PRODUCTION PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY KENNETH
They finished their drinks and Raylan said, “Ken, will you get the tape for us?”
Nothing about crossing their hearts.
Kenneth said, “I suppose you want the original.”
“Everything you shot,” Raylan said.
K enneth dialed a cell and a voice said, “Kennet?”
“You were right, he came with a SWAT team. I served martinis and we watched your movie.”
“Man brought a SWAT team?”
“A carload of marshals. You’re a popular guy.”
“Kennet, I can’t find where the man’s stayin at. I don’t like tryin to catch him at the courthouse.”
“Why didn’t you ask? He’s staying at the Two Keys. I dropped in on Crazy Night and there he was. I told you that.”
“You go there?”
“Delroy, read my lips. He’s staying there,” and let that hang before saying, “He acts as bouncer and they give him a free room and tortillas.”
“That college bar?”
“It’s fun. I love it.”
Delroy took a few moments before saying, “Man, do it in a barroom.”
“He is wearing a cowboy hat.”
“Like the big scene in a western.”
“That’s what I just said.”
Delroy said, “Yeah…” nodding, seeing it in his mind.
“It’ll be crowded.”
Kenneth said, “I like spectators.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
I been sittin here waitin an hour,” Boyd said. “She calls I got to jump and go pick her up.”
Raylan said, “Where’s Nichols?”
They were in his office at the courthouse.
“He went to a meeting. Said I could wait for you long as I don’t take anything. You people know how to make visitors feel right at home, don’t you?”
“I should prob’ly be in that meeting,” Raylan said. He picked up the phone on the desk.
Boyd said, “I just want to tell you somethin so you’re clear in your mind about what happened to Otis. I did not shoot him.”
Raylan replaced the phone and sat down at the desk across from Boyd, staring at him. “You’re tellin me Carol shot Otis?”
“She’s the only female mine-company thug I ever met,” Boyd said. “I can’t work for her no more.”
“Now she’s a gun thug?”
“I’m sayin she’s thuggish for a woman,” Boyd said, “how she comports herself, talks the company line.”
“Boyd, if you’re sayin Carol shot Otis, say it.”
“Raylan, I never been a snitch in my life. I would cut out my tongue first. I’m tellin you I did not shoot Otis, and I’m leavin it at that.”
“If you and Carol were the only ones there-” Raylan stopped and said, “Did Otis fire his shotgun at you?”
Boyd hesitated.
“Or’d you pick it up once he’s dead and empty the gun in the air?”
“I’m not gettin into anything has to do with Carol.”
“But you set it up,” Raylan said, “to look like you shot him in self-defense.”
“Raylan, I swear on a holy Bible I did not shoot the man.”
“You and Carol are the only ones there, aren’t you?”
“Draw what conclusions you come to, I’m tellin you I didn’t shoot him.”
“But I can’t arrest her for Otis,” Raylan said, “without putting it on her, can I?”
“I’m not workin for her no more,” Boyd said, “and that’s all I can tell you. I got to go now, pick her up.”
Raylan let him walk out. He wasn’t going far.
C arol came out of the mine company building with a couple of manila envelopes under her arm and got in front with Boyd this time.
“What did you do, go to a bar?”
Boyd came right out and told her, “As a matter of fact, I stopped off to see my old buddy again.”
He could feel her staring at him, Boyd looking at his outside mirror, waiting for cars to pass.
She said, “Tell me why.”
“I wanted to get something straight with him.”
She reached over, turhed overned the key to kill the engine.
“You know I’m an attorney.”
Boyd said, “Yeah…?” feeling he had the edge here.
“I’ve told you how many times,” Carol said, “there is no possibility of your being convicted. You won’t even be brought to trial, even if I were to admit you murdered him. I’m an accomplice, it’s my gun-the company’s actually. Even if I say I tried to stop you.”
Boyd held off from screaming at her, I didn’t shoot him, you did! as loud as he could in her face.
He cleared his throat to get himself ready and said in his normal voice, “Raylan knows I didn’t shoot the man. He knows me from standin on picket lines with him, couple of coal miners on strike hopin our Higher Power’s on our side and not the company’s.”
Carol said, “You told him you didn’t shoot Otis.”
“That’s correct, since I didn’t.”
She said, “Boyd-”
“You call me by name, you’re about to yell at me for somethin.”
She said, “When have I ever raised my voice?”
“I figure you’d fire me anyway.”
“You told him,” Carol said, “I shot Otis?”
“What I told him was I didn’t.”
“And you think he believes you.”
“Yes, I do.”
“It seems to me,” Carol said, “nothing’s changed. Whether you told him I shot Otis or not. He’d still have to prove it wasn’t self-defense.”
Boyd said, “Tell me who did it, all right? Just so I’ll know.”
“What’s the difference? You were there, you didn’t stop me. I said empty his shotgun, and you aided and abetted. But whether you keep your big mouth shut or not,” Carol said, “now that you’ve found God, you want me to give myself up so you won’t have to turn snitch. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“You know what they say, que sera sera, era sera” Boyd said.
“God,” Carol said. “You’re too dumb to be a threat.”
He turned the key and started to pull away from the curb, his jaw clamped shut, and she stopped him.
“Get out and I’ll scoot over. Take a taxi to the nursing home, St. Elizabeth, the address is on the envelopes.” She handed it to him. “Get Marion to sign wherever it’s indicated and tell her I’ll stop by tomorrow.”
“For what?”
“Thank her for being so cooperative. God, talking to her on the phone was an extreme test of will. Tell the old lady she’s getting five bills a month and that’s it.” She said, “Boyd,” her tone becoming almost soft, “let me do the thinking, okay?”
