Frank and Paul spent the evening again playing board games in the big living room. Tonight it was Game of Life, Frank on the winning path. Meanwhile, they talked about Paul's reappearance in town.
"Cody and Shelly came back from their errands at two-thirty. They had already received a full report from the barber and from the coffee shop. Shelly told me the barista at the coffee shop was going on about how you were back, looking like something between George Clooney and Superman-"
"Clooney? I thought I had more Pierce Brosnan in me." Paul smiled and spun the number dial on the board.
"The town gossips are confused. On the one hand, you look like a normal city-slicker catching up with some of your old friends. On the other hand, your first visit is with the police-as if you are on parole, showing your face to the local law. And you apparently had made a very bad impression on Wilma. Her description included expressions she had formerly used to describe convicted sex offenders."
"Maybe I should ask The Gazette for a public clarification?"
"The Gazette is almost broke and reduced to one issue per week. Plus, they never report anything of relevance. They are down to ten dollars." Frank snorted and received money from the bank for successful speculation on the stock market.
"Ten dollars for a local weekly? Or ten dollars in the bank?"
"No, the reports are down to ten-dollar values." Frank mimicked Wolf Blitzer: "A case of vandalism struck the house of Widow Marie Smith, eighty-eight. Person or persons unknown broke her front lawn pottery, spilling pot earth on her green lawn, uprooting two ferns, and causing damage close to twelve dollars. 'I am devastated, my back is killing me, and my poodle Norma is scared,' Widow Smith told our reporter, live from Welcome, Minnesota."
"I see. So my homecoming fills the dry spell between Thanksgiving and the Superbowl."
"Any insights from your visits?"
Paul sighed. "Plenty and none. Clarkson is amazingly okay. Ray hasn't changed at all. Patty is still an attractive lady, Big John has grown old, and little Biff tried to shot me."
Frank nodded his head. "Stubborn genes. Clarkson is probably the only person in town who understands that the Paul Trouble who left is not the Paul Trouble who came back. Imagine, the most exciting things that happened in over twenty years while you were away were that we had one school bus accident that killed two kids and we elected a democratic mayor for four years. Got any closer to the source of our little problem?"
"This is what we should talk about. I have this plan...."
Main Street in Welcome saw a droll public exchange of Father and Son Trouble the next day at noon. It was the day before Christmas, and they had driven Paul's rental to town, where they had visited some shops together. During a late lunch at Barney's Diner, they apparently got in a fight over a ranch-related issue.
"And I tell you again, Paul, let go of this. I do not see the need for you to get involved!" Frank Trouble said loudly, pointing his fork at Paul.
"Dad, hear me out. You need help in this. It can't go on."
"Paul, I won't have any more of it. Stand back!"
"Dad, this is ridiculous! Why did I even come here for Christmas, if we are not able to solve this together?"
Except for Granny Mathers, who was stone deaf, the whole restaurant tried to listen in on this heated exchange.
Frank threw his napkin away in disgust. "There, you have it. You are an ungrateful bastard. Why don't you go back to your United Kingdom? I'm sure you have better things to do than spend time with your old man who just wants to be left alone!" He stood up, and Paul noticed that his head had turned red during the last words. Frank pointed a last time at Paul, as if to make his final point, and then he stormed out of the restaurant.
Paul looked around, noticed the attention, and shrugged an apology to the diners at the next tables. On the street, his father hailed the truck of someone he knew, climbed into the cab, and took off.
"Merry Christmas, Dad!" Paul muttered to himself, sticking his fork into the food.
About twenty minutes later, Paul was seen getting into his rental car and driving out of town. The rumor mill was in full swing, shortening the wait until Christmas morning.