《No Country for Old Men》第48章

bell　shook　his　head。　i　dont　know；　he　said。　i　guess　id　have　to　say　it　would　be　a　while。
i　guess　it　would　too；　she　said。　a　long　while。
hed　knocked　on　other　doors　with　the　same　sort　of　message；　it　wasnt　all　that　new　to　him。
he　saw　the　window　curtain　move　slightly　and　then　the　door　opened　and　she　stood　there in　jeans　with　her　shirttail　out　looking　at　him。　no　expression。　just　waiting。　he　took　off his　hat　and　she　leaned　against　the　doorjamb　and　turned　her　face　away。
im　sorry；　mam；　he　said。
oh　god；　she　said。　she　staggered　back　into　the　room　and　slumped　to　the　floor　and　buried her　face　in　her　forearms　with　her　hands　over　her　head。　bell　stood　there　holding　his　hat。
he　didnt　know　what　to　do。　he　couldnt　see　any　sign　of　the　grandmother。　two　spanish maids　were　standing　in　the　parking　lot　watching　and　whispering　to　each　other。　he stepped　into　the　room　and　closed　the　door。
carla　jean；　he　said。
oh　god；　she　said。
im　just　as　sorry　as　i　can　be。
oh　god。
he　stood　there；　his　hat　in　his　hand。　im　sorry；　he　said。
she　raised　her　head　and　looked　at　him。　her　crumpled　face。　damn　you；　she　said。　you stand　there　and　tell　me　youre　sorry？　my　husband　is　dead。　do　you　understand　that？　you say　youre　sorry　one　more　time　and　by　god　if　i　wont　get　my　gun　and　shoot　you。
。。
No　Country　for　Old　MenIX
；
i　had　to　take　her　at　her　word。　not　a　lot　else　you　could　do。　i　never　saw　her　again。　i wanted　to　tell　her　that　the　way　they　had　it　in　the　papers　wasnt　right。　about　him　and　that girl。　it　turned　out　she　was　a　runaway。　fifteen　years　old。　i　dont　believe　that　he　had anything　to　do　with　her　and　i　hate　it　that　she　thought　that。　which　you　know　she　did。　i called　her　a　number　of　times　but　shed　hang　up　on　me　and　i　cant　blame　her。　then　when they　called　me　from　odessa　and　told　me　what　had　happened　i　couldnt　hardly　believe　it。
it　didnt　make　no　sense。　i　drove　up　there　but　there　wasnt　nothin　to　be　done。　her grandmother　had　just　died　too。　i　tried　to　see　if　i　could　get　his　fingerprints　off　the　fbi database　but　they　just　drew　a　blank。　wanted　to　know　what　his　name　was　and　what　hed done　and　all　such　as　that。　you　end　up　lookin　like　a　fool。　hes　a　ghost。　but　hes　out　there。
you　wouldnt　think　it　would　be　possible　to　just　e　and　go　thataway。　i　keep　waitin　to hear　somethin　else。　maybe　i　will　yet。　or　maybe　not。　its　easy　to　fool　yourself。　tell yourself　what　you　want　to　hear。　you　wake　up　in　the　night　and　you　think　about　things。　i aint　sure　anymore　what　it　is　i　do　want　to　hear。　you　tell　yourself　that　maybe　this　business is　over。　but　you　know　it　aint。　you　can　wish　all　you　want。
my　daddy　always　told　me　to　just　do　the　best　you　knew　how　and　tell　the　truth。　he　said there　was　nothin　to　set　a　mans　mind　at　ease　like　wakin　up　in　the　morning　and　not　havin to　decide　who　you　were。　and　if　you　done　somethin　wrong　just　stand　up　and　say　you done　it　and　say　youre　sorry　and　get　on　with　it。　dont　haul　stuff　around　with　you。　i　guess all　that　sounds　pretty　simple　today。　even　to　me。　all　the　more　reason　to　think　about　it。
