“He never raises his voice to anybody,” Rita said, “cause he don’t have to.”

T his time Pervis came by to tell Bob, “I want you to do something for me.”

“I’m your man,” Bob said.

“A U.S. marshal come to see me name of Raylan Givens. You know which one I mean?”

“I’m pretty sure. Yeah, he was pointed out, wears a good-lookin hat.”

“I want you to keep him away from my boys.”

Bob said, “Oh?” He said, “Is this guy a pervert?” Bob tryin hard to look serious. He said, “You want me to become like a babysitter for Coover and Dickie?”

Pervis stared at him.

Pervis said, “In this part of the United States of America, I got enormous pull. Way more’n your Taco Mafia. I got judges doin favors for me and state troopers among my best friends. I call ’em down on you, you’re in jail inside an hour. Bob, you get smart with me again, that’s how we’ll play it.”

Bob said, “Hey, come on,” managing a grin. “I was jus kiddin around with you.”

Pervis said, “Keep this marshal away from my boys or I’ll hire somebody knows how.”

He got in his blown Ford V8 and blew awan-uand bley.

Chapter Three

Coming out of the Huddle House Art said, “Medical schools use ten thousand cadavers a year. All over the world there’s a need for body parts.”

“Then why’d these guys,” Raylan said, “only take Angel’s kidneys? Turn around and sell ’em back to him the same day. Maybe this is a new way to work it. They don’t have to store the body and wait for buyers.”

“That takes a lot of planning, pickin out the victims,” Art said. “I don’t see these jitterbugs have the patience. Angel’s ready to make a deal, he’ll come up with the money. You come along and tell him he doesn’t have to.”

“What else am I gonna promise him? But what do these dumbbells know about the business of selling kidneys?”