The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Page #2

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the only woman you've had...

...for a while is your own hand.

Let's go to Midland this Saturday.

The Border Patrol will nab me

in Midland.

Bullshit.

You scared of women, or what?

Agustin, shut the goddamn gate!

Don't worry.

This happens to Bob

sometimes too.

Well, it goddamn well

don't happen to me.

lt's the first f***ing time

it's ever happened to me.

l don't give a sh*t

what happens to Bob.

Yeah, l know.

Viagra works for Bob.

l'll turn truck-stop queer and

blowj*b-giver before l use that sh*t.

That's what Bob says.

F*** Bob.

Hey, man, you still listen to that

pinche white-boy candy rapper?

Reese's Pieces, Skittles, Eminem.

Gotta stop listening to that.

Kumbia Kings. That's who you

need to listen to, man.

-What's your favorite rifle round?

-What?

What rifle do you shoot?

Always the same round?

AR-1 5, .223 standard. Why?

l was just curious.

l always use the .30-30 myself.

Lever action.

Open sight.

-Don't know what you're missing.

-Eminem. That's all he listens to.

Hello.

Sh*t. F***.

F***.

How do we register him?

Write down ''Melquiades.''

Melquiades what?

Where's he from?

Mexico. Maybe Coahuila.

Cincinnati"s real pretty

in the springtime.

-There's lots of malls.

-l bet you miss it.

We're glad to be here.

You know, wherever

the job takes us.

But this is different.

Yeah.

We were both

real popular in high school.

Now it just seems like we

don't know anybody anymore.

Well, living out here takes

some getting used to, l guess.

Yeah. l guess it does.

lt must seem real different.

Do you know where, like,

the mall's at in Odessa?

Sure. lt's easy to find.

Hey, man.

You okay?

No.

This working hours?

Well, we're about to close.

You need to investigate them

Border Patrols that use the .223.

Want me to investigate the Kennedy

assassination while l'm at it?

Before you b*tch, find out

what that f***er was involved with.

Melquiades wasn't

involved with nothing.

By the way, we already buried him.

l told you to notify me.

lt seemed like you'd at least...

...notify me.

You're not his family.

l don't have to notify you.

He was a wetback.

-You like him?

-lt's the best horse l ever saw.

Take him, he's yours.

Really, take him.

But it's your horse.

Mine, yours....

What's the difference?

He's got ''Pete'' branded in his brain.

No, he cost you a lot.

Sh*t, don't even get off of him.

Hey, Bob, how long

we been married?

Twelve.

Hell, l don't know.

What day is it?

Relax.

But the Border Patrol is everywhere.

-lt's fine, man, don't worry.

-Where are you going?

Where do you think? To get the girls.

Hurry up.

Could l see some photo lD, sir?

Girls, this is Melquiades.

-Lou Ann.

-Oh, Lou Ann.

-Nice to meet you.

-You work with Pete, right?

-That's the one from the cafe, right?

-Yes, genius.

-But she's married.

-So's the other one.

Oh, sh*t.

That's y'all right down there, 205.

l gotta be back in two hours.

Wanna watch TV?

Watch television?

Want to?

l'm sorry.

Music.

Okay.

Wanna dance?

-You're not coming?

-No, l'll wait here.

-You've always liked the mall.

-l'll wait.

But l don't wanna hurry,

l wanna shop.

l will wait for you here.

Don't smoke.

l love this song.

Crazy b*tches....

l understand you people.

Believe you me, l do.

And we are not loca. No way.

-Sh*t, what time is it?

-6:
20.

F***. Bob's gonna kill me.

-When am l gonna see you again?

-l can't next week.

-Sheriff's turn?

-Stop it. You know how things are.

-All right, no problem.

-Hey, don't mix things up.

You're the one l love,

darling, only one.

-Belmont's something else.

-What about old Bob?

That's different.

Bob's my husband.

You understand, right?

-Bye, Pete.

-Bye.

Let's go.

Hey, man.

You okay?

You bueno?

You bueno?

-How you doing, Sam?

-Just fine.

-Morning.

-Morning.

l need to talk to you about

that dead Mexican y'all found.

What about it?

-l'd rather talk outside.

-All right.

lt's our new officer, Mike Norton.

Yeah. Little prick.

Apparently, he was out there

on the Boracho Peak, okay?

Shots were fired.

And he returned.

There was only

two of them out there.

Mike Norton, new kid from Cincinnati,

and that wetback.

Shots were fired?

Who fired at who?

He fired at him first.

Now, l don't want any sh*t.

-What are you doing here?

-l need to talk to you.

What about?

-Belmont came by the caf today.

-So what?

Border Patrol by the name

of Gomez came looking.

So what?

Gomez told him who killed

that Mexican.

Don't fool with me, girl.

Hell, no.

He told Belmont a Border Patrol

killed him in a shootout.

-Did he say his name?

-Yeah.

A guy named Mike Norton.

-You heard him say that?

-Said his name, like, three times.

-What are they gonna do with him?

-They didn't say.

-What's wrong with you? Goddamn!

-Arrest him.

-Who do you think you are?

-That fellow who killed Melquiades.

-Who would that be?

-That Border Patrolman, Mike Norton.

-With what evidence?

-You know damn well who killed Mel.

l don't know a goddamn thing.

You know damn well

who killed Melquiades.

You ain't gonna arrest him, are you?

You better get out of here

before l throw your ass in jail.

You ain't gonna arrest him.

Who is it?

l'm here for Patrolman Norton.

Captain Gomez sent me.

Yeah, just a sec.

You scream again, l'll kill you.

Put your hands over your head.

You got any handcuffs?

-Yeah. ln my uniform belt.

-Get them handcuffs in that uniform.

Bring them back in here

and keep quiet.

Do what he says, Lou Ann.

Put that uniform on

and then them handcuffs.

You tell her what you did?

What did he do?

He killed Melquiades Estrada.

You need to try to relax.

Might get cold.

There we go.

Now, if you call the police,

l'm gonna have to kill him, darling.

There's rain coming now

through Cincinnati.

We could be looking at heavy rain

through the day on Friday...

...so flash flooding will be a huge

concern in the tri-state area.

Get out.

You gonna kill me?

Get out.

Dig him up.

-Who?

-Melquiades Estrada...

...you stupid, gringo, son of a b*tch.

You killed him, now dig him up.

Today's storm that swept Ohio...

...sent dozens of vehicles

sliding on the roadways...

...forced hundreds of stores

and businesses to close.

Good news here is no one

was seriously injured.

Get him out.

Get out.

Get around here.

Take him in the house.

Sit him on that bed.

Turn that light on.

Sit down at this table.

ln that chair.

Melquiades lived here.

That was his bed.

Kept his clothes right over there.

That was his plate.

And that was his cup.

Drink it.

No.

Drink from that cup.

These was his work clothes.

Put them work clothes on.

Then put them dress clothes

on Melquiades.

The oldest is Elizabeth.

She must be fourteen.

And Yesenia is probably twelve.

And this little guy is Aaron.

He's going to be a damn good cowboy.

And this is Evelia.

Evelia Camargo, my wife.

How long since you've seen them?

About five years.

Promise me one thing, Pete.

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