Taylor's End by N H Brown

Author:N H Brown [Brown, N H]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780648276814
Published: 2019-06-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The lateness of the hour had done little to diminish the crowd at the Blue Two Tavern. Once the domain of the bikers passing through town, the tavern had become a regular haunt for anyone looking to get blitzed and have a good time in Taylor’s End. Most of the action happened on the weekend, when people were keen to forget the mundane workday grind, but tonight, the place was positively bustling.

Ordinarily, a Wednesday night consisted of half a dozen dedicated alcoholics doing their best to drink away their miserable existences. Tonight, however, was no ordinary night. The news of Todd Vincent’s violent demise had spread through the community with the speed only a small town could manage. Details of the gruesome discovery—some accurate, others way off base, cooked up by overactive imaginations—had set everyone on edge. It was inconceivable that such heinous attacks could occur in the sleepy town.

Owen, owner and manager of the Blue Two Tavern for more than eight long years, stood behind the bar polishing the glassware with a clean dish towel. A couple of guys that weren’t part of the regular Wednesday night crowd sat at the bar nursing their beers. They looked twitchy and on edge. “I ain’t ever heard anything like it,” the guy with the thick salt and pepper moustache said. He peered into his glass before raising it slowly to his lips and draining the remaining beer. “I know,” his friend agreed. “I don’t feel comfortable taking the trash out once the sun goes down. Suddenly, I’m scared I’m going to be the next person to have their face ripped off or their guts strewn across the ground.”

“Yeah, you’re too damn good-looking for that,” the guy with the moustache joked, pushing his empty glass across the bar. Owen took the empty glass away and replaced it with a fresh beer.

There must have been close to two dozen people in the bar tonight, and it was late. Most of the tables were occupied. A bunch of drinkers had already had their fill and left for the night, aware that it was only mid-week and they would have to go to work tomorrow. If he’d known it would be so packed, he would have rostered on extra staff. Tragedy had a way of making people examine the frailty of their existence. And often that was accompanied by the fortifying effects of a stiff drink or two.

Most people in Taylor’s End were born and raised there. They played in the streets as children, and when they grew up and had families of their own, they didn’t think twice about letting their kids do the same. A woman could walk home from the cinema after a late showing and not fear for her safety. The can of mace she carried, just in case, was forgotten in the bottom of her handbag.

Not so anymore. People were scared, and it was starting to show. Todd’s death heralded the demise of the simplistic, but much-cherished view of the town.

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