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The bar is closed.

I said, "The bar is closed."

What's the matter, buddy?
You deaf or something?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!

Paulie, Paulie, Paulie, hey!

Whoo.

Jesus Christ.

Long time, no see, buddy.

- How's it going?
- How's it going?

I just about cracked open
your fucking skull.

That's how it's going.

Man...

The place sure looks the same.

And so do you
since the last time.

Since you fucking disappeared?

I didn't disappear.

I went away for school.

Oh, yeah, I heard about that.

I also heard you flunked out
after the first semester.

Yeah, so?

So where you been since then,
college boy?

Around.

Doing what?

Drifting.

Drifting.

Yeah, more or less.

Drifting after what?

Experience.

Knowledge.

- Inspiration.
- Hey!

Did you grow up
in a fucking barn?

I just finished wiping
the place down for fuck sakes!

- Sorry.
- Just waltz in here

like you own the place.

Haven't changed a bit,
have you?

- I hope not.
- You're still the same punk

who used to run around town
with what's her face.

- Lizzie.
- Who the fuck is Lizzie?

What's her face.

The girl I used to date
in high school.

- Lizzie O'Connor?
- Jesus.

Elizabeth O'Connor.

And it ain't O'Connor anymore.

It's Krasinski.

She married some Polack.

They went away
to Winnipeg last year.

- So...
- So what?

So why are you staring at me
like that?

'Cause I'm trying to figure out

what you're doing here, Steve,

now out of the fucking blue

when you couldn't even come
to the fucking funeral.

You should be ashamed
of yourself.

I get it. I get it.

- You're surprised to see me.
- Surprised?

That's fucking rich.

And don't give me
that stupid look.

Just because you've been
hiding for three years

doesn't mean
I'd magically forget.

Forget what?

Don't play games with me, kid.

I... I'm not playing games
with you.

If you don't want my foot

far, far, far
up your fucking ass,

do not walk in here

and start playing games
with me.

Do I owe you?

Do you owe me?

Yeah, do I owe you?

Jesus Christ,
are you fucking kidding me?

Yeah, well...

You're goddamn right
you owe me!

Calm down. Of course,
of course I owe you.

Man, you sh... you should see
the look on your face.

"You're goddamn right
you owe me, hm!"

Oh, you think this is all
pretty funny, eh?

- Yeah.
- You ain't the only one

with a sense of humor.

- Hey, who are you calling?
- Shut up, I'm on the phone.

Hey, it's me.

Yeah, yeah, I know
what time it is.

Sorry about that,
but just listen to this.

I'm cleaning up the place,
I'm counting the money.

Guess who walks
through the fucking door?

Steve.

Yeah, little Stevie shithead.

Out of the blue
he comes in here

acting like a big shot, so, uh,

I thought you might like
to come down and say hi.

I know it's snowing.

What do you want me to do,
chain him

to the fucking radiator
till tomorrow?

Yeah. So you'll come?

Great. An hour, good.

Thanks. And, you know, sorry.

Is that who I think it was?

You know, I better get going.

Oh, no, no, no, wait a minute,
wait a minute.

Stevie, Stevie, have a seat.

Don't you want to say hi
to your old buddy Stellie?

Stellie's coming here?

Mm-hm.

- In this storm?
- Yep.

You're bluffing.

- Bluffing?
- Yeah, I...

I don't think
you even called him.

Oh.

You think you're pretty smart,
don't you, college boy?

You think you're gonna
actually talk your way

out of this one, right?

Well, listen to me.

The only reason I haven't

personally busted your kneecaps

is out of respect
for your old man,

God rest his soul, but Stellie
doesn't give two shits

about your old man
or you or me or anybody,

and if he doesn't get
his fucking money,

he's gonna take
one of his smokes

and he's gonna put it out
in your fucking eyeball.

- Where are you going?
- To get what you came here for.

Recognize this?

Of course I recognize this.

He wouldn't go fishing
without it.

But I... I came back for my dad,
not his tackle box.

- Oh, Paul.
- Hey, I couldn't afford

a proper urn because I had
to pay for the funeral

and the cremation.

- Come on, give him to me.
- Why?

Because he would've
wanted me to have it.

Said the guy who couldn't
show his face at the funeral.

Guess you were too busy
drifting, eh?

Me? I'm scraping together
money for flowers

and a funeral parlor.

I even put a collection jar
at the end of the bar there

for a coffin because I didn't...

because I didn't want
your old man to be cremated

in a fucking cardboard box.

You know, I would've been there
if I could.

Well, you weren't. I was.

I saw them roll the casket
into the furnace.

I saw my friend burn.

Why? Because I thought
it was important

that somebody should be there
when it happened.

So, no, I am not surprised
to see you, Stevie,

'cause I knew one day you'd
come crawling back in here

to collect these
and the rest of his home

that's boxed up in my basement,
by the way.

But don't think that
I'm handing over a goddamn thing

until you reach
into your pocket

and start settling up
what you owe me.

