Bloodville by Don Bullis

didn't. Mr. Rice had six hundred and thirty six dollars in his pocket. Once I get it processed as evidence, I'll get it back to you. Now then, Miz Rice, what'd the gun look like. Can you describe it for us? Was it big or little?‖
―It didn't look very big but the barrel was real long and skinny and it looked like it had a ring around it, on the end of it. There seemed to be a ring above the handle, too. The handle was long and narrow. The gun was black. I never saw one like it before, either.‖ ―Do you know a semi-automatic pistol from a revolver, Miz Rice?‖ ―I think so. Bud's got a gun in the store. I think he said it was a revolver. The gun this man had didn't look anything like it. Didn't look like any gun I ever saw before.‖
―Do you remember which hand he held it in?‖
―His right hand, mostly.‖
―Did the guy have any accent? You know, Mexican? Indian?‖
―No. Not that I noticed. He was Anglo. I'm pretty sure.‖
―Can you describe his clothing and appearance for the record?‖
―His clothes was black. Short black jacket. Black pants and shoes. The shoes were what I noticed the most. They were small and had sharp pointed toes and the heel was a little higher than ordinary. They was well polished, the kind I‘ve heard called pachuco type. He had a young face and kind of a shiny complexion with a few pimples and pockmarks on the cheeks. Light beard. Clean cut. His hair was long but not shaggy. Just like that other officer's picture. His hands was clean, too.‖
―Did you smell any liquor on his breath?‖
―No. I don't remember.‖
―Can you think of anything else you might want to add? Any unusual characteristics?‖
―No. Well. He did seem to walk with a little bit of a limp. It seemed more like he favored one foot, like maybe one of his feet hurt him some. It didn't keep him from moving around ok.‖
―Ok, good, Miz Rice. Anything else?‖
―No.‖
―We'll get this typed up and you can read it over and sign it later on. You can make any changes or add anything you want to then. That be ok with you?‖
She nodded. ―Do you really think you can catch him?‖
Spurlock looked at his captain. ―We'll get him. Don't you worry none about that, Miz Rice. We'll get him.‖
    A half hour later, Spurlock interviewed Nettie Buckley. Criminal Agent Virgil Vee—Virgil Vicente Valverde—sat in.
Somewhat overweight, the housekeeper appeared weak and unhealthy, her broad face pale and sweaty. Nettie‘s graying hair needed the attention of comb or brush and she twisted and untwisted a red bandanna in her hands.
―My name is Doc Spurlock and this here is Virgil Valverde. We're State Police criminal agents and we're investigatin‘ the murders of Bud Rice and Blanche Brown. We'd like to talk to you about it.‖
Nettie Buckley shifted her weight around in the chair nodded her head slightly.
―Would you give us your name, age and address. Talk right into that microphone there in a normal voice.‖
―My name is Nettie Buckley and I‘m fifty-four ... years of age I live in Budville.‖ Nettie didn‘t stutter, had no speech impediment, but she seemed incapable of speaking a complete sentence. She didn‘t make eye contact with anyone as she watched her hands struggle with the bandanna.
―Good, Nettie. That's good. I know you're gonna to be a big help in this. Now. Just tell us what happened here last evenin‘.‖
    Nettie straightened up in her chair, wringing imaginary water out of the bandanna. ―I came to the store about five ... I was sitting in the chair ... by the magazine rack and talking to Missy Brown.‖
    ―That‘s right by the front window,‖ Doc said, ―so you had a clear view of the driveway.‖
―Yes ... Missy Brown was behind the counter ... sometime after seven I saw a car ... drive up from the east ... it pulled up to the gas pumps and I told Missy Brown ... ‗There's a gas customer‘ ... and she started to put her coat on to go and see ... what he wanted when I saw Bud walking up