按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
they parked a ways from mosss truck and waited。 its ten； torbert said。
what？
its ten。 deceased。 we forgot about old wyrick。 its ten。
bell nodded。 that we know about； he said。
yessir。 that we know about。
the helicopter arrived and circled and set down in a whirl of dust out on the bajada。
nobody got out。 they were waiting for the dust to blow away。 bell and torbert watched the rotor winding down。
the dea agents name was mcintyre。 bell knew him slightly and liked him about well enough to nod to。 he got out with a clipboard in his hand and walked toward them。 he was dressed in boots and hat and a carhartt canvas jacket and he looked all right until he opened his mouth。
sheriff bell； he said。
agent mcintyre。
what vehicle is this？
its a 72 ford pickup。
mcintyre stood looking out down the bajada。 he tapped the clipboard against his leg。
he looked at bell。 im happy to know that； he said。 white in color。
id say white。 yes。
could use a set of tires。
he went over and walked around the truck。 he wrote on his clipboard。 he looked inside。
he folded the seat forward and looked in the back。
who cut the tires？
bell was standing with his hands in his back pockets。 he leaned and spat。 deputy hays here believes it was done by a rival party。
rival party。
yessir。
i thought these vehicles were all shot up。
they are。
but not this one。
not this one。
mcintyre looked toward the chopper and he looked down the bajada toward the other vehicles。 can i get a ride down there with you？
sure you can。
they walked toward torberts truck。 the agent looked at bell and he tapped the clipboard against his leg。 you dont intend to make this easy； do you？
hell； mcintyre。 im just messin with you。
they walked around in the bajada looking at the shot…up trucks。 mcintyre held a kerchief to his nose。 the bodies were bloated in their clothes。 this is about the damnedest thing i ever saw； he said。
he stood making notes on his clipboard。 he paced distances and made a rough sketch of the scene and he copied out the numbers off the license plates。
were there no guns here？ he said。
not as many as there should of been。 we got two pieces in evidence。
how long you think theyve been dead？
four or five days。
somebody must have got away。
bell nodded。 theres another body about a mile north of here。
theres heroin spilled in the back of that bronco。
yep。
mexican black tar。
bell looked at torbert。 torbert leaned and spat。
if the heroin is missing and the money is missing then my guess is that somebody is missing。
id say thats a reasonable guess。
mcintyre continued writing。 dont worry； he said。 i know you didnt get it。
i aint worried。
mcintyre adjusted his hat and stood looking at the trucks。 are the rangers ing out here？
rangers are in。 or one is。 dps drug unit。
ive got 。380s； 。45s； nine millimeter parabellum； twelve gauge； and 。38 special。 did you all find anything else？
i think that was it。
mcintyre nodded。 i guess the people waiting for their dope have probably figured out by now that its not ing。 what about the border patrol？
everbodys in as far as i know。 we expect it to get right lively。 might could be a bigger draw than the flood back in 65。
yeah。
what we need is to get these bodies out of here。
mcintyre tapped the clipboard against his leg。 aint that the truth； he said。
nine millimeter parabellum； said torbert。
bell nodded。 you need to put that in your files。
chigurh picked up the signal from the transponder ing across the high span of the devils river bridge just west of del rio。 it was near midnight and no cars on the highway。 he reached over into the passenger seat and turned the dial slowly forward and then back； listening。
the headlights picked up some kind of a large bird sitting on the aluminum bridgerail up ahead and chigurh pushed the button to let the window down。 cool air ing in off the lake。 he took the pistol from beside the box and cocked and leveled it out the window； resting the barrel on the rearview mirror。 the pistol had been fitted with a silencer sweated onto the end of the barrel。 the silencer was made out of brass mapp… gas burners fitted into a hairspray can and the whole thing stuffed with fiberglass roofing insulation and painted flat black。 he fired just as the bird crouched and spread its wings。
it flared wildly in the lights； very white； turning and lifting away into the darkness。 the shot had hit the rail and caromed off into the night and the rail hummed dully in the slipstream and ceased。 chigurh laid the pistol in the seat and put the window back up again。
moss paid the driver and stepped out into the lights in front of the motel office and slung the bag over his shoulder and shut the cab door and turned and went in。 the woman was already behind the counter。 he set the bag in the floor and leaned on the counter。 she looked a little flustered。 hi； she said。 you fixin to stay a while？
i need another room。
you want to change rooms or you want another one besides the one youve got？
i want to keep the one i got and get another one。
all right。
have you got a map of the motel？
she looked under the counter。 there used to be a sort of a one。 wait a minute。 i think this is it。
she laid an old brochure on the counter。 it showed a car from the fifties parked in front。
he unfolded it and flattened it out and studied it。
what about one forty…two？
you can have one next to yours if you want it。 one…twenty aint took。
thats all right。 what about one forty…two？
she reached and got the key off the board behind her。 youll owe for two nights； she said。
he paid and picked up the bag and walked out and turned down the walkway at the rear of the motel。 she leaned over the counter watching him go。
in the room he sat on the bed with the map spread out。 he got up and went into the bathroom and stood in the tub with his ear to the wall。 a tv was playing somewhere。
he went back and sat and unzipped the bag and took out the shotgun and laid it to one side and then emptied the bag out onto the bed。
he took the screwdriver