Bloodville (8 page)

Candelaria led Bunting into the office. Jack Elkins followed along shortly. Elkins removed the suspect's handcuffs and directed him to sit in a straight-backed wooden chair in front of the desk. The sheriff took a position near one of the office doors while Candelaria leaned against the other. Wilcoxson, seated behind the desk, lit a cigarette and blew smoke toward Bunting.

―What's your name?‖
―Bunting, Larry E., 15598176, Petty Officer First Class, United States Navy, sir.‖ Like a whipped pup looking for a friendly face, the young sailor smiled nervously and his eyes darted back and forth at the officials in the room.
―You're not a prisoner of war so don't give me that name, rank and serial number shit. Where‘re you from?‖
―Yes sir, sheriff. I was stationed in Massachusetts up 'til last week. I got orders for San Diego, the Naval Air Station. That's where we was going to. My home of record is in Everett, Washington, but I was born in Maryland.‖
―I'm not the sheriff. I'm the Assistant District Attorney. You know why you're here?‖
―No sir. Not exactly. The one cop out there at Budville said I killed somebody, but I didn't, either.‖ Bunting wiped the sweat off his face with his bare hand. ―Are you like Perry Mason?‖
―I'm on the other side, but I don't loose all my cases like Hamilton Berger. It's my job to put you into the gas chamber.‖
Bunting's heart throbbed in his chest. ―But I didn't do nothing.‖ The sailor seemed on the verge of tears.
―That a fact? We got an eye witness says you did; says you shot and killed two people—one of them a little old lady—for a couple hundred bucks. What do you think of that?‖ Wilcoxson wore his hatbrim pulled down low on his forehead keeping his face in a shadow, like a mask, dark and obscure. He snarled the question. He'd practiced his interrogation technique for years and considered himself in good form with Bunting.
―Well sir, I didn't do it.‖ The sailor's voice broke as he choked back a sob. ―Where's my wife and kids?‖
Wilcoxson ground out his cigarette and stood up. He walked around and rested his butt on the front edge of the desk and crossed one booted foot over the other. ―Don't worry about them. They're in good hands. Too bad you didn't think about them before you shot that poor old lady. Anybody read you your rights?‖
Bunting sat with his elbows on his thighs, his head down, staring at the floor. ―I don't know. What's that?‖
―Gallegos read them to him, Don,‖ Candelaria said. ―I was a witness to it. So was Fred Finch and Jim Mitchell.‖
―If this young man doesn't remember,‖ Wilcoxson said to the lieutenant, ―I guess I'd better tell him again. We wouldn't want to deprive anyone of his constitutional rights, would we?‖ Wilcoxson leaned over and spoke in a loud whisper directly into the young sailor's ear. ―You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney....‖ ―Oh,‖ Bunting said, leaning away from Wilcoxson as if the prosecutor had bad breath. ―That one guy told me all that out there at the roadblock.‖
Wilcoxson stood up. ―So you know that you don't have to talk to us if you don't want to.‖
―Yes sir.‖
―And you know you can have a lawyer if you want one.‖
―Yes sir.‖
―Do you want to talk to us?‖ Wilcoxson softened his approach just a little bit.
―I don't mind. I didn't do nothing wrong. I just want to get out of here, to see my wife.‖
―How long you been in the navy? Is that the United States Navy?‖
Bunting missed the sarcasm. ―Yes sir. The United States Navy. Little over five years. It's my career?‖
―Some career. What's your rank?‖
―Petty officer first class.‖
―Is that a pretty good rank?‖
―I've been in the navy for five years. It ain't too bad for only five years of service,‖ he said proudly. ―Some guys don't make it beyond seaman.‖
―But you're not an admiral, or anything like that, are you?‖
―No. I ain't even an officer.‖
―What're you doing around here?‖
―Mostly just passing through. My wife's from Acoma. Like I said: I got transferred from Massachusetts to San Diego. I'm supposed to report in on Tuesday. We stopped to visit Darlene's aunts and her brother and sister in Albuquerque. That's all.‖
―You're a squaw man, then. Isn't that right?‖
―A what, sir?‖
―White man married to an Indian woman. A squaw.‖
―Well, yeah, Darlene, she's a....‖
―And you got two half-breed kids. Isn't that right?‖
Bunting sat up a little straighter in his chair. ―Wait just a minute, sir. You can't....‖
―Uh, Don,‖ Jack Elkins said. ―You sure you want to go ahead on that point?‖
