Metal strode into the Sheriff's office, and took the offered seat. "As you can see, I did the job. One drug operation soundly broken down, and you have a new fish in the tank."
The Sheriff nodded in response. He was a portly man and the action set his jowls quivering. "I understand you sprang your ambush having observed a transaction."
"And?"
"... And so it stands to logic that you may have happened upon the payment of said transaction. Funds which should rightly be seized by the proper authorities, mister, eh... Metal."
Eddie shrugged, lying through his teeth, his poker face in full effect. "Didn't find any stone. My guess is payment was worked out beforehand, or was promised later, or maybe hidden somewhere for separate retrieval. Protection of assets from people trying what I did."
"Interesting analysis, sir," replied the hefty man, coolly. His eyes flickered from side to side. That and a faint creaking told the bounty hunter a deputy was moving up either side of him. The Sheriff continued in what was now a confident drawl. "I trust a respected bounty hunter such as yourself would have nothing to hide. With that in mind, surely you wouldn't mind if my boys took a little root around in your bag?"
Eddie turned his head and spat. His hand was resting on the butt of his gun so casually, one would question whether it hadn't been there since he sat down. "And surely you wouldn't mind if I shot my load down your momma's back." The Sheriff blinked in surprise, and the creaking steps behind Metal's back ceased. He carried on. "After all, if she's anything like you, that's a lot of back to cover. A four man job, at least--" his left hand, the metal boned hand, concealed by his gloves, shot out and seized the wrist of the deputy who had lunged at him.
"Well that was fucken rude," Metal said conversationally. "But sorry, I was rude myself." The deputy caught in his grip let out a whimper as Eddie's enhanced hand grated the bones of his forearm against each other with inhuman ease. When he let go, the man backpedaled instantly. "You say I'm a respected bounty hunter, and I guess you say right, pal. So why don't you prove that fact and respect me by giving me the benefit of the doubt? Otherwise you may as well call me a liar, and that ain't so respectful."
The Sheriff didn't reply at first, and when he did, it was the slightest dip of the head.
"Good," Eddie replied, and then got to his feet. Then with a smile, "my payment?"
The Sheriff opened his mouth as if to argue, but then closed it. Sighing, the man threw down a small coin purse containing the agreed upon weight of carbon. Eddie picked it up, weighed it briefly in his hand, and then slipped it inside his coat pocket. Picking up his bag from where it sat by his chair, he slung it over one shoulder, then turned and left. He whistled to himself as he strode down the boardwalk, idly wondering what he should do next. He had enough money to be going on with after that little maneuver. And he hadn't actually done anything wrong. There was no law attributing money from crime scenes to the Sheriff's department. It was merely the bluff of a moderately corrupt official lining his own pockets. A victimless crime, to be sure. But the attaining and safe return of any fiscal assets hadn't been in his contract, or Metal would have fulfilled that request loyally, skimming not so much as a single stone. But it hadn't, so he had. He'd taken the lot, and that too was a victimless crime.
