!"
Cindy looked at him with surprise.
"Uh, I said, that he would know about that peculiar letter. Of course, Mr. Walden is no spring chicken anymore, but that wasn't typical for..."
"When did it happen?!"
Bill's voice sounded so loud that everyone stared at him. But also Kinski, Stump and Chorizo had started to listen attentively.
Bill was still laying there with lifted upper body. "Tell me!"
Cindy thought about it. "Uh, well, it was... it was... mhm... two days ago. Yes, two days."
Kinski's eyes grew wide when Bill dug his nails in the mattress.
"Where is he living?" the lizard growled.
"Mr. Walden? In the east part of the town, next to the laundry with the flat roof, unmissable."
Suddenly Bill jumped up, opened the door and ran down the steps.
"Bill! Wait!"
But Bill was already gone.
As fast as they could, they took their shirts, Stump slammed some money on the mattress, including baksheesh, and ran after Bill.
With surprise the girls looked after them.
"Was that important?" Blacky Mary asked.
"You are the best one."
Kinski grabbed her arms and gave her a kiss before he left the room.
Mary stroked over her cheeks and chuckled. "I think they are on a mission again."