That's not the only reason
I'm back.

Hey, where the fuck
do you think you're going?

I got something for you, too.

Oh, yeah?

How much you got?

I've got something
better than cash.

- Better than cash?
- Yeah.

Oh, so guns, drugs, booze?

I've got a story.

Story?

Yeah.

I don't want a fucking story.

- Why not?
- 'Cause a story

has got no value.

You see this watch?

This watch has value.

You see... you see these smokes?

These smokes have value.

This bar and everything in it,
it all has value.

Except that fridge,
it's fucking busted.

- So?
- So,

you think I can pay
Old Man McCauley a visit,

pick out a nice new icebox
and pay for it

with a goddamn story?

What does this have to...

It's a simple question, Steve.

I don't understand.

Can I pay for a fridge
with a story?

What does this have to do
with anything?

- Yes or no?
- Probably not.

Probably fucking no way, right?

Right.

So what the fuck
makes you think

you can come back here
and settle up

with a goddamn story?

Jesus Christ.

You know, your old man,
he used to say

you'd never amount
to a hill of shit.

And I'm sorry to tell you, kid.

He was right.

What the fuck is that?

- It's a coaster.
- Is it?

Are you sure
it's not a fucking Skidoo?

- Go ahead.
- What?

Take a look.

The Oak Room. And...

It's a bar in Elk Lake.

I know that.

Who gives a shit?

Well, I was there
this weekend.

Once more for the cheap seats.

Who gives a shit?

- You should.
- Why is that?

Because...

You're never gonna believe
what happened at The Oak Room.

Can I at least tell you
what happened?

No.

I... I can just talk
as you clean.

You're pushing it, kid.

You know, I can just sit here
and ramble on,

- and you go about your...
- Hey!

I don't want

to hear it.

- But...
- But what?

I think you're gonna want
to hear what I have to say.

- Why?
- Because

a story is worth
a thousand words.

A story is worth
a thousand words?

You know what?

It's almost midnight.

Stellie is gonna be here
in an hour.

One way or another,
you're gonna pay up tonight.

So, in the meantime,
if you want to entertain me,

tell your little story.

Knock yourself out.

Okay, well, The... The Oak Room,

um, have... have you
been there before?

- To The Oak Room?
- Yeah.

- In Oak Lake?
- Yeah.

What the fuck
would I be doing there?

Well, uh,

the story I'm about to tell you
happened a week ago,

Saturday night
in the big storm,

kind of like the one
raging outside.

The guy behind the bar,
he was cleaning up,

about to... about to close up
and...

Jesus, you know what?

This is starting
to sound familiar.

Let me guess.

All of a sudden, some jerk-off
comes through the fucking door

and everything goes to shit.

Exactly.

The bar is closed.

I said the... I said we're cl...

You can wait.

Uh, is, uh...

...everything okay?

Yeah.

I just need to warm up.

Well, like I said,
we're closed, so, uh...

Yeah, is that what you call
small town hospitality?

Look, I don't want
any trouble, so...

Nobody said anything
about trouble.

Fuck. I don't suppose
you got a charger?

No.

Then how about a drink?

Um...

Come on.

Look, it's been a long day.

Please, man,
I'm practically hypothermic.

Yeah, all right. What...

- What do you want?
- Brandy. That brandy?

Yeah, uh...

There you go.

Your first day on the job?

Usually, when you pour
someone a brandy,

you put it in a snifter.

You... you complaining
about a free drink?

- Free?
- Yeah.

This is what I call
small town hospitality.

- Well, then, cheers.
- Mm-hm.

Mm.

So, is that gonna be enough
to get you home?

Not hardly.

Excuse me?

I'm a long way from home.

Yeah, okay,
so, uh, what's the game then?

No games, but I am gonna need
to use that telephone

if it's not too much trouble.

No luck there
because, uh, the storm,

it knocked out the phone lines.

It won't be back on till,

I don't know, maybe tomorrow.

But you still have electricity.

Yeah, for now.

Fuck.

You're not from around here,
are ya?

- No.
- Yeah, so, uh...

What are you doing here?

- Passing through.
- Well,

maybe you should
just keep on passing.

Wow. There you go
with that hospitality again.

I don't want any trouble,
all right?

- You already said that.
- And...

And once I'm warm,
I'll be on my way.

Well, are you warmed up yet?

Look, I just walked

two miles through a blizzard.

My face is frozen,
I lost my glasses,

I can't feel my feet,
any part of them.

From the ankles down,

it feels like there is
nothing fucking there!

Hey, all right, all right.

I'm...

I'm sure it's because your feet

are probably soaking wet.

You know what, just...

Why don't you take off
your shoes and socks

and, here, wrap 'em in this.

Thank you.

Your second problem is, well,

you didn't dress
for the weather, did ya?

Yeah, no shit.

Where'd you say you were from?

I didn't.

Hm.

Do you mind?

What?

Looking at me like that.

Like what?

