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well。 he aint dead yet。
i hope thats more fort to you than it is to me。
he sipped the coffee and set the mug down on the table。 he watched her。 he needs to turn the money in； he said。 theyd put it in the papers。 then maybe these people would leave him alone。 i cant guarantee that they will。 but they might。 its the only chance hes got。
you could put it in the papers anyway。
bell studied her。 no； he said。 i couldnt。
or wouldnt。
wouldnt then。 how much money is it？
i dont know what youre talkin about。
all right。
you care if i smoke？ she said。
i think were still in america。
she got her cigarettes out and lit one and turned her face and blew the smoke out into the room。 bell watched her。 how do you think this is goin to end？ he said。
i dont know。 i dont know how nothin is goin to end。 do you？
i know how it aint。
like livin happily ever after？
somethin like that。
llewelyns awful smart。
bell nodded。 you ought to be more worried about him i guess is what im sayin。
she took a long pull on the cigarette。 she studied bell。 sheriff； she said； i think im probably just about as worried as i need to be。
hes goin to wind up killin somebody。 have you thought about that？
he never has。
he was in vietnam。
i mean as a civilian。
he will。
she didnt answer。
you want some more coffee？
im coffeed out。 i didnt want none to start with。
she looked off across the cafe。 the empty tables。 the night cashier was a boy about eighteen and he was bent over the glass counter reading a magazine。 my mamas got cancer； she said。 she aint got all that long to live。
im sorry to hear that。
i call her mama。 shes really my grandmother。 she raised me and i was lucky to have her。 well。 lucky dont even say it。
yes mam。
she never did much like llewelyn。 i dont know why。 no reason in particular。 he was always good to her。 i thought after she got diagnosed shed be easier to live with but she aint。 shes got worse。
how e you live with her？
i dont live with her。 i aint that ignorant。 this is just temporary。
bell nodded。
i need to get back； she said。
all right。 have you got a gun？
yeah。 i got a gun。 i guess you think im just bait settin up here。
i dont know。
but thats what you think。
i cant believe its all that good a situation。
yeah。
i just hope youll talk to him。
i need to think about it。
all right。
id die and live in hell forever fore id turn snitch on llewelyn。 i hope you understand that。
i do understand that。
i never did learn no shortcuts about things such as that。 i hope i never do。
yes mam。
ill tell you somethin if you want to hear it。
i want to hear it。
you might think im peculiar。
i might。
or you might think it anyway。
no i dont。
when i got out of high school i was still sixteen and i got a job at wal…mart。 i didnt know what else to do。 we needed the money。 what little it was。 anyway； the night before i went down there i had this dream。 or it was like a dream。 i think i was still about half awake。 but it e to me in this dream or whatever it was that if i went down there that he would find me。 at the wal…mart。 i didnt know who he was or what his name was or what he looked like。 i just knew that id know him when i seen him。 i kept a calendar and marked the days。 like when youre in jail。 i mean i aint never been in jail； but like you would probably。 and on the ninety…ninth day he walked in and he asked me where sportin goods was at and it was him。 and i told him where it was at and he looked at me and went on。 and directly he e back and he read my nametag and he said my name and he looked at me and he said： what time do you get off？ and that was all she wrote。 there was not no question in my mind。 not then； not now； not ever。
thats a nice story； bell said。 i hope it has a nice endin。
it happened just like that。
i know it did。 i appreciate you talkin to me。 i guess id better cut you loose； late as it is。
she stubbed out her cigarette。 well； she said。 im sorry you e all this way not to do no better than what you done。
bell picked up his hat and put it on and squared it。 well； he said。 you do the best you can。 sometimes things turns out all right。
do you really care？
about your husband？
about my husband。 yes。
yes mam。 i do。 the people of terrell county hired me to look after em。 thats my job。 i get paid to be the first one hurt。 killed； for that matter。 id better care。
youre askin me to believe what you say。 but youre the one sayin it。
bell smiled。 yes mam； he said。 im the one sayin it。 i just hope youll think about what i did say。 i aint makin up a word about the kind of trouble hes in。 if he gets killed then i got to live with that。 but i can do it。 i just want you to think about if you can。
all right。
can i ask you somethin？
you can ask。
i know you aint supposed to ask a woman her age but i couldnt help but be a bit curious。
thats all right。 im nineteen。 i look younger。
how long have you all been married？
three years。 almost three years。
bell nodded。 my wife was eighteen when we married。 just had turned。 marryin her makes up for ever dumb thing i ever done。 i even think i still got a few left in the account。 i think im way in the black on that。 are you ready？
she got her purse and rose。 bell picked up the check and squared his hat again and eased up from the booth。 she put her cigarettes in her purse and looked at him。 ill tell you somethin； sheriff。 nineteen is old enough to know that if you have got somethin that means the world to you its all that more likely itll get took away。 sixteen was； for that matter。 i think about that。
bell nodded。 i aint a stranger to them thoughts； carla jean。 them thoughts is very familiar to me。
he was asleep in his bed and it still mostly dark out when the phone rang。 he looked at the old radium dial clock on the night table and reached and picked up the phone。
sheriff bell； he said。
he listened for about two minutes。 then he said： i appreciate you callin me。 yep。 its just out and out war is what it is。 i dont know no other name for it。
he pulled up in front of the sheri