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you know what you could do for her？ not a damn thing。 lamar had never lost a man in twenty some odd years。 this is what he would remember。 this is what hed be remembered for。
she came with his eggs and he folded the paper and laid it by。
he took wendell with him and they drove down to the desert aire and stood at the door while wendell knocked。
look at the lock； bell said。
wendell drew his pistol and opened the door。 sheriffs department； he called。
there aint nobody here。
no reason not to be careful。
thats right。 no reason in the world。
they walked in and stood。 wendell would have holstered his pistol but bell stopped him。 lets just keep to that careful routine； he said。
yessir。
he walked over and picked up a small brass slug off of the carpet and held it up。
whats that？ said wendell。
cylinder out of the lock。
bell passed his hand over the plywood of the room…divider。 heres where it hit at； he said。 he balanced the piece of brass in his palm and looked toward the door。 you could weigh this thing and measure the distance and the drop and calculate the speed。
i expect you could。
pretty good speed。
yessir。 pretty good speed。
they walked through the rooms。 what do you think； sheriff？
i believe theyve done lit a shuck。
i do too。
kindly in a hurry about it； too。
yep。
he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and looked in and shut it again。
he looked in the freezer。
so when was he here； sheriff？
hard to say。 we might of just missed him。
you think this boy has got any notion of the sorts of sons of bitches that are huntin him？
i dont know。 he ought to。 he seen the same things i seen and it made a impression on me。
theyre in a world of trouble； aint they？
yes they are。
bell walked back into the livingroom。 he sat on the sofa。 wendell stood in the doorway。
he was still holding the revolver in his hand。 what are you thinkin？ he said。
bell shook his head。 he didnt look up。
by wednesday half of the state of texas was on its way to sanderson。 bell sat at his table in the cafe and read the news。 he lowered the paper and looked up。 a man about thirty years old that hed never seen before was standing there。 he introduced himself as a reporter for the san antonio light。 whats all this about； sheriff？ he said。
it appears to be a huntin accident。
hunting accident？
yessir。
how could it be a hunting accident？ youre pulling my leg。
let me ask you somethin。
all right。
last year nineteen felony charges were filed in the terrell county court。 how many of those would you say were not drug related？
i dont know。
two。 in the meantime i got a county the size of delaware that is full of people who need my help。 what do you think about that？
i dont know。
i dont either。 now i just need to eat my breakfast here。 i got kindly a full day ahead。
he and torbert drove out in torberts four wheel drive truck。 all was as theyd left it。
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 map