The Count
“Now we count,” said the big man, and Lenny opened his package wrapped in his signature brown paper. Anyone who knows Lenny knows he uses this paper. I’ve seen the same paper at Roland’s Office Supply where I get my letterhead. Now on the bar lay a stack of one hundred, one hundred dollar bills. Lenny counts aloud as the big man watches. “One, two, three…” He counts, but when he hits seventeen, he pauses, just a twinge. He continues, “Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…”
The Counterfeit
At thirty, the big man reached out and tapped the bill. “That is nice money,” he said. “Continue the count.” I could tell Lenny had an unsettled feeling. Something wasn’t right, but he just wasn’t sure. At eighty, the big man taps again. “I think your money’s a little too nice. Where do you print your money?” the big man asked. “No,” said Lenny. “I’m sure to never take a bad bill!” But inside Lenny knew the big man was right. He couldn’t figure out how he got it, but he knew it was fake.
A Traveler’s Code
“The deal is off,” the big man said, putting the ring back on his finger. The two thugs went for their breast pockets, but the big man had his gun out and froze them in their tracks. “To cheat a thief is one thing, Mr. Bent. But to cheat an honest traveler is another. I’ll take my trinket and you can keep your funny money.” And the big man, gun drawn, backed his way out the door. Lenny Bent held his thugs back from giving chase. He didn’t know how, but he knew the big man was right. The money was phony.
The Curtain Call
And with that, the show was over. I could have stood to applaud. Every player, Perfect. I finished my last beer to hurry to my desk and get it all down while the play was vivid in my mind.