Like I'm guilty of something.

Are you guilty of something?

Yeah.

Driving north
without winter tires.

So, you are driving north.

Hm.

Ah, if you're not
gonna talk, buddy,

do you mind if I do
a little thinking out loud

for the two of us?

Okay.

So let's say
that you are driving north

and your car breaks down.

But if that's the case,
why didn't you stop

at the gas station
just off the highway

and not here?

And, yet, here you are
checking your phone,

showing me that it's dead,
like that wouldn't have been

the first thing that you did
when your car broke down?

You're complaining
about your feet and the cold

and the fact that you aren't
dressed for the weather,

but not once, not once
have you mentioned the fact

that your hand is bleeding.

I mean, that's just...

That's a little suspicious.

Well, believe me,

nothing that's happened tonight
has been suspicious.

Okay.

Sure.

No hard feelings, buddy.

Just... just trying to make
conversation with ya.

I'm not here for conversation.

Yeah, I know,
that's exactly my point.

Okay, look,
I appreciate the fact

that you let me
into your establishment,

thus saving me
from the unfavorable task

of, you know, freezing to death
in a snowbank

in the middle
of buttfuck nowhere.

Now just because you are doing
the absolute bare minimum

that any halfway decent
human being

in your position would do,
that does not obligate me

to confess the world.

Now trekking through the snow

has been the least
of my problems today,

so until I leave,
which will be soon,

you'll have to excuse me

if I am not dancing on rainbows

and shitting ice cream.

Well, suit yourself.

Thank you very much,
I think I will.

Ahh.

What if I like to talk?

You just said you wanted to go.

- Yeah.
- But, now, you want to talk.

Yeah, that's right.

Okay. What's that about?

Well, I guess
I just changed my mind.

Anyway, do you know
bartenders love to talk?

Wrong.

Bartenders listen.

It's the alcoholics
that never shut the fuck up.

That much you should know.

Fatto a Mano in Italia.

Congratulations, you can read.

What, are you Mafioso?

Well, whatever you are,

you certainly do not
let the weather

get in the way
of dressing to the nines.

I'm sorry, I'm only laughing
because that storm out there,

you know, the one
that you walked through

in these silly shoes,
it ain't so bad.

I mean, the snow is coming down
pretty hard,

but it's barely below zero.

I mean, look at it out there.

It's gorgeous.

It's like a goddamn movie
or something.

But...

I mean, if you want to hear
about the cold,

well, I can tell ya
about the cold.

You see, I'm not
from around here.

I grew up on a pig farm
just outside of Belleville

and, you know, back then,

we lived pretty close
to the lake.

So in the wintertime,
we'd get some

pretty serious wind chill.

Ice storms too.

And there was this one time
that I'll never forget.

It was a night in January
and, you know,

I can't even tell you
what time it was

because I was sound asleep.

You know,
off in dreamland when...

when, all of a sudden,
my dad burst in my room

and wakes me up.

Now I can see he is in a panic.

It was actually kind of scary
'cause I had never seen my dad

so worked up before.

But without explaining anything,

he just told me
to get my ass out of bed

and come help him in the barn,
and then just like that...

...he's gone.

You know, as for me,

I'm still a little dazed
and half asleep,

and I didn't know
what to think,

but I could tell just
from the tone of his voice

that it was something serious.

So I got out of bed,
I threw on my boots,

and I ran off to join him
wearing nothing but my PJs.

That's when I started to worry.

You see, we were poor.

Dirt poor.

We didn't have that many pigs,
and the ones that we did have,

we relied on for the money.

And we had
this one pregnant sow

and she was sick.

Long overdue.

And my dad was just terrified
that her or her litter

were not gonna make it
through the pregnancy.

And as I got to the barn,
I could hear her squealing.

She was in labor,
and my dad, he was just...

He was just trying
to help her along.

Didn't think there was
anything I could do,

but then, my dad,
he turned to me

and he handed me this...
this steel flashlight.

It felt like a block of ice.

He told me
just to... to hold it steady.

That's all I had to do,
just hold it steady.

The only problem was that
I had left the barn door open

and now there was a wind
coming through

like you wouldn't believe,
and here I was

just trying to hold
this flashlight steady,

but when the wind
cut through my pajamas...

I could not stop myself
from shaking like a leaf.

Like I felt like crying out
and running back to my house,

but I couldn't, I just...

And that's when I saw
my dad's watch.

I was just sitting there,

and I focused in on the sound.

I mean, at first,
it was so faint,

but then it became
the only thing I could hear.

It was actually
kind of soothing.

I zoned in on that sound

and I pushed everything
out of my head.

It must have worked
because, well,

I made it through the night.

And the cold, well,
it's never bothered me since.

Oh, I'm sorry,
have I bored you?

It must be hard for you
to relate to a story like that,

the way you dress.

Yeah, I bet you live in
a climate-controlled

concrete and glass box
40 floors up.

The only reason
you wear those stupid shoes

is because you never
set foot outside.

