Raylan_ A Novel - Elmore Leonard [48]
“He’s got more money’n God and never shows it.”
Carol said, “He told you he’s leaving you his mountain?”
Dewey grinned. “I didn’t say it, you did.”
The next thing they were telling him to leave, Ms. Conlan asking would he excuse her? She had to get ready to go in there and talk, okay?
Casper jumping out and held the door open, Dewey feeling Casper’s hand on his shoulder.
“Casper will give you a ride sometime in his souped-up limo.”
Casper shrugged.
“You get the mountain we’ll give you a hot limo just like it,” Carol said. “Bye.”
Casper hopped in and the door closed.
Dewey turned to see Raylan standing there watching.
“You hear her?”
“Some,” Raylan said. “I think what she meant, she isn’t sure you’re gonna ever own the mountain.”
“I never come out and told her I was.”
“She reads minds.”
“I didn’t care for her tone a voice,” Dewey said, “like I was the help. She offered me a ride home, I turned her down. It wasn’t easy. I begun sniffin her perfume, I’d be sniffin her all the way to Harlan. But I prefer people that believe me I tell ’em somethin, they don’t put on airs.”
“You told Carol you’re gettin Black Mountain?”
“I never come out and told her. I let her figure it out once I said I’m Pervis’s heir.” Dewey frowned then like he was in pain. “I hope my Hornet don’t quit on him, have the old man irritated at me the time he’s got left on earth. I feel I got to take care of the old man, see he leaves with a smile on his face.”
Raylan said, “You goin up to Stinkin Creek?”
“Pervis ain’t been there since his boys were kilt. He took a property off Piney Run, mile or so north of Harlan. Pervis says he can’t look at the bloodstain all over his rug, remindin him Dickie and Coover are gone.”
“I think he’ll find peace,” Raylan said, “never having to worry about them again.”
“Hey, they were harum-scarums, I know that. Still, it’s hard to lose your boys,” Dewey said, “you watch ’em grow up from tads. It can break your heart you let it. Pervis’s got that colored girl comes to visit.” Dewey shrugged, shaking his head. “It takes all kinds, don’t it? They’s always things about people hard to figure out.”
“You have to walk a mile or so in their moccasins,” Raylan said, “before you understand where they’re coming from.”
“You say so,” Dewey said.
Raylan watched him shrug and walk off in his Doc Martens.
Raylan walked up to the limo and knocked on the smoked window.
“You know there’s a whole gym full of people waiting on you?”
The window rolled down.
“I’m waiting for them to get restless,” Carol said, “so I can calm them down. Where did Dewey go?”
“Home, once he lines up a ride.”
“You know Pervis would never in sound mind give that idiot his mountain.”
“I don’t think he would,” Raylan said, “but I don’t know it for a fact.”
“We’ll see Pervis tomorrow,” Carol said. “Get him to admit it.”
Raylan said, “What do you care what I think?”
Carol said, “I want you on my side for a change.”
The window already rolling up.
People standing around outside smoking would come over to Raylan, offer their hand and say he’d sure told her and ask where she was, hidin in the limo? Raylan would say Ms. Conlan’s resting up, you people getting to her pretty good. Some would say they’d had enough company talk and were heading home. Raylan was surprised to see Hazen Culpepper walk up to him.
“I thought you’d left.”
“I may as well. I don’t see you doin anything about Otis.”
“Like what? I could do anything I would.”
“Sit her down in one of those rooms you got and shine a light on her. Get her to talk.”
“The sheriff’s people already have Ms. Conlan’s statement,” Raylan said. “Otis fired at her and Boyd shot him, saving her life.”
“You believe that?”
“I asked her myself. Otis fired a twelve-gauge at you from thirty feet and didn’t even hit the trailer? Ms. Conlan said, ‘He missed, didn’t he?’ and will swear to it. That’s where we are. I doubt her word, but there’s nothin I can do about it.”
“Otis fires his scattergun,” Hazen said, “he don’t miss. I’ll swear to that in court.”
“We ever get inside a courtroom