Conversations #2
A disjointed set of conversations that would've been fun/nice/endearing/helpful to see in the series…but we didn't.
Follows CANON only, generally references to conversations we never hear.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Just speculatin'.
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"Johnston, when are you going to do something about Jonah?"
Johnston Green closed his eyes and bit his tongue before he looked up from the papers in front of him to address the owner of that too-familiar voice. The tall, bald, pear-shaped man was Johnston's own personal albatross--but what he'd done to deserve this one, he had no idea.
"Good evening, Gray. How are you this evening? I'm fine, thank you for asking, but Gail has a terrible cold. Since it is close to five, I was just finishing up this report from Carl and Chief Reilly and getting ready to go home and make dinner for Gail. But if you need something right now, I'll stay here and discuss it with you." The sarcasm was, as usual, lost on the pompous ass. Johnston was not in the least surprised.
"Of course I don't want to keep you here with Gail sick, Mayor, but the man is a menace! He's been--"
"He's been a part of this town a lot longer than you have, and I am well aware of what he's done." Johnston looked at Gray again. The man was actually pouting! How in hell did he manage anything, much less a mine?
"Then why isn't he in jail?" Gray demanded, the former mine boss being a personal pet peeve of his.
"Well, Gray," Johnston said, leaning back and deliberately ignoring that good manners required him to offer Gray a chair, "here in Kansas we have this little legal requirement called 'evidence'. There is, at present, absolutely no evidence of any kind that indicates he has done anything illegal. In point of fact, he has repeatedly kept a few of the more undesirable elements on the edge of town from doing something incredibly stupid." And didn't Johnston regret it at times like these. Jonah had prevented more than one attempt on Gray's life, retaliation for the loss of the mine contract Jonah had held for so long. It was thanks to Mary Bailey that he knew that, but it had been done long before he'd learned about it.
"But everybody knows--"
"That's still not evidence, Gray," Johnston sighed. "Just like everybody knows you bought out the Perkins family with a contract that might not be considered perfectly legal, but since that copy burned up and left you with the deed, signed by all parties, well we just have to put up with you, too."
Gray Anderson's face had paled, then turned red with temper. He turned on his heel and stalked out.
Mayor Johnston Green leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. Hell with the report, he thought, he'd finish it in the morning. He had to make dinner. And now he had a headache.
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