It's just end of the elevator,
down into the parking garage,

into your expensive car
so you can zip across town

into another parking garage
and up another elevator

and on, and on, and on.

I mean, is that about right?

Kiss my ass,
you self-righteous country fuck.

"Kiss my ass,

you self-righteous
country fuck"?

Oh, Jesus,
I got to remember that one.

Okay, then what happened?

- What do you mean?
- What happened next?

Oh, well, that's...
it's not really important

- what happens next.
- Not important?

What are you talking about?

Well, that's more or less
the end of the story.

That's it?
That's the end of the story?

- More or less.
- Guy walks into a bar,

talks shit for ten minutes,

and that's it,
that's your story?

That kind of shit happens here
every goddamn day.

What the fuck
makes that a story?

- Well, there's more...
- No offense, college boy,

but that's got to be just about

the dumbest fucking story
I've ever heard.

Well, that's because
you've only heard

the end of the story.

I haven't told you
the beginning.

- The beginning?
- Yeah.

Oh, fuck me,
this just gets worse.

- What?
- You're telling me

the story backwards?

If I'm this bored
by the ending,

why am I gonna bother
with the beginning?

Yeah, well, the ending
only makes sense

once you've heard
the beginning.

Yeah, that's exactly why
you should have

started there
in the first place.

It's embarrassing that
I have to explain this to you.

I didn't even finish
fucking high school.

- Where are you going?
- I'm stretching my legs.

The fucking story
put them to sleep.

Well, can I continue?

You can only continue
if you goose the truth a bit.

- What?
- Goose the truth.

The only reason your story
is boring the shit out of me

is that you're telling it like
you're giving sworn testimony

on the goddamn witness stand.

You want to keep my attention,

you've got to skip over
the boring shit,

you've got to pump up
the action,

you've got to give me
some meat to chew on.

What makes you such an expert?

Because I'm a bartender
with a big mouth

and I know how to tell
a good story,

and goosing the truth
is the way to do that.

Your old man knew that.

Old man, pfft.

He ever take you ice fishing?

A couple times.

It figures.

Hell of a fisherman, wasn't he?

What's the name of that place
he liked?

- Gray Owl.
- Gray Owl, yeah.

Yeah, I went with him
a couple of times.

It was pretty good.

Myself, I prefer Turtle Lake.

I mean, I got spots up there,
the fish, whoosh,

they just jump
right into the boat.

Did your dad ever tell you
about that crazy day

I had up there?

I don't think so.

Must have been
about ten years ago.

I had perfect conditions, right?

I'm the only one on the lake.

I'd gone the whole day

without a single bite, not one,

and I'm there for hours, right,

with nothing
but a flask of whiskey

in my pocket to keep me warm.

Anyway, it gets to the point,

pfft, I'm ready to go home.

At the last second, I think,

"I'm gonna drop one more line."

So I drop it,

and I wait a second.

And I hook something,
something strong.

I mean, I don't know
what it is,

but I figure it must be
pretty fucking huge

'cause this thing
is putting up

one hell of a fight.

I mean, it's a battle,
all right?

And it goes on, and on, and on.

And I'm fighting it,
and I'm fighting it,

I'm fighting it,
and the sun is going down,

and the wind is coming up,
and I'm fighting it,

and I finally haul
this bastard in.

It's nothing
but a little walleye.

I can't fucking believe it.

No more than five pounds.

This thing fought
like a monster.

Anyway, who cares?

I got something for dinner
that night, right?

So, I lay it down
in the bottom of the boat

'cause I'm gonna clean
the little bastard right there.

I'm still so fucking pissed off.

But when I cut it open
and I pull out the guts...

What do you think I find
in that goddamn walleye?

A finger.

- A finger?
- A finger.

A human fucking finger.

I swear to God, whole thing,
right down to the knuckle.

And get this,
there's a silver ring on it.

What? You don't believe me?

Yeah, no, no,
it's a... it's a good story.

So what did you do with it?

I took it home, seasoned it up
with some salt and pepper.

Fried it up
with a little butter.

The fish, you jackass,
not the finger.

What's wrong with you?

The finger, I threw away.

God.

But I still got the ring.

Oh, holy shit.

Wait, that actually happened?

No, you dumb shit.

My dad gave me this ring.

I goosed the fucking truth.

Do you get it now?

Well, thanks for the lesson,

but I don't think
this needs any goosing.

Ohh.

I get it.

College boy's come here
to teach me a lesson, huh?

That'll be the day.

I'm not here
to teach you a lesson.

The day you walk
through that door,

come in here
and teach me a lesson

will be the day your old man
comes through that door again

and orders a bottle of beer.

Ah, fuck.

I think the power went out.

No shit, Einstein.

- What ya gonna do?
- What am I gonna do?

I've been on my feet all day.

What you're gonna do,

you're gonna
make yourself useful,

go downstairs
and start the generator.

Over there.

Go on, tough guy.

Where is it?

