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whats happened； marvin？
had a little shoot…out。 you know anything about this？
i dont know。 you got any victims？
they left out of here about a half hour ago in the ambulance。 two men and a woman。
the woman was dead and the one boy i dont think is goin to make it either。 the other one might。
do you know who they were？
no。 one of the men was mexican and were waitin for a registration on his car settin over yonder。 wasnt a one of em had any identification。 on em or in the room either one。
what does this man say？
he says the mexican started it。 says he drug the woman out of her room and the other man e out with a gun but when he seen the mexican had a gun pointed at the womans head he laid his own piece down。 and whenever he done that the mexican shoved the woman away and shot her and then turned and shot him。 he was standin in front of 117； right yonder。 shot em with a goddamned machinegun。 accordin to this witness the old boy fell down the steps and then he picked up his gun again and shot the mexican。 which i dont see how he done it。 he was shot all to pieces。 you can see the blood on the walkway yonder。 we had a real good response time。 about seven minutes； i think。 the girl was just shot dead。
no id。
no id。 the other old boys truck is got dealer tags on it。
bell nodded。 he looked at the witness。 the witness had asked for a cigarette and he lit it and sat smoking。 he looked pretty fortable。 he looked as if hed sat in the back of police cruisers before。
that woman； bell said。 was she anglo？
yeah。 she was anglo。 had blonde hair。 sort of reddish； maybe。
did you all find any dope？
not yet。 were still lookin。
any money？
we aint found nothin yet。 the girl was checked into 121。 had a knapsack with some clothes in it and stuff was all。
bell looked down the row of motel doors。 people standing around in small groups talking。 he looked at the black barracuda。
has that thing got anything to turn them tires with？
id say it would turn em pretty good。 its got a four…forty under the hood with a blower on it。
a blower？
yep。
i dont see one。
its one of them sidewinders。 its all under the hood。
bell stood looking at the car。 then he turned and looked at the sheriff。 can you get away from here for a minute？
i can。 what did you have in mind？
i just thought i might get you to ride over to the clinic with me。
all right。 just ride with me。
thatll be fine。 let me just park my cruiser a little better。
hell； its all right； ed tom。
let me just pull it up here out of the way。 you dont always know how quick youll be back when you set off someplace。
at the desk the sheriff spoke to the night nurse by name。 she looked at bell。
hes up here to make a identification； the sheriff said。
she nodded and rose and put her pencil in the pages of the book she was reading。 two of em were doa； she said。 they flew that mexican out of here in a helicopter about twenty minutes ago。 or maybe you already knew that。
nobody tells me nothin； darlin； the sheriff said。
they followed her down the hallway。 there was a thin trail of blood along the concrete floor。 they wouldnt of been hard to find； would they？ bell said。
there was a red sign at the end of the hall that read exit。 before they got there she turned and fitted a key to a steel door on the left and opened it and switched on the light。
the room was raw concrete block； windowless and empty save for three steel machinists tables on wheels。 on two of them lay bodies covered with plastic sheets。
she stood with her back to the open door while they filed past。
he aint a friend of yours is he ed tom？
no。
he took a couple of rounds in the face so i dont think hes goin to look too good。 not that i aint seen worse。 that highway out there is a goddamn warzone； you tell the truth about it。
he pulled back the sheet。 bell walked around the end of the table。 there was no chock under mosss neck and his head was turned to the side。 one eye partly opened。 he looked like a badman on a slab。 theyd sponged the blood off of him but there were holes in his face and his teeth were shot out。
is that him？
yeah； thats him。
you look like you wished it wasnt。
i get to tell his wife。
im sorry about that。
bell nodded。
well； the sheriff said。 there aint nothin you could of done about it。
no； bell said。 but you always like to think there is。
the sheriff covered mosss face and reached and lifted back the plastic at the other table and looked at bell。 bell shook his head。
theyd rented two rooms。 or he did。 paid cash。 you couldnt read the name on the register。 just a scrawl。
his name was moss。
all right。 well get your information down at the office。 kind of a skankylookin little old girl。
yeah。
he covered her face again。 i dont reckon his wife is goin to like that part of it neither； he said。
no； i dont expect she will。
the sheriff looked at the nurse。 she was still standing leaning against the door。 how many times was she hit？ he said。 do you know？
no i dont； sheriff。 you can look at her if you want。 i dont mind and i know she wont。
thats all right。 itll be on the autopsy。 are you ready； ed tom？
yeah。 i was ready fore i e in here。
he sat in the sheriffs office alone with the door shut and stared at the phone on the desk。
finally he got up and went out。 the deputy looked up。
hes gone home； i reckon。
yessir； the deputy said。 can i help you with somethin； sheriff？
how far is it to el paso？
its about a hundred and twenty miles。
you tell him i said thank you and ill give him a call tomorrow。
yessir。
he stopped and ate on the far side of town and sat in the booth and sipped his coffee and watched the lights out on the highway。 something wrong。 he couldnt make sense out of it。 he looked at his watch。 1：20。 he paid and walked out and got in the cruiser and sat there。 then he drove to the intersection and turned east and drove back to the motel again。
chigurh checked into a motel on the eastbound interstate and walked out across a windy field in the dark and watched across the highway through a pair of binoculars。 the