The ADA stepped back behind the desk and sat down. He lit another cigarette and pushed his hat to the back of his head. ―Forget I said anything about it.‖ He put his feet up on the desk. ―Now then, Petty Officer Bunting, you say you didn't kill anyone. Why don't you go ahead and tell us where you were, say, from noon Friday ‗til the police caught up with you a few hours ago.‖
―That's easy. We stayed at Darlene's aunt‘s house in McCarty's Village and then we went to Albuquerque in the afternoon.‖
―When was that?‖
―Friday. Darlene's brother works at a car wash by Old Town and we stopped there but he wasn't working so we went to his house. He was home. I took him to cash a check and pick up some beer.‖
―What's your Indian brother's name?‖
―Austin Concho.‖
―What'd you do then?‖
―We stayed around his place for a while, and then in the evening we went to the Indian Hospital to visit Charlotte. That's Austin's wife. Then we took Austin home and we went back to McCarty's Village for the night.‖
―Where in the hell is McCarty's Village?‖ Wilcoxson asked.
―West of Budville on the main railroad line,‖ Candelaria said. ―Eight, ten miles. On the Acoma Reservation. There's a BIA school over there and an old railroad station. Fifteen, twenty houses.‖
Wilcoxson nodded. ―So,‖ he said to Bunting, ―you were in the area of Budville last Saturday—the day before yesterday—November eighteenth. Isn't that a fact?‖
―Yes sir, I was. We went back to Albuquerque about noon.‖
―Why?‖
―Well, we was about ready to go on to California. Darlene told her aunts good-bye. She wanted to tell Austin and Charlotte good-bye, too. Darlene's got another sister at the Albuquerque Indian School she wanted to see. So we went to the car wash, but Austin wasn't there, and he wasn't at his house either. We drove around for a while then went back to the house. He was back from getting Charlotte out of the hospital. We stayed there last night. I watched the football game this morning and Darlene and Charlotte washed some clothes. About eight o'clock, or so we left for California. Then those cops grabbed us out by Grants.‖
―What football game?‖
―There were a couple on. Dallas was in one of them and San Diego was in one. Houston too, I think.‖
―Who won?‖
―I didn't pay that much attention. I think Dallas won and San Diego lost, but I wouldn't swear to it.‖
―Dallas lost to Washington. Upset. Twenty-seven to twenty.
I watched the game. San Diego beat Kansas City seventeen sixteen. The Houston game wasn‘t televised in Albuquerque. Help yourself out here, Larry. Name any one of the quarterbacks in the two games.‖
―I don‘t know. Like I said, I didn‘t pay too much attention.
I think it was John Meredith for the Cowboys.‖
―Don Meredith started but Craig Morton played most of the game. I don‘t think you saw any football games.‖
―But I did, I just like baseball better‘n football. That all.‖
―Sure. When‘d you get to New Mexico?‖
―Last Tuesday. In the afternoon.‖ The sailor's mouth and throat were dry. ―Can I have a drink of water?‖
―When we're finished. Where‘d you go?‖
―When?‖
―When you first got to New Mexico.‖
―Oh.‖ Bunting wiped sweat off his forehead with his index finger. ―To McCarty's Village. To Darlene's aunt's house.‖
―So you're telling me that you've been in and around McCarty's Village, and Budville, for the better part of a week, but at the precise time that Bud Rice and Blanche Brown were slaughtered like Christian martyrs, you were fifty, sixty miles away, with a bunch of people willing to provide you with an alibi.‖
―That's the way it was, sir.‖
Wilcoxson stood and leaned across the desk. He spat his words at Bunting's face. ―Flossie Rice said she saw you kill her husband and her best friend. You! She saw you shoot them down! Now who in the hell do you think I'm going to believe? Her, or you and a bunch of goddamn drunk Indians? You can figure that out, can't you?‖ ―But I didn't....‖
The ADA stood and turned his back on the suspect. ―Go ahead and book him, Morris. Be sure and get a good set of prints so we can match them up with the ones we got in the store and take a half dozen Polaroids of him. I expect your criminal agents‘ll want mug shots to shore up the ID on this bastard. Charge him with two open counts of murder. Make that first degree. With aggravation. I'm going home to bed. I'll have to be back out here in the morning for arraignment.‖
―You gonna need me for that, Don?‖ Candelaria asked.
―No. Jack and I can handle it. Thanks for your help, Mo. Be seeing you.‖

