American Buffalo

Act II takes place at night in the junk shop. Donny awaits Fletcher, who is 15 minutes late. He grumbles to himself as he makes repeated phone calls, presumably to ascertain Fletcher’s whereabouts.

Bobby arrives unexpectedly and says that he needs money. When questioned by Donny, he explains he has found a buffalo nickel and that he got it from a man. Donny tries to lecture Bobby on the importance of knowing the value of something before doing a business transaction. When Bobby reminds Donny that the former customer paid $90 for the nickel, Donny suggests that the two consult his currency book. Bobby says that he only wants what the nickel is worth.

Teach enters. He asks what Bobby is doing in the shop. Donny says that Teach is late. Teach says that his watch broke, and so he took it off.

Teach becomes defensive. He tries to turn Donny’s attention to questioning Fletcher’s whereabouts. When Teach learns that Bobby has found another buffalo nickel, Teach pretends to commend him, then gives Bobby a $5 bill to get him to leave the store. Teach encourages Donny to give Bobby more money to hasten his departure. Donny agrees, and hands Bobby some bills of unknown denomination. After Bobby leaves, Teach grows increasingly impatient with Fletcher’s absence. He suggests that he and Donny undertake the theft without Fletcher, but Donny insists on waiting.

Teach suggests calling the man whom they are targeting to make sure he isn’t home. Donny’s wants to avoid arousing suspicion when they call. His plan is to present the situation as a simple instance of dialing the wrong number. However, when executing this plan, Teach in fact dials and asks for the correct number, neither reaching the man nor presenting a convincing case to the unwitting woman at the other end of the line. Donny takes the phone and calls The Riv to see if Fletcher is there, which he is not. Teach remarks on Bobby’s gumption for having come into the store with his nickel so presumptuously and how free enterprise allows people to do what they wish.

Donny insists that they will need Fletcher to get into the target’s home and crack a safe. Teach claims that finding the combination to a safe is easy; the combination will be written down, and he could surely find it. Desperate to convince Donny to do the job with only him, Teach says that Fletcher is unscrupulous. He says that Fletcher stole pig iron from Ruthie and cheated Donny out of money at a poker game by pretending to spill a soda. Suddenly, Donny starts to believe Teach’s story, but questions why Teach never told Donny earlier, to which Teach replies that he is nobody’s keeper. When midnight arrives, Teach insists on going to the target’s house alone. When Teach leaves the junk shop, a gun falls from his pocket, startling Donny.

Donny refuses to bring the gun with them, while Teach insists that it is necessary for self-defense. Suddenly, police cruise by outside. Teach says that the police surely have plenty of self-defense weapons. 

Bobby knocks on the door. He comes in flustered and reports that Fletcher has been mugged and has a broken jaw and that Ruthie and Grace know about it. Teach, supremely irritated that Bobby has returned and waylaid their heist yet again, accuses Bobby of lying, and claims that Bobby and Fletcher have completed the heist without them. Donny asks Bobby which hospital Fletcher is in and tries to call Masonic Hospital, as instructed by Bobby.

Fletcher is not at Masonic. It seems that Bobby’s story may be fabricated, though Bobby insists he simply remembered the name of the hospital incorrectly. Teach violently hits Bobby with an object from the junk stop, and Bobby bleeds from the ear. 

Donny, growing suspicious, questions where Bobby got the nickel. The phone rings in the shop. Donny answers impatiently and realizes it is Ruth on the other end. She explains that Fletcher is at Columbus Hospital. Donny calls the hospital and confirms that Fletcher has been admitted with a broken jaw, as Bobby said. Donny and, to a lesser extent, Teach, now regret the attack on Bobby. Donny wants to concentrate on getting Bobby to the hospital and tells Teach that the robbery is off. Teach does not accept this, and Donny begins to beat Teach. When the beating subsides, Bobby admits to Donny that he never actually saw the man with the buffalo nickel leave his house.

Bobby says that he bought the second buffalo nickel at a coin store for $50 to make up for not keeping track of the customer who bought the nickel. Teach pronounces that there is no right or wrong, no law, no friendship. Donny tells Teach that he is finished with him for the day, and instructs him to get his car to bring Bobby to the hospital. Teach makes a hat out of newspaper to protect himself from the rain as he goes to retrieve his car. Bobby apologizes to Donny, and Donny assures him that it is alright.