《No Country for Old Men》第15章

its　probably　one　of　them　layin　in　the　grass　yonder。
bell　had　taken　out　his　kerchief　and　he　held　it　across　his　nose　and　reached　in　and　picked up　a　number　of　brass　shell…casings　out　of　the　floor　and　looked　at　the　numbers　stamped in　the　base。
what　calibers　you　got　there；　sheriff？
nine　millimeter。　a　couple　of　。45　acps。
he　dropped　the　shells　back　into　the　floor　and　stepped　back　and　picked　up　his　rifle　from where　hed　leaned　it　against　the　vehicle。　somebodys　unloaded　on　this　thing　with　a shotgun　by　the　look　of　it。
you　think　them　holes　are　big　enough？
i　dont　think　theyre　double　ought。　more　likely　number　four　buck。
more　buck　for　your　bang。
you　could　put　it　that　way。　you　want　to　clean　out　a　alley　thats　a　pretty　good　way　to　go。
wendell　looked　over　the　caldera。　well；　he　said。　somebodys　walked　away　from　here。
id　say　they　have。
how　e　do　you　reckon　the　coyotes　aint　been　at　them？
bell　shook　his　head。　i　dont　know；　he　said。　supposedly　they　wont　eat　a　mexican。
them　over　yonder　aint　mexican。
well；　thats　true。
it　must　of　sounded　like　vietnam　out　here。
vietnam；　the　sheriff　said。
they　walked　out　between　the　trucks。　bell　picked　up　a　few　more　casings　and　looked　at them　and　dropped　them　again。　he　picked　up　a　blue　plastic　speedloader。　he　stood　and looked　over　the　scene。　ill　tell　you　what；　he　said。
tell　me。
it　dont　much　stand　to　reason　that　the　last　man　never　even　got　hit。
i　would　agree　with　that。
why　dont　we　get　the　horses　and　just　ride　up　here　a　ways　and　look　around。　maybe　cut for　sign　a　little。
we　can　do　that。
can　you　tell　me　what　they　wanted　with　a　dog　out　here？
i　got　no　idea。
when　they　found　the　dead　man　in　the　rocks　a　mile　to　the　northeast　bell　just　sat　his wifes　horse。　he　sat　there　for　a　long　time。
what　are　you　thinkin；　sheriff？
the　sheriff　shook　his　head。　he　got　down　and　walked　over　to　where　the　dead　man　lay slumped。　he　walked　over　the　ground；　the　rifle　yoked　across　his　shoulders。　he　squatted and　studied　the　grass。
we　got　another　execution　here　sheriff？
no；　i　believe　this　ones　died　of　natural　causes。
natural　causes？
natural　to　the　line　of　work　hes　in。
he　aint　got　a　gun。
no。
wendell　leaned　and　spat。　somebodys　been　here　before　us。
id　say　so。
you　think　he　was　packin　the　money？
id　say　theres　a　good　chance　of　it。
so　we　still　aint　found　the　last　man；　have　we？
bell　didnt　answer。　he　rose　and　stood　looking　out　over　the　country。
its　a　mess；　aint　it　sheriff？
if　it　aint　itll　do　till　a　mess　gets　here。
they　rode　back　across　the　upper　end　of　the　caldera。　they　sat　the　horses　and　looked down　at　mosss　truck。
so　where　do　you　think　this　good　old　boy　is　at？　wendell　said。
i　do　not　know。
i　would　take　it　his　whereabouts　is　pretty　high　on　your　worklist。
the　sheriff　nodded。　pretty　high；　he　said。
they　drove　back　to　town　and　the　sheriff　sent　wendell　on　to　the　house　with　the　truck　and the　horses。
you　be　sure　and　rap　on　the　kitchen　door　and　thank　loretta。
i　will。　i　got　to　give　her　the　keys　anyways。
the　county　dont　pay　her　to　use　her　horse。
i　hear　you。
he　called　torbert　on　the　mobile　phone。　im　in　to　get　you；　he　said。　just　set　tight。
when　he　pulled　up　in　front　of　lamars　office　the　police　tape　was　still　strung　across　the courthouse　lawn。　torbert　was　sitting　on　the　steps。　he　got　up　and　walked　out　to　the　car。
you　all　right？　bell　said。
yessir。
wheres　sheriff　lamar？
hes　out　on　a　call。
they　drove　out　toward　the　highway。　bell　told　the　deputy　about　the　caldera。　torbert listened　in　silence。　he　rode　looking　out　the　window。　after　a　while　he　said：　i　got　the report　from　austin。
what　do　they　say。
not　much　of　anything。
what　was　he　shot　with？
they　dont　know。
they　dont　know？
no　sir。
how　can　they　not　know？　there　wasnt　no　exit　wound。
yessir。　they　freely　admitted　that。
freely　admitted？
yessir。
well　what　the　hell　did　they　say；　torbert？
they　said　that　he　had　what　looked　to　be　a　large　caliber　bullet　wound　in　the　forehead　and that　said　wound　had　penetrated　to　a　distance　of　approximately　two　and　a　half　inches through　the　skull　and　into　the　frontal　lobe　of　the　brain　but　that　there　was　not　no　bullet　to be　found。
said　wound。
yessir。
bell　pulled　out　onto　the　interstate。　he　drummed　his　fingers　on　the　steering　wheel。　he looked　at　his　deputy。
what　youre　sayin　dont　make　no　sense；　torbert。
i　told　em　that。
to　which　they　responded？
they　didnt　respond　nothin。　theyre　sendin　the　report　fedex。　x…rays　and　everthing。　they said　youd　have　it　in　your　office　by　in　the　mornin。
they　rode　along　in　silence。　after　a　while　torbert　said：　this　whole　thing　is　just　hell　in spectacles；　aint　it　sheriff。
yes　it　is。
how　many　bodies　is　it　altogether？
good　question。　i　aint　sure　i　even　counted。　eight。　nine　with　deputy　haskins。
torbert　studied　the　country　out　there。　the　shadows　long　on　the　road。　who　the　hell　are these　people？　he　said。
i　dont　know。　i　used　to　say　they　were　the　same　ones　weve　always　had　to　deal　with。　same ones　my　grandaddy　had　to　deal　with。　back　then　they　was　rustlin　cattle。　now　theyre runnin　dope。　but　i　dont　know　as　thats　true　no　more。　im　like　you。　i　aint　sure　weve　seen these　people　before。　their　kind。　i　dont　know　what　to　do　about　em　even。　if　you　killed　em all　theyd　have　to　build　a　annex　on　to　hell。
chigurh　pulled　in　to　the　desert　aire　shortly　before　noon　and　parked　just　below　mosss trailer　and　shut　off　the　engine。　he　got　out　and　walked　across　the　raw　dirt　yard　and climbed　the　steps　and　tapped　at　the　aluminum　door。　he　waited。　then　he　tapped　again。
he　turned　and　stood　with　his　back　to　the　trailer　and　studied　the　little　park。　nothing moved。　not　a　dog。　he　turned　and　put　his　wrist　to　the　doorlock　and　shot　out　the　lock cylinder　with　the　cobalt　steel　plunger　of　the　cattlegun　and　opened　the　door　and　went　in and　shut　the　door　behind　him。
he　stood；　the　deputys　revolver　in　his　hand。　he　looked　in　the　kitchen。　he　walked　back into　the　bedroom。　he　walked　through　the　bedroom　and　pushed　open　the　bathroom　door and　went　into　the　second　bedroom。　clothes　on　the　floor。　the　closet　door　open。　he opened　the　top　dresser　drawer　and　closed　it　again。　he　put　the　gun