Big mouth bobby
Bobby-Joe entered a corner cafe as he took a seat at the bar as he winced from the relief he felt as he got off his hurt foot. He pulled some cash out of his pocket to pay for his meal. He was famished from all the walking and dehydrated from it as well. He asked for iced water as he drank it down and asked for another as the waitress glared at him how fast her gulped down the drink.He had been laying low now they caught Ruth-Anne. He made sure he was clear out of the area before he stopped walking. He was still limping a little from his fall from the dumpster and the pain kept him moving knowing if he stopped they wouldn't be to far away from catching him.
He was glad he kept all of the money on him. He counted his money trying to see how much he had left after this week. He knew if he gave anything to Ruth -Anne she would waste it on something superficial and pointless. They would be out of money by the months end. The money he secured would all be gone in three weeks then renting that hell hole of a hotel on weekly basis. He was planning on relocating to something more maintainable but with Ruth -Anne tagging along it made it harder to pick up and leave .
Two men sat in a booth behind him as they payed attention to the man counting the money as they silently communicated with each other to flank the man counting the money at the counter . They both smiled at the opportunity at an easy lift. Cash was easiest to boost . They gawked at the man who looked a bit distracted by his plate as he scoffed the food and drink like a weary traveler . They noticed his limp when he came in and took it as a sign the man wasn't going to move from that spot a while.
The two men sat on the stools at the opposite side of the raised counter as they pretended like they weren't paying attention to him. Bobby-Joe had been walking for almost a day and a half and wanted to rest. That and see what the news said if they were looking for him. The fastest way to get news was in a coffee shop those people love depressive news broadcast. Shops like this was used to visitors coming and going on the daily basis so it be less obvious and suspicious him watching the news.
The first man a short guy with a backwards baseball cap and a flannel shirt over a band shirt stood up as he picked the seat next to his mark and sat down first next to Bobby -Joe. He watched the man as he ate as he took inventory of his cheap watch and standard leather belt. His worn blazer that was still in good condition and his tailored pants and dress socks down to his Italian leather shoes . The most expensive thing he saw on the man. From the looks of it the suit looked well worn and the man had been wearing it a while by the wrinkles on it .
" You don't look like you from these parts?" He spoke up reaching behind the counter grabbing a visable toothpick popping it in his mouth. He sat back down as he was making sure he didn't have any jewelry under his blazer.
" Just passing through." Replied Bobby -Joe not wanting to talk. He put his money in his coat pocket on the inside. He watched these two men cross the room at the same time and didn't have time or the energy to do this with them today.
" Where from ? If you don't mind me asking?" Said the man adjusting his hat as a signal for his partner to join him at the counter. These two pulled this a hundred times in this same restaurant and one hundred and one times wouldn't hurt. Bobby -Joe knew the signal and nodded as he knew to look unaware straight ahead refusing to turn to look at the one addressing him . Because this was a form of distraction for crooks.
" Yes actually I do mind you asking ." Said Bobby -Joe not wanting to engage . He kept his eyes slightly on the other man approaching. He was smirking to himself as he took a gulp of his water anticipating the sting.
" Alright alright my bad man. I just like to talk to travelers . They have the most interesting travel stories." He said as his friend sat on the other side of Bobby -Joe as they boxed him in.
" So does travel documentaries . I have no stories you would be interested in." Sassed Bobby -Joe now annoyed this stranger wouldn't leave him alone. He noticed the man on the side of him and knew the game was at foot.
" Well how long will you be passing through?" Continued the man as he tried to destract him as the other man careful and slowly pulled back Bobby -Joe coat blazer trying to reach the pocket with the cash without alerting the man distracted.
Bobby -Joe grabbed the wrist of the evading stranger with ease as he didn't even move his head or flinch as he did thismorion holding the man's in place. The then turned to the invading man as he glared at him now angry and annoyed as he stood up pinching and adding pressure to his wrist.
" Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. " Cried the man as he tried to pull his hand away from Bobby -Joe's grip.
"Can I help you with something, friend?" Bobby-Joe hissed at the man before him. The guy in the baseball cap stood up as he saw they were caught.
" Let go of me man. You are hurting me" He protested.as he was standing up now as he winced in pain.
" Did you think I didn't see you two sitting together when I entered this establishment. The way one distracts and the other robs. This trick might have worked on idiots and careless travelers. But I'm am neither and your methods is less than mediocre. Learn a new trade it will not work all the time. You bunch of filthy amateurs." Schooled Bobby-joe as the man pulled his hand away .
" Hey man we meant no harm." Studdered the man with the baseball cap on.
" I'm sure you think think robbing random travelers is a bunch of harmless fun. The way I see it . This is a pass time for you country boys ain't it." He said as he was upset they were interiping his meal and his goal to watch the news in peace.
