on the plains of western Kansas, Mrs. Warren-Browne said: "Taxes, my dear. Death duties. Enormous, criminal death duties. That's what drove us out of England. Yes, we left a year ago. Without regrets. None. We love it here, Just adore it. Though, of course, it's very different from our other life. The life we've always known. Paris and Rome. Monte. London. I do - occasionally - think of London. Oh, I don't really miss it - the frenzy, and never a cab, and always worrying how one looks. Positively not. We love it here. I suppose some people - those aware of our past, the life we've led - wonder aren't we the tiniest bit lonely, out there in the wheat fields. Out West is where we meant to settle. Wyoming or Neveda - la vraie chose. We hoped when we got there some oil might stick to us. But on our way we stopped to visit friends in Garden City - friends of friends, actually. But they couldn't have been kinder. Insisted we linger on. And we thought, Well, why not? Why not hire a bit of land and start ranching? Or farming. Which is a decision we still haven't come to - whether to ranch or farm. Dr. Austin asked if we didn't find it perhaps too quiet. Actually, no. Actually, I've never known such bedlam. It's noisier than a bomb raid. Train whistles. Coyotes. Monsters howling the bloody night long. A horrid racket. And since the murders it seems to bother me more. So many things do. Our house - what an old creaker it is! Mark you, I'm not complaining. Really, it's quite a serviceable house - has all the mod. cons. - but, oh, how it coughs and grunts! And after dark, when the wind commences, that hateful prairie wind, one hears the most appalling moans. I mean, if one's a bit nervy, one can't help imagining - silly things. Dear God! That poor family! No, we never met them. I saw Mr. Clutter once. In the Federal Building." Early in December, in the course of a single afternoon, two of the cafe's steadiest customers announced plans to pack up and leave not merely Finney County but the state. The first was a tenant farmer who worked for Lester McCoy, a well-known western-Kansas landowner and businessman. He said, "I had my-self a talk with Mr. McCoy. Tried to let him know what's going on out here in Holcomb and here abouts. How a body can't sleep. My wife can't sleep, and she won't allow me. So I told Mr. McCoy I like his place fine but he better hunt up another man.
'Count if we're movin' on. Down to east Colorado. Maybe then I'll get some rest." The second announcement was made by Mrs. Hideo Ashida, who stopped by the cafe" with three of her four red-cheeked children. She lined them up at the counter and told Mrs. Hartman, "Give Bruce a box of Cracker Jack. Bobby wants a Coke. Bonnie Jean? We know how you feel, Bonnie Jean, but come on, have a treat." Bonnie Jean shook her head, and Mrs. Ashida said, "Bonnie Jean's sort of blue. She don't want to leave here. The school here. And all her friends."
"Why, say," said Mrs. Hartman, smiling at Bonnie Jean. "That's nothing to be sad over. Transferring from Holcomb to Garden City High. Lots more boys - " Bonnie Jean said, "You don't understand. Daddy's taking us away. To Nebraska." Bess Hartman looked at the mother, as if expecting her to deny the daughter's allegation. "It's true, Bess," Mrs. Ashida said.
"I don't know what to say," said Mrs. Hartman, her voice indignantly astonished, and also despairing. The Ashidas were a part of the Holcomb community everyone appreciated - a family likably high-spirited, yet hard-working and neighborly and generous, though they didn't have much to be generous with. Mrs. Ashida said, "We've been talking on it a long time. Hideo, he thinks we can do better somewhere else." "When you plan to go?"
"Soon as we sell up. But anyway not before Christmas. On account of a deal we've worked out with the dentist. About Hideo's Christmas present. Me and the kids, we're giving him three gold teeth. For Christmas." Mrs. Hartman sighed. "I don't know what to say. Except I wish you wouldn't. Just up and leave us." She sighed again. "Seems like we're losing everybody.