“I drop it, it gets all dirty,” Delonie said. “I don’t want to do that.”
Delos shrugged. “Ah, well,” he said. His hand flashed out of the jacket pocket, pistol in it.
Delos fired. Delonie spun, rifle clattering to the ground. Delos fired again. Delonie dropped on his side, rifle beside him.
Delos had his pistol aimed at Leaphorn now, eyes intent. He shook his head.
“What do you think, Lieutenant?” he asked. “Would you rate that the proper decision, under the circumstances? About what you would have done if our positions were reversed?”
“I’m not sure what your position is,” Leaphorn said.
He was thinking that his own position was even worse than he’d anticipated. This man, whoever he was, was very fast with a pistol. And a very good shot. Leaphorn tightened his grip on the pistol in his own jacket pocket.
“Don’t do that,” Delos said. “Don’t be fondling that gun. That’s dangerous. Not polite either. Better you take your hand out of that pocket.”
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“Maybe so,” Leaphorn said.
“Without the pistol in it.”
“All right,” Leaphorn said. And eased out his hand.
Delos nodded, and shifted his gaze back to Delonie, now sprawled on his side and absolutely motionless. Then studying Vang, looking thoughtful.
“Tommy, first I think we should get that rifle out of Mr. Delonie’s reach. Just in case he wasn’t hit as hard as it seems.” He held his hand out.
Vang grabbed the rifle by its barrel, slid it on the ground toward the porch, and looked up, awaiting further instructions.
That was not what Delos wanted, Leaphorn thought.
Now how would he react to Tommy not handing him the rifle?
Delos seemed unsure himself for a moment. But he nodded.
“Now go over and help Lieutenant Leaphorn take off his jacket. Get behind him, slip it off his shoulders, make sure that pistol of his stays in the pocket, and then bring it here and hand it to me.”
Maybe Delos will be careless, Leaphorn was thinking.
Maybe Tommy will deliberately give me a chance. Maybe there’ll be a moment when he blocks the man’s view.
When I can get my pistol out and use it.
“Hands high,” Delos said. “And Tommy, you make certain you are always behind him. Remember, from now on, I’m grading you on how well you can follow instructions. And remember, this lieutenant here is a highly regarded lawman. He is very much one of the predator class. He can be very dangerous if you give him the least little opportunity.”
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TONY HILLERMAN
Tommy seemed to be trying for a passing grade. He felt the jacket pockets to make sure he knew where the pistol hid, then slid the jacket down over Leaphorn’s shoulders as he lowered his arms. He folded the jacket neatly, took it to the edge of the porch, and handed it up to Delos.
“Very good,” Delos said. “Now go over to Mr. Delonie and check on the condition of his health. Take your hand and check the artery on the side of his neck. Under the jaw. You will have to use a little pressure probably. Then tell me what you feel.”
Tommy knelt beside Delonie, looked at the arm that had been holding the rifle when Delos shot him.
“Bleeding some, the arm is,” Tommy said. “And the bone has been broken.”
“Check that neck artery,” Delos said. “Then get close to his face. See if you can detect any breathing.” Tommy felt Delonie’s neck, looked thoughtful. Tried again. “Feel nothing here,” he said. Then he bent over Delonie’s face, close, then closer. Sat up, shook his head.
“Feel no air coming out. Don’t hear anything either.”
“All right,” Delos said. “Now pull back his jacket and his shirt and take a look at where that second shot got him.”
Tommy did as told. He looked back at Delos, held up one hand to display blood on it, and then stood, faced Delos, and put his other hand high on his right-side rib cage. “It hit him right about here,” he said. “Bleeding right there. And I think broken rib bone. Maybe two.”
“Good,” Delos said. “Now you sit there and watch Mr.
Delonie. Carefully, I mean, because sometimes people aren’t quite as dead as they seem to be. Now I’m going THE SHAPE SHIFTER
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to ask the lieutenant some questions, and I want you to listen. You let me know if he’s not being honest with me.” Tommy nodded and sank into a yoga-like position, legs folded under him.
Leaphorn, aware of how his own tired legs were aching, was thinking how comfortable Tommy looked.
He felt totally exhausted. Hard day yesterday, almost no sleep, then the long drive, and now this. And he was
