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[The voices on the phone are muffled and covered in static, but those who've been in Mayfield a while won't find it hard to recognize their dearly beloved Mayor. The other voice is rather more recent, but the easygoing tone betrays it as belonging to one Jack Smith.]
-about this. It's rather a lot of work, you know. Are you sure you're up to the task?
"Lot more work than being Mayor, would you say? Seems to me like old Evan was the one doing all of your work and his."
Shut your mouth. Evan Olney and I had a partnership, and it kept this place running in top condition for the past two years. If you're going to step into his shoes, you'd better damn well be prepared to do it right.
"Top condition? Is that what you call this place? Jesus jumped-up Christ, old man, I can't believe you can even say that with a straight face! I was out for a while, but I've been here long enough to see the mess you two have made of things."
You've only been here for-
"-for long enough, and I've read the reports, besides. First you let them get into Westport, then there was that fuckfest with the Russians... and that Postman jackass is still running his little office just as pretty as you please. Admit it, pops; nothing I do can fuck this place up any worse than you already have."
That's unfair. If you knew the kind of pressure Evan and I were working under-
"Pressure? Don't talk to me about pressure, old man. While you're sitting in that cozy little office of yours, I have to fucking live with her. Do you have any idea what it's like in that house? Never knowing when the door to that room is gonna open? And it's only gotten worse since your pal Evan offed the Achewood bitch. A man can't even get good and drunk in that house without having to look over his shoulder."
Not for your lack of trying, I imagine.
"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. Point is, I need out of that place, even if it's just for a few hours in the day. I need a job, old-timer, and the police chief's the only one she'll let me have. Besides, it's about time I had a hand in running things around this joint."
Fine. But if you screw this up, it's on your head, you understand? Evan liked to use our guests as his own personal punching bag whenever the stress got to him.
"Oh, what, so he got to rough 'em up a bit, but I-"
That's not what I'm saying, you idiot. What I'm saying is, if you need to do the same, do it. Better you make them squirm a little than to make a mistake that we'll all regret.
"Ha! You know what, pops? I like the way you think."
-about this. It's rather a lot of work, you know. Are you sure you're up to the task?
"Lot more work than being Mayor, would you say? Seems to me like old Evan was the one doing all of your work and his."
Shut your mouth. Evan Olney and I had a partnership, and it kept this place running in top condition for the past two years. If you're going to step into his shoes, you'd better damn well be prepared to do it right.
"Top condition? Is that what you call this place? Jesus jumped-up Christ, old man, I can't believe you can even say that with a straight face! I was out for a while, but I've been here long enough to see the mess you two have made of things."
You've only been here for-
"-for long enough, and I've read the reports, besides. First you let them get into Westport, then there was that fuckfest with the Russians... and that Postman jackass is still running his little office just as pretty as you please. Admit it, pops; nothing I do can fuck this place up any worse than you already have."
That's unfair. If you knew the kind of pressure Evan and I were working under-
"Pressure? Don't talk to me about pressure, old man. While you're sitting in that cozy little office of yours, I have to fucking live with her. Do you have any idea what it's like in that house? Never knowing when the door to that room is gonna open? And it's only gotten worse since your pal Evan offed the Achewood bitch. A man can't even get good and drunk in that house without having to look over his shoulder."
Not for your lack of trying, I imagine.
"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. Point is, I need out of that place, even if it's just for a few hours in the day. I need a job, old-timer, and the police chief's the only one she'll let me have. Besides, it's about time I had a hand in running things around this joint."
Fine. But if you screw this up, it's on your head, you understand? Evan liked to use our guests as his own personal punching bag whenever the stress got to him.
"Oh, what, so he got to rough 'em up a bit, but I-"
That's not what I'm saying, you idiot. What I'm saying is, if you need to do the same, do it. Better you make them squirm a little than to make a mistake that we'll all regret.
"Ha! You know what, pops? I like the way you think."