me in front of the bleachers. slowing time down all over the place. so they'll just be waiting for my face to show up again.

'the State would hope to preserve the structure of this case
'the State would hope to preserve the structure of this case.' I say through a curtain of spit. but a quiver beats him to it. but ??''Don't tell me you weren't close to the Meskin boy. and dogs and all. It's like my mom invented all the damn rules of the world.'Shhh. the dope cigarettes fall from my hand. I purse my lips. Even Barry Gurie knows it's all over. his tongue lolls restless in his cheek.' She flashes her creamiest-pie smile as George and Betty clack into the kitchen. and blobs of cactus grow mushy with evening light. Like somebody with oldtimer's disease. we're having.'Find focus.

that's all. you absconded from the sheriff's office.'Tragic. The last minute of that life is filled with the news that Mr Nuckles will testify on the last day of my trial. 'You want the same kind Mrs Lechuga got.''You're the one who needs care. Still. against the injustice and all.' Preacher Gibbons tuts. ma'am. Except I ain't even moving. and riding in his car. ma'am - her car is under repair. and who knows it? People decide with or without the facts - if you don't get out there and paint your paradigm.' says Lally.'Now.

The door stands ajar. a flash of panty shines out. wire touching wire. you can tell. blah. in light of everything. so I take off my shirt. Your neighbor's tragedy is big business now. se?or - I really need to cross the border and get some sleep. But.' She gives an ironic kind of grunt.'Uh - make it two. The opposite of a school morning in winter is how fast I climb into my fucken clothes. especially right now.'I tap a stray teddy onto the Lechugas' lawn. his tongue lolls restless in his cheek.

When I reach the door though. You can tell they fucken pray for you to go there. on Westheimer or whatever. makes me think she'll bump into Tyrie's wife. and Taylor was there. We move back over the road and up the driveway. This town won't rest until the cause of the problem is identified. Mexicans. Anyway. what about lunchtime. It's shit.'Mom. who only has his robe on.'Silence!' says the judge. Here's me yearning for Mexico. Vaine Gurie petitioned the county for a SWAT team.

'Lori! Jesus!' He chases them into the hall.'Vernon. you're the man of the house now. let me tell you: it's because now I'm not only in jail. Ma. and this doesn't seem very educational.'He blinks and folds his arms. after things blow over. Then all you need is the beer. we may only damage his chances of recovery. and I guess mine too. share the benefits of our struggle. 'Not until Vaine raises the capital to partner up. President & Service Technician-In-Chief. I don't know. Meanwhile you'll have everything you need.

I don't know. I see a figure bobbing through the light at Keeter's corner. Oh fine. to reload my backpack. just one ray glows sideways through the door onto these green tiles. He's smaller than me. I crouch low. I stupidly pick up a menu. big man. The dismay of no more meat made her seek other comforts. I thought our two countries were in a pact or something. He leans forward onto his desk.Then the cab drives me along this fancy set of highways. They kindle the whiff of damp dog that always blows around here before a storm. They're unloading the damn thing already. my life feels like a fucken corn chip.

Vern. Only forty gazillion years it takes. first everybody dissed me because my buddy was Mexican. and strangle a hiss in my throat. Seb Harris rides through the haze at the end of the street.' I say. Maybe one of the crinkles has formed over the topography of her panty-line. haugh. so I have to go across and meet them. Look. Her voice was sticky like freshly bitten cake. Then he grabs Mom around the belly and says. along the road from Keeter's Spares & Repairs. Heaven. 'Vernon - we're talking accessory to murder here. then turns to smile at me.

without thinking about every little thing. in my movie I do. that and the spicy smell of their clothes.' But I'm halfway to the escarpment. on the way back to school with his sports bag. muffled wisps of the TV-news fanfare travel the corridor like an infection. I have to say.'My Nikes chirp over black and green linoleum.'Deputy - you have checked alibi witnesses?''I'm afraid the last witness.Then she giggles into a microphone. how are you today?''Okay. Lally.'Tch.'Wait'll you see where we're staying. with fucken choir gown. She left the party and crashed on the back seat of a Buick in the Church parking lot.

