No Country for Old Men(56)
He walked down to her room and tapped at the door. He waited. He tapped again. He saw the curtain move and then she opened the door. She stood there in the same jeans and T-shirt. She looked like she'd just woken up.
I know you aint old enough to drink but I thought I'd see if you wanted a beer.
Yeah, she said. I'd drink a beer.
He lifted one of the cold bottles out of the brown paper bag and handed it to her. Here you go, he said.
He'd already turned to go. She stepped out and let the door shut behind her. You dont need to rush off thataway, she said.
He stopped on the lower step.
You got another one of these in that sack?
Yeah. I got two more. And I aim to drink both of em.
I just meant maybe you could set here and drink one of em with me.
He squinted at her. You ever notice how women have trouble takin no for a answer? I think it starts about age three.
What about men?
They get used to it. They better.
I wont say a word. I'll just set here.
You wont say a word.
No.
Well that's already a lie.
Well I wont say hardly nothin. I'll be real quiet.
He sat on the step and pulled one of the beers from the bag and twisted off the cap and tilted the bottle and drank. She sat on the next step up and did the same.
You sleep a lot? he said.
I sleep when I get the chance. Yeah. You?
I aint had a night's sleep in about two weeks. I dont know what it would feel like. I think it's beginnin to make me stupid.
You dont look stupid to me.
Well, that's by your lights.
What does that mean?
Nothin. I'm just raggin you. I'll quit.
You aint got drugs in that satchel have you?
No. Why? You use drugs?
I'd smoke some weed if you had some.
Well I aint.
That's all right.
Moss shook his head. He drank.
I just meant it's all right we could just set out here and drink a beer.
Well I'm glad to hear that's all right.
Where are you headin? You aint never said.
Hard to say.
You aint goin to California though, are you?
No. I aint.
I didnt think so.
I'm goin to El Paso.
I thought you didnt know where you was goin.
Maybe I just decided.
I dont think so.
Moss didnt answer.
This is nice settin out here, she said.
I guess it depends on where you been settin.
You aint just got out of the penitentiary or somethin have you?
I just got off of death row. They'd done shaved my head for the electric chair. You can see where it's started to grow back.
You're full of it.
Be funny if it turned out to be true though, wouldnt it?
Is the law huntin you?
Everbody's huntin me.
What did you do?
I been pickin up young girls hitchhikin and buryin em out in the desert.
That aint funny.
You're right. It aint. I was just pullin your leg.
You said you'd quit.
I will.
Do you ever tell the truth?
Yeah. I tell the truth.
You're married, aint you?
Yeah.
What's your wife's name?
Carla Jean.
Is she in El Paso?
Yeah.
Does she know what you do for a livin?
Yeah. She knows. I'm a welder.
She watched him. To see what else he would say. He didnt say anything.
You aint no welder, she said.
Why aint I?
What have you got that machinegun for?
Cause they's some bad people after me.
What did you do to em?
I took somethin that belongs to em and they want it back.
That dont sound like weldin to me.
It dont, does it? I guess I hadnt thought of that.
He sipped the beer. Holding it by the neck between his thumb and forefinger.
And that's what's in that bag. Aint it?
Hard to say.
Are you a safecracker?
A safecracker?
Yeah.
Whatever give you that notion?
I dont know. Are you?
No.
Well you're somethin. Aint you?
Everbody's somethin.
You ever been to California?
Yeah. I been to California. I got a brother lives there.
Does he like it?
I dont know. He lives there.
You wouldnt live there though, would you?
No.
You think that's where I ought to go?
He looked at her and looked away again. He stretched his legs out on the concrete and crossed his boots and looked out across the parking lot toward the highway and the lights on the highway. Darlin, he said, how in the hell would I know where you ought to go?