thillerman.theblessingway-第7章

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lothing　was　damp　from　the　rain。
　As　Begay　drove　the　last　mile　down　the　bumpy　track　toward　the　highway；　driving　faster　than　he　should　have；　he　thought　that　he　would　have　to　report　this　body　to　Law　and　Order　before　he　went　to　the　bus　station。　He　tried　not　to　think　of　the　expression　frozen　on　the　face　of　the　young　man；　the　dead　eyes　bulging　and　the　lips　drawn　back　in　naked　terror。
　
　Chapter　6
　
　It　was　midmorning　when　the　news　of　Horseman　reached　Leaphorn's　office。　In　the　two　hours　since　breakfast；　McKee　had　sorted　through　two　filing　cabinets；　extracted　Manila　folders　marked　〃Witchcraft〃　and　segregated　those　identified　as　〃Wolf〃　from　those　labeled　〃Frenzy〃　and　〃Datura。〃　The　datura　cases　involved　narcotics　users；　and　most　frenzy　incidents；　McKee　knew；　centered　on　mental　illness。　If　he　had　time；　he'd　look　through　those　later。　He　was　marking　Wolf　incident　locations　on　a　Bureau　of　Indian　Affairs　reservation　map；　coding　them　with　numbers；　and　then　making　notes　of　names　of　witnesses；　when　the　radio　dispatcher　stopped　at　the　door　and　told　Leaphorn　that　Luis　Horseman　had　been　found。
　〃When　did　he　e　in？〃
　〃Found　his　body；〃　the　dispatcher　said。
　Leaphorn　stared　at　the　dispatcher；　waiting　for　more。
　〃The　captain　wants　to　know　if　you　can　pick　up　the　coroner　and　clear　the　body？〃
　〃Why　don't　they　handle　it　out　of　the　Chinle　subagency？〃　Leaphorn　asked。　〃They're　a　hundred　miles　closer。〃
　〃They　found　him　down　near　Ganado。　You're　supposed　to　pick　up　the　coroner　there。〃
　〃Ganado？〃　Leaphorn　looked　incredulous。　〃What　killed　him？　Suicide？〃
　〃Apparently　natural；〃　the　dispatcher　said。　〃Too　much　booze。　But　nobody's　looked　at　him　yet。〃
　〃Ganado；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃How　the　devil　did　he　get　down　there？〃
　It　was　forty…five　minutes　to　Ganado　and　Leaphorn　spent　most　of　them　worrying　to　McKee　about　being　wrong。
　〃Congratulations；〃　McKee　said。　〃You're　forty　years　old　and　you　just　made　your　first　mistake。〃
　〃It's　not　that。　It　just　doesn't　make　sense。〃　And　then；　for　the　third　time；　Leaphorn　reviewed　his　reasoning…looking　for　a　flaw。　The　Gallup　police　had　reported　the　car　Horseman　had　taken　after　the　knifing　was　last　seen　heading　north　on　U。S。　666；　the　right　direction。　It　had　been　found　later；　abandoned　near　Greasewood。　The　right　place；　if　he　was　returning　to　the　west…slope　canyon　country　of　his　mother's　clan。　And　there　was　every　reason　to　think　he　would。　Horseman　was　scared。　The　territory　was　empty；　and　a　fugitive's　dream　for　hiding　out。　His　kinsmen　would　feed　him　and　keep　their　mouths　shut。　And　at　Shoemaker's　Leaphorn　was　certain　that　at　least　two　of　those　he　had　talked　to　had　known　about　Horseman。　There　was　the　old　man　with　the　witch　story　and　it　was　even　more　obvious　with　the　boy　who　had　e　in　late。　He　had　clearly　been　relieved　to　hear　the　Mexican　hadn't　died　and　clearly　was　in　a　hurry　to　end　the　conversation　and　go　tell　someone　about　it。　And　then　there　was　the　Big　Navajo。　〃He　was　interested；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃Remember　he　asked　me　to　describe　Horseman。　And　Shoemaker　said　he　was　new　around　there。　Why　would　he　be　interested　if　he　hadn't　seen　him？〃
　〃You're　hung　up　on　the　hat　thing；〃　McKee　said。
　〃All　right；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃You　explain　the　hat。〃
　〃Sure。　He　took　the　hatband　off　and　while　it　was　off；　somebody　stole　the　hat。〃
　〃When's　the　last　time　you　took　off　your　hatband？〃
　〃I　don't　wear　silver　conchos　on　my　hat；〃　McKee　said。
　They　picked　up　the　coroner…justice　of　the　peace　at　a　Conoco　station　in　Ganado；　a　man　named　Rudolph　Bitsi。　Bitsi　told　them　to　drive　south。
　The　late　morning　sun　was　hot　by　the　time　they　arrived　at　the　edge　of　Teastah　Wash　and　the　Navajo　policeman　who　had　been　left　with　the　body　had　retreated　into　the　shade　of　the　arroyo　wall。　He　climbed　into　the　sunlight；　blinking；　as　the　carryall　stopped。　He　looked　very　young；　and　a　little　nervous。　Leaphorn　said　the　policeman　was　Dick　Roanhorse；　just　out　of　recruit　school。
　〃Find　anything　interesting？〃　Leaphorn　asked。
　〃No；　sir。　Just　this　bottle。　The　only　tracks　are　the　ones　made　by　Begay's　pickup。　Rain　washed　everything　else　out。〃
　〃The　body　was　here　before　the　rain；　then；〃　Leaphorn　said。　It　was　more　a　statement　than　a　question；　and　the　policeman　only　nodded。