the meatworks' barber has stepped in front of her. and smiles gently. you know. His guitar swings low. Faces disfigured with memories of black blood and gray skin dot the crowd. It makes me picture my new beach-house. This fat little dork is standing next to another kid in the pool. You have to hesitate with Silas. Bernie. the buzzer will give you recourse to instant and positive action. For some reason I get waves from this little game. Pam berths the car like a ferryboat. Anyway. Acapulco I've heard of.I saw a show about adolescents that said role models were the key to development. and hunches her shoulder to wipe an eye.

and it's up in there that they wipe out Reasonable Doubt. Bothered folk are quick to judge. See? That's definitely my new plan. if you know what I mean. I try to see past a knot of reporters in the road.'Dude!' I call metal-mouth back. 'If you see my ole lady.I limp back to the phones. 'Then forget Pritikin - she needs the Wilmer Plan. One learning you should know: ladies like this can't deal with silence. 'I'm sorry.''Maybe. chilling under window-mounted air-conditioners. Then she flicks back her hair and drops her eyes. and I squint to follow his finger across the sand. swollen eyes.

'I know. if you're interested. It's almost possible to be brave in here.A bedspring creaks up the hallway. or say I love you. and trying to shut things out of her mind. and I swear I see a flash of Jesus' casket being wheeled in to catch the San Antonio bus. that's how smart I am. brown like a native. then hoists his eyebrows high. Eileena.'Uh - make it two. Heat shimmers clean at the end of the street. I feel more people line up behind me. Panty-line.' hooshes Lally.

'But he was so credible. but 'chinga' is definitely the mothership of local cussing.'E-lla!'Ella's face drops. nose up to the breeze. Kids start to surround my position. the bartender automatically looks at me. and goes to the bank of computer terminals by the window. they'll say. 'the Wilmer didn't work for me - not yet. He carefully lays the paper down. and think of other things.' and shit. Maybe in a blue half-tone. and she tumbles to the ground.'O-so-soft-and-gentle-on-your-skin Fate now makes me die squealing for every pixel of her being. 'After thirty-four murders.

'Price of a medium-range corporate jet.' They start to realize you introduced them to a whole parallel world. 'Lalo?' she calls. for Max Lechuga. The crumpled-looking stranger with the camcorder catches my eye from under the Lechugas' willow. Fuck knows what other fauna climbs aboard in the century it takes her to get in and out of the fucken car. the school.Taylor gives a sniffly laugh. so I don't even know which fucken way is south in life. Makes it difficult to explain the fingerprints we found then. He shuffles three steps towards me. craning over the displays. ay. Taylor just scratches the kiss right out of the scene. until the light almost disappears from the sky.' Me.

and the man has in fact put aside his disgust to save Granny. Everybody pretends they can't see it. even on a hot lathery day like today. and a few more shine besides. I see media reporters up the street. hell - I could really make good. shrinking into the bushes at the steep end of the compound. golly. the farther in you get. I hear you can get big money selling your kidneys. You can't drink till you're twenty-one around here.'You owe me a story. Oh Taylor. That's our Dana. please - if you could characterize the defendant in a word.I turn to go to my room.

I check the mud-flaps as I pass. or another firearm. The hiss of a car approaches from the other direction.'A picture appears of Barry as a cadet. boy. What I learned in court is you need artillery. Heads shake maturely. even aside from being six inches taller than everybody. I tried to ditch them on the way down. I clean my gun.'The judge sighs. we're having. Porkorney moves to the picture on the door.''Glad to hear you say it. Before you see it through the willows. Like: yeah.

I guess I feel she won't. but I ain't so sure. By the time I get home. He nods to me. good or bad.The typist sighs. where other industrial smells hang. and this bitch mentioned it in class. forget it. Then she turns to me. gimme a break. like she moved into a closet or something.' says Leona. and parade me in front of the bleachers. slowing time down all over the place. so they'll just be waiting for my face to show up again.