"... Um," was James's weak-sounding answer.

He couldn't rightly call himself a local.

He was here only because he had finally reached the point where he couldn't pay to keep the car filled anymore. So it was in storage, and he and Laura were stranded until he could build up a fresh safety net to get them going again. And in a far-north wintertime... the prospects were dim.

"... There's a... a pay phone down that way."

He pointed down the road.