《No Country for Old Men》第55章

tion　of　god　you could　have。　so　what　you　end　up　with　is　that　those　he　has　spoke　to　are　the　ones　that　must of　needed　it　the　worst。　thats　not　a　easy　thing　to　accept。　particularly　as　it　might　apply　to someone　like　loretta。　but　then　maybe　we　are　all　of　us　lookin　through　the　wrong　end　of the　glass。　always　have　been。
aunt　carolyns　letters　to　harold。　the　reason　she　had　them　letters　was　that　he　had　saved em。　she　was　the　one　raised　him　and　she　was　the　same　as　his　mother。　them　letters　was dogeared　and　tore　and　covered　with　mud　and　i　dont　know　what　all。　the　thing　about them　letters。　well　for　one　thing　you　could　tell　they　were　just　country　people。　i　dont　think hed　ever　been　out　of　irion　county；　let　alone　the　state　of　texas。　but　the　thing　about　them letters　was　you　could　tell　that　the　world　she　was　plannin　on　him　in　back　to　was　not ever　goin　to　be　here。　easy　to　see　now。　sixty　some　years　on。　but　they　just　had　no　notion at　all。　you　can　say　you　like　it　or　you　dont　like　it　but　it　dont　change　nothin。　ive　told　my deputies　more　than　once　that　you　fix　what　you　can　fix　and　you　let　the　rest　go。　if　there aint　nothin　to　be　done　about　it　it　aint　even　a　problem。　its　just　a　aggravation。　and　the truth　is　i　dont　have　no　more　idea　of　the　world　that　is　brewin　out　there　than　what　harold did。
of　course　as　it　turned　out　he　never　e　home　at　all。　there　was　not　nothin　in　them letters　to　suggest　that　she　had　reckoned　on　that　possibility。
well；　you　know　she　did。　she　just　wouldnt　of　said　nothin　about　it　to　him。
ive　still　got　that　medal　of　course。　it　e　in　a　fancy　purple　box　with　a　ribbon　and　all。　it was　in　my　bureau　for　years　and　then　one　day　i　took　it　out　and　put　it　in　the　drawer　in　the livin　room　table　where　i　wouldnt　have　to　look　at　it。　not　that　i　ever　looked　at　it；　but　it was　there。　harold　didnt　get　no　medal。　he　just　e　home　in　a　wooden　box。　and　i　dont believe　they　had　gold　star　mothers　in　the　first　world　war　but　if　they　had　of　aunt carolyn　would　not　of　got　one　of　them　either　since　he　was　not　her　natural　son。　but　she should　of。　she　never　got　his　war　pension　neither。
so。　i　went　back　out　there　one　more　time。　i　walked　over　that　ground　and　there　was　very little　sign　that　anything　had　ever　took　place　there。　i　picked　up　a　shellcasin　or　two。　that was　about　it。　i　stood　out　there　a　long　time　and　i　thought　about　things。　it　was　one　of　them warm　days　you　get　in　the　winter　sometimes。　a　little　wind。　i　still　keep　thinkin　maybe　it　is somethin　about　the　country。　sort　of　the　way　ellis　said。　i　thought　about　my　family　and about　him　out　there　in　his　wheelchair　in　the　old　house　and　it　just　seemed　to　me　that　this country　has　got　a　strange　kind　of　history　and　a　damned　bloody　one　too。　about　anywhere you　care　to　look。　i　could　stand　back　off　and　smile　about　such　thoughts　as　them　but　i　still have　em。　i　dont　make　excuses　for　the　way　i　think。　not　no　more。　i　talk　to　my　daughter。
she　would　be　thirty　now。　thats　all　right。　i　dont　care　how　that　sounds。　i　like　talkin　to　her。
call　it　superstition　or　whatever　you　want。　i　know　that　over　the　years　i　have　give　her　the heart　i　always　wanted　for　myself　and　thats　all　right。　thats　why　i　listen　to　her。　i　know ill　always　get　the　best　from　her。　it　dont　get　mixed　up　with　my　own　ignorance　or　my　own meanness。　i　know　how　that　sounds　and　i　guess　id　have　to　say　that　i　dont　care。　i　never even　told　my　wife　and　we　dont　have　a　whole　lot　of　secrets　from　one　another。　i　dont　think shed　say　im　crazy；　but　some　might。　ed　tom？　yeah；　they　had　to　swear　out　a　lunacy warrant。　i　hear　theyre　feedin　him　under　the　door。　thats　all　right。　i　listen　to　what　she says　and　what　she　says　makes　good　sense。　i　wish　shed　say　more　of　it。　i　can　use　all　the help　i　can　get。　well；　thats　enough　of　that。
when　he　walked　in　the　house　the　phone　was　ringing。　sheriff　bell；　he　said。　he made　his　way　to　the　sideboard　and　picked　up　the　phone。　sheriff　bell；　he　said。
sheriff　this　is　detective　cook　with　the　odessa　police。
yessir。
theres　a　report　we　have　here　that　is　flagged　with　your　name。　it　has　to　do　with　a　woman named　carla　jean　moss　that　was　murdered　here　back　in　march。
yessir。　i　appreciate　you　callin。
they　picked　up　the　murder　weapon　off　of　the　fbi　ballistics　database　and　they　traced　it down　to　a　boy　here　in　midland。　the　boy　says　he　got　the　gun　out　of　a　truck　at　a　accident scene。　just　seen　it　and　took　it。　and　i　expect　thats　right。　i　talked　to　him。　he　sold　it　and　it turned　up　in　a　convenience　store　robbery　in　shreveport　louisiana。　now　the　accident where　he　got　the　gun；　it　took　place　on　the　same　day　as　the　murder　did。　the　man　that owned　the　gun　left　it　in　the　truck　and　disappeared　and　he　aint　been　heard　from　since。　so you　can　see　where　this　is　goin。　we　dont　get　a　lot　of　unsolved　homicides　up　here　and　we damn　sure　dont　like　em。　can　i　ask　you　what　was　your　interest　in　the　case；　sheriff？
bell　told　him。　cook　listened。　then　he　gave　him　a　number。　it　was　the　investigator　of　the accident。　roger　catron。　let　me　call　him　first。　hell　talk　to　you。
thats　all　right；　bell　said。　hell　talk　to　me。　ive　known　him　for　years。
he　called　the　number　and　catron　answered。
howre　you　doin　ed　tom。
i　aint　braggin。
what　can　i　do　you　for。
bell　told　him　about　the　wreck。　yessir；　catron　said。　sure　i　remember　it。　there　was　two boys　killed　in　that　wreck。　we　still　aint　found　the　driver　of　the　other　vehicle。
what　happened？
boysd　been　smokin　dope。　they　run　a　stopsign　and　hit　a　brand　new　dodge　pickup broadside。　totaled　it　out。　the　old　boy　in　the　pickup　he　climbed　out　and　just　took　off　up the　street。　fore　we　got　there。　truck　had　been　bought　in　mexico。　illegal。　no　epa　or nothin。　no　registration。
what　about　the　other　vehicle。
there　was　three　boys　in　it。　nineteen；　twenty　years　old。　all　of　em　mexican。　the　only one　lived　was　the　one　in　the　back　seat。　apparently　they　was　passin　around　a　doober　and they　went　through　this　intersection　probably　about　sixty　mile　a　hour　and　just　t…boned the　old　boy　in　the　truck。　the　one　in　the　passenger　side　of　the　car；　he　e　through　the windscreen　head　first　and　crossed　the　street　and　landed　on　a　womans　porch。　she　was out　puttin　some　mail　in　her　box　and　he　didnt　miss　her　by　much。　she　set　off　down　the street　i