Doc Spurlock arrived in Villa de Cubero on Monday at 4:00 a.m. on the dot. He thought Mat Torrez showed signs of a shortage of sleep. Dark bags under the captain‘s eyes made him look older than his years. Doc poured them each a cup of coffee. Mat would like to have laced it with vodka, but he wouldn‘t do it in front of Doc.

―I got more coffee in the car, Cap. Stole my kid's Flash Gordon thermos bottle.‖
―
Muchisimas gracias
, Doc. Gunn‘s Cafe doesn't open until six. I would have died and gone to hell by then without some coffee.‖

―So, Cap, they got the guy, right?‖
―They got a guy. Flossie seems to think he is the one.‖ ―If that's the case, and I don't mean no disrespect, what in the hell

―Believe me when I tell you that I‘d much rather be at home in my own bed than holed-up in this
basudero
, but there‘s a lot of work to be done. We‘ve got to confirm the identification and get statements from some others who claim this hombre was around here just before the killings. We need to do a job in searching the suspect's car. He didn't have a gun on him, but he might have hidden it in the car. We need it bad because I don't see any physical evidence otherwise. If we don't find it in the car, we'll probably need to get warrants for wherever he has been staying around here.‖

―Correct me if I'm wrong, Cap, but it sounds to me like you ain't completely sold on the suspect. What's his name?‖
―Bunting. Larry Bunting. Let's just say I want to be ready. We have one, maybe two eyewitnesses, and I am not sure how well they‘ll stand up in court. All the rest of it is purely circumstantial and remember, we haven‘t heard the suspect's side of the story, either. A lot of work, Doc.‖

―What's wrong with the eyewitnesses?‖
―In my opinion the ID is questionable. Ok?‖
Doc opened the door to Virgil Vee‘s knock. ―Morning, gents,‖ Vee

said. ―Notice I didn't say good morning.‖
―Morning Virgil,‖ Mat Torrez said. ―You get the pictures?‖ ―No sir, I didn't.‖
―Why not?‖ He said it more sharply than he intended. He rubbed

―Not my fault, Captain. Jack Elkins said Lt. Candelaria took the pictures with him. All he had was one each, front and side, for the booking file.‖

―I don't know,‖ Vee said, pouring himself a cup of coffee from his own thermos. ―Jack said he left a half hour before I got there. I tried to raise him on the radio. Negative contact. What can I say?‖

―Probably. Well, if we have to go to Gallup in the morning to get the pictures from him, that is what we‘ll do. Damn. You‘d think one thing could go right.‖ The Captain drank some hot coffee and opened his eyes wide as if so show that he was wide-awake. ―Now, here‘s our plan of action. Doc, you‘re in charge of fieldwork and Vee, you‘re his right arm for now. You boys answer to me only.‖