In the corner,
just keep walking.

Where?

In the corner.

No wonder it's so cold in here.

The basement door is open.

Paul?

Sit down.

Sit down!

It's my turn
to tell a fucking story,

so listen up.

Yeah, coming up, Gordy.

Did you ever hitchhike?

Hitchhike, sure,
plenty of times.

Yeah?

When was that?

Well, when I was a kid,

I used to bum rides
out west all the time.

Bumming rides from friends,

not strictly speaking
hitchhiking.

All right, I never stood
on the side of the road

shouldering a bindle
on a fucking stick, no.

- I take it you have?
- Oh, yeah.

Well, no bindle.

Yeah, I used to do it
like a lot when I was a kid.

I mean, easy way to get around,

the price was right.

And it was safer back then.

People used to
help each other out.

I'm sensing a story
coming on here, Gordy.

I don't know, I don't know.

I mean, it's been a long time

since I even thought
about this one.

I've gotta tell you,
the other day,

I was in the garage
and I was basically

just twiddling my thumbs.

As usual.

And suddenly
I remembered something.

And it was something
that happened to me...

I hopped into
this one guy's car

way back then.

- Don't leave me hanging, man.
- I don't know.

- You really want to hear this?
- Yes, fuck yes.

Well, buckle up,
because this story's worth

a thousand words,

if that's an expression.

You all right?

Shit, I've never actually told
this story to anybody.

Tommy.

What?

What's the matter, Gordo?

Fuck off.

Fuck off all...
do you need a hug, Gordo?

No, fuck off, fuck off!

Okay, okay, come on, Tommy,

knock it off, knock it off.

Christ, did you spit on me?

Who's driving you home?

- What?
- Who's driving you home?

My dad, I think.

You want me to call him?

Why?

To come and collect you.

Yeah, sure.

Daddy's gonna drive him home.

Tell him he can come
collect my remains.

Hysterical.

You're a disgrace.

- Am I?
- Yeah.

You and your whole generation,

you get everything
handed to you

and you just piss it away.

Fuck.

Geez, you're cranky.

What did you call me?

What did you fucking call me?

I said that you are
a sad, cranky old man.

And you're getting upset

because I interrupted
your little story

about hopping into
some stranger's car

and giving him a hand job.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

Come on, sit down.

We getting back
to that story there, Gord?

Yeah.

Gordo's gonna finish his story.

- Come on.
- Come on, let's hear it, Gordy.

Come on. Come on.

Piece of shit.

This little tit, does he work?

I mean, I've seen him pump gas
at Bill's a couple of times.

Oh, that's really good.

Good for you.

- Why are you so...
- Gord!

Yeah?

You were saying
about hitchhiking

and there was that one guy
and you got into his car...

- That guy.
- Yeah.

Oh, no.

I was pretty young.

I must've been only about 21
or 22 at the time.

I was working up in that...

remember that logging camp
up north of Hearst, there?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Well, it was
the end of the season,

like the middle of December,

so I was trying to hitch a ride

to get back home
for Christmas.

Standing on the side
of the highway

with my thumb out.

And I was just having
the worst kind of fucking luck.

Cars are just whipping by me,

one after the other.

Nobody was stopping,
and I'm freezing.

It was really cold
and my feet were wet.

I was miserable.

And finally one guy stops,

so I run to try
and catch up with him,

it's just one guy in there.

So he's headed south,
perfect, so I hop in.

Well, I'm really, really happy
about being out of the cold.

Well, I'm telling you as sure
as I'm sitting here right now,

I'm getting this bad,
bad vibe from this guy.

First off,
he doesn't even look at me.

God, I remember it so well.

He doesn't even look at me,

even when I tell him
where I'm going,

he doesn't look at me.

And it's still light out,

but I look over at him,
and he's like in the dark,

it's like he's sitting
in a shadow.

And second off,
he doesn't say anything.

He's not gonna say
a single goddamn word to me.

So it's getting kinda awkward.

Very awkward.

So I figure, okay,
I'll do the talking,

I'll start talking,
so I start telling him

about fascinating stuff,
this, that, and the other,

and meanwhile, I'm getting
nothing from this guy at all.

Not even an,
"Oh, is that right?"

Nothing.

So now it's going from weird
to like really weird.

Very uncomfortable.

Now, I've run out
of things to say, so...

and neither of us are saying
anything at this point,

we're just sitting there
driving in silence, oh, my God.

And it just... it stays that way
like for a long time.

So now I'm just kinda
looking out the window,

I'm watching the trees go by
and I dare not fall asleep.

And out of the clear blue,
I hear him say to me something.

And what I hear him say is...

"So where do you think
you're going?"

So I says,
"Where do I think I'm going?

I'm going to Kirkland Lake."

And he kind of does this laugh.

I don't know
if it's a laugh or not,

but he started this laugh,

and then he says,
"No, after that.

After you die.

I'm gonna ask you again, boy.

Where is it you think
you're going?

