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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 e in here。 youll 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 hes 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 thats some more of your business； aint it。
why dont you just pretend i aint the sheriff。
and pretend youre what？
you know hes in trouble。
llewelyn aint done nothin。
its not me hes in trouble with。
whos 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？
thats all right。 you dont care if i keep on callin you sheriff do you？
bell smiled。 no； he said。 thats 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 e。 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； hes who he is and he always will be。 thats 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； youre lucky people。
yes we are。
she watched him。 how e you to ask me that； she said。
about havin problems？
about havin problems。
i just wondered if you were。
has somethin happened that you know about and i dont？
no。 i could ask you the same thing。
except i wouldnt tell you。
yes。
you think hes left me； dont you。
i dont know。 has he？
no。 he aint。 i know him。
you used to know him。
i know him yet。 he aint changed。
maybe。
but you dont believe that。
well； i guess in all honesty i would have to say that i never knew nor did i ever hear of anybody that money didnt change。 id have to say hed be the first。
well hell be the first then。
i hope thats true。
do you really hope that； sheriff？
yes。 i do。
he aint been charged with nothin？
no。 he aint been charged with nothin。
that dont mean he wont be。
no。 it dont。 if he lives that long。
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