he　didnt　say　a　lot　so　i　tend　to　remember　what　he　did　say。　and　i　dont　remember　that　he had　a　lot　of　patience　with　havin　to　say　things　twice　so　i　learned　to　listen　the　first　time。　i might　of　strayed　from　all　of　that　some　as　a　younger　man　but　when　i　got　back　on　that road　i　pretty　much　decided　not　to　quit　it　again　and　i　didnt。　i　think　the　truth　is　always simple。　it　has　pretty　much　got　to　be。　it　needs　to　be　simple　enough　for　a　child　to understand。　otherwise　itd　be　too　late。　by　the　time　you　figured　it　out　it　would　be　too　late。
chigurh　stood　at　the　receptionists　desk　dressed　in　suit　and　tie。　he　set　the　case in　the　floor　at　his　feet　and　looked　around　the　office。
how　do　you　spell　that？　she　said。
he　told　her。
is　he　expecting　you？
no。　hes　not。　but　hes　going　to　be　glad　to　see　me。
just　a　minute。
she　buzzed　the　inner　office。　there　was　a　silence。　then　she　hung　the　phone　up。　go　right in；　she　said。
he　opened　the　door　and　walked　in　and　a　man　at　the　desk　stood　up　and　looked　at　him。　he came　around　the　desk　and　held　out　his　hand。　i　know　that　name；　he　said。
they　sat　on　a　sofa　in　the　corner　of　the　office　and　chigurh　set　the　case　on　the　coffeetable and　nodded　at　it。　thats　yours；　he　said。
what　is　it？
its　some　money　that　belongs　to　you。
the　man　sat　looking　at　the　case。　then　he　got　up　and　went　over　to　the　desk　and　leaned and　pushed　a　button。　hold　my　calls；　he　said。
he　turned　and　put　his　hands　on　either　side　of　the　desk　behind　him　and　leaned　back　and studied　chigurh。　how　did　you　find　me？　he　said。
what　difference　does　it　make？
it　makes　a　difference　to　me。
you　dont　have　to　worry。　nobody　else　is　ing。
how　do　you　know？
because　im　in　charge　of　who　is　ing　and　who　is　not。　i　think　we　need　to　address　the issue　here。　i　dont　want　to　spend　a　lot　of　time　trying　to　put　your　mind　at　ease。　i　think　it would　be　both　hopeless　and　thankless。　so　lets　talk　about　money。
all　right。
some　of　it　is　missing。　about　a　hundred　thousand　dollars。　part　of　that　was　stolen　and　part of　it　went　to　cover　my　expenses。　ive　been　at　some　pains　to　recover　your　property　so　id prefer　not　to　be　addressed　as　some　sort　of　bearer　of　bad　news　here。　there　is　two　point three　mil　in　that　case。　im　sorry　i　couldnt　recover　it　all；　but　there　you　are。
the　man　hadnt　moved。　after　a　while　he　said：　who　the　hell　are　you？
my　name　is　anton　chigurh。
i　know　that。
then　why　did　you　ask？
what　do　you　want。　i　guess　thats　my　question。
well。　id　say　that　the　purpose　of　my　visit　is　simply　to　establish　my　bonafides。　as someone　who　is　an　expert　in　a　difficult　field。　as　someone　who　is　pletely　reliable and　pletely　honest。　something　like　that。
someone　i　might　do　business　with。
yes。
youre　serious。
pletely。
chigurh　watched　him。　he　watched　the　dilation　in　his　eyes　and　the　pulse　in　the　artery　of his　neck。　the　rate　of　his　breathing。　when　hed　first　put　his　hands　on　the　desk　behind　him he　had　looked　somewhat　relaxed。　he　was　still　standing　in　the　identical　attitude　but　he didnt　look　that　way　anymore。
theres　not　a　bomb　in　that　damn　bag　is　there？
no。　no　bombs。
chigurh　undid　the　straps　and　unlatched　the　brass　hasp　and　opened　t