Is it gonna be heaven?

Or is it gonna be hell?"

That's what he asked me.

After all this time,
I'm sitting in his car

and that's the first thing
he says to me.

That's what he asks me.

Jesus Christ, what'd you say?

Well, I don't want
to make things weirder.

So I say, "Heaven."

'Cause I suppose
it's best to answer him.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

And he kinds laughs again
and he says,

"Well, that's what I thought

when I was
a little puke like you

and I was your age.

Back when the future was
stretched out before me

like an open highway.

But then things happen,
then things change,

and you find yourself
going down on roads

that you never
would have imagined."

And he starts going on and on
after roads,

and I'm trying to decide,
what do I do?

Do I just bail out of the car?

Or do I just continue
to play it cool?

I mean, trust me, I wanted
the hell out of that car

as much as I wanted anything
in my life.

I was scared stiff!

Is that when you gave the guy
the handjob?

Shut the fuck up, Tommy.

What happened then?

Well, really, actually nothing.

Just sitting there in silence

and eventually we make it
to Kirkland Lake,

he pulls off after the exit
onto the shoulder,

he's gonna let me out.

But I don't go right away.

I'm sort of waiting
for a second,

because I kind of felt like
he had something else

that he wanted to tell me.

So I took a breath and I started
turning towards him.

And he's looking straight at me.

And he says, "Kid,

you're going to hell.

You are going to hell,

and not because
you've been bad,

not because you've been good,

but because we all go there.

And when you get there,
you remember this.

You come and see me
and you say hello."

Fuck that guy, Gordy.

Yeah, Gordy, fuck that guy.

That guy is nothing
but a miserable old fuck.

He doesn't mean nothing.

Except I'm that miserable
old fuck now.

Oh, no, no, come on,
cheer up, pal.

I'd flip a switch.

If there was a switch,
I'd flip it.

Fact is, I've been feeling
very strange lately.

I really have, like not caring.

Like nothing's
all that important.

Sometimes it's the end
of my day,

and I realize
I'm still working on

the same
cock-sucking oil change.

We all have days like that.

No, I...

I've been working there
for 28 years,

busting my ass
at the stupid garage.

Twenty-eight years!

Like, that's a long time.

That's a long to be
spinning your wheels.

That's a long time
to not make any progress,

and I'm telling you,
I really believed in my heart

that I would make something.

I thought that
Stevie would stick around,

I thought that
Stevie would kind of

learn the trade
and we'd build the business.

But he didn't, he left.

Didn't like it here.

None of them like it here.

I don't think
he liked me much neither.

Shit, I haven't even talked
to him for two years.

And I worry about him,
goddamn it.

That boy was so impressionable.

I used to see it,
he used to always be hanging

with the wrong guys.

He was making bad decisions.

Right now, I really worry
that he's got himself involved

in some really ugly shit.

And me, just gotta look at me,

I'm falling apart here,
I'm getting old,

and I've got nothing
to show for it.

So I think
that's why that story

popped into my head
when it did,

because, you know,
the guy was right.

You've gotta admit that.

I did end up in hell.

I'm in hell.

There's not really
a goddamn thing

I can do about it.

So?

What do you say about that,
smart guy?

Hmm?

What do you say about a guy
who comes from nothing,

starts his own business,
and then breaks his back

just to put his kid
through school,

his ungrateful kid?

I wasn't ungrateful.

That's not what he said.

- He wouldn't have said that.
- What's that?

He wouldn't have said
that I was ungrateful.

- He sure did.
- No, he didn't.

- Yes, he did.
- No, he didn't!

Stop goosing the fucking truth!

Oh, I get it.

You just want to forget, huh?

Okay, I can play that game.

Let's just forget about
all of the money you owe me

and all of the money
you owe Stellie,

and let's just talk
about how your old man

had to sell his fucking business

to put you through school.

Then let's talk about
what you did with that.

You pissed it away,
you flunked out,

and you drifted around
until you ran out of money.

Meanwhile, your old man
worked himself

into an early grave.

It wasn't the work
that killed him.

What'd you say?

It wasn't the work
that killed him.

It was the bottle,

and we both know
who's responsible for that!

All right, let's finish this.

We are finished.

But you still haven't heard
the beginning of the story yet.

It doesn't make sense otherwise.

Hey, are you listening to me?

Hey, if I tell you the rest,
are you going to listen?

You can do whatever you want,
kid, it's almost midnight.

So it was earlier that evening.

Bar's closed.

Closed or closing?

Well, it depends
on what you need.

Well, I don't mean to be a pain,

I just... I've been driving
all day.

- Pretty bad out there?
- Yeah, yeah,

it's really bad.

Anyways, I can see
you're closed...

Yes sir, I was just about
to walk over there

and lock the door.

I mean, you'd be doing me
a huge favor

if you could just do
one more round.

Well, I suppose I've got time
for one more round.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You're a lifesaver.

And you're a paying customer.

So what'll it be?

Um, beer, beer's fine.

