'What do you suppose is out here that would interest Morris Tannenbaum?' I said.
'The racketeer,' I said. 'Remember?'
'Oh. Yes.'
'What would be his interest?'
'I can't imagine.'
'You worked once for the DWP in L.A.,' I said.
She stared silently ahead, not making eye contact. Then she began to moan softly.
'I wanted you to help me,' she said between moans. 'Why won't you help me?'
'You had a job in water resource,' I said.
'I can't do this,' she said. 'I can't.'
She stood up and walked out.
Chapter 47
IT WAS COOLER once the sun went down. Hawk and I sat on the front porch of The Jack Rabbit Inn drinking Coors beer from long-neck bottles, and looking at the darkening street.
'So Mary Lou told you shit,' Hawk said.
'She told me I was the only one who could help her,' I said.
'Probably the first guy she ever said that to.'
Hawk was wearing faded blue jeans and a copper-colored silk tweed jacket over a white shirt. His mahogany- colored cowboy boots gleamed with polish. Everything fit him flawlessly. I knew that he was wearing his gun at the small of his back so as not to break the drape.
'I'm very special to her,' I said.
'Un-huh. She say anything about Walker and Ratliff?'
'She said they weren't intimate.'
'We believe her, don't we?' Hawk said.
'There's a lot she isn't saying,' I said.
'We knew that 'fore you talked with her,' Hawk said.
'Well, we know it again,' I said.
'Skilled interrogation be the keystone of detective work,' Hawk said.
'Yes it be,' I said.
'Snooping around town work pretty well, too.'
'The Dell came in for collections,' I said.
'Un-huh. Two Jeep loads. Actually one a Jeep, the other one an old Scout, don't even make anymore.'
'I've seen it,' I said. 'What time?'
'10:20 in the morning,' Hawk said.
'Not early birds,' I said.
'Still got themselves a worm though.'
'Preacher come with them?'
'Casper the ghost,' Hawk said. 'Skinny? No hair?'
'That's him.'
'He done the collecting,' Hawk said. 'Started down there, head of the street, at the Western Wear Store, and worked right down Main Street.'
'How much backup?'
'Seven, besides him. Four in each vehicle. When he went in the stores, a big fat guy went with him. Carried the black bag.'
'Pony,' I said.
'Pony?'
'That's his name.'
'Guy's big enough to haul a beer wagon.'
'Maybe they're being ironic,' I said.
'Tha's probably it,' Hawk said. 'I bet there's a tot of irony out there in the old Dell.'
'What'd the other guys do while The Preacher was collecting?'
