You always tried to be available for your social events and I would always go to things like cemetery cleanins of course. That was all right. The women would fix dinner on the ground and of course it was a way of campaignin but you were doin somethin for folks that couldnt do it for theirselves. Well, you could be cynical about it I reckon and say that you just didnt want em comin around at night. But I think it goes deeper than that. It is community and it is respect, of course, but the dead have more claims on you than what you might want to admit or even what you might know about and them claims can be very strong indeed. Very strong indeed. You get the feelin they just dont want to turn loose. So any little thing helps, in that respect.
What I was sayin the other day about the papers. Here last week they found this couple out in California they would rent out rooms to old people and then kill em and bury em in the yard and cash their social security checks. They'd torture em first, I dont know why. Maybe their television was broke. Now here's what the papers had to say about that. I quote from the papers. Said: Neighbors were alerted when a man run from the premises wearin only a dogcollar. You cant make up such a thing as that. I dare you to even try.
But that's what it took, you'll notice. All that hollerin and diggin in the yard didnt bring it.
That's all right. I laughed myself when I read it. There aint a whole lot else you can do.
It was almost a three hour drive to Odessa and dark when he got there. He listened to the truckers on the radio. Has he got jurisdiction up here? Come on. Hell if I know. I think if he sees you committin a crime he does. Well I'm a reformed criminal then. You got that right old buddy.
He got a city map at the quickstop and spread it out on the seat of the cruiser while he drank coffee out of a styrofoam cup. He traced his route on the map with a yellow marker from the glovebox and refolded the map and laid it on the seat beside him and switched off the domelight and started the engine.
When he knocked at the door Llewelyn's wife answered it. As she opened the door he took off his hat and he was right away sorry he'd done it. She put her hand to her mouth and reached for the doorjamb.
I'm sorry mam, he said. He's all right. Your husband is all right. I just wanted to talk to you if I could.
You aint lyin to me are you?
No mam. I dont lie.
You drove up here from Sanderson?
Yes mam.
What did you want.
I just wanted to visit with you a little bit. Talk to you about your husband.
Well you cant come in here. You'll scare Mama to death. Let me get my coat.
Yes mam.
They drove down to the Sunshine Cafe and sat in a booth at the rear and ordered coffee.
You dont know where he's at, do you.
No I dont. I done told you.
I know you did.
He took off his hat and laid it in the booth beside him and ran his hand through his hair. You aint heard from him?
No I aint.
Nothin.
Not word one.
The waitress brought the coffee in two heavy white china mugs. Bell stirred his with his spoon. He raised the spoon and looked into the smoking silver bowl of it. How much money did he give you?
She didnt answer. Bell smiled. What did you start to say? he said. You can say it.
I started to say that's some more of your business, aint it.
Why dont you just pretend I aint the sheriff.
And pretend you're what?
You know he's in trouble.
Llewelyn aint done nothin.
It's not me he's in trouble with.
Who's he in trouble with then?
Some pretty bad people.
Llewelyn can take care of hisself.
Do you care if I call you Carla?
I go by Carla Jean.
Carla Jean. Is that all right?
That's all right. You dont care if I keep on callin you Sheriff do you?
Bell smiled. No, he said. That's fine.
All right.
These people will kill him, Carla Jean. They wont quit.
He wont neither. He never has.
Bell nodded. He sipped his coffee. The face that lapped and shifted in the dark liquid in the cup seemed an omen of things to come. Things losing shape. Taking you with them. He set the cup down and looked at the girl. I wish I could say that was in his favor. But I have to say I dont think it is.
Well, she said, he's who he is and he always will be. That's why I married him.
But you aint heard from him in a while.
I didnt expect to hear from him.
Were you all havin problems?
We dont have problems. When we have problems we fix em.
Well, you're lucky people.
Yes we are.
She watched him. How come you to ask me that, she said.