Which brand?

Bartender's choice.

That's easy enough.

- You want a glass?
- No, no.

Cheers.

Oh, yeah, yeah, that is...

that is exactly
what the doctor ordered.

You just passing through?

Yeah, I'm just headed in
from Toronto.

Oh, yeah?
Which way you headed?

Kapuskasing.

Oh, Toronto to the Kap.

That is one long haul.

Yeah, tell me about it.

I thought I could do it all
in one shot,

but it is slow going
in this weather.

Yeah, it's brutal.

Whatever happened
to that global warming

they keep talking about?

I don't know.

- Bring it on.
- Yeah, ice caps be damned.

Hey, um, how much longer
would you say it is

to the Kap, anyway?

Oh, I'd say at least
another 250 clicks.

It wouldn't be so bad
if it was during the day,

but that storm, shit,
you could be driving all night.

So what's happening
in Kapuskasing?

Um...

I know, I should apologize
for being so nosy,

but I'm a bartender,
it's my job to get you talking.

Right, right.

I just got some family business
to attend to.

Well, if it's none
of my business,

- you just say the word.
- No, no, you know what?

After being alone
in the car all day,

it's nice to finally have
someone to talk to.

Yeah, I'm heading up there
to see my father.

- Oh?
- He's not well.

What's he got?

That's the thing, I mean,

every time I call the hospital,

I get a different doctor
who gives me a different story,

so it's really hard to tell
what's going on.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

So I just figured to, well,

I might as well
drive on up there

and see him and meet
those doctors in person.

Yeah.

My wife's mother died last year.

She was living down
in Antigonish,

all by herself.

When she got sick,
there was no one

to drive her to the hospital,
cook her meals for her,

make sure
she took her medication,

so believe me,
I understand the frustration

of not being near
a sick relative.

Yeah, yeah, I mean,
I can appreciate that,

- thank you.
- Anyway, driving up there

- is the right thing to do.
- Yeah.

He'll be happy to see you.

Yeah.

You two are close?

We barely speak,
but I mean, when I was a kid,

we were very close.

What happened?

Life, I guess.

I mean, I'm sure
it's the same for everyone.

You grow up, you move out,

you start a new life,

and then a year passes,
two years, 10 years,

and, well, you find yourself

so far away
from where you started

that it's hard to get back.

Shit.

I know why you wanted that beer.

Anyways, it's great to get out
of the city, you know?

I mean, the drive up
brought back

so many great memories.

The sights, the sounds,
the smells,

especially the smells.

That crisp,
clean smell of the cold.

Right? So cold that
it freezes your nostrils.

Yeah, it's been
a pretty bad winter,

one of the coldest in a while.

Yeah, you know,
the worst winter I can remember

was 1988.

Oh, yeah.

I remember '88.

Snowed every day in January.

Yeah, I mean, and that would
have been fine by me,

but when the sun went down
and the wind picked up,

I have never known a cold
like that before or since.

You see, back then,
we were living on a pig farm

just outside of Belleville,

and there was this one night

when my dad needed help
in the barn

because we had this sow

that was having
a difficult pregnancy.

But I mean, I was just a kid,
so all I could do

was just hold a flashlight.

And as it turned out,
the sow was fine.

And out of her come
a litter of six, you know.

Five healthy ones
and one stillborn.

Now, when that happens,

you have to get rid
of the dead one,

otherwise it upsets the mother,

so my dad told me to take it out
to the end of our property

and throw it in the forest.

He said that way the coyotes
will come and get it

and they'd stay off our farm.

But needless to say,
I didn't want to do it,

but when my dad gave an order,

you'd better fucking do it.

You ever been on a farm
during a full moon

all alone under
the soft blue light?

Yeah.

Well, I remember on that night
under that moon,

the pig glistened
like a dead fish.

I remember that
it was still warm

and there was steam
coming off of its body.

I remember it took a long time

to walk out to the tree line
in the dark.

I remember the crunch
of the snow

and the sting of the wind.

But...

...most of all,
I remember the sadness.

That sinking feeling
of childhood sadness.

So instead of doing
what I was told,

I just... I just stopped
and I stood there

and I...

I started to cry.

I bawled my eyes out
for this poor little animal

who never had a chance to live,

I mean, I just...

I just wanted to be
back in my bed, you know,

and far away from it all and...

But all I could do was
just stand there

as the tears froze
against my cheeks.

I finally got it together
and I...

I said a little prayer and...

Well, I knelt down
and I put that little animal

down on the snow.

Jesus.

Yeah.

That goddamn little pig
was still alive.

But I mean, I was just a kid.

But I knew, I just knew
that there was nothing

that I could do
to help it survive,

especially through
a night like that.

I definitely could not
bring it back to my father,

because if I did,
there would be hell to pay.

That said...

I couldn't stand the thought

of just leaving it there
to freeze to death.

So what'd you do?

I picked him up,
I tightened my grip,

and I snapped his neck.

