The 'Cousins'

Chapter 102 (F)- Part One

Chapter 102 (FoxTrot). Part One

Walt Spills the Beans!

A/N: This chapter directly follows the last and continues the nightcap conversation between Wayne and Walt! Wayne has just asked for the background story to Fawley Grain and Feed leading to Walt's dismissal from the company. It's a long and important chapter and for that reason I'll be posting it in parts every 24 hours. The chapter will also serve to refresh your, memory of story parts in earlier chapters. Now read on:

Wayne settled comfortably into an armchair with a glass in his hand, legs crossed and a blank, innocent expression on his face: endeavouring to appear casual and hiding his interest in what Walt had to say about Fawley and his businesses.

The ex-general manager shifted self-consciously on the couch and glanced again at his wristwatch.

"There's not much to say really." He spoke softly. "You sure you want to hear this stuff? It's getting pretty late."

"I sure do Walt, if it's not a problem for you. You see, if I'm ever going to do business in these parts I need all the help I can get to understand a few things about the local people: such as their likes, dislikes and how things are done around here. I reckon there's nobody else who could tell me better than you. I want to make sure I don't ride roughshod over folks' sensibilities like Greg appears to have done."

Walt guffawed and shook his head. "I dunno what went wrong there. Looks like he upset someone real bad for them to put out a rumor like that about him and young Jesse White."

Wayne uncrossed his legs and leaned forwards. "Are you saying you think it's only a rumor and nothing happened like what the motel manager claims he witnessed?"

Walt waved his hand across the front of his face in a gesture of dismissal. "I'm certain of it. Wes made a mistake about what he saw. Greg was only dressing the boy's leg, like he told us tonight over dinner."

"Then why doesn't everybody else in town believe it?"

Walt pursed his lips while he considered his reply for a second.

"I've no answer to that one, perhaps it's what they want to believe. It's plain for all to see Greg has affection for the boy, and that's odd, considering they only met a few days ago, but I don't think anything happened like the gossip says it did. I cain't speak for Greg's personal habits; you know him better'n me, but I do know Jess. He was raised in a hard working Christian family for which the notion of Sodom and Gomorrah behaviour would be like courting the Devil himself. No sir, I don't think Jess would allow that to happen to him even if Greg wanted to go that way. No sir."

"You seem sure of that Walt. I've heard tales of college kids in the big cities making a few bucks in this way to help 'em get by, so why not here in Bamptonville? ...There's another possibility here, and putting it the other way round; what do you think of the opposite opinion that says the boy might be seducing Greg?"

Walt slapped the arm of the couch angrily and pulled himself upright to glare at Wayne.

"No way! No sir, Jess is a well brought up and dutiful youngster who would not do anything to bring shame on his family. He knows well enough not to do those things if Greg or anybody else tried to lead him down a path he wouldn't tread of his own accord. I'd stake my life on it."

"How can you be so sure Walt? How would he know not to do it, he's only seventeen, living in a quiet rural community and with no experience of life outside of Bamptonville? Jess is not long past puberty; it's a difficult age for boys. He might be curious, and tempted to experiment."