―Now, Cap, that can be a real hard thing....‖
―Anyone tries to interfere with what you‘re doing, or anyone refuses to cooperate, you let me know. I'll have Chief Sam Black on them real fast. I'll try and build a fire under some of the guys who were out here and get some reports for you, but you know how that goes. It will probably be a week. With a suspect in custody, no one will think there‘s any hurry. In the meantime....‖
Two knocks on the door and Morris Candelaria stepped inside. ―Debbie Smith told me where you were, Mat. Hope you don't mind?‖
―No, Mo, not a bit. Cup of coffee?‖
―No thanks. Just had breakfast in Albuquerque. Like to get some sleep when I get home. Wanted to drop off the pictures. No one said anything so I figured I was supposed to give ‗em to you.‖
He handed Doc a manila envelope. ―Thanks, Lieutenant.‖
―Don't envy you on this one, Mat.‖
―I am not real fond of it myself, Mo, but what is your main problem with it?‖
―That identification. You saw it.
Fregado
Freddy Finch shines a flashlight into a man's face for a few seconds and Flossie says he's the killer. Hell, I'm not sure I'd recognize my mother-in-law under such circumstances, and she lives with me. Good defense lawyer will eat our lunch on an ID like that.‖
―It was less than ideal, Mo, and that is a fact.‖
―More than that, though. Something is real wrong with this whole deal. I mean, we grab this man, and we don't give him a chance to say nothing. Old Gooseberry slam-bangs him around and we lock him up for murder. He told us he has an alibi.‖
―Who did?‖
―Bunting did. He claims he was in Albuquerque at the time of the killings, and he claims to have alibi witnesses.‖
Torrez began rubbing his temple again. ―Maybe it'll be
caca
.‖
―Maybe, Mat, maybe, but I'll say one other thing. I‘ve arrested more than a few felons in my career, but never have I arrested one who was traveling with a wife and two children, babies, really, and a teenage brother-in-law. Also two cats, a dog and a turtle in the car. If all of that's a disguise, then it's a pretty damn good one, you ask me.‖
―All of them animals was in the car, Lieutenant?‖ Doc asked.
―Wait 'til you see it,‖ Candelaria said. It‘s jammed with luggage, hanging clothes, a baby basket. Hardly room for three adults and two little kids. Doesn't strike me as a getaway car. Gentlemen, I‘m tired and I'm going home to bed. Call Gallup if you need me.‖ The lieutenant stood up, saluted with two fingers and left.
―What‘d you reckon, Cap?‖ Doc said as the door closed.
Torrez, elbows on knees, rested his chin on his folded fingers. ―Doesn't change anything except we'll have to check out the alibi on top of everything else. Tomorrow or next week. Here is what we do today. I'll get ahold of Don Wilcoxson and see if he can arrange a lineup for this afternoon. I want you to get those Fernandez people to confirm these photos and then get them to Los Lunas for the lineup. Threaten to close up the bar and arrest them for aggravated mopery if they balk. See if you can find some other witnesses who saw Bunting in the bar Saturday evening and get those people to Los Lunas, too.
―I'll also get ahold of Jim Mitchell and get him working on a search warrant for Bunting's car. He should have it by tomorrow at the latest. That's your next chore. I want that car inventoried down to the pennies in the seat cushions.‖
―Again, Cap, and meaning no disrespect, what's the big hurry on all this? The guy is in the slam. He ain't going nowhere. We could do the lineup tomorrow, and search the car the next day.‖
―Doc, I'm tired. You're tired and so is Vee. But I want a wrap on this case just as soon as we can, for two reasons the first of which is that I need to get back to that mess up in Tierra Amarilla. The second is that I want Scarberry off my back. I want to eat my Thanksgiving dinner with Nita. In peace.‖
―10-4, Cap. We'll get right after it. Where you gonna be?‖
―Right here. I'll keep the room for a couple days. Close to the scene of the crime, and all that.‖ The two officers stood up to go. ―Friday after Thanksgiving, go back to your regular work shifts. We should have what we need to hang this
hombre
by then.‖
―Ok, Cap. Be seein' ya.‖
Mat waited until he heard both cars drive away before he took a pint flask of vodka from under the mattress. He drank deeply before he laid back and closed his eyes; but sleep wouldn‘t come.
Doc's watch read 5:05 a.m. The two criminal agents drove into Grants and ate breakfast before they went back to Los Cerritos and got Frank and Delfina Fernandez out of bed.