ryin to set t. I guess truto t. But it aint trut t a  old age and  is t. And  dont last long. I ed for o smile but  . I said s pretty cold. And   ts  called for. So t  t. I kne people you try and ligs self- ordained. t  around to but I believe  it to be related because I believe t   back to you.

    If you live long enoug  no- good to of killed t girl.  did so rut place. No t Mexican up sville for  killin t state trooper t

    and I dont  believe . But ts  ty for. So ion t of ed for all of to go a. I t arted. It  feel to it.

    Like I o get drug into someto be a pretty  long one.

    er so many years I said t it  I  ignored it for t part. But , it did come up. I  times people  t  all. old it,  took a s  to   oo. It old me one time  if  injury and it bottle bit, nagged at ter. It kept ead of a and t.

    Not t it ching.

    I t if I lived my life in trictest  on me ta I y-one years old and I  itled to one mistake, particularly if I could learn from it and become t of  man I  in my mind to be. ell, I  all of t. Noo quit  and a good part of it is just kno I  be called on to  to me t I aint c and I dont kno I   t. ty-six years. ts a painful to know.

    One ot ed eigo come into  youd still o  figure t   knoion of God you  could  you end up  to are t must  of needed it t. ts not a easy to accept. Particularly as it migo  someone like Loretta. But the glass. Always have been.

    Aunt Carolyns letters to ters  ters ore and covered  kno  tters. ell for one tell t country people. I dont t of Irion County, let alone tate of texas. But t tters ell t to   ever goin to be o see noy some years on. But t ion  at all. You can say you like it or you dont like it but it dont cold my  deputies more t you fix  t go. If t noto be done about it it aint even a problem. Its just a aggravation. And trut  is bre t harold  did.

    Of course as it turned out  all. t notters to suggest t s possibility.

    ell, you kno of said not it to him.

    Ive still got t medal of course. It come in a fancy purple box   ook it out and put it in table  it. Not t I ever looked at it, but it   get no medal.  come   believe tar mot orld ar but if t  Carolyn  of got one of t ural son. But s her.

    So. I  back out time. I  ground and ttle sign t anytook place t   it. I stood out time and I t about t  in ter sometimes. A little ill keep t is  somet try. Sort of t about my family and  about  t just seemed to me t try  a strange kind of ory and a damned bloody one too. About anyand back off and smile about sucs as t I still   make excuses for t no more. I talk to my daughter.

    Sy nos all rig care  sounds. I like talkin to her.

    Call it superstition or . I kno over t I aled for myself and ts all rigs o  t from  dont get mixed up  sounds and I guess Id o say t I dont care. I never  even told my   of secrets from one anot t some migom? Yeao s a lunacy  . I s all rigen to . ell, ts enoug.

    o the phone. Sheriff Bell, he said.

    Sective Cook he Odessa police.

    Yessir.

    t  o do  was murdered here back in March.

    Yessir. I appreciate you callin.

    tics database and traced it  doo a boy  t of a truck at a accident  scene. Just seen it and took it. And I expect ts rigalked to  and it  turned up in a convenience store robbery in S Louisiana. No   took place on t  o it in truck and disappeared and  been  get a lot of unsolved  like em. Can I ask you erest in the case, Sheriff?

    Bell told ened. t igator of t. Roger Catron. Let me call . alk to you.

    ts all rigalk to me. Ive known him for years.

    ron answered.

    om.

    I aint braggin.

    can I do you for.

    Bell told  tron said. Sure I remember it. t ill aint found ther vehicle.

    happened?

    Boysd been smokin dope. topsign and  a brand neotaled it out. t and just took off up  treet. Fore  truck  in Mexico. Illegal. No EPA or  notration.

    about ther vehicle.

    t. Nineteen, ty years old. All of em Mexican. t. Apparently t tersection probably about sixty mile a  t-boned  truck. t and crossed treet and landed on a tin some mail in  miss  off doreet in  a  t yet.

    did you all do  took the gun?

    e cut him loose.

    If I come up talk to him?

    Id say you could. Im lookin at  now.

    s his name?

    David DeMarco.

    Is he Mexican?

    No. t him.

    ill alk to me?

    One o find out.

    Ill be the mornin.

    I look foro seein you.

    Catron alked to o t seem particularly  anyto t and sucked at eet Bell.

    You  some coffee?

    Yeaake some coffee.

    Bell raised a finger and tress came over and took  the boy.

    I ed to talk to you about

    comes to mind about   remember.

    the room.

    ?

    I dont kno looked like his arm was broke.

    else.

    on  say . he could walk.

    Bell ched him. how old a man would you say he was?

    knoy bloody and all.

    On t you said e ties.

    Yea.

    h.

    ?

    h.

    asnt h nobody.

    t, wo of you.

    ell, .

    Yeaalked to o me to be about as unfull of it as  they come.

    tress broug a quarter cup of sugar into  stirring it.

    You kno got done killin a  wreck.

    Yea kno at time.

    You know how many people hes killed?

    I dont kno him.

    all was he would you say?

    Not real tall. Sort of medium.

    as s.

    Yeas.

    kind of boots.

    I t of been ostrich.

    Expensive boots.

    Yeah.

    how badly was he bleedin?

    I dont know.  on his head.

    did he say?

    say nothin.

    did you say to him?

    Not.

    You t of died?

    I got no idea.

    Bell leaned back. urned tcellar a urn on tabletop. turned it  back again.

    tell me wh.

    asnt h nobody.

    Bell studied eet it down again.

    You aint goin to help me, are you?

    I done told you all I knoo tell. You seen t. ts all I knoo tell you.

    Bell sat c up and put on  and left.

    In t to t some names from DeMarcos teacher.

    t one alked to ed to kno ennis s a size  fourteen and  and Rigten on toecaps in purple ink.

    t tellin me.

    the boy shook his head.

    Did en you?

    Naw.

    did he look like? as he Mexican?

    I dont ted is all.

    ere you afraid of him?

    I  till you s of took t  o do. I aint goin to set

    was. Im big enougo say no.

    Yes you are.

    It  rouble over this?

    else did o you.

    t in tears. If I  to do over  again Id do it different. I kno.

    did he say.

    know w he looked like. he give David a hundred dollar bill.

    A hundred dollars.

    Yea. to make a sling for his arm.

    Bell nodded. All rig did he look like.

    . Medium build. Looked like ies  maybe. Dark  know, Sheriff. he looked like anybody.

    Like anybody.

    t  Bell.  look like anybody. I mean  t not   look like anybody youd   to mess ened. tickin  out under t pay no more attention to it thin.

    All right.

    Am I in trouble over this?

    No.

    I appreciate it.

    You dont know wake you, do you?

    No sir, you dont. I t. If ts any use to you.

    It is. Do you thing?

    t know,  speak for David.