KITCHEN
Ellis, an old man in a wheelchair, has one clouded eye.
Ellis
Min back!
Sheriff Bell enters.
Bell
How'd you know I was here.
Ellis
Who else'd be in your truck.
Bell
You heard it?
Ellis
How's that?
Bell
You heard my - you havin fun with
me?
Ellis
What give you that idea. I seen one
of the cats heard it.
Bell
But - how'd you know it was mine?
Ellis
I deduced it. Once you walked in.
Sheriff Bell stares at him.
Bell
How many a those things you got now?
Ellis
Cats? Several. Wal. Depends what you
mean by got. Some are half-wild, and
some are just outlaws.
Bell
How you been, Ellis?
Ellis
You lookin at it. I got to say you
look older.
Bell
I am older.
Ellis
Got a letter from your wife. She
writes pretty regular, tells me the
family news.
Bell
Didn't know there was any.
Ellis
She just told me you was quittin.
Sit down.
Sheriff Bell lifts an electric percolator off the counter.
Bell
Want a cup?
Ellis
'Preciate it.
Bell
How fresh is this coffee?
Ellis
I generally make a fresh pot ever
week even if there's some left over.
Sheriff Bell pours some.
Bell
That man that shot you died in pri-
son.
Ellis
In Angola. Yeah.
Bell
What would you a done if he'd been
released?
Ellis
I don't know. Nothin. Wouldn't be
no point to it.
Bell
I'm kindly surprised to hear you say
that.
Ellis
All the time you spend tryin to get
back what's been took from you there's
more goin out the door. After a while
you just try and get a tourniquet on
it.
He taps a cigarette ash into a mason jar lid on the table in front of
him.
...Your granddad never asked me to
sign on as a deputy. I done that my
own self. Loretta says you're quit-
tin.
Bell
Yes, you've circled round.
Ellis
How come're you doin that?
Bell
I don't know. I feel overmatched.
...
well, I am not sure... it's a little like the bigfoot you know, some claim to have seen it, some say they don't exist... I am inclined to believe that they do not exist, because if they haven't done anything about the following scandal, which has solid paper trail and can be proven quickly, they probably don't exist