As if trying to help you out, your car breaks down while you're in Branchville! You call the local towing service, and they tow you to an old filthy broken-down place simply called "Auto Repair Shop". They take your money, unhook your car and drive off, leaving you to search for the owner of the shop.
You go in the garage, but no one is there. You check the office, but again, no one, except a big lazy cat snoozing on the office chair. In fact, you get so desperate you go outside and wander all around the back. Still you find no one. Puzzled, you go back inside, knowing you cannot do anything until someone shows up.
As you sit in the office, you look around. It's very unorganized, and rather dirty. The cat has yet to notice your presence, and is still snoozing on the office chair. Unable to sit still, you stand up and pace the office. Out of pure boredom, you glance at the oil stained diplomas on the walls and you thumb through some of the papers on the desk.
Suddenly you notice one of the papers is for car work done for Lucy Fire. You glance through the information and are amazed to realize that this shop replaced a transmission and didn't charge her a cent for the work.
As you are reading through the papers, you hear a noise. You quickly drop them, hoping you haven't been discovered. You had nothing to worry about, because it was just the cat who awakened and jumped off the chair, bumping into a wastepaper basket and spilling the contents across the floor. Once again you sit down to wait, and after another 5 minutes, you finally hear someone come in.
You look up and see what must be the oldest dirtiest man you've ever seen. He smiles a big toothless smile at you and between chaws of tobacco he asks "How can I help you?" Before you can answer, another man walks in carrying a grocery bag. He seems to know the owner of this shop and calls him by name.
"Hey Ennis"
The old man answers back "Hey Charlie! What's up?"
"Not much. The wife asked me to walk over to the grocery and get a few things, so I thought I'd stop in and see what you're up to."
They both look at you, as if suddenly realizing you're there, but at the same time, the big old cat meows and Ennis opens his drawer and pulls out a can of food for the cat. As he opens it, Charlie watches carefully.
"I see you still have old Butch there!"
"Yup" Ennis drawls, "Intend to have Butch for years to come. He's only 5 years old."
"Oh I know" states Charlie, "But we recently lost both of our cats. And one of our dogs!"
Ennis freezes and looks up "What happened?"
"I don't know, they just disappeared!" answers Charlie, "But I was talking to Marta at the grocery store and she says there are several people who just lost pets. Dogs and cats both."
Ennis just stares at the guy.
Charlie stares back, and for a minute you wonder if you should just leave.
"Startin' to sound like the 60s" says Charlie soberly. Then he looks at you, and promptly cheers up. "Well, guess I ought to get this stuff back to the wife before she gets mad."
Ennis finally speaks "Bye Charlie", he says as he finishes feeding the cat. "Hope you find yer pets soon!"
"Me too" answers Charlie once again somewhat somber, "The wife misses Pussy & Tom, and the grandkids will sure miss Biscuit!"
Ennis doesn't seem to have anything to say to that. He watches Charlie leave, then turns to you.
"Sorry about that!" he apologizes, "Me an Charlie is good friends. Have been since he moved here in 1957. Now, what can I do for you?"
You describe the car problem and he steps outside to the car, checks under the hood, diagnoses the problem, and fixes it all within an hour. He hands you a bill, which is far more than the problem called for, but when you question him, he reminds you he's the only place in town. You leave $400 poorer and $400 wiser.
As you drive away, you wonder why Lucy was able to get
a new transmission from this guy for no charge!