" Be a normal country boy and get a few beers in you and go cow tipping to feed your amusement. Learn to Leave people alone not wanting to be bothered." Continued Bobby- Joe. As the two boys scoffed at his all assuming comment about their origins.
" Did you honestly think my suit and shiny Italian leather shoes hadn't seen a cow pasture or two? I can spot a sheriff's rebellious boy and his idiot comrad from a mile away. Try another way to amuse yourself and learn from today that you two are by far the worse criminals I've met. Get a factory job and get a wife from this trap of a town . Accept your enviable fates that was prewritten for you passed down from generations of bad choices and regrets." Said Bobby- Joe as he shoved the man's hand away as he watched the man rubbing his sore wrist as the looked at each other and disappeared through the door.
Bobby-Joe sat down and ordered another coffee relaxing as the other patrons stared at the scene he caused. Bobby-Joe smirked. Those idiots picked a con artist to scam and rob. She shook his head as he let out a small chuckle.
Bobby-Joe was a born scammer . He worked for an door to door insurance sales person racking up on cheaper policies as he pocketed the extra cash he talked people into. That was a great life until everything went online and now people don't open doors or answer soliciting calls . The he got involved in a few pyramid groups as he did the same business. When his father died he thought the tight butt man who wouldn't give him a penny if he was starving would leave him something being his only son.
But no. He gave it all to Norma -jean and made her head of the families finances . He couldn't touch a penny without her permission. Norma-Jean was as tight with her money as his father was . His mother spent half of her time on luxurious cruises halfway around the world. He swore that woman couldn't stand to keep her feet on the ground. She kept saying when the vibe moves me I go where I'm called. The only thing calling was the credit card company for the bill she ran up .
When Dad died so did he trips and shopping sprees . She eventually settled on an assisted living facility since Norma -jean would let her go on cruises anymore . He eventually thought he would find any papers at the funeral reception. Nothing at all. He needed the deed to claim the complex or an insurance policy number to file a claim to get the money. Now all he had was a sister in jail and fifteen hundred dollars in his pocket and a dead cell phone.
He didn't mean to leave Ruth-Anne to take the fall but she sat there doing her nails like she didn't hear the cops surrounding the hotel. To him it was survival of the fittest . If she was too dump to stay to get caught then she deserved to be in jail. He just prayed she wasn't singing like a bird over their past crimes. Well more like his past crimes .
Now those two half wit idiots trying to pull a scam on him. Those two boys were still wet behind the ears. They couldn't pull off a real scam if he taught them. The one in the baseball cap stank of a cops kid and the other a brainless grooney . They always came in pairs . Now he had to worry about where he was going to stay for a minute while he figured out the rest.
Bobby-Joe left the coffee shop and turned a corner trying to stay out of sight as he was on the run . The alley was awfully quiet except for the scuffle of two foot steps her heard behind him. He stopped as the foot steps stopped then he continued as he stopped again as he assumed the first time was a fluke then all of a sudden he heard it before he saw it swing through the air as a steal pipe was the last thing he saw. He layed on the ground as his head was echoed as the loud noise in his ears rang. The two boys from earlier began to kick in as the grabbed his cash as they laughed mocking him.
" He said go cow tipping. Well looks like we found one MOO MOO MOO!" laughed the one in the baseball cap as he spit and kicked Bobby -Joe. " Moo! You stupid cow moo! Yelled the man laughing.
" Yeah moo. Like he said. mooooooo." Said the other one. As he laughed." That's one big cow we are tipping ."he said as he landed a hard kick to Bobby-joes abdomen.
Bobby- Joe tried to reach for anything to defend himself . Grasping nothing but air as he searched . The beating was relentless as they spit and teased the man on the dirty alley floor . The other man took off Bobby-Joe's Italian leather shoes . As he tried them on to see if they fit.
" Give me those back." Protested Bobby-Joe between gasp of pain.
" Oh these are nice. I like these shoes make me feel all fancy." Mocked the man . " Don't you think it looks real fancy on my poor tired country feet." Said the man as he showed off the shoes like he just bought them.
" is this all this bum has ?" As the other guy grabbed his watch of his wrist as he kicked him after taking it." Now I can tell time with this less than stellar junk of junk . What kind of man carried fifteen hundred dollars in cash and leather shoes .my bad Italian leather shoes and a old watch that probably older than dirt. Then lecture us how to run our scams." Said the man aggervated at the effort he wasted on this guy already.
" Hey you . Stop that. I'm calling the police."
The two men then heard yells from the back alley store employee.The two men left Bobby -Joe . Bobby Joe rolled over beatened up and in pain now face cover in dirt and heavens knows what was on the alley floor.
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