《No Country for Old Men》第19章

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　mapp…　gas　burners　fitted　into　a　hairspray　can　and　the　whole　thing　stuffed　with　fiberglass roofing　insulation　and　painted　flat　black。　he　fired　just　as　the　bird　crouched　and　spread its　wings。
it　flared　wildly　in　the　lights；　very　white；　turning　and　lifting　away　into　the　darkness。　the shot　had　hit　the　rail　and　caromed　off　into　the　night　and　the　rail　hummed　dully　in　the slipstream　and　ceased。　chigurh　laid　the　pistol　in　the　seat　and　put　the　window　back　up again。
moss　paid　the　driver　and　stepped　out　into　the　lights　in　front　of　the　motel　office　and slung　the　bag　over　his　shoulder　and　shut　the　cab　door　and　turned　and　went　in。　the woman　was　already　behind　the　counter。　he　set　the　bag　in　the　floor　and　leaned　on　the counter。　she　looked　a　little　flustered。　hi；　she　said。　you　fixin　to　stay　a　while？
i　need　another　room。
you　want　to　change　rooms　or　you　want　another　one　besides　the　one　youve　got？
i　want　to　keep　the　one　i　got　and　get　another　one。
all　right。
have　you　got　a　map　of　the　motel？
she　looked　under　the　counter。　there　used　to　be　a　sort　of　a　one。　wait　a　minute。　i　think this　is　it。
she　laid　an　old　brochure　on　the　counter。　it　showed　a　car　from　the　fifties　parked　in　front。
he　unfolded　it　and　flattened　it　out　and　studied　it。
what　about　one　forty…two？
you　can　have　one　next　to　yours　if　you　want　it。　one…twenty　aint　took。
thats　all　right。　what　about　one　forty…two？
she　reached　and　got　the　key　off　the　board　behind　her。　youll　owe　for　two　nights；　she said。
he　paid　and　picked　up　the　bag　and　walked　out　and　turned　down　the　walkway　at　the　rear of　the　motel。　she　leaned　over　the　counter　watching　him　go。
in　the　room　he　sat　on　the　bed　with　the　map　spread　out。　he　got　up　and　went　into　the bathroom　and　stood　in　the　tub　with　his　ear　to　the　wall。　a　tv　was　playing　somewhere。
he　went　back　and　sat　and　unzipped　the　bag　and　took　out　the　shotgun　and　laid　it　to　one side　and　then　emptied　the　bag　out　onto　the　bed。
he　took　the　screwdriver