WANTED // Sapnap X Reader

3

It was probably a good thing that Anne didn't take you up on that bet, because almost as soon as the dinner rush had started, you heard those phrases you had uttered from a table nearby your piano.

"Did'ya see this morning's paper? Right on the front page - something about a robbery. They're offering a reward for any leads anybody has."

"Whoever it is best not head in our direction. That old Sheriff'll rip 'em a new one if he does."

You fought back a smiled as you played, casting your eyes around the floor for Anne. You spotted her dropping of a few plates at a table across the room, and when she stood back up, you caught her eye, grinning. Anne rolled her eyes, but you could tell by the smile on her face as she walked back to the kitchen that she had understood.

Your attention was drawn back to the piano as you felt someone set a glass down on top of the wood, and you looked over to see one of the regular patrons leaning against the side of the piano, tapping her toes along to the little melody you were still playing. Miss Dolly had been an enthusiast of your piano skills from the moment you were hired on, and she was one of your favorite regulars to this day.

You rounded off the song before turning on the bench to face her, a smile on your face. "Howdy Miss Dolly. What can I do you for today?"

Dolly smiled, taking her glass of the piano to take a sip before setting it back down. "Just wanted to wander over to enjoy the music and catch up a bit, darlin'. It's been too long since you and I got to talkin'."

"All too true." You agreed. "How's Howard?"

Dolly shook her head. "You wouldn't believe what that old fart has gotten himself into this time... I don't know why I ever married him. I had plans to marry my best friend, Emilie, you know, but then she fell in love with some banker..."

You listened as Dolly prattled on about how she was wasting away in that house with Howard, and how when she was young she hadn't even really wanted to get married at all, and how Howard was really such an idiot (he can't even figure out how to hang the wash properly, really). For all her complaining, you really did like Dolly. At heart, she was a sweet thing and always tossed you the change from her purse to play songs that you liked.

"But enough about me, sugar pie, what about you?" She asked. "Been learnin' any new tunes on this piano a' yours?"

"I've been trying to pick up a couple." You said. "I could use a few more exciting ones, don't you think?"

"Speaking of exciting." Dolly said, leaning on the piano a little more. "Did'ya happen to read the paper this morning?"

Ah, here it was. "I did." You said, resting your arm on the wood of the piano. "What'd'ya think of all that Miss Dolly?"

Dolly took a long sip of her drink before setting it back down on the piano. "Let me tell you - people'll talk about anything these days. Two sentences in the paper and everyone's in a tizzy about some mystery thief showin' up 'round here. These newer folks don't trust the Sheriff like they should."

"You think Jones'll be able to catch 'em if he comes here?" You asked. "No one even knows what he looks like."

"Don't need to." Dolly said, taking another long drought of her drink. "Any rightfully skeptical citizen would be able to smell it on 'em. Anybody shifty around here is gonna have a hard time."

"If you say so." You said. You didn't think you would be able to 'smell it on someone' as Miss Dolly had so eloquently said - especially since there had been almost no description of the thief in the first place. And really, what were the chances of someone who had just stolen a large sum of money just going one town over to spend it? Chances were the thief had just hopped on a train out of Kempton as was long gone now.

Dolly finished her glass and pushed off the piano, digging into her pocket and flipping you a dime. "Play something fun for me, sugar."

You caught the coin and slipped it into your own pocket. "Will do Miss Dolly." You said, turning back around so that you faced the piano, wiggling your fingers before you laid them on the keys, an old favorite song of your coming to mind. It was pure muscle memory at this point, but it was fast and light and always made toes tap around the saloon when you played it, so you did, swaying along with the song as you played.

You didn't get any more visits as the night progressed, but you kept catching snippets of conversation between songs - people discussing and theorizing about if the thief would make his way here, or if he was already off to the winds somewhere, spending what he had stolen.

"I betcha he grabbed the first train out of Kempton he could. He's probably in Mexico by now..."

"Nah, I think he's probably laying low for a few days, waiting 'til they give up the search..."

The talk of the thief continued on all night until the last regular was stumbling out the doors and you were closing up the piano, getting up and stretching your legs as you made your way over to the kitchen, where Perkins was cleaning up for the night.

You leaned in the doorframe, stifling a yawn. "Need any help?"

Perkins barely glanced up. "Take that bag out back for me, will ya'?" He asked, gesturing to a bag of vegetable scraps that he had set aside.

"Sure thing." You said, reaching down to grab the bag and meandering towards the back door. You stepped out into the night air, breathing deep. The stars spread out above you, reaching out into the horizon...

...and the man who had been leaning against the back wall of the building jumped.