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the man finally turned and looked at him。 you know anton chigurh by sight； is that correct？
yessir； thats correct。
when did you last see him？
november twenty…eighth of last year。
how do you happen to remember the date？
i dont happen to remember it。 i remember dates。 numbers。
the man nodded。 he was standing behind his desk。 the desk was of polished stainless steel and walnut and there wasnt anything on it。 not a picture or a piece of paper。
nothing。
we got a loose cannon here。 and were missing product and were out a bunch of money。
yessir。 i understand that。
you understand that。
yessir。
thats good。 im glad ive got your attention。
yessir。 you have my attention。
the man unlocked a drawer in the desk and took out a steel box and unlocked that and took out a card and closed the box and locked it and put it away again。 he held up the card between two fingers and looked at wells and wells stepped forward and took it。
you pay your own expenses if i remember correctly。
yessir。
this account will only give up twelve hundred dollars in any twenty…four hour period。
thats up from a thousand。
yessir。
how well do you know chigurh。
well enough。
thats not an answer。
what do you want to know？
the man tapped his knuckles on the desk。 he looked up。 id just like to know your opinion of him。 in general。 the invincible mr chigurh。
nobodys invincible。
somebody is。
why do you say that？
somewhere in the world is the most invincible man。 just as somewhere is the most vulnerable。
thats a belief that you have？
no。 its called statistics。 just how dangerous is he？
wells shrugged。 pared to what？ the bubonic plague？ hes bad enough that you called me。 hes a psychopathic killer but so what？ theres plenty of them around。
he was in a shoot…out at eagle pass yesterday。
a shoot…out？
a shoot…out。 people dead in the streets。 you dont read the papers。
no sir； i dont。
he studied wells。 youve led something of a charmed life； havent you mr wells？
in all honesty i cant say that charm has had a whole lot to do with it。
yes； the man said。 what else。
i guess thats it。 were these pablos men？
yes。
youre sure。
not in the sense that you mean。 but reasonably sure。 they werent ours。 he killed two other men a couple of days before and those two did happen to be ours。 along with the three at that colossal goatfuck a few days before that。 all right？
all right。 i guess that will do it。
good hunting； as we used to say。 once upon a time。 in the long ago。
thank you sir。 can i ask you something？
sure。
i couldnt e back up in that elevator； could i？
not to this floor。 why？
i was just interested。 security。 always interesting。
it recodes itself after every trip。 a randomly generated five digit number。 it doesnt print out anywhere。 i dial a number and it reads the code back over the phone。 i give it to you and you punch it in。 does that answer your question？
nice。
yes。
i counted the floors from the street。
and？
theres a floor missing。
ill have to look into it。
wells smiled。
you can see yourself out？ the man said。
yes。
all right。
one other thing。
what is that。
i wondered if i could get my parking ticket validated。
the man cocked his head slightly。 this is an attempt at humor i suppose。
sorry。
good day； mr wells。
right。
when wells got to the hotel the plastic ribbons were gone and the glass and wood had been swept up out of the lobby and the place was open for business。 there was plywood nailed over the doors and two of the windows and there was a new clerk standing at the desk where the old clerk had been。 yessir； he said。
i need a room； wells said。
yessir。 is it just yourself？
yes。
and for how many nights would that be。
probably just the one。
the clerk pushed the pad toward wells and turned to study the keys hanging on the board。 wells filled out the form。 i know youre tired of people asking； he said； but what happened to your hotel？
im not supposed to discuss it。
thats all right。
the clerk laid the key on the desk。 will that be cash or credit card？
cash。 how much is it？
fourteen plus tax。
how much is it。 altogether。
sir？
i said how much is it altogether。 you need to tell me how much it is。 give me a figure。
all in。
yessir。 that would be fourteen…seventy。
were you here when all this took place？
no sir。 i only started here yesterday。 this is just my second shift。
then what is it youre not supposed to discuss？
sir？
what time do you get off？
sir？
let me rephrase that。 what time is your shift over。
the clerk was tall and thin； maybe mexican and maybe not。 his eyes darted briefly over the lobby of the hotel。 as if there might be something out there to help him。 i just came on at six； he said。 the shift is over at two。
and who es on at two。
i dont know his name。 he was the dayclerk。
he wasnt here the night before last。
no sir。 he was the dayclerk。
the man who was on duty the night before last。 where is he？
hes not with us anymore。
have you got yesterdays paper here？
he backed away and looked under the desk。 no sir； he said。 i think they threw it out。
all right。 send me up a couple of whores and a fifth of whiskey with some ice。
sir？
im just pulling your leg。 you need to relax。 theyre not ing back。 i can pretty near guarantee it。
yessir。 i hope to hell not。 i didnt even want to take this job。
wells smiled and tapped the fiberboard keyfob twice on the marble desktop and went up the stairs。
he was surprised to find the police tape still across both of the rooms。 he went on to his own room and set his bag in the chair and got out his shavingkit and went in the bathroom and turned on the light。 he brushed his teeth and washed his face and went back into the room and stretched out on the bed。 after a while he got up and went to the chair and turned the bag sideways and unzipped a partment in the bottom and took out a suede leather pistolcase。 he unzipped the case and took out a stainless steel 。357 revolver and went back to the bed and took off his boots and stretched out again with the pistol beside him。
when he woke it was almost dark。 he rose and went to the window and pushed back the old lace curtain。 lights in the street。 long reefs of dull red cloud racked over the darkening western horizon。 roofs in a low and squalid skyline。 he put the pistol in his belt and pulled his shirt outside of his trousers to cover it and went out and down the hallway in his sockfeet。
it took him about fifteen seconds to get into mosss room and he shut the door behind him without disturbing the tape。 he leaned against the door and smelled the room。 then he stood there just looking things over。
the first thing he did was to walk carefully over the carpet。 when he came across the depression where the bed had been moved he swung the bed out into the room。 he knelt and blew at the dust and he studied the nap of the carpet。 he rose and picked up the pillows and smelled them and put them back。 he left the bed standing quarterwise in the room and walked over to the wardrobe