Just like I'm gonna snap yours,
you fucking rat.

Huh?

So he's dead?

Dead?

He got his fucking head
chopped off.

No, no, no, not that guy,

the second guy,
the well-dressed guy,

the guy who came in afterwards.

Yeah, he's dead, too.

Why'd he chop his head off?

He didn't.

He got beaten to death
with a phone.

No, no!

No, not him, the other guy,
the first guy.

Oh, yeah,
completely decapitated.

- Why?
- I don't know.

Well, it sounds
like a hit, right?

A goddamn execution.

Gotta hand it to you,
college boy,

- that was a good one.
- Wait, what?

Goosed it up real good.

I didn't goose anything.

- That's what happened.
- Uh-huh.

You don't believe me?

- No.
- How come.

Because you can't snow
the snowman,

you know what I mean?

No.

You say this really happened.

- Yeah.
- When?

Saturday night.

- In Elk Lake.
- That's right.

Then why haven't I heard
anything about it?

Because the police
are shitting themselves.

They're not releasing
any information

and, I don't know,
in a storm like this?

Everything just slows down.

It's not like the news
caught wind of it.

Okay. Okay, I'll grant you that.

But let me get this straight:

You just told me about a crime.

Hasn't been leaked
to the media,

police aren't talking about it,

for which there are
no survivors.

Correct?

So how are you able
to tell me the complete story

in such precise detail?

Well, because this.

This is the craziest part.

While all this is going down,

the killer is
under the impression

that the bar is empty.

But it wasn't.

There was a guy,
nearly passed out,

in the far corner of the bar.

He was hiding in the shadows.

He saw the whole thing.

And he didn't do
anything about it?

Nope.

Who's the guy?

The aptly named Thomas Coward.

- Tommy Coward?
- Yeah, it's funny

that you mentioned him earlier.

What's he doing in Elk Lake?

I thought he was pumping gas
for Bill's two boys.

He was, but the brothers,
they got into a fight

and split up the business.

You know.

I know Dennis from way back.

I was helping out
at the garage,

and that's where Tommy
told us the whole story

- Monday morning.
- Wait, wait, wait.

You're saying that
Tommy just sat back

and watched two people
get killed.

Yeah.

But he could have intervened
at any point,

he could have stopped it.

I guess so.

- Nobody had to die.
- No.

And get this, not only that,

but you have to remember,

Ken was closing up,

so if he would have gone
and locked the door

before he started mopping,

this guy
wouldn't have gotten in,

and none of this
would've happened.

But why Ken, what did he do?

I don't know.

Random death, you know?

You think
you're on steady ground

and then the earth opens up
and swallows you whole.

A guy chopped
his fucking head off, Stevie,

there had to be a reason.

I guess some things
just can't be explained.

I don't know.

Maybe he got the wrong guy.

What do you mean wrong guy?

Hey, where are you going?

Just grabbing my stuff.

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, just wait.

Let me... let me
buy you a drink.

You're gonna buy me a drink?

Take it before
I change my mind.

What do you mean by,
"maybe he got the wrong guy"?

I mean, from my understanding,

Ken was a... Ken was a good guy.

He worked 60 hours a week,
woke up early on Sundays,

shoveled the church parking lot.

He didn't have an enemy
in the world.

And...

What?

I don't know.

Like you said,

sounds like some kind
of organized crime thing.

Like, "Bring me the head
of Alfredo Garcia."

Who?

Never mind.

Just suppose you're a guy,

asked to do a job like that.

You're not from around here.

You're driving up Highway 11

in a snowstorm.

You start passing signs
for Elk Lake, Dog Lake,

Desert Lake, Kirkland Lake,

and the other little
goddamn lakes along the way.

One wrong turn,
you're in the wrong town

at the wrong bar

killing the wrong guy.

I mean, it could happen.

Well, I guess we'll never know
the whole story.

I mean, it's not like
he left behind a business card.

Right?

Nope.

Except the name he said
before he killed him.

What name?

Oh. Oh, shit.

You got me so worked up,

I didn't tell the story
properly.

What fucking name?

Well, right after
he smashed Ken's face in,

he stood over him and said,

"Jimmy Thompson
sends his regards."

Jimmy Thompson.

Who?

Jimmy fucking Thompson.

Jimmy fucking Thompson.

Are you sure?

Pretty sure.

Do... do you think
he maybe could have said

a different name?

In the story that Tommy told me,

it was Jimmy Thompson.

He could be wrong.

He was pretty sure.

Or you could be wrong.

What do you mean?

He could be wrong,
you could be wrong.

Nobody's got a perfect
fucking memory, right?

What's the problem?

Nothing.

It's beautiful, though.

Huh?

The snow.

It really does look
like a movie out there.

Too bad you won't get
to enjoy it much longer.

Why not?

It's gonna melt.

The temperature's
supposed to go up tomorrow.

Do you think
I could get that now?

You just finish your beer

and get the hell
out of here, Stevie.

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