Part 27 (2/2)

'Slowdown,I'mnottakingthisin.Wheredidyousayyouwere?'

'WhatareyoudoingontheroadtoLasVegas?'

'Well,Icanseethehousemustbeinsured.'

'Youfoundwhatunderthegloveshelf?'

'Howdoyouknowit'sahomer.'

'Alltheseminutetransmittersareamysterytome.'

'Whocouldhaveput.i.tthere?'

'Idon'tfollowyou.Whatwasthataboutyellowpaint?'

'b.u.t.thepolicesaiditwasvandals.

'Allright,Matt,don'tshout.I'mdoingmybest.Nowlet'sgetthisclear.Youwerefumblingforapackofcigarettesandyoudislodgedthis...thing.Bug,whateveryousaid.Andyou'reworriednowthatHawkinsandPrenselaput.i.tinyourcar,andthattheyusedthatandtheyellowpainttofollowyou,sothattheyknowwhereyou'vebeenstaying,ormaybe.Isthatright?'

'Matt,Ithinkyou'reblowingthisthinguptoobig.'

'Butdidyouactuallyseeaplanefollowingyou?'

'Well,yes,sure,ifyouthinkyoushouldgoback,goback.Thehorsesarefarmoreimportantthantheinsuranceonthehouse.But.i.thinkyou'rewrong.HawkinsandPrenselahavebeenconcentratingonMoviemakerandCentigradehere,they'vestirreduptheDA.'sofficefromL.A.andthebloodstockregistry,andit'sbeenathreeringedcircushereforthelastcoupleofdays.Theywouldn'thavebeentryingtofindanyhorsesanywhereelse,becausethey'resurethey'rehereinthebarn.'

'Well,Idon'tknowwhocouldhaveplantedthebug.'

'Yeah.Allright.Goonback,then.'

'Callmeinthemorning.'

'Goodnight,Matt.'

Thereceiverwentdown,andforafewsecondsthereweretheindistinctnoisesofOffengoingovertheconversationagaininhismind,punctuatingitwith'umphs'andsmalldoubtfulgrunts.

IswitchedthetapeofftemporarilyandthoughtbitterlyaboutMattfindingthebug.Ihadn'thadachancetoremoveit:onmyfirstnightvisittothefarmthecarinthegaragehadbeentheonehe'dhiredwhilehisownwasbeingcleanedofpaint.ButneitherhadIlookeduponitasaverygreathazard,becausethelittlecapsuleswerelightandclungtightly.IthadbeenlonG.o.ddsagainsthimgropingforcigaretteswhiledrivinginthedark,anddislodgingit.Ihadn'ttakenitintoaccount.

Sometimeonhiswaybacktothefarmitmusthavestruckhimthattheinsuranceappointmentmightbephoney;thatifwehadtrickedhimintogoingtoLasVegasoncealready,wemightbetrickinghimagain.Ifwe'dgothimoutoftheway,itcouldonlybetotakethehorses.Sohe'dwait;inthedark,readytospring.

Hemusthavebeguntothink,whenhe'dsatoutthethreehoursittooktomendthegasket,thatUncleBarkwasrightandhewaswrong:butallthesamehe'dgoneonwaiting.And,intheend,wehadcome.

Iswitchedthetapeonagainfortherest.Thewholenighthadbeentelescopedintothefewsecondssilence,becausewhenOffenmadehisnextcallitwasclearlymorning.

'Yola,isthatyou?'

Afaintclackingreachedthebug.Yola's.h.i.+gherpitchedvoicedisturbedmoreair.

'HaveyouheardfromMatt?'

'No,hesaidhe'dcallmethismorning,andhehasn't.Ican'tgetanyanswerfromthefarm.'

'I'dforgottenthehensandthecalves.'

'Well,notreally.HecalledmelastnightbecausehehadsomecrazyideaHawkinshadtracedthehorses...'

AloudsquawkfromYola.

'Somethingaboutalisteningbugandyellowpaint.'

YolatalkedforsometimeandwhenOffenansweredhesoundedanxious.

'Yeah,Iknowhefoundthefirstonewhenwethoughtthatwasimpossible...doyoureallythinkMattmayberight?'

'Yola,that'srightout.Whydon'tyougoyourself?'

'Closetheranchthen.Sendthemallhome.'

'Look,ifyou'reright,ifMatt'sright...saywhenhewentbacklastnighttheD.A.'smenweresittingtherewaitingforhim?Saythey'resittingthererightnow,waitingformetoturnupandseewhyMattdoesn'tanswerhiscalls?No,Yola,I'mnotwalkingintothatfarmandfindIhavetoanswerquestionslikewhatIamdoingthere,andwhatarethosetwohorsesinthebarn,withMoviemakerandCentigrade'sregistrationstattooedinsidetheirlips?I'mnotgoing.'

'Mattmaybeoffonsomeplanofhisown.'

'No.I'llgivehimtoday.IfIhaven'theardfromhimbymorningI'll...well,I'llthinkofsomething.'

Yola'sfinalremarkwasloud,andIhearditclearly.Fullofanxiety,fullofanguish.

'Ifanything'shappenedtoMatt...'

Theendofthetaperanoffthereel,andIswitchedofftherecorder.ForYola,asforWalt'swife,lifewouldneverbethesameagain.

Iwenttobedandlayawake,feelingfeverishfromlackofsleep.Relaxedeverylimb,butmymindwouldhavenoneofit.Itwasfilledtoofull,asithadbeenallday,ofapictureofWaltstilllyingonhisbackinthefarmyard.Thesunhadrisenandblazedonhim,andsetagain.Hewouldhavenoshelteruntiltomorrow.Icouldn'tsleepuntilhehad.Itriedto,butIcouldn't.

OnmywaybacktoSantaBarbaraI'dstoppedforcoffeeandahandfulofchange,andI'dtelephonedtoPaulM.Zeissenintheb.u.t.tressLifeofficeonThirtyThirdStreet.Ithadbeennearlysixp.m.NewYorktime.Zeissenwaspreparingtogohomefortheweek-end.Iwasalittleworried,Itoldhim,aboutWalt.HehadgonetodosomelifeinsurancebusinessonafarminArizona,andIhadn'theardfromhimsince.ZeissenandItalkeditoverforafewminutesinunurgentcivilizedtones,andarrangedfinallythatifIhadn'theardfromWaltbymorning.b.u.t.tressLifewouldringtheArizonaStatePoliceinKingman,andaskthemasafavourtogoouttothefarm,justtocheck.

InthemorningIwouldringZeissenathishome.Bynoon,perhaps,theKingmanpolicewouldreachthefarm.Theywouldreadthestory:insurancesalesmanarrivesforappointment,getsoutofcar.MattClive,hurryingbacktomeethim,swingsintotheyard,seesadarkfiguretoolate,hits.h.i.+m,runsstraightonintowallbecausejudgmentsuspendedbyhorroratcollision.Matt,withwhiskyinsidehim,andabottleinthecar.Insidethehouse,the9p.m.insuranceappointmentwritteninMatt'shand.Andnothingelse.Nohorses.Nosuggestionofvisitors.Nosignthat.i.tcouldhavebeenanythingbutatragicallyunluckyaccident.

Matthadbeengoodataccidents.

SowasI.

IlayonmystomachonthebeachallmorningwhileLynniesatbesidemeandtrickledsandthroughherfingers.EunicehadgonetoSantaMonica,downthecoast.

'Areyoureallygoinghomethisevening?'Lynniesaid.

'Firsthop,yes.'

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