Gunther dozed with his feet on the Marshal’s desk until the front door opened and rousted him awake.
“Say Joe, what do you know?”
“Hello Gunther,” Joe said. “I was hoping I could…”
The old man opened the top right drawer and pulled out a rusty cash box. He pulled out some bills and handed them to Joe. “Say no more. Seven days. Seven dollars. You earned it.”
“Much obliged,” Joe said, tucking the money into his pocket.
“Afraid there’s no more work for you here,” Gunther said. “Actually, there’s no more work for me here either.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Joe said.
“Might be some work for you around town,” Gunther said. “Lars Gustafson was looking for help at the livery if you know how to shoe a horse.”
“Nah,” Joe said. “Reckon I’ll be moving on soon.”
“Too much excitement for you in this thriving metropolis?” Gunther asked.
“You could say that,” Joe replied.
The two men shook hands.
“If you could thank Mr. Slade for me, I’d appreciate it,” Joe said.
“Not sure when I’ll see him again but I’ll pass it along,” Gunther said.
“It’s just…”
“What?” Gunther asked.
“You two were the first bosses I ever had who…”
“Didn’t make you kiss their asses?” Gunther asked.
“I was going to say treated me like an equal but yeah,” Joe said. “Say Gunther, I hate to ask…”
“What’s on your mind?” Gunther asked.
“Can you spare some cartridges?” Joe asked.
“Personally, I cannot,” Gunther said.
“Oh,” Joe replied. “Ok.”
Gunther opened up the bottom right desk drawer and laid out a box of ammo. “But luckily there’s a going out of business sale here at the Marshal’s office. What for?”
“Just going on a little hunting trip,” Joe said.
“Big game?” Gunther asked.
“Just a couple of dirty animals,” Joe replied. “Ummm…”
“What?” Gunther asked.
“Pistol rounds?”
Gunther set another box on the desk. Joe picked them both up.
“Must be some trip you’re going on,” Gunther said.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Joe replied.
“Care to tell me?” Gunther asked.
“Not especially,” Joe said. “Thanks again.”
Joe left and Gunther returned to his nap. “What else is new? No one ever tells me anything around here.”
Leo banged on the cage bars. “Some of us are trying to sleep here!”
“Aww who asked you ya’ drunk?”
Bookshelf Battle 
[…] Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 […]
Reblogged this on Bookshelf Battle and commented:
Just a hint here that Joe is plotting an offensive on his own against Blythe’s werewolves, the “dirty animals” comment referring to Mr. Becker and Mr. Hewitt obviously.
Leo the drunk in the cage – it is a reference to the Andy Griffith Show, the small town sheriff where Otis the town drunk was a recurring character and things were so informal that he let himself in and out of the cell on his own.
I’m thinking about changing Leo to Roscoe Crandall, who you may remember got punched in the face by Slade for calling Miss Bonnie a whore.
I picture him sleeping one off in later chapters and eventually makes his way to the group and perhaps he spills the beans to Sarah that Slade and Miss Bonnie are more than just casual acquaintances.