　Leaphorn　pulled　the　blanket　off　the　body。　They　looked　at　what　had　been　Luis　Horseman。
　〃Well；〃　Bitsi　said；　〃looks　like　he　might　have　had　some　sort　of　seizure。〃
　〃Looks　like　it；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　Bitsi　squatted；　examining　the　face。　He　was　a　short；　middle…aged　man；　tending　to　fat；　and　he　grunted　as　he　lowered　himself。　He　sniffed　at　Horseman's　nose　and　lips。
　〃Alcohol。　You　can　just　barely　get　a　whiff　of　it。〃
　Leaphorn　was　looking　at　Horseman's　legs。　McKee　noticed　they　were　rigidly　straight…as　if　he　had　died　erect　and　tumbled　backward；　which　wasn't　likely。
　Bitsi　was　still　examining　the　face。　〃I　saw　one　that　looked　like　that　two；　three　years　ago。　Crazy　bastard　had　made　him　a　brew　out　of　jimson　weed　to　get　more　potent　and　it　poisoned　him。〃
　Leaphorn　was　looking　at　Horseman's　left　arm。　The　watch　on　his　wrist　was　running；　which　would　mean　he　had　wound　it　the　previous　day…probably　less　than　twenty…four　hours　earlier。　It　was　a　cheap　watch；　the　kind　that　cost　about　8　or　10；　with　a　stainless…steel　expansion　band。　Leaphorn　stared　at　the　left　hand。　The　arm　lay　across　Horseman's　chest　with　the　wrist　and　hand　extended；　unsupported。
　〃Pretty　fair　booze；〃　Bitsi　said；　holding　up　the　bottle。　The　label　was　red　and　proclaimed　the　contents　to　be　sour…mash　whiskey。　About　a　half　ounce　of　amber　liquid　remained　in　the　bottle。
　〃Looks　like　he　overdid　it；〃　Bitsi　said。　〃Looks　like　he　strangled。　Fell　down　while　he　was　throwing　up；　and　passed　out　and　strangled。〃
　〃That's　what　it　looks　like；〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃Might　as　well　haul　him　in；〃　Bitsi　said。　He　rose　from　his　squat；　grunting　again。
　〃No　tracks　at　all？〃　Leaphorn　asked　the　policeman。
　〃Just　Begay's。　Where　he　got　out　of　his　pickup　and　came　over　to　look　at　the　body。　Nothing　but　that。〃；
　There　were　plenty　of　tracks　now。　Mostly　Roanhorse's；　Leaphorn　guessed。
　〃Where　was　the　bottle？〃
　〃Four　or　five　feet　from　the　body；〃　Roanhorse　said。　〃Like　he　dropped　it。〃
　〃O。K。；〃　Leaphorn　said。　He　was　looking　across　the　flat　through　which　Teastah　Wash　had　eroded；　an　expanse　of　scrubby　creosote　bush　with　a　scattering　of　sage。　At　the　lip　of　the　wash　bank；　a　few　yards　upstream　from　the　road；　two　small　junipers　had　managed　to　get　roots　deep　enough　to　live。　Leaphorn　walked　suddenly　to　the　nearest　bush　and　examined　it。　He　motioned　to　Roanhorse；　and　McKee　followed。
　〃You　pull　a　limb　off　this　for　anything？〃
　Roanhorse　shook　his　head。
　There　was　a　raw　wound　on　the　lower　trunk　where　a　limb　had　been　broken　away。　Leaphorn　put　his　thumb　against　the　exposed　cambium　layer　and　showed　it　to　McKee。　It　was　sticky　with　fresh　sap。
　〃What　do　you　think　of　that？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　McKee　said。　〃How　about　you？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Probably　nothing。〃
　He　started　walking　back　toward　the　body；　through　the　creosote　bush；　searching。　Bitsi；　McKee　noticed；　had　climbed　back　into　the　carryall。
　〃Look　around　across　the　road　there；〃　Leaphorn　said；　〃and　see　if　you　can　find　that　juniper　branch。〃
　But　he　found　it　himself。　The　frail　needles　were　dirty　and　broken。　McKee　guessed　it　had　been　used　as　a　broom　even　before　Leaphorn　told　him。
　〃That　looked　pretty　smart；　Joe；〃　McKee　said。　〃Where　does　it　take　you？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　Leaphorn　was　looking　intently　at　the　body。　〃Notice　how　his　legs　are　stretched　out　straight。　He　could　have　pushed　'em　out　that　way　after　he　fell　down；　but　if　you　do　that　laying　on　the　ground；　looks　like　it　would　push　your　pants　cuffs　away　from　your　ankles。〃　He　stood　silently；　surveying　the　body。　〃Maybe　that's　all　right　though。　It　could　happen。〃　He　looked　at　McKee。　〃That　wrist　couldn't　happen；　though。〃
　He　squatted　beside　the　body；　looking　up。
　〃Ever　try　to　pick　up　an　unconscious　man？　He's　limp。　Absolutely　limp。　After　he's　dead　two…three　hours；　he　starts　getting　stiff。〃
　That's　why　I　noticed　the　arm；　McKee　thought。　It　doesn't　look　natural。
　〃You　think　he　was　dead；　and　somebody　put　him　here？〃
　〃Maybe；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃And　whoever　did　it　didn't　know　it　was　going　to　rain　so　they　brushed　out　their　tracks。〃
　〃But　why？〃　McKee　asked。　He　looked　around。　Here